As a company that started tending to the Seattle waterfront in 1905 and has been a fixture of the Duwamish River community for the 116 years since, you might understand our feeling of responsibility to share in shaping the future for the young people of our community. We are Manson Construction Company, and we are eager partners at Maritime High School. Our roots run deep through the Puget Sound Region where we’ve built some of the most iconic waterfront structures around this area.
No doubt you’ve seen the giant Ferris wheel on the Seattle waterfront. Manson not only built Pier 57 where it is located, but also the structurally reinforced foundation that holds up the 170,000-pound wheel. Perhaps you’ve driven across the longest floating bridge in North America; the 520 bridge across Lake Washington. Manson built that too. And our latest local achievement is the Mukilteo Ferry terminal, the first new ferry terminal in 50 years built for the Washington State Ferry System. And around the country Manson has helped build the new Bay Bridge in San Francisco, most all the new piers at Naval Base San Diego, the Ford Island Bridge in Hawaii, and the Port of Juneau Cruise Ship Terminal in Alaska. We do marine construction, and we can’t wait to support the students at MHS in discovering and learning the knowledge and skills that make environmentally responsible marine construction one of the most exciting fields there is.
Construction is a complicated process on land, but it becomes even more challenging when it’s done from the decks of boats and barges. It takes a lot of people with many different skills including civil engineers, construction tradespersons, vessel and equipment operators, and marine scientists. All of the people in these positions at Manson spend their days solving the challenging problems of marine construction, and all of them are ready to pitch in with MHS students to solve real-world challenges in the marine construction program. Coordinating this effort for Manson is our Director of Learning & Development, Dr. Thomas Barrett.
Dr. Barrett began his career as a high school biology teacher in Virginia and has since created learning programs and experiences for companies, trade organizations, and schools across the country. Now at Manson Construction, he is responsible for making sure the more than 1000 Manson employees are continually learning and growing to make them the best marine construction professionals in the industry. And, importantly, he is responsible for harnessing all of Manson’s experiences and resources and channeling them to inspire and intrigue MHS students with the wonders of marine construction. When asked what was his “Why” for joining the MHS team, he responded: “Developing programs that help people reach their peak potential is why I get out of bed each morning. Being able to bring my experience and the resources of Manson Construction to Maritime High School may make my bed obsolete! Everyone at Manson is looking forward to working with the young people at Maritime High School.”
This is our moment to create positive regional change through powerful maritime experiences. Find out how your investment will make a difference for the students of Maritime High School. Click here to learn more and make a gift.
To learn more and enroll, visit maritime.highlineschools.org