25 years of business buoyancy

Greg Keeler has always loved boats. His grandparents and parents owned boats, and Keeler has a 40-foot trawler on which he loves to explore Pacific Northwest islands with his family.

And after 30 years of working on and around boats, the 54-year-old Whatcom County resident still walks the docks of Bellingham’s waterfront with a sense of belonging and satisfaction.

“I love my job,” Keeler said. “It makes me happy to be around the boats down there.”

As owner and lead fabricator of Oyster Creek Canvas Company, Keeler has taken a small two-man shop in downtown Bellingham and turned it into a successful team of six highly skilled employees, providing customized interior and exterior marine canvas work and newly fabricated marine canopies and windows.

In addition to crafting and repairing canvas-based marine items, Oyster Creek is responsible for the design and  fabrication of all its metal work. The company is also expanding an interest in 3D design work through the use of newer 3D scanning technology. 

Its client base includes local commercial boat builders such as Aspen Power Catamarans and Munson Boats, and a vast array of personal clients. Keeler said Oyster Creek has worked on everything from $500 boats to mega yachts owned by super-rich American entrepreneurs, and even a Middle Eastern sultan.

The average price of the boats they work on, he said, is probably around $500,000.

“Most people with boats always seem to have some money to throw to the boat, no matter what the economy’s doing,” he added.

Charting a course

Keeler came to Bellingham in the late 1980s to attend Western Washington University.

After graduating, he moved back to the Seattle area for an engineering job that ended in a layoff several years later. Keeler then decided to return to Bellingham and began working at a friend’s diving company.

“That was a lot more fun than a cubicle,” he said.

When his friend rented an old shop space, he offered Keeler one-third of the space for $300 a month. Taking the deal, Keeler acquired an old sewing machine and began figuring out canvas-based boat work in what would become Oyster Creek’s eventual headquarters.

He purchased additional machines to do additional jobs, making mistakes but always learning from them. Oyster Creek, he said, grew incrementally through the years in organic fashion.

One of the most interesting projects the company undertook had nothing to do with boats. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company pivoted to making personal protective equipment. It made thousands of masks and face shields for first responders, as well as medical gowns. Keeler said several employees took sewing equipment home to do their essential work in a more distanced manner.

Eventually, Oyster Creek’s normal business began picking back up amid an uptick in post-pandemic boat purchasing. In general, the company divides a lot of its time seasonally: Interior jobs — including cabin cushions — are scheduled through the winter months, while larger exterior projects are marked for good weather.

Built to last

One of the biggest keys to the company’s success, Keeler said, is its membership in the Marine Fabricators Association. Being part of the organization has allowed Oyster Creek to make business connections both nationally and worldwide. Keeler said the association allows those in his line of work to share knowledge that helps the entire industry produce the best-quality work. It’s a near-literal example of a rising tide lifting all boats.

“For a long time, canvas work used to be viewed as tarps and covers,” he said. “Not as much of a craft. You have the other (marine-based) trades — mechanical and electrical and stuff — making a high rate. We were always kind of viewed as lower on the chain.”

Building durable, aesthetically pleasing projects for high-end boats doesn’t just mean being a competent craftsman, Keeler said. It also means being creative.

“There’s a huge artistic element in it,” he said. “It’s not like replacing an alternator.”

Keeler said there’s not much competition in the niche market that Oyster Creek occupies, but similar area businesses work more collaboratively than competitively. If the owner of another company needs to stop by to use a sewing machine or inquire about a piece of material, Keeler is happy to help.

While Keeler relied mainly on himself in Oyster Creek’s early days, he’s quick to credit the work of those with whom he shares his shop. Employees maintain a living wage, with flexible scheduling to accommodate each employee’s life and productivity. A three-year-old black bernedoodle named Boss also roams the shop floor, frequently boosting morale.

“We have a really great work crew,” Keeler said of his team. “When you start something by yourself — and a lot of other business owners know this — it’s really hard to let go of control. I feel like I’ve been very fortunate for this company to grow like this, but it’s not like I’ve done it all myself.” ν