Foss Launch and Tug Company

Foss Launch and Tug, now Foss Marine, was established in 1889 when Norwegian immigrant Thea Foss bought her first row boat from a disgruntled fisherman on the Tacoma waterfront.  Soon, she and her husband Andrew were buying, selling, and building rowboats at great speed, renting them to fishermen, duck hunters, picnickers, and workers requiring rides to sawmills inaccessible by land during high tides.

They later began building power vessels as well, and during World War II, they bought an interest in a Seattle tug boat company.  They also built boats that were used in the logging industry. 

Foss Marine now employs about 1,000 workers and is the largest tugboat enterprise on the West Coast.  According to their website, "Foss today operates the largest, most modern fleet of tugs on the West Coast and provides a full range of marine transportation services, including Harbor Services, Regional Towing, Environmental Services, Shipyard and Terminal Services"

During more than a century of operations, Foss employed many shipyard workers who performed various tasks, from pipe fitting and insulation installation to plumbing and electrical work.  During shipbuilding and repair, shipbuilders can easily be injured or exposed to hazardous materials such as asbestos.  Working in tight quarters makes asbestos inhalation even more likely.

If you’ve developed mesothelioma – an especially aggressive form of cancer caused by asbestos inhalation – due to your job at Foss Launch and Tug Company, you deserve some answers.  Order our free Mesothelioma Information Packet for more details about the treatment of the disease, the best doctors available, and your right to financial assistance.