Company

MORE THAN JUST
AN ENGINEERING FIRM.

Glosten is a marine consultancy offering naval architecture and marine engineering services to clients worldwide. For 65 years, we have pushed the boundaries of what the marine industry can achieve, taking on one-of-a-kind projects that broaden our horizons and challenge us to think outside the box.

Since our founding in 1958, we have maintained our independence through employee ownership, giving us the freedom to pursue the types of projects we are most passionate about. As a result, we have had the good fortune to work on some of our industry’s most groundbreaking projects with amazing partners and clients.

our MISSION.

To solve the world’s most complex marine challenges by providing exceptional engineering and consulting services.

OUR CORE
VALUES.

ACCOUNTABILITY

We are responsible to each other, to our clients, and to the company.
AUTHENTICITY

We lead with candor and grace. We do not succumb to pressures to act otherwise.
cURIOSITY

We dream big and confidently face challenges by pushing ourselves to know more.
LEVITY

We are more engaged when we are having fun and doing what we love with people and clients who share our values.

A CULTURE OF COLLEGIALITY.

We believe the secret to our success is our talented associates and a culture of mutual respect and cooperation. At Glosten, we foster relationships with our clients, partners, and each other based on common values of accountability, authenticity, curiosity, and levity. These values guide the way we do business and contribute to a friendly, inclusive workplace where our associates can thrive.
GET ON BOARD.

Whether your specialty is engineering or operations, Glosten offers a highly collaborative work environment that empowers associates to chart their own course towards their professional goals. Check out our careers page to learn more about what it’s like to work at Glosten.

Glosten’s in-house research and development program is a means for associates to turn their ideas into something bigger. A platform for innovation, the program provides associates with funding to develop concepts with commercial potential into finished products. Not only does it give our associates the opportunity to exercise their creativity and problem-solving skills, it’s also an avenue for addressing the environmental challenges facing the maritime industry. oneTank and PelaStar are two of our greatest R&D success stories.

65 YEARS OF ENGINEERING.

1950s

LARRY GLOSTEN FOUNDS ONE-PERSON PROPRIETORSHIP

Glosten was founded on January 1, 1958 as a one-person proprietorship: L.R. Glosten, Naval Architect & Marine Engineer. The firm’s offices consisted of approximately 500 square feet on the second floor of the old Polson Building on the southwest corner of Western Avenue and Columbia Street in Seattle.

1960s

FLIP IS COMPLETED

Glosten’s first job as an owner’s representative was representing Scripps Institution of Oceanography during model testing and construction of R/P FLIP. The Glosten team also contributed substantial design and engineering work to the project.

FIRST GLOSTEN-DESIGNED VESSEL BUILT

The B&R No. 5, a barge designed for Edith Bullock‘s B&R Tug and Barge in Kotzebue, AK, was built at Albina Engine and Machine Works in Portland, OR.

1970s

HUGHES MINING BARGE COMPLETED

Glosten designed the submersible barge in secret for the US Navy as part of Project Azorian, a CIA project to recover a sunken Soviet submarine during the Cold War. The barge later served as a floating drydock for construction and sea trials of the experimental stealth ship Sea Shadow.

FIRST MAJOR LOADING USING A SUBMERSIBLE BARGE

Glosten helped pioneer the concept of submersible “float-on/float-off” barges. These heavy-lift barges facilitate the loading of massive cargo by taking on ballast to bring the cargo deck below the surface of the water. In 1974, Glosten designed a class of large, submersible ocean-going deck cargo barges for Canadian owners. In early 1976, the first major loading of such a barge took place, transporting the drilling rig Shenandoah from Brownsville, Texas to Bombay, India.

1980s

GLOSTEN DESIGNS A SHALLOW-DRAFT FLEET OF RIVER BARGES FOR WHITE NILE

Contracted by Chevron Shipping, Glosten designed a fleet of barges capable of navigating the shallow, remote reaches of the White Nile river in Sudan.

1990s

FLOATING GOLF GREEN ANCHORS AT COEUR D’ALENE RESORT

The 14th Hole at Coeur d’Alene Resort is one of the most recognizeable icons in golf and the only floating green in the world. The Glosten-designed floating green operates on an adjustable, four-point mooring system that allows the tee distance to vary from 100 to 270 yards. The green was towed out by multiple tugboats in August of 1990; the course opened for business the following spring.

GARTH & LINDSEY FOSS ENTER SERVICE

The Garth Foss and Lindsey Foss were designed by Glosten to provide tanker escort services for Foss Maritime and ARCO. When they entered service in 1994, they set the standard as the largest and most powerful tanker escort tugs in North America.

FUTURE PRESIDENT MORGAN FANBERG’S FIRST DAY AS A GLOSTEN INTERN

The year is 1997. A young, bright-eyed Morgan Fanberg stands outside Glosten’s old office building in Pioneer Square. Little does he know that in 21 years’ time…he will be the president.

2000s

LARRY GLOSTEN RETIRES

Our founder Larry Glosten retired in 2000 after serving the marine industry for more than 50 years.

INAUGURAL GLOSTEN NERD CLUB MEETING

Every so often, the Trekkies, Tolkienheads, and tinkerers of Glosten come together for a meeting of the minds, competing in madcap competitions to take home the prestigious Bolt.

GLOSTEN CELEBRATES 50 YEARS

Associates and friends of Glosten celebrate 50 years of history at the Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle, Washington.

2010s

PELASTAR IS BORN

PelaStar, a tension leg platform (TLP) solution for offshore wind turbines, began development at Glosten in 2006. In 2011, Glosten announced plans to commercialize the platform, opening up the technology to the wind energy industry. In 2013, PelaStar LLC was formed and progress towards a commercially viable offshore wind farm continues.

R/V SIKULIAQ IS LAUNCHED

The R/V Sikuliaq is an ocean-class research vessel operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The vessel is capable of breaking ice up to two and a half feet thick and can accommodate up to 26 scientists and students for a myriad of cross-disciplinary studies in the Alaska region. Sikuliaq succeeds the R/V Alpha Helix, which is quite fitting considering that Alpha Helix was the first self-propelled vessel designed by Glosten.

GLOSTEN ACQUIRES NOISE CONTROL ENGINEERING

Noise Control Engineering (NCE) is a big name in the acoustical engineering game. Glosten acquired the firm in 2015, and while we’ve combined our resources and capabilities, both companies continue to maintain their own identity and focus.

GLOSTEN OPENS EAST COAST OFFICE

In 2018, we opened our first East Coast office in New Bedford, Massachusetts. This move was in response to a growing demand from our clients and opportunities in the region.

FIRST ALL-ELECTRIC CAR FERRY IN THE US ENTERS SERVICE

Alabama’s historic Gee’s Bend ferry recently entered service after being converted from geared-diesel to become the first zero-emission, electric-powered passenger/car ferry in the United States. Glosten provided concept through contract design and shipyard technical support of the vessel conversion to all-electric. The electrification of the Gee’s Bend ferry will mean lower operating costs, reduced noise, and reduced emissions and pollution for the residents of Alabama.

GLOSTEN TAKES PROVIDENCE, RI

Our East Coast office has moved! After one year in New Bedford, Massachusetts, we have upgraded to a larger office in Providence, Rhode Island. We are here to stay and ready to keep growing our team.

2020s

BIRTH OF THE CHALLENGE COIN

The Alaskan Way Viaduct was a feature of the Seattle waterfront and neighbor to Glosten’s Seattle office until it was torn down in 2019. One enterprising employee was able to salvage some rebar from the demolition, and each quarter, under the light of a full moon, the rebar is melted down into palm-sized awards called “Challenge Coins.” Associates who embody the values of our firm are nominated by their peers for a Challenge Coin—the highest honor a Glostenite can receive.

GLOSTEN PRESIDENT MORGAN FANBERG TALKS DECARBONIZATION WITH CONGRESS

Morgan Fanberg testified before Congress to share his perspective on decarbonizing the US marine industry. He was one of five expert witnesses who spoke with the Coast Guard and Marine Transportation subcommittee about reducing carbon pollution and advancing green technologies.

ERMA FIRST ACQUIRES ONETANK, LLC

oneTank is the world’s smallest and easiest to use ballast water treatment system: innovative, low cost, adherent to IMO Revised G8 Code guidelines, and United States Coast Guard compliant. It originated in Glosten’s R&D program, where it evolved from a concept into a fully realized ballast water treatment system. In 2021, oneTank, LLC was sold to ERMA FIRST, a cutting-edge developer and manufacturer of ballast water treatment systems.

R/V DAVID PACKARD KEEL LAYING

The keel laying for MBARI’s state-of-the-art research vessel, the R/V David Packard, took place at Freire Shipyard in Vigo, Spain. Our on-site engineers were present at the event, which marked the vessel’s progress and the ongoing success of our international partnership with a foreign shipyard.