Have you seen those large cranes at Bellingham’s waterfront? Here’s what we know
Some heavy lifting began this month along Bellingham’s waterfront as two large cranes arrived at the Shipping Terminal in December.
Nordholm Companies, a hydraulic equipment supplier based in Everett, brought the two cranes by barge from the Port of Tacoma to be unloaded and stored by the Port of Bellingham. A third crane may be arriving from the Port of Seattle in the coming weeks, according to Port of Bellingham Marine Terminals Manager Jon Olson.
Beginning in the new year, the cranes are expected to be disassembled and prepared for transport to a private buyer. Olson called the operation a “great example” of the types of projects that are possible at the Bellingham Shipping Terminal.
“We’re finishing up our terminal modernization area, and this was a good opportunity for us,” Olson told The Herald. “Nordholm Companies approached us, and we had the space available.”
The two-year, $27.5 million modernization project began in early 2024 with the goal of job creation, dock restoration, increasing water depth and installing a new stormwater system.
The crane disassembly operation is expected to employ skilled maintenance laborers of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 7 and utilize the port’s new “heavy lift capabilities.” Noise, dust and community impact is expected to be minimal, according to a Port of Bellingham social media post.
Disassembly crews are expected to work normal daytime hours between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., Olson said.
“This exciting activity showcases the capabilities of our heavy-lift area,” a Facebook post states.
Disassembly is expected to begin the second week of January. That process should take about six weeks per crane, with both cranes expected to be off port property in two to three months, according to Olson.
“It’s exactly the kind of maritime work our terminal modernization was designed to attract, and we couldn’t be happier to see it in action,” the Facebook post states.
By 2026 the Bellingham Shipping Terminal is projected to generate $1 million in wages and 1,200 shifts for dockworkers, with growth expected to reach $3.4 million in wages and 3,600 shifts by 2029, Port of Bellingham spokesperson Mike Hogan previously told The Herald.
Whatcom County’s maritime industry as a whole brings in $1.6 billion in business revenue, 6,400 jobs and $416 million in labor income, according to previous Herald reporting.
This story was originally published December 31, 2025 at 5:15 AM.
