WOOLDRIDGE BOATS INC.

Location: Seattle

Website: www.wooldridgeboats.com

Founded: 1915

Key Innovation: Founder Glen Wooldridge made a name for himself as the first to boat the entire length of Oregon's Rogue River. He went on to become a renowned guide -- taking celebrities and regular folk -- using only boats that he built. Son Bob Wooldridge brought the business from Oregon to Seattle in 1973 and now the third generation of Wooldridges, Bob's son Glen, heads it. The company makes aluminum boats for government, commercial clients and individuals, often taking on custom work.

"Our boats are known to run shallower than other boats and handle better. ? Structurally, we're considered to be extremely strong, extremely well-put-together," says current boss Glen.

Key People: Glen started working at the company when he was 21, eventually taking over as president. His son, Grant Wooldridge, does a variety of jobs in the company. And his father, Bob, still runs errands despite officially retiring 18 years ago.

Measure of Success: In 1973 the company was renting a 2,000- square-foot building with no bathroom and no heat. Now Wooldridge owns 38,000 square feet of manufacturing space. "We're not intentionally growing," says Glen, "but we keep growing. It just seems like every year we have more people and do more boats. Our customers are our main sales force."

Employees: 22

What's Next: The company has renewed its focus on strong, lightweight boats, such as its fully equipped 26-foot Pilothouse, which boasts twin motors but weighs just 6,300 pounds seated on a trailer. "That really lends itself to the current situation with fuel," Wooldridge says.

"It's easy to build a boat strong; it's more challenging to build it strong and light," he adds. "I think people are going to realize that aluminum boats have that, and I think it's going to encourage our sales."

SANJUANYACHTS

Location: Anacortes

Website: www.sanjuanyachts.com

Founded: 1998

Key Innovation: What sets SanJuanYachts apart is its almost antibusiness philosophy, a resistance to mass manufacturing and corner-cutting that puts its products in the same class as a Rolex Presidente. Founding partners Donald Campbell and Randy McCurdy build just eight to 10 boats each year.

"We've had many opportunities to grow and chose not to," says Campbell. "We like to keep our quality of construction very high -- ridiculously high, as some say."

"Approximately 20 percent of our owners are well-known billionaires," he adds.

Key People: McCurdy and Campbell met while working for Admiral Marine Works in Port Angeles. Campbell, a University of Washington business school graduate, wrote a business plan and secured the necessary funding.

Both live in Anacortes, a location they chose for its quality of life, proximity to subcontractors and extended family and -- perhaps most important -- the impressive backdrop it offers when showing their yachts.

Measure of Success: "We didn't necessarily set out to be better than anyone else. We just set out to build to the highest standards that we know of. And I think the rest has come hand-in-hand," says Campbell. Sales are big on the East Coast and in Europe, which Campbell partly attributes to the strength of the euro. He also believes his company fills a void in luxuryyacht manufacturing worldwide.

Employees: 100

What's Next: The company's largest yacht to date is 50 feet long. Designers are working on a 75-foot model. Environmental stewardship is another key component of Campbell and McCurdy's strategy. "We're always looking to be cleaner and greener. ? That's very important to us, and it's important to our market as well," Campbell says.