en.Wedoany.com Reported - In May, Washington-based Janicki Industries sent three teams to the Ski to Sea Race, with the newly formed "Made by Janicki" team using equipment entirely designed and manufactured in-house to complete the competition. The 145-kilometer race extends from the snow-capped Mount Baker to the saltwater of Bellingham Bay, attracting 500 teams annually.
The Made by Janicki team's equipment was all produced using advanced composite manufacturing equipment and processes. Employees self-manufactured downhill skis, snowboards, cross-country skis, road bikes, cyclocross bikes, canoes, and surf kayaks, with all gear except running shoes being homemade. The Competitive and Fun teams used commercial sports equipment. Each piece of equipment was manufactured to strict standards, utilizing precision molds, high-performance composites, machined metal parts, 3D-printed components, and specialized coatings.
Mark Anjo Fernandez, Janicki R&D Project Engineer, said: "We love getting our hands dirty and solving problems in the workshop every day. It's amazing that the company gives us the resources to apply our skills to something as fun as the Ski to Sea Race. I love this competitive and adventurous side of our company culture." He earned his Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington last June. Company President John Janicki noted: "Many international readers of JEC Composites, and even some Americans, may not know about this race, but it reflects how we operate—teamwork, precision, and pushing boundaries." Janicki is a Tier 1 supplier to the aerospace, defense, and marine industries.
Manufacturing these items provided Janicki's engineering and manufacturing teams with opportunities to explore new materials, processes, and design methods outside the normal aerospace production environment. Several pieces of equipment served as testbeds for more sustainable alternatives to traditional aerospace manufacturing technologies. TJ Chace, Janicki Senior Director of R&D, said: "We are excited to showcase our technical capabilities to the community through this unique project. While the end products are functional sports equipment, they represent the same high-precision mold, part, and structural assembly standards we apply in our aerospace, marine, and defense work."
Carlson Wurster, Janicki Project Engineer 2, was unable to ski this year due to injury but still channeled his competitive spirit into manufacturing equipment to help his colleagues achieve good results. He said: "Janicki encourages us to use our skills beyond aerospace applications, giving us the opportunity and equipment to broaden our horizons and think outside the box." Wurster earned his Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Idaho in 2024. Janicki Industries was founded by Peter and Susan Janicki in 1993 in Sedro-Woolley, Washington, with John joining the company in 1994.
Since the 1990s, the company has continuously expanded, currently operating over 92,903 square meters of manufacturing space in Washington and Utah, with employee numbers more than doubling since 2022 to 1,900. On April 16, the company announced a multi-state growth plan to build up to 185,806 square meters of production space over the next decade and select a new manufacturing base in Montana or Idaho. In Washington, the company added a 15,050-square-meter facility at its Hamilton campus and is renovating a factory in Bellingham, approximately 40 kilometers from Canada. The factory in Layton, Utah, will expand by 6,503 square meters this summer.
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