SOWA product designs are acquired by Skookum

Oct 01, 2013

Skookum has acquired the brand name and all intellectual property for the SOWA line of oil field blocks, hooks, and shackles.

SOWA was founded as a general blacksmith shop in Woodburn, Oregon in 1898, and became a leader in oil field products in the 1980’s. The SOWA name is synonymous with quality and service, and this tradition will continue under Skookum’s ownership. With the addition of industry proven SOWA products, coupled with Skookum’s own state of the art engineering and manufacturing, Skookum will bring a world class line of oil field products to market.

Mike Ulven, COO of The Ulven Companies, said “This acquisition was a natural fit. With roots in the Pacific Northwest, and a strong and lasting presence, we are now able to offer our oil and gas clients a more complete product selection from a long established product line.” Skookum expects that the SOWA line will help to expand their market presence and improve their service to the industries they are already involved with.

Established in 1890 as a family business, Skookum was purchased by the Ulven family in 1986. Skookum offers a comprehensive line of rigging products that include blocks, fairleads and sheaves that have met the challenges of the most demanding applications around the world. We’ve proudly taken part in the shaping of American industry from salvage operations at Pearl Harbor and construction of the Grand Coulee dam to San Francisco’s BART system.
Skookum serves the logging, maritime, mining, commercial fishing, petroleum, military, and offshore industries. One of our strengths is customer specials and speedy delivery, making Skookum a must have supplier to its distributors.

Skookum is one of The Ulven Companies and is based in Hubbard, Oregon. The Ulven Companies is comprised of four American companies owned and operated by the Ulven family. While each company is independent, they all work together to serve common industries and common customers. The Ulven Companies provide a single source for forgings, castings, machining, and rigging products. Ulven has been servicing the logging, marine, industrial, recreational, construction, aerospace, transportation, defense, and petroleum markets with quality products for over 40 years.