Bryan Nichols, formerly the sales and marketing manager for Nichols Brothers Boat Builders in Freeland, is joining the sales team at Vigor Industrial, the company announced Wednesday.

Nichols will be a sales representative for Vigor, which builds, repairs and modernizes ferries, commercial fishing vessels, military ships and cargo vessels at six shipyards in the Northwest. Vigor completed the purchase of Seattle’s Todd Pacific Shipyards in February, which now operates as Vigor Shipyards.

“Joining Vigor is an exciting next step for me,” Nichols said.

“I’ve been learning or selling boat building and repair all my life. I now get to team with the largest shipyards in the region to bring more projects, more jobs and a stronger maritime community to the Pacific Northwest,” he said.

At Nichols Brothers, Nichols helped complete estimating and contract negotiations for the sale of more than 35 vessels. He has worked with commercial customers as well as the Navy, the federal Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and other government clients.

He has also served on the board of directors of the Passenger Vessel Association and chaired that group’s Western Region.

Vigor officials said Nichols will represent the company and its new-build and fabrication division, US Fab. He will be based in the company’s Seattle office on the former Todd Pacific Harbor Island yard.

Vigor is currently the main builder of vessels for Washington State Ferries, and is one of three companies in the country that maintain the Navy’s aircraft carriers. The privately-held company runs major ship-building and repair facilities in Everett, Seattle, Tacoma, Bremerton and Port Angeles, and also the 60-acre Swan Island shipyard center in Portland, Ore.