The Underwater World Dive shops at the threshold of adventure By Vanessa
Orr
30 ENVIRONMENTAL
Death Care Alternatives
Natural burial and water cremation
By Terri Marshall
74 SMALL BUSINESS
Directories and Apps
Connecting buyers with sellers By Amy Newman
82 GOVERNMENT
Licensed to Sell
Why do businesses need a permission slip, anyway? By Rachael Kvapil
QUICK READS
86 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Business for Sale
Navigating the intricacies when companies change owners By Tracy Barbour
92 MEDIA & ARTS
Authorial Ecosystem
Alaska publishers support local writers and readers By Sarah Reynolds Westin
Mark Fleenor
Thank you, Alaska, for voting First National Bank Alaska as the Best Place to Work for the ninth year in a row, the Best Bank for the fourth year in a row, and Best in Customer Service. We’re thrilled with your confidence in our mission to provide a work environment where employees and customers feel appreciated and respected. We’ll do our best to keep earning your trust.
CONTENTS
SPECIAL SECTION: BEST OF ALASKA BUSINESS
56 HIDDEN CATEGORIES
58 READERS’ CHOICE REGULARS
Repeat Best of Alaska Business Awards winners
By Mike Insalaco
62 MAKING WAVES
The best startups from 2023
By Vanessa Orr
66 BEST OF TOMORROW Kids Business Fair at The Workshop
By Scott Rhode
CORRECTION: In the June issue, the correct name of APTC, the business featured in “Purrfect Journeys and Ruff Trips,” is Anchorage Pet Travel Certificates. Also, the article erroneously stated that APTC does not give shots; APTC does in fact provide shots, such as rabies vaccinations.
ABOUT THE COVER
The Best of Alaska Business winners thrive in difficult environments. From that observation, artist Emily Longbrake increased the difficulty by taking away the air. Inspired by her love of scuba diving, Longbrake invites readers to plunge into aqua incognita.
The setting is not, as might appear, a coral reef. Although Alaska does host deep-water coral gardens, Longbrake envisions a scene closer to shore. Specifically, the littoral caves of Southeast. Carved into limestone of the Prince of Wales Archipelago, caves above and below the waterline are troves of climate clues, ancient animals, and human history.
The artist sees a connection between those habitats and the modern-day business environment. “When I work on design projects in Alaska, they have a different context than working out of state,” she says. “Our environment is very different. You can get away with some things up here that you can’t anywhere else!”
Cover design by Emily Longbrake
Working at Alaska Business and being a parent have one major aspect in common: I learn something new every day. As one example, while I was still pregnant I thought six weeks of maternity leave would feel like a long time. It did not. As my previously scheduled maternity leave wound down, I knew that I needed more time before I was ready to return to the magazine and its daily, weekly, and monthly deadlines. Fortunately, I had two things working in my favor: my incredible editor Scott Rhode, who managed this publication in my absence with skill and finesse, and an ownership team that values me enough to recognize that it would be worthwhile to extend my time away if it meant I could return in a healthy, productive state of body and mind.
Of all the organizations I’ve worked for, I have never been employed at one that is so dedicated to ensuring its employees feel like people. So many companies advertise a policy of “putting people first” that the phrase is becoming cliché, but working in an environment where that really is true has been a great blessing in my professional life.
Even though I love working here, as do my coworkers, Alaska Business will never win a “Best Place to Work” Award in our annual Best of Alaska Business survey for two reasons: that would obviously be inappropriate and, even if we lacked any sense of editorial integrity, we simply don’t have enough employees to win the category. I’m sure there are hundreds of other small businesses around the state with employees that would say the same.
We know our ability to celebrate the “best” Alaska businesses is limited, for that and other reasons; we have limited space on the page, some businesses are difficult to classify by just one category, and we’re constantly building our outreach to make sure all of our readers have an opportunity to weigh in.
That doesn’t prevent me, however, from being confident that the businesses that are celebrated within our Best of Alaska Business special section are absolutely at the top of their field. Our survey is write-in only; none of our readers are picking randomly from a drop-down menu, and every nomination is deliberate.
This year we’re again hosting a Best of Alaska Business summer party, which has been on hiatus since the pandemic. Our team is looking forward to taking in the gorgeous Alaska summer sun, overlooking Cook Inlet from the rooftop of 49th State Brewing, and celebrating both the amazing businesses contained within these pages and our very own best place to work.
Web Manager Patricia Morales patricia@akbizmag.com
SALES
VP Sales & Marketing
Charles Bell 907-257-2909
cbell@akbizmag.com
Senior Account Manager
Janis J. Plume 907-257-2917 janis@akbizmag.com
Senior Account Manager
Christine Merki 907-257-2911 cmerki@akbizmag.com
Marketing Assistant
Tiffany Whited 907-257-2910
tiffany@akbizmag.com
BUSINESS
President
Billie Martin
VP & General Manager
Jason Martin 907-257-2905
jason@akbizmag.com
Accounting Manager
James Barnhill 907-257-2901 accounts@akbizmag.com
CONTACT
Press releases: press@akbizmag.com
Postmaster: Send address changes to Alaska Business
501 W. Northern Lights Blvd. #100 Anchorage, AK 99503
Less Coverage, Higher Cost
Local insurers see worrying trends
By Alex Appel
The insurance market is changing rapidly in Alaska. Chris Pobieglo has seen this change up-close.
Pobieglo, president of Anchorage-based Business Insurance Associates (BIA), has been in the Alaska insurance market for more than twenty years. BIA provides a variety of coverages to businesses in the state and in the Lower 48. It’s one of the few locally owned insurance companies left in Anchorage.
Pobieglo remembers when Anchorage had approximately twenty other brokerages doing what BIA does. That was twenty years ago. “Today, it's probably five, if that,” he says.
The relatively small insurance market of less than 800,000 Alaskans, coupled with inflation and worker shortages, pushed some companies to cut back on coverage, sell to larger corporations, or leave the state altogether.
One area particularly hard hit is commercial property insurance, according to Pobieglo. A combination of aging buildings, high operating costs in Alaska, and extreme weather make quality insurance for commercial property hard to provide.
Uninsurable Properties
Bill Troupe started his first job in insurance in November 1998. A commercial account executive for the Ketchikanbased insurance company DBI, Troupe used to work at the Ketchikan pulp mill. When the historic mill shut down in 1997, he switched careers but stayed in town.
Hundreds of others chose to leave Ketchikan.
Even though the mill is closed, there are still reminders of its presence. Ketchikan has what are called the “towers.” The
multi-story housing complexes were built in the ‘50s to house mill workers.
Insurance companies need their own insurance, also known as “reinsurance.”
Reinsurers underwrite insurance companies, meaning they may cover all or part of a large payout. If a broker can’t find someone to reinsure a potential claim, then it can’t insure that claim either. Consequently, without reinsurance, there is no insurance.
The older Ketchikan’s towers get, the more likely an insurance claim will be made, so reinsurance is a losing bet. “No one wants to sit there and write [the towers], so they're going to become uninsurable,” Troupe says.
The towers aren’t the only aging buildings in Ketchikan. “Our buildings are getting older,” says Troupe. “People are getting greedy... They're not putting money back into their businesses, into their buildings right here. We're getting a lot of dilapidated, very uninsurable type structures in Ketchikan. It gets worse and worse.”
Uninsurability is a barrier across the state. Pobieglo sees it in Anchorage
www.chialaska.com info@chialaska.com
ph: 907.276.7667
and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. "There are tons of buildings built in the ‘50s, ‘60s,” he says. “If you've got a building with a roof over fifty years old, you might not be able to find anybody who wants to insure it—or if they will insure it, they're going to charge you a lot for it, and they're going to exclude a roof collapse from the weight of ice and snow.”
The past two winters saw more than a dozen roof collapses in the Anchorage area. The municipality estimates between 500 and 1,000 commercial buildings in the city have the type of roof trusses that are an immediate concern. Structures built before 1990 are at a particularly high risk of collapsing under the weight of snow.
“You need to make sure you're properly maintaining these systems because this property market right now is going to be really difficult to get good coverage in if you're not,” Pobieglo says.
“Now it's a lot harder to get landside insurance and nearly impossible in these higher risk areas.”
Alex Ditcharo Office Manager
Malia Hayward State Farm Insurance Agency
“Our industry has seen a massive bleed off of talent in the last ten, fifteen years… Tons of people with forty, fifty years of experience have left, and they haven’t done as good of a job as they should have in bringing in new, young talent.”
Chris Pobieglo President Business Insurance Associates
86 percent of communities in Alaska cannot be reached by road.
Pobieglo provides coverage to some of these communities. Around 15 percent of Pobieglo’s Alaska clients are outside the Anchorage and MatanuskaSusitna Borough. For instance, he works with a lodge in Kodiak, a grocery store in the North Slope, and a bar in Adak. Some of these places have no local fire department or, even if there is one, it has a limited supply of water for firefighting. “Basically, you're looking at a building that, if it catches fire, more than likely it completely burns to the ground,” Pobieglo says. “So you have to have that as a factor: the remoteness and, of course, super high replacement costs.”
Remote communities are also more liable to incur damage due to climate change.
Nationwide, insurance companies are adjusting to severe weather events. For example, State Farm announced in March it wouldn’t renew tens of thousands of policies in California due to devastating forest fires. In Hawai’i, Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Company left the state after the Lahaina fire in 2023. Companies are also leaving Iowa and Florida because of tornadoes and hurricanes.
In Alaska, the triggering event is landslides. Heavy rains have caused more frequent and severe landslides in Southeast. In November, six people were killed and one injured by a landslide in Wrangell. The landslide destroyed three houses, according to the Alaska Department of Natural Resources Geological and Geophysical Surveys, and the same storm caused landslides in Prince of Wales Island and Ketchikan.
“Now it's a lot harder to get landside insurance and nearly impossible in these higher risk areas,” says Alex Ditcharo, the office manager of the Malia Hayward State Farm Insurance Agency in Juneau.
“The cost of insurance has gone up dramatically here,” Troupe adds. “In the last five years, property rates skyrocketed… material costs, labor costs, lack of labor. A lot of these things are factors and the reason why the cost of insurance just gets steeper… I don't think it's going to get any better anytime soon.”
Reducing Risk, Finding Talent
The Malia Hayward office sticks to low-risk clients, according to Ditcharo. Hair salons, accountants, and restaurants are their “bread and butter.” The agency stays away from mechanic shops and welders, which have more liabilities.
“Since we don’t insure these highrisk operations, we don’t have as many claims as a lot of other companies,” Ditcharo says. This allows the agency to keep prices low.
Troupe leans into the freedom that comes with working at an independent company.
“We have several markets that we are privy to right there that we can get to, whether it's the direct to the carrier, which would be like an Allstate or a Safeco… or we can do it through brokers, like The Insurance Center up in Anchorage or one of our brokers out in Seattle,” he says.
In contrast, larger corporations are often “captive agents,” meaning they are tied to a single company and have very little flexibility.
But surviving for the long haul takes more than just a method or philosophy. The insurance industry is heading toward a major worker shortage, according to Pobieglo.
“Our industry has seen a massive bleed off of talent in the last ten, fifteen years,” he says. “Tons of people with forty, fifty years of experience have left, and they haven’t done as good of a job as they should have in bringing in new, young talent.”
BIA hired three new employees in the last two years, and Pobieglo considers that to be an exception to the trend. Some companies are just throwing in the towel.
“These guys make their decision based on numbers,” Pobieglo says. “At the end o f the year, they're going to look at how much premium they wrote, they're going to look at how much claims they paid out, and if it's not a favorabl e trend, or if it's been something that's been happening, then they could very well make a decision, ‘You know, we're out of here, this isn't a good environmen t to write property coverage.’”
ENGAGE BY STRATEGY AND MEASURE OUTCOMES HR MATTERS
Written by Paula Bradison, CEO PeopleAK
Our Senior Consultant Team recently dedicated two days to conducting Strategic Planning, a crucial process that, like the plumber’s story, can easily be overlooked or neglected. Even highly engaged and motivated teams can make the mistake of setting aside their best practices or delaying strategic planning to accommodate client needs, despite understanding its importance.
“43% of HR leaders report not having a future of work - strategy. Considering most work strategies were likely turned upside during the pandemic, this should not come as a shock. Still, to stay ahead of the game, think about what the future will look like for your company.” - Forbes Advisor, 5/17/23
With mission, vision, and values proudly displayed on the training room wall, the team embarked on activities geared toward recalibration of our mission understanding and with a documented implementation strategy. Noting a national average employee turnover of 3.8% and the reported average cost at 33% of the employee’s base salary, and 30% of those employees quit in the first year, there is a
compelling argument to be made to ensure newly hired employees are included in the development and understanding of values and mission that goes beyond a simple explanation at orientation.
Starting with core values, it quickly became apparent that each participant had different interpretations of each term and widely varying applications of our core values in the workplace. In my many years of experience, conducting a deep-dive discussion of values often helps teams organically understand the company’s mission. As was our case, after our lengthy discussion on values, we experienced a collective ‘duh!’ moment. Our mission was clear and aligned with our values. We didn’t change a thing about it.
With our newfound alignment of our values and mission, our next challenge was translating the strategic mission into a tactical business plan. This step in the strategy session takes the team from a world of ideals and hypotheticals into concrete measures and outcomes. This step aims to develop transparent metrics at the individual, department, and leadership levels that will answer questions like
“How will you know when you are successful?” It addresses more than a profit and loss report or volume of services; it is how the team will recognize and achieve excellence and then measure it. Our team identified six strategic initiatives with measurable goals to focus on client outcomes, productivity, and, ultimately, job satisfaction.
The value of a Strategy Alignment is not simply to repeat Strategic Planning, but rather to develop an understanding of the company’s overarching mission, vision, and purpose to ensure it is being executed at every level during the preparation of tactical tools such as a staffing model, budget, or major strategic initiative and that it is translated to all levels of employment in the company. This process allows us to refine and update 3- & 5-year implementation plans to ensure our immediate and long-term goals are aligned and practical.
Paula Bradison, CEO
For more information call (907) 276-5707 or visit our website at PeopleAK.com
HR Matters is sponsored content:
Layers of Protection
Industrial outfitters keep workers warm and safe
By Nancy Erickson
Th ere's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. The Norwegian adage is wise advice for Alaskans too. Workers at the Prudhoe Bay oil fields 250 miles north of the Arctic Circle have learned through experience how true the saying is.
Equipped with their employer’s list of required gear, new hires boarding a plane in Anchorage for their hitch on the North Slope may be barred from travel without packing the proper warm clothing and footwear.
“You have to have your standard Arctic gear to fly north during certain times of the season, otherwise they may not let you board,” says Brian Anderson, former oil rig worker for
Anchorage-based Delta Constructors and now responsible for gear procurement.
“As soon as you get off the airplane, you’re in the Arctic battling the elements,” he adds. “Even with Arctic gear, you still run the risk of getting hypothermia or frostbite—and that’s with $2,000 worth of gear.”
Dress for the Job
Depending on the job, the list of required clothing and safety equipment can get quite lengthy.
For jobs during winter construction season between October and May, workers are required to carry Arctic-rated
Patricia Morales
| Alaska Business
gear, including a parka, insulated pants, boots, mittens, face shields, and goggles. Arctic-rated generally means comfortable at least to -40°F and functional at -60°F.
In addition to the standard gear, rig workers also wear impact-rated gloves. “It’s like rubber on the knuckles, so if your hand slips off a wrench and a pipe hits it, the gloves absorb the impact so you don’t break your hands and knuckles as easily,” Anderson says.
And then there’s industrial safety equipment such as hard hats, safety glasses, goggles, and Tyvek suits. Delta Constructors furnishes essential gear to their employees—something not done by all companies.
“If you’re pulling out of the hole or running wet, which means there’s oil coming out of the hole while we’re pulling out or we’re getting a kick, then floor hands wear Tyvek suits, which prevent oil from seeping onto the skin when getting covered head to toe in crude oil. The suits are water and oil resistant to prevent exposure to harmful chemicals that can be found deep within these oil-bearing wells,” says Anderson.
Oil pads are tough workplaces to begin with; cold weather adds a level of difficulty. “During slow rig moves and long construction days, you’re outside sometimes for days to weeks, twelve to sixteen hours a day with wind ripping at -40°F to -60°F, wearing your hard hat with a hard hat liner, insulated gloves, insulated boots, insulated bibs, Arctic jacket, layers of thermals underneath that, and sometimes goggles to keep your nose and the edge of your eyes from getting frostbite. Although the conditions may sound harsh, employers provide areas with heaters and protection from the elements to warm up as needed,” Anderson explains.
Warm is nice, but the tradeoff is weight and time. “All the gear in a typical Arctic loadout can weigh anywhere from 40 to 60 pounds and take ten to fifteen minutes to gear up or gear down. But you just do it. You’ve got to get the job done and as safely as possible,” he adds.
Brains of the Outfit
A familiar name among anyone looking for outdoor gear, Big Ray’s outfits Alaskans for life, recreation, and work.
Built on Safety & Customer Satisfaction
North Star Behavioral Health System offers mental health services for children, teens and adults who struggle from behavioral or substance
• Inpatient Acute Care for Children & Teens
• Residential Care
• The Arctic Recovery Program For adults in need of detoxification or rehabilitation for substance use.
• Chris Kyle Patriots Hospital Serving first responders, military service members and veterans. Proud to be an in-network TRICARE® provider.
In addition to supplying warm and safe outfits for North Slope workers, Alaska Textiles embroiders designs for team uniforms.
Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
“Outfitting workers on the North Slope can pose unique challenges. One of the most well-known aspects is the extreme cold and high winds,” says Big Ray’s corporate outfitting director Tyler Snyder. “Protecting workers against these harsh conditions takes uniquely designed clothing and thoughtful layering. Improper layering and/or clothing can create inefficient heat retention and minimal moisture wicking.”
The way to warmth runs through the feet. “Something people don’t think about is the heat retention of your feet. When you’re standing on ice that’s -40°F, it sucks the heat right out of your feet,” Snyder explains.
Thus, Big Ray’s carries the Baffin safety boot, one of the most popular boots recommended for Slope workers. The Baffin boot is designed with unique layering that prevents wicking, and the
Canadian-made brand also includes safety features such as an Arctic-grip toe and puncture resistant sole.
A full kit for North Slope workers can vary from person to person but could contain, according to Snyder, a base layer, bottom layer shirt, mid layer jacket, outer layer jacket or parka, Arctic boots, thick socks, pants, bib or coveralls, Arctic gloves, balaclava, beanie, or other necessary equipment or tools.
Big Ray’s offers several channels for getting the right gear to the right person. The simplest and most common is fitting the individual at a store location in Anchorage, Fairbanks, or Kodiak. Companies can also be set up a webstore, where employees log in and begin build their orders, like an industrial wedding registry. Big Ray’s also ships bulk orders directly to the employer.
One of the biggest issues with Arctic or Slope workers is that everyone’s body is a little bit different, so a given individual may not need three layers, says Snyder. “But at the end of the day, it’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it,” he adds.
Stuff for Survival
Outfitting is a practical necessity, yet for certain personalities fascinated by gadgets and gimmicks, safety solutions are as good as toys. That’s why Eagle Enterprises has billed itself as “neat stuff headquarters.” Its Anchorage and Homer locations sell medical kits, flotation devices, and lifeboat rations.
Safety regulations can get rather complicated when transporting workers by helicopter to offshore rigs, says Eagle Enterprises president Shane Langland.
“At a minimum, you have to have a Federal Aviation Administration
[FAA] approved life vest in the helicopter for each occupant. Many oil companies also stipulate having a sufficient number of US Coast Guard flight suits on board as protection from cold water in case of ditch ing,” Langland says.
Because the Anchorage store is certified as an FAA service center and the Homer location is US Coast Guard certified, the company can provide the required equipment as well as perform regular certification of life rafts and life vests.
In operation since shortly after oil was discovered at Prudhoe Bay in 1968, Eagle Enterprises also sells firefighter breathing apparatus and fire resistant clothing. The shop also stocks solutions for another hazard faced by remote workers: bears.
A proprietary bear fencing kit manufactured in Anchorage, ElectroBearGuard is a battery-operated portable electric fence system that covers a 400- to 3,000-square-foot area. The protected enclosure is meant to deter bears with pulses of 9,500 volts, with a power source as small as 6 volt or 12 volt lantern batteries. The kit can also be made with a solar option, or it can plug into AC grid power.
Lifesaving Long Johns
Many oil producers, such as ConocoPhillips Alaska and Hilcorp Alaska, mandate that employees wear protective gear, including arc resistant and flame resistant (AR/ FR) clothing. Meeting this local need opened a national sales opportunity for Anchorage-based Alaska Textiles.
Established in 1946 as a dry cleaner and commercial laundry, Alaska Textiles shifted toward AR/FR apparel in 1996. The company is now the leader in flash fire and electric arc protection. The company also became a manufacturer of FR apparel under the Korbana Protective Apparel brand in 2000, specializing in cold weather FR clothing designed in Alaska for North Slope oil workers. The Korbana line of outerwear includes bib overalls, bomber jackets, windproof parkas, and hoods designed to fit under hardhats.
Unlike flammable clothing that can ignite and continue to burn, AR/ FR garments prevent ignition and offer vital insulation against thermal
hazards. The base layers that Alaska Textiles sells must fit properly, endure wear and wash, and breathe while also insulating—like the best long underwear—and none of those qualities can interfere with the key attributes of inherent fire and arc resistance.
“At Alaska Textiles, safety is our top priority,” says President Clif Burnette. “All our Korbana Protective Apparel brand and other brands we distribute, like Ariat and Carhartt, not only meet the safety standards but exceed expectations for comfort, durability, and style.”
National Fire Protection Association 2112 is the industry standard for flash fire and the standard required on the North Slope. Compliance requires the garment to pass a series of four tests, one of which is the Manikin Test where a stationary manikin wearing the garment is positioned in a burning chamber for three seconds with attached sensors to measure second- and third-degree body burn percentages. The standard requires the garment to have less than 50 percent second- and third-degree burns to pass. Survival rates plummet as total body burns exceed 50 percent.
Choosing AR/FR gear is not just a matter of compliance; it’s a lifesaving decision that eliminates the risk of clothing becoming fuel, says Burnette.
One challenge Alaska Textiles faces is keeping the correct amount of inventory. “The Slope can gear up quickly and slow down quickly,” says Burnette. “Although we maintain the largest inventory of FR in Alaska, we work very hard to have the right inventory at the right time.”
Just as outfitters must match the tempo of the oil industry, individual workers must keep up with the outfitting requirements of their job. Langland offers up some good advice for oil field new hires. “For those who are going up to the Slope, just make sure you understand the requirements of the company you’re working for,” says Langland. “If you’re not following the guidelines for the required clothing and equipment, they will send you off the Slope. Like anybody, if you’re not following the rules of your company and the safety guidelines—I don’t care what rule it is—they’re not going to keep you there.”
Moving on up from its original dry cleaning business, Alaska Textiles expanded into manufacturing and selling gear that's vital to industrial workers—or handy for recreation, like a backpack cooler.
Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
Where the rubber meets the frozen tundra, footwear is naturally the single most important piece of any North Slope outfit.
Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
Undivided Attention
Specialty contractors excel in their niche
By Rindi White
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs may have had it right when he said, “Do not try to do everything. Do one thing well.” For some Alaska business owners, narrowing the focus is the key to success. This is particularly evident in the building trades. Specialty contractors do just that: focus on one specialty. Their mastery of a single hyper-specific field makes them the go-to experts for very precise needs.
Behind Door Number One
Windows? No, thanks. Front doors? Not even. For Nick Shkolnik, project manager for Alaska Door, the installation and maintenance of Alaska-grade garage doors provides more than enough work to keep the company busy.
Alaska Door has been in business for three years; it began with two guys installing and maintaining garage doors. This year, the company boasts a roster of about twenty-five yearround employees installing doors all over Alaska. Alaska Door started with a location in Wasilla but has opened a Fairbanks location and plans to add a Kenai location soon.
Part of the reason for the rapid expansion, Shkolnik says, is that the doors Alaska Door installs are made to withstand Alaska’s weather. Alaska Door’s stock, while built overseas, is manufactured specifically for the company.
“They are two inches thick, fully polyurethane insulated. We don’t have hollow doors; we don’t believe that in Alaska you should have hollow doors,” he says.
The company also manufactures custom, three-inch doors as well, Shkolnik says.
“If you have a really big door, or several doors, people tend to use those,” he says.
The company’s catalog also includes insulated glass panels, multiple window styles within panel doors, and man doors within a garage door.
Not just any doors; doors built for Alaska. Alaska Door
The other factor behind Alaska Door’s rapid growth is their commitment to responding to customers in a timely manner.
“We had a person call us; their spouse drove their car through a garage door,” Shkolnik says. The customer called on the day the incident happened, and two days later the door was being installed. “Sometimes we are able to respond the same day,” he adds. “The reason people love us is that we respond in a timely manner.”
When Work Is a Blast
Drilling and blasting company
Advanced Blasting Services provides something a lot of civil projects require but which is not always available: rock.
“Maybe a diggable rock source isn’t available locally, or maybe hauling rock isn’t cost-effective,” says Advanced Blasting General Manager Kevin Gill.
It’s a common occurrence in Western Alaska, where easily excavated rock can be difficult to source. Simple road repair jobs might require barging rock in from another community, which drives up costs considerably. In such cases, it can be more cost effective to work with Advanced Blasting to turn local rock into construction material of the specified size.
Stabilizing rock is another aspect of Advanced Blasting’s work. Gill says the company is currently subcontracting on a project to repair the Denali National Park road through Polychrome Pass, where the Pretty Rocks landslide at Mile 45.4 closed it in 2021.
“We are essentially trying to stabilize that area as best we can through blasting in benches to control the slope… and installing rock bolts to stabilize the formations, as well as stabilizing the ground at either side of the slide zone for the new bridge that is getting installed,” Gill says.
He notes that the Denali project aims to maintain the natural beauty of the area, which means using a colormatched grout that blends with local geology to cover the rock bolts.
While preserving natural beauty is one focus, his crew works hard to tame the unpredictable geology of the area as well, adding stabilization measures and mesh where possible to prevent future slides.
RENT MORE THAN A MACHINE.
When you rent with Yukon Equipment, you're choosing more than powerful, versatile and easy-to-use CASE equipment. You're choosing a business partner. You’re choosing a team of local experts who know your industry and support your needs while being respectful of your time. When you rent with Yukon Equipment, you're renting with con dence. Learn more about our rental and rent-to-own options at www.yukoneq.com
ALASKA
ANCHORAGE
2020 East Third Avenue
Anchorage, AK 99501
Phone: 907-277-1541
Fax: 907-276-6795
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WASILLA
7857 West Parks Hwy.
Wasilla, AK 99623
Phone: 907-376-1541
Fax: 907-376-1557
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FAIRBANKS
3511 International Street
Fairbanks, AK 99701
Phone: 907-457-1541
Fax: 907-457-1540
Email: info@yukoneq.com
PROUD SUBSIDIARY OF CALISTA CORPORATION
Another current project for Advanced Blasting will change the face—in a limited way—of Prince William Sound. In Cordova, a Turnagain Marine/ GMC Contracting joint venture is constructing an oil spill response facility at Shepard Point, about 5 miles from Cordova. Advanced Blasting is a subcontractor, brought in to help pioneer the access road.
The 18-foot-wide road requires a significant amount of blasting, Gill says, so minimizing the environmental impact is a huge factor.
“We want to minimize the impact on local flora and fauna, staying out of tidal zones and minimizing the general footprint of the road,” he says, noting that the narrowness of the road is a nod to the effort to minimize impacts.
Gill says the road project was started in the middle of the 5-mile corridor, at the Cordova power plant. Advanced Blasting teams are working outward in both direct ions to complete it.
While about 95 percent of Advanced Blasting’s work deals with rock, Gill says the company performs a few
structural demolitions as they come up every few years. While the demolition projects aren’t as dramatic as videos of high-rise implosions, he says the jobs are still impressive.
“We’ve taken down some towers in the state, but… we don’t have a lot of very tall structures in Alaska. Even the towers are few and far between,” he says.
Towers for communications or navigation are often good candidates for blasting, as their often remote locations make dismantling by crane prohibitively difficult.
Typically, Gill says, Advanced Blasting is called in to take structures down if explosive demolition is the only safe, or most cost-effective, way to bring it down.
Pouring New Life into Pipes
Putting the “narrow” into narrowly focused, Nu Flow Alaska rehabilitates the insides of water pipes using an array of cured-inpl ace epoxy solutions.
Cast iron pipes have an estimated lifespan of about fifty years, says Nu Flow President Joe Jaime. To halt
Liners impregnated with epoxy can be snaked into old pipes, lending new life without the need to tear the plumbing apart.
Nu Flow Alaska
deterioration and extend the system’s useful life, Nu Flow Alaska can re-line pipes with a pull-in-place structural liner—typically used on mains, horizontal laterals, vertical stacks, sanitary systems, storm or roof drains, vent systems, and process, industrial, and chemical piping—or a blown-in epoxy coating, ideal for rehabilitating pressurized pipes. The company can repair potable drain lines between 0.75 inch and 12 inches in diameter, and non-pressurized piping from 1.5 inches to 24 inches in diameter.
The process is fairly straightforward, as Jaime explains. With the pull-inplace liner, the pipe is first cleaned, then the liner is snaked through and expanded with a bladder. When the bladder is removed, what’s left is a hardened epoxy tube inside the original pipe. The blown-in epoxy coating is similar; the pipe is thoroughly cleaned, dried with heated air, and then the epoxy coating is injected with filtered air until the pipe is fully coated, creating a barrier between the damaged pipe and the pressurize d water it contains.
Nu Flow has been operating since 2011, mostly to federal clients. Nu Flow has done work on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Jaime says, as well as several hospitals.
Hospital work is how Jaime got acquainted with Nu Flow’s technology. Working as a project manager on a hospital construction job in Los Angeles, he says, a complication came up: an unexpected pipe repair was needed, with an estimated price of $500,000. A Nu Flow contractor came out and conducted the repair for around $15,000. Jaime took note and saw a potential market in Alaska, where water and sewer infrastructure is aging and, in some cases, failing.
“I was born and raised in Alaska. I thought it would be a good process to bring to Alaska, and it’s been pretty successful,” he says.
Jaime says the company recently completed a job for the city of Galena, lining 3,000 feet of 6- to 8-inch woodstave pipe. To replace that pipe would
have cost around $5 million, Jaime says. Nu Flow got the job done for about $1 million. Re-lined, the pipes are good for another fifty years.
Jaime says there is room to expand; potential clients are still learning about Nu Flow’s technology and how it could be applied.
Temporary Walls, Permanent Efficiency
One of the newest specialty contractors in Alaska is Temporary Wall Systems (TWS) Anchorage, a company that provides temporary walls for construction projects where customers or clients need access during construction.
Owned by husband-and-wife team Peter and Ena Laliberte, the company officially launched May 1. Peter has a background in oil and gas business development, while Ena’s background is with domestic and international nonprofits. The couple says they wanted to start the business to invest in Alaska,
bringing a service that would provide value to the community.
Looking for a small business opportunity aligned with the Lalibertes’ lifestyle—one that doesn’t produce a lot of waste, for example—the couple came across TWS as a franchise opportunity. It eliminates waste from temporary walls erected at construction sites, such as drywall that is used once and thrown away, plastic sheeting, or disposable ZipWall dust barriers.
Instead, TWS provides prefabricated modular walls, with one side galvanized steel and one side coated aluminum with a foam core to block noise. There are also transparent components that can be added a s windows, Ena says
“They all click together, so you don’t have to screw into the wall,” she notes. “Removing drywall creates a lot of dust. Our walls keep out dust, noise, and fumes and are quicker to install.”
The wall components can be adjusted to size, and it’s easy to add doors.
“They’re very well suited for hospital construction,” Ena says, noting that the panels have Infection Control Risk Assessment rating levels. The rating is used in healthcare construction to indicate what precautions need to be taken by a construction team; for example, Ena says the modular wall systems are airtight and include vents with scrubbers, so clean air passes into the non-construction space.
TWS rents the walls and provides full service by delivering, installing, and removing the walls when the job is complete.
After training at the TWS headquarters and completing further remote training modules, the company launched at the Alaska Society of Healthcare Managers and Engineers conference May 1 and 2. It was gearing up for its first job later that month.
For clients in need of that very specific solution, there’s a specialty contractor that gives that job its undivided attention.
Prefabricated, modular, reusable walls waste less material than disposable construction site barriers. The TWS that just opened in Anchorage joins a franchise network across more than thirty states and Canada.
Temporary Wall Systems Anchorage
Accountable Care in Alaska
Physician coalition builds coordination platform
By Scott Rhode
Ca rdiology keeps the lights on at Dr. Gene Quinn’s office, yet the director of quality and population health for Alaska Heart and Vascular Institute (AHVI) has more ambitious goals.
“My work since residency has really focused on how we build health systems that do a good job, that provide quality of care,” Quinn says. “How do you organize a system of care that does what’s right for the patient? How do we make the right thing, the easiest thing to do?”
Trained as a general internist, Quinn did a fellowship in cardiology. He also completed a master’s degree in public health at the Harvard School of Public Health and a separate fellowship specifically in quality and patient safety.
When he began to practice medicine in Alaska seven years ago, his passion was to build systems. Tending to patients is part of that larger view. “It’s hard to do systems work without knowing what it’s like in the trenches, and it’s hard to convince physicians to work with you if you don’t work with patients,” Quinn says.
About two years ago, Quinn convinced several other practices to join Envoy Integrated Health, a coalition of independent physicians. This year, the coalition is launching an offshoot to apply their integrated model for Medicare patients as an accountable care organization (ACO).
Taking Care of Neighbors
According to the Medicare website, ACO providers communicate with each other to help patients make healthcare decisions. By sharing electronic health records, they can streamline medical tests and paperwork.
“These have been around for decades,” Quinn says, and then the Affordable Care Act of 2010 encouraged more focus on ACOs. “The data over these last twelve, thirteen years is that it provides better care at a more affordable cost,” he adds.
More than 350 ACOs are operating in the Lower 48, mostly owned by large health systems. “Many states have their Medicaid programs use an ACO model,” Quinn says. “Other commercial payers do the same thing; they may or may not call them ACOs.”
Quinn notes that a couple of multistate ACOs have a presence in Alaska, but Envoy touts its ACO as being the first in the state designed exclusively by local physicians. “We’re putting an Alaska spin on it, making sure it’s locally based,” he says. “We think that the best people to take care of Alaskans are their neighbors.”
As the chief medical officer and driving force behind Envoy, Quinn is conscious of the effect that healthcare
Gene Quinn Alaska Heart and Vascular Institute Alaska Business
decisions have outside of a clinical setting. “What’s most satisfying for me as a physician is the long-term relationships that I get to create with people that I’m going to see. We all shop for clothes at the same place, which is Costco,” he says with a laugh. “We are going to interact with other community members. This is very different from the corporate practice of medicine. That’s one of the reasons Envoy was created.”
Integration and Communication
As a clinically integrated network, Envoy partners share infrastructure to coordinate patient care, yet all members remain independent practitioners.
“Obviously doctors talk to each other, but it’s really about the system that allows us to do that,” Quinn says.
“Independent practices traditionally have been very siloed: we don’t all have the same EHR [electronic health records], we don’t all have the same information exchange that shares data, we don’t all practice in the same building… The downside to having all these silos is that, from a patient standpoint, you can’t have coordinated care.”
Starting with Alaska Heart and Vascular Institute, Envoy formed partnerships with Orthopedic Physicians Alaska, Internal Medicine Associates, LaTouche Pediatrics, Anchorage Fracture and Orthopedic Clinic, Anchorage and Valley Radiation Therapy Centers, and Alaska Digestive and Liver Disease. More than thirty-four physician groups are now integrated with Envoy.
“I’ve had the honor of being able to lead some of these things, but it’s absolutely a group effort,” Quinn says.
Clinical integration, he explains, allows independent physicians to build bridges among their silos. Envoy practices also connect via the state’s healthEconnect Alaska information exchange. The first step to coordinating care, Quinn believes, is building the infrastructure.
“We all have a platform to talk about larger issues than what’s happening in our clinic… issues of coordination of care and population health that span multiple clinics,” Quinn says. “We can be a platform for working with the State of Alaska, working with the Department of Health, for those public health goals.”
“We’re putting an Alaska spin on it, making sure it’s locally based... We think that the best people to take care of Alaskans are their neighbors.”
Gene Quinn, Chief Medical Officer, Env oy Integrated Health
“Although part of the focus is to be efficient with care, the quality metrics that are involved ensure that ACO participants get high-quality care. We don’t do any sort of rationing; we’re not involved in prior authorization.”
Gene Quinn C hief Medical Officer Env oy Integrated Health
The ACO is an offshoot that advances Envoy’s goals. Establishing the ACO lets Envoy work with more partners, such as large hospitals, the Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center, and the Alaska Primary Care Association network of federally qualified health centers.
Benefit of Value
Coordinated care is just one of the benefits that Envoy anticipates, as the ACO improves communication across various specialties. “One of the things that patients as consumers not only want but demand is that seamless experience where they go to a provider and they know that provider is talking to all their other doctors. They have one central place where they can get everything taken care of,” Quinn says.
Another benefit is patient-centered care. Quinn defines that term as prioritizing the needs and preferences of each patient, promoting shared decision-making. “Being centered on the patient takes into account what the patient’s needs are and meets them where they are,” he says, “enabling that patient to be successful in the complex system that is our United States healthcare system.”
The coalition also touts the potential benefit of better value through preventive care and costeffective treatment options.
“Value is cost for a given quality. If you’re going to spend money on healthcare, you want to ensure that it’s high-quality healthcare,” says Quinn. “It’s not necessarily bad, in my opinion, to spend money on good care; you don’t want to spend money on bad care, which would be considered low value.”
Quinn notes that high-value care is slightly different from another industry term, “value-based care.” In that case, “Instead of paying for quantity of care (how many things can you do?), you pay for the quality of that care (how well can you do something?),” Quinn explains. Quality is measured by patient outcome. Consequently, rather than many low-value interventions, a patient might be given one highquality intervention.
Efficient Delivery
The focus of the Envoy ACO on the Medicare-aged patient population is
in response to demographic factors. According to the Alaska Commission on Aging, the senior population is the fastest growing demographic in the state. Alaskans older than age 60 now represent more than 20 percent of the state’s total population; this age cohort increased by 68 percent between April 2010 and July 2022.
When providers form an ACO, Medicare administrators allow providers the opportunity to request patients’ medical information. (Medicare patients may opt out of information sharing, if they wish.) The Biden administration set a nationwide goal for all Medicare beneficiaries to be involved in an ACO by 2030.
The Medicare website notes that ACOs are not any kind of insurance plan or health management organization. “Although part of the focus is to be efficient with care, the quality metrics that are involved ensure that ACO participants get highquality care. We don’t do any sort of rationing; we’re not involved in prior authorization,” Quinn says.
Most of the features of an ACO are invisible to healthcare consumer. Quinn explains, “Most patients that are in an ACO don’t even know they’re in an ACO, and they can get whatever care they want. Our incentive is to improve their experience of care.” To the extent that fewer patients are given expensive procedures or admitted to hospitals, Quinn says it’s because preventive care by coordinating physicians keeps patients healthier in the first place.
The shared goals of Envoy member physicians are providing quality care, improving overall population health, and shifting the healthcare system to prioritize value and quality rather than just quantity. “The physicians of Envoy really want to be part of the solution,” Quinn says. “We really all need to work together. There’s no way you can have meaningful change in something as complex as healthcare without all parties there.”
For a systems-level guy, Quinn is aware that the healthcare industry has a lot of inertia that must be overcome to steer it in a transformative direction.
He’d like to continue expanding the ACO model, working with other payers interested in value-based care. He says, “It is not easy, but it has to happen.”
Alaska Radiology Associates
Leveraging advanced AI and robust network infrastructure to improve patient outcomes throughout the state
By Tracy Barbour
As the largest private-practice radiology group in the state, Alaska Radiology Associates (ARA) is at the forefront of delivering critical imaging, interventional radiology, and teleradiology services. With an experienced team of eighteen boardcertified radiologists—trained at top radiology residency programs—ARA combines expertise with compassion to deliver hiqh-quality, timely services to hospitals and medical providers in urban and rural Alaska. “We have a heart for working closely with leading healthcare providers to diagnose and treat patients in a professional, accessible, and compassionate manner,” says ARA Chief Administrative Officer Ward Hinger.
Founded in 1969, ARA excels at leveraging cutting-edge technology, including radiology-related artificial intelligence (AI). In 2023, ARA employed AI tools that can serve as critical skill multipliers for physicians, allowing improvements in patient care and clinical outcomes while reducing overall
healthcare costs. Additionally, ARA is proud to hold the management and services agreements for Imaging Associates (IA), which is also the conduit for ARA’s professional teleradiology-related services. “IA has built a technological platform that is reliable, redundant, and tailored to meet the unique needs of our Alaskan customers,” Hinger says.
The collaboration between ARA and IA—aptly known as “Connect49”— thrives thanks to a strategic alliance with GCI. In 2014, Connect49 partnered with GCI to build and deliver a fully redundant, highly reliable teleradiology platform and unified radiology workflow. Today, these subspecialized teleradiology services are making a profound difference in the quality, timeliness, and cost of care for rural Alaskans.
Hinger attributes much of this success to GCI, Alaska’s largest, most advanced network, and its dependable, high-speed broadband internet service. ARA can
swiftly transmit high-resolution, digital images across the state, ensuring the right subspecialized radiologists receive the right images—regardless of their location. “This is particularly important for the seven emergency departments ARA supports 24/7,” Hinger says. “It would be impossible for ARA to provide the level of often lifesaving services we are currently providing Alaskans if it weren’t for our amazing partnership with GCI.”
Headquartered in Alaska, GCI provides data, mobile, video, voice, and managed services to consumer, business, government, and carrier customers throughout Alaska, serving more than 200 communities. The company has invested more than $4 billion in its Alaska network and facilities over the past forty years and recently launched true standards-based 5G NR service in Anchorage. GCI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Broadband Corporation. To learn more about GCI and its services, visit www.gci.com.
Death Care Alternatives
ANatural burial and water cremation
By Terri Marshall
shes to ashes, dust to dust… tends to expend a lot of energy and chemicals when disposing of the deceased. Rachel Bernhardt has other ideas. The founder and owner of Flameless Cremation Services—an Anchorage business that bids beloved pets a final farewell with a mixture of potash and water—hopes to bring additional environmentally friendly burial options to the community.
“I worked with organ and tissue donation programs for many years, which taught me a lot about the intersection of healthcare and death care,” says Bernhardt. “That led to conversations with people about their feelings about death. It seemed like no one was particularly satisfied with the current burial and cremation processes. Although there is an illusion of choice, there really aren’t many choices currently available.”
Cremation Without Flame
An alternative to traditional cremation for pets, Flameless Cremation Services utilizes water cremation, or aquamation, which uses fluid to break down the body instead of heat.
“Conventional cremation uses lots of chemicals, energy, and plastic,” Bernhardt explains. “The output of flame cremation sends large particles of carbon into the air. With this process, everything is contained within the cremation vessel, which is more energy efficient and eco-friendly.”
The process takes place in her warehouse space in Anchorage. It begins with Bernhardt placing the deceased pet on a platform, which
Paulo Arsandb | iStock
Rachel Bernhardt Flameless Cremation Services
she lowers into a chamber with a chain pulley. The chamber is filled with 95 percent water and 5 percent alkaline chemicals, which are warmed and circulated for about eighteen hours. The remains are then dried and placed in a container for the pet's family.
Bernhardt believes in transparency. “It is important that nothing happens behind closed doors,” she explains. “I don’t want anything to be scary. Families are welcome to come here and watch the process.”
When starting Flameless Cremation Services, Bernhardt thought she would be working directly with a lot of veterinary clinics by offering an alternative to traditional cremation practices. Instead, she says, “I am actually getting more traction with mobile veterinarians who go to homes to aid families with the end-of-life process for their pets.”
Recently, Bernhardt partnered with two other women-owned Alaska businesses to launch the Rainbow Bridge Sendoff package. The Ritual Bough, a credentialed death doula, and 2 Tails Veterinary Services, a mobile veterinarian, combined to provide athome pet euthanasia, family guidance for home funerals or memorial ceremonies, and water cremation. “This package provides one point of contact for families [and] serves as a concierge in preparing for end-of-life situations for their animals,” Bernhardt explains. “We provide a compassionate option for pet owners and even deliver their animal’s ashes to their door if they choose not to leave home during this time.”
Human Options
While currently dealing exclusively with animals, Flameless Creation Services aims to expand to human remains. Bernhardt hopes to eventually provide more options for Anchorage residents to consider for their burial, including the opening of a natural cemetery where green burial practices can be implemented.
“The loss of a family member and the dissatisfaction and unnatural strange feeling I encountered in that experience led me down a rabbit hole,” Bernhardt shares. “I understand the urge to be with the body of a loved one, to see them one last time, but I don’t understand why embalming the body
“It seemed like no one was particularly satisfied with the current burial and cremation processes. Although there is an illusion of choice, there really aren’t many choices currently available.”
Rachel Bernhardt, Founder and Owner, Flameles s Cremation Services
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“I understand the urge to be with the body of a loved one, to see them one last time, but I don’t understand why embalming the body and placing it in an elaborate casket for viewing is the answer.”
Rachel Bernhardt Founder and Owner Flameles s Cremation Services
and placing it in an elaborate casket for viewing is the answer.”
With green burials, the deceased are cared for with minimal impact on the environment.
• Coffins are made from biodegradable materials such as cardboard or wood and free of materials such as finished lacquered wood and metal rails.
• Cloth shrouds are made from nonbleached, undyed natural fibers to wrap the body.
• Options for shallow graves to accelerate the decomposition.
• Grave markers that are smaller, less obtrusive, and even biodegradable.
Green burial is meant to conserve natural resources, reduce carbon emissions, and preserve habitat.
Bernhardt is not alone in exploring more environmentally friendly burial options. In 2005, Joe Sehee founded the Green Burial Council in California to establish standards within the growing green burial movement. He brought together experts from the fields of conservation management, consumer affairs, law, restoration
ecology, and sustainable landscaping. The council developed the first set of environmental standards for green cemeteries and for the funeral professionals and product manufacturers that support them.
Across the country, consumer preferences for funerals and memorialization are rapidly evolving. A 2023 consumer awareness and preferences report by the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) revealed that 60 percent of those surveyed would be interested in exploring green funeral options because of the potential environmental benefits, cost savings, or other reasons. That number was up from 55.7 percent in 2021. NFDA is the world’s largest funeral service association, serving more than 20,000 members representing nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and forty-nine other countries. At recent conventions, funeral service professionals learned how to address these consumer trends and provide more holis tic modern services
Returned to Earth
Bernhardt seized an opportunity to participate in a natural burial at Herland Forest Natural Burial Cemetery in Wahkiacus, Washington. “I watched them digging graves by hand in preparation for a family,” she recalls. “We also helped them unload a vessel.”
Another funeral option used in Washington state is human composting, also known as natural organic reduction. In this process, the body is entombed in a capsule filled with alfalfa, straw, and wood chips along with bacteria favorable to consuming organic matter. “At Herland, a generic compost inducer— bacteria, fungi, enzymes, et cetera—is used,” Bernhardt explains. “The process takes over a month, and what is left is compost or humus; basically soil.”
The family can elect to have the end product returned to them or, in a Washington state conservation area, used to revitalize a forest.
To establish a similar natural burial cemetery in Alaska, Bernhardt and her business partners hope to acquire a piece of property from the Municipality of Anchorage. “Our hope is that the city
Acknowledging that no single method of death care is right for everyone, Rachel Bernhardt facilitates the discussion of options at "Death Café" meetings she helps organize.
Glenn Highcove | iStock
Photos Courtesy of Valdez Native Tribe and Seed Media.
Flameless Cremation Services uses a quarter-ton a PET550 machine manufactured by BioResponse Solutions, an Indiana company that also fabricates wastewater treatment hardware.
Potassium hydroxide solution breaks down a pet's remains, which are returned to the client in a biodegradable urn.
will donate it to us, which would save taxpayers money in the long run since our project would alleviate pressure on the existing municipal cemetery,” she says. “If not, we will need to have a fundraiser and buy a parcel.”
She anticipates minimal development will be required to convert the property into a natural cemetery. “We would not be planting grass or taking trees out, so as not to disturb the existing ecosystem,” Bernhardt explains. “However, we would need to consider the size and necessary infrastructure to provide parking along with trails wide enough for people to carry a casket down.”
Bernhardt hopes Anchorage’s first natural cemetery will become a reality in the next two years.
Conversations About Death
While other cultures speak openly about death, the topic remains uncomfortable or even taboo for many people in Western culture. Bernhardt is challenging the taboo with a regular event at Z.J. Loussac Library.
“I participate in a local ‘Death Café’ held monthly at the local library,” she shares. “Anyone that wants to participate can come. We don’t have an agenda; we just sit and talk about wherever the conversation leads us.”
Everyone at the conversation is there to learn, Bernhardt stresses, yet no one is really there to teach. The purpose is to normalize conversations about death or dying. “Often people don’t want to talk about death and, by neglecting to plan, they leave the burden of choice on someone else. We’re all going to face death someday, and I would love to see us as a society move in the direction of open dialogues surrounding this subject.”
Attendees at the monthly Death Café span a wide range of ages and occupations. “Recently, a young woman in her early thirties who has a terminal illness started attending. She speaks so openly about her interactions with the medical community,” Bernhardt shares. “We also have up and coming funeral directors show up at some of the meetings who are interested and open to learning. I think it’s going to take the next generation of funeral directors to be fully onboard with other burial and cremation options, and I look forward to that happening.”
Rachel Bernhardt
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We lcome to the 2024 Best of Alaska Business special section! For the ninth time we invited our readers to tell us which Alaska businesses they love the most, this year in forty-four categories. Throughout the month of March, you told us who should be featured in these pages, and we’re thrilled to be able to publish the results.
But similar to previous years, we’re not the only ones looking for information. To discover the Best of Alaska Business, we ask readers a simple question: which business is best? Readers sometimes seek answers in return.
Why choose some categories but not others?
We adjust categories each year based on responsiveness from the previous year, to keep things interesting. The written descriptions balance the broadest possible coverage with the constraints of space on the page. For instance, past editions included paragraphs written for each winner; this year, with the most categories ever, there is less text.
Are categories aligned with
advertisers?
The editorial department, not the sales department, decides which categories might interest readers. That said, this magazine’s readers are also, in many cases, its advertisers.
When will you have a category for _____ ?
Suggestions to fill the blank include tour operator (a former category, now retired), pet services, mailing services, and a variety of retailers: sporting goods, games and hobbies, arts and crafts, or gifts and novelties. These are worthy of consideration, as is “best local retailer” more broadly. We’ll see what happens in 2025.
Isn’t it just a popularity contest?
Absolutely! The definition of “best” is whomever musters the most votes in the survey. That’s not nothing. So let’s see who wowed their supporters during the voting in March 2024.
ACCOUNTING FIRM
DENALI: ALTMAN, ROGERS & CO.
ST. ELIAS: BDO
FORAKER: RJG, A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION
Undefeated for five years in a row, Altman, Rogers & Co. remains Alaska’s largest independent CPA firm and its favorite. Another repeat winner, BDO is part of a nationwide chain with more than seventy US locations. Joining the ranks is Fairbanks-based RJG, formed in 1987 when Gerry Richards and Jeff Johnson merged with the firm of Martin, Spink, and Granberry—hence the “G.” A team of thirty provides bookkeeping, payroll, tax, and charitable gaming services.
LAW FIRM
DENALI: LANDYE BENNETT BLUMSTEIN
ST. ELIAS: BIRCH HORTON BITTNER & CHEROT
FORAKER: CROWSON LAW GROUP
Last year’s favorites, Landye Bennett Blumstein and Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot, continue to provide top-class services ranging from estate planning to Alaska Native law. New to the category is Crowson Law Group, begun as a private practice in North Carolina before opening operations in Alaska in 2011, mainly representing personal injury plaintiffs. The firm boasts of being the only one of its type in Alaska that offers clients online access to their files.
Coffee Spot | P. 48 Michele Parkhurst (center) is the new president of the Kaladi Brothers coffee kingdom, aided by VPs Julia Kelly (left) and Kori Wright (right), but the beans are the queens of this caffeinated empire.
Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
Startup Business | P. 52 In addition to taking top honors as the Best Startup in 2024, Peak Integrated Contracting was nominated into two additional categories: Snow Removal Company and General Contractor.
Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
ADVERTISING AGENCY
DENALI: MSI COMMUNICATIONS
ST. ELIAS: YUIT COMMS
FORAKER: BRILLIANT MEDIA STRATEGIES
MSI Communications returns to the rankings for the first time since 2018, after promoting Kris Miller to president last year. The firm provides public relations management, advertising, and web development for clients such as Alaska Airlines and the Alaska Railroad. The integrated team at Yuit Communications delivers results for clients such as the Alaska Native Heritage Center and CIRI. And Brilliant Media Strategies carries on the half-century legacy of its predecessor, Bradley Reid Communications.
SWAG SUPPLIER
DENALI: STELLAR DESIGNS
ST. ELIAS: ALASKA SERIGRAPHICS
FORAKER: ALASKA TEXTILES
For putting graphic designs on anything not paper—be it clothing, bottles, or knick knacks of any description—Stellar Designs and Alaska Serigraphics remain the top choices. Approaching branded apparel from the other angle, Alaska Textiles was founded in 1946 to supply linens and workwear. While still specializing in flame resistant clothing—from base layers to sub-zero parkas and a full wardrobe in between— stitching logos onto team uniforms grew into a full-service promotional items business.
PRINTING SERVICES PROVIDER
DENALI: PIP MARKETING SIGNS PRINT
ST. ELIAS: GREAT ORIGINALS
FORAKER: COLOR ART PRINTING
For a fourth year, the favorite company for putting ink on business cards, signs, flyers, and more is PIP, part of a nationwide chain with locations coast to coast and a solid presence in Anchorage. The other contenders have also been ranked among the best since 2020. Great Originals has been a “One Stop Print Shop” in Anchorage since 1988, while Color Art Printing traces its heritage to the press room of the Anchorage Times.
STAFFING AGENCY
DENALI: OPTI STAFFING GROUP
ST. ELIAS: PEOPLEAK
FORAKER: TDL STAFFING
To put the right people in the right job, businesses know who to contact. Opti Staffing Group provides direct hire and contract-to-hire services to the professional and skilled trade markets. PeopleAK helps companies with recruiting and staffing as well as succession planning. And TDL Staffing in Anchorage and Fairbanks specializes in administrative, light industrial, and medical employee services. Alaskans often have these firms to thank for placing them where they find happiness in their work.
JOB TRAINING/CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
DENALI: LEAN ALASKA
ST. ELIAS: NORTHERN INDUSTRIAL TRAINING
FORAKER: UA SYSTEM
Votes for the UA System include UAS, the UAF Community and Technical College, UAA Career & Technical Education programs, including Welding and Auto/Diesel Technology, and UAA generally. Like the university, Northern Industrial Training in Palmer has branches in Anchorage and Fairbanks, with courses in construction equipment, truck driving, safety, and professional skills. The newest and narrowest trainer, Lean Alaska, teaches the Lean Six Sigma management technique, originally to optimize manufacturing but applicable to many fields.
SNOW REMOVAL COMPANY
DENALI: GLACIERS EDGE MAINTENANCE
ST. ELIAS: PEAK INTEGRATED CONTRACTING
FORAKER: SIGNATURE LAND SERVICES
These contractors stay busy year-round, but last winter highlighted their Herculean plowing prowess. Glaciers Edge Maintenance, also known as GEM Services, has satisfied its customers in South Anchorage since 1999. Snow removal is just part of Peak Integrated Contracting’s offerings, in addition to home remodeling, deck construction, and repairs. And real estate developer Jennifer Schrage started Signature Land Services to fulfill her need for a contractor to handle everything from excavating to paving and maintenance.
Auction House | P. 43
Alaska Auction Co. specializes in live and timed auctions in addition to estate sales, auto and bankruptcy auctions, and personal consignments.
Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
DENALI: WATTERSON CONSTRUCTION
ST. ELIAS: PEAK INTEGRATED CONTRACTING
FORAKER: CORNERSTONE GENERAL CONTRACTORS
A handyman ranks among some of the largest Alaskanowned builders. Anthony Pickens used his electrical lineman experience to start Peak Integrated Contracting, an Anchorage company handling renovations, maintenance, and excavation. Watterson Construction and Cornerstone General Contractors are favorites from last year. Watterson just completed a $31.2 million child development center at Fort Wainwright, and Cornerstone finished the Kodiak Marketplace shopping center and won an award for a joint venture with ChemTrack that removed the Barter Island runway.
CARGO/LOGISTICS PROVIDER
DENALI: LYNDEN
ST. ELIAS: MATSON
FORAKER: ALASKA AIRLINES & ALASKA AIR CARGO
The only Alaska company (that isn't a Native corporation) with $1 billion in gross revenue, Lynden edges past shipping rival Matson, whose $1 billion in net profit makes it the biggest company based in Hawai’i. Both logistics giants are essential links in Alaska’s supply chain. Seattle-based Alaska Airlines operates a freighter fleet capable of flying seafood, wild game, perishables, and critical packages.
BANK/CREDIT UNION
DENALI: FIRST NATIONAL BANK ALASKA
ST. ELIAS: CREDIT UNION 1
FORAKER: GLOBAL CREDIT UNION
Always the most competitive category, Credit Union 1 moves up in the ranking. The financial institution established in 1952 for Anchorage teachers is in the process of building its first branch in Wasilla. Fellow not-for-profit cooperative Global Credit Union, formerly Alaska USA, continues to enlarge, acquiring First Financial Northwest Bank in Washington. Yet the bank to beat is First National, never surpassed in the category thanks to its commitment to topnotch customer service.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS PROVIDER
DENALI: GCI
ST. ELIAS: AT&T
FORAKER: MTA
Telephone, cable TV, and internet services scarcely resemble what existed when GCI started in a Bootleggers Cove apartment in 1979. The company has evolved, expending much effort recently to bring urban-speed connectivity to the remotest parts of Alaska. MTA has perhaps grown even more—from a local phone co-op in 1953 into a leadingedge tech solutions provider. And AT&T continues to serve the state as the owner of Alaska’s original telegraph-era long-distance provider, Alascom.
The only Alaskan place to stay for charm, culture and cuisine.
Featuring distinctive dining experiences, a full-service espresso bar, unique shops and both men’s and women’s athletic clubs. 939
COWORKING SPACE
DENALI: THE BOARDROOM
ST. ELIAS: COWORK BY RSD
FORAKER: ALASKA CO:WORK
Outsourcing office overhead for small startups and independent contractors seems so obvious that it’s astonishing that coworking spaces didn’t exist before the ‘90s. The 1990s! The Boardroom, under the same owners as 49th State Brewing Co., fosters community at a former Anchorage railroad depot. Cowork by RSD occupies a Downtown building renovated by Robin Brena’s RSD Properties. And Alaska Co:Work puts the erstwhile Gary King’s Sporting Goods store to work with cubicles and conference space.
HEATING/AIR CONDITIONING COMPANY
DENALI: MOORE HEATING
ST. ELIAS: CIRCLE PLUMBING & HEATING
FORAKER: EXTREME HEATING AND AIR
Moore Heating and Circle Plumbing & Heating remain favorites for furnace repairs or water heater replacements, serving the Anchorage area for more than thirty and fifty years, respectively. Meanwhile, the extremity at Extreme Heating and Air refers to new heights of customer service. Shane Thom founded the company in Eagle River, and the team provides commercial and residential plumbing and ventilation services from Girdwood to Big Lake.
• Bill Pay to automate regular payments
• Merchant Services to accept debit or credit cards
• Positive Pay to help prevent check fraud
• Business Remote Deposit to save you time
Call 877-646-6670 or visit globalcu.org/business to talk to a specialist today!
Influencer | P. 52 A finalist on the TV show Master Chef, Lizzie Hartman of Fairbanks built her online Alaska Lizzie brand around food and travel commentary on Instagram.
Alaska Lizzie | Lizzie Hartman
RETAIL
JEWELRY STORE
DENALI: MICHAEL’S JEWELERS
ST. ELIAS: 5TH AVENUE JEWELERS
FORAKER: FRED MEYER JEWELERS
Family-owned shops continue to keep pace with a national chain. The Midtown location of Michael’s Jewelers takes its turn on top, while 5th Avenue Jewelers is a fixture of Downtown Anchorage, providing customers with lifelong service for birthdays, engagements, weddings, and anniversaries. Meanwhile, Fred Meyer Jewelers operate inside the Kroger-owned supermarkets in Anchorage, Eagle River, Wasilla, Soldotna, Fairbanks, and Juneau.
TATTOO SHOP
DENALI: EAGLE RIVER TATTOO
ST. ELIAS: ULTRA VIOLENCE TATTOO
FORAKER: BODY PIERCING UNLIMITED & TATTOO
The fiercest fans of flesh filigree agree that Eagle River Tattoo is the place to be. Don and Debra Yarian are repeat winners in the second year of the category. Ultra Violence Tattoo in Anchorage makes a second appearance, too, while Body Piercing Unlimited & Tattoo is new this year, earning votes for artists working in Palmer, Midtown Anchorage, and its Downtown affiliate on Fifth Avenue, two doors down from 5th Avenue Jewelers.
Indoor Recreation/Activity | P. 46 A runner-up for best startup of 2021, Fresh Cup Playhouse ranks among the favorite indoor spots for grown-ups (for the coffee) and toddlers (for the indoor playground). It's also a Sicily's Pizza restaurant.
Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
BOOKSTORE
DENALI: TITLE WAVE BOOKS
ST. ELIAS: BARNES & NOBLE
FORAKER: OLD HARBOR BOOKS
Cherished by lovers of the printed page, Title Wave opened in 1991 and has traded used books, movies, and music from the thrift district at Northern Lights Boulevard and Spenard Road since 2002. The retail boom of the early ‘90s brought Barnes & Noble to Northern Lights in a former Longs Drugs location. And in Sitka, Old Harbor Books has developed a loyal following since it was established in 1976 by three book-loving local families.
ANTIQUE/THRIFT/SECONDHAND STORE
DENALI: GOODWILL INDUSTRIES ALASKA
ST. ELIAS: WILLOW ROSE THRIFT STORE
FORAKER: BISHOP’S ATTIC
Pre-owned merchandise is everywhere in Alaska, yet a national chain is the go-to spot for thrifters. Goodwill Industries Alaska has four locations in Anchorage and one in Wasilla, with proceeds supporting nonprofit job training programs. While Goodwill was started by a Methodist minister in Massachusetts, the Bishop’s Attic raises funds for the Catholic Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau. And Willow Rose Thrift Store attracts bargain hunters to Mile 69 of the Parks Highway.
AUCTION HOUSE
DENALI: ALASKA PREMIER AUCTIONS & APPRAISALS
ST. ELIAS: ALASKA AUCTION CO.
FORAKER: APEX AUCTIONS
From a Midtown Anchorage warehouse packed with items looking for new homes, Dan Newman has built Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals into an asset for anyone liquidating possessions or for nonprofits needing a showman to hype their fundraisers. Alaska Auction Company in South Anchorage can boast of being the largest in the state. And APEX Auctions is a family-owned small business dealing in clean-outs and business closures, hosting sales from Girdwood to Palmer.
CANNABIS RETAILER
DENALI: CATALYST CANNABIS COMPANY
ST. ELIAS: GREAT NORTHERN CANNABIS
FORAKER: RASPBERRY ROOTS
Previously a winner in 2021 and 2022, Catalyst Cannabis returns to the rankings, earning favor with its vision of catalyzing societal change carried out at three Anchorage locations. Great Northern Cannabis also has three retail shops around town, distinguishing itself as “Alaska’s classiest joint.” Consolidated in one location on Raspberry Road that includes cultivation, manufacturing, and retail, Raspberry Roots aims to be a leading provider of cannabis products, as legalized sales enter their second decade.
CAR WASH
DENALI: SPLASH & DASH
ST. ELIAS: SUDZY SALMON CAR WASH
FORAKER: ALASKA LASER WASH
With the number of car washes nationwide forecast to double by 2030, these competitors have given themselves a head start. The Splash & Dash flagship is in Wasilla, yet the company also owns Pink Elephant in South Anchorage and two Fairbanks washes. Sudzy Salmon caters to commuters in Wasilla, Palmer, and Eagle River, with one spot in South Anchorage and another coming to Midtown. And six Alaska Laser Wash locations pioneered the no-touch automatic experience.
BIKE SHOP
DENALI: THE BICYCLE SHOP & PARAMOUNT CYCLES
ST. ELIAS: TREK BICYCLE STORE OF ANCHORAGE
FORAKER: CHAIN REACTION CYCLES
The best bike shops tend to cluster in two parts of Anchorage. In Midtown, The Bicycle Shop on Northern Lights Boulevard is a seven-minute ride away from Trek Bicycle Store in the Metro Mall. In addition to a satellite The Bicycle Shop on West Dimond Boulevard, the company’s Paramount Cycles affiliate anchors the southside cycling district. Across Huffman Road, Chain Reaction Cycles is a family-owned shop that hosts the Frosty Bottom winter endurance race.
Jewelry Store | P. 42 Family-owned Michael's Jewelers has been a favorite each of the three years that Best Jewelry Store has been a category, taking its turn this year at the top rank.
Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
VENUES
MUSEUM
DENALI: ANCHORAGE MUSEUM
ST. ELIAS: FOUNTAINHEAD ANTIQUE AUTO MUSEUM
FORAKER: ALASKA AVIATION MUSEUM
A one-stop exhibit of art and history, The Anchorage Museum is a repeat winner in the category’s second year. For something completely different, Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum houses more than 100 rare and vintage vehicles collected by Tim and Barb Cerny. This world-class collection awaits visitors in Fairbanks near the Wedgewood Resort. For another mode of travel, the Alaska Aviation Museum on the shore of Lake Hood explains the role of aircraft in state history.
HOTEL
DENALI: HOTEL CAPTAIN COOK
ST. ELIAS: COPPER WHALE INN
FORAKER: MARRIOTT HOTELS
Alaska’s favorite places to stay range from the huge to the humble. Hotel Captain Cook tops the category for a seventh year running, while the Copper Whale Inn hosts guests a couple blocks away in the historic house built for Dr. Howard Romig in 1939. And the Marriott portfolio includes its twenty-two-story building in Downtown Anchorage, the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel & Spa, and the SpringHill Suites, Fairfield Inn, Courtyard, and Aloft brands.
Swag Supplier | P. 38 From laundry to apparel to outfitting, Alaska Textiles has grown over the decades, now excelling in the field of customizing swag with branded logos.
Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
Place to Work 1-250 Employees | P. 52 A good reason to pursue the field of accounting: the chance to join the team at Altman, Rogers & Co., which has now been voted one of the best places to work three times.
Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
MEETING/EVENT VENUE
DENALI: DENA’INA CIVIC & CONVENTION CENTER
ST. ELIAS: HOTEL CAPTAIN COOK
FORAKER: 49TH STATE BREWING CO.
Hotel Captain Cook can’t be beat for overnight stays, according to voters, and it’s great for hosting events, too. Only the massive city-owned Dena’ina Center can compete as a go-to for conventions and trade shows. For a variety of event sizes—from office lunches and birthday parties to patio gatherings and stage shows—Healy-based 49th State Brewing has turned the former Elks lodge on Third Avenue into a hot destination.
INDOOR RECREATION OR ACTIVITY
DENALI: THE DOME
ST. ELIAS: ANCHORAGE SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTER
FORAKER: FRESH CUP PLAYHOUSE
A new category open to waterslides, trampolines, rock climbing, escape rooms, axe throwing, or bowling, the best turns out to be the biggest. The Dome fits a football field, running track, and fitness center under the largest balloon roof of its kind on the planet, all operated as a nonprofit. More modestly, the Anchorage Senior Activity Center hosts art classes, singing lessons, and board games. For little kids, Fresh Cup Playhouse offers a play space with coffee for caretakers.
HOSPITAL
DENALI: PROVIDENCE ALASKA MEDICAL CENTER
ST. ELIAS: ALASKA REGIONAL HOSPITAL
FORAKER: ALASKA NATIVE MEDICAL CENTER
For 2024 these providers have continued offering excellent services, and our readers have honored them again with their votes. In addition to its hospital, Providence Alaska has urgent, same-day care, and medical group locations around Southcentral and continues to extend its reach.
Alaska Regional and the Alaska Native Medical Center both have extensive campuses providing a gamut of health and wellness services.
PHARMACY
DENALI: CARRS PHARMACY
ST. ELIAS: FRED MEYER PHARMACY
FORAKER: BERNIE’S PHARMACY
Convenience reigns supreme in this category, as our readers nominated those pharmacies that live alongside their other every day shopping needs. Category newcomer Carrs Pharmacy joins repeat winner Fred Meyer Pharmacy; both offer quality products and services just a few steps away from a range of grocery and household goods. Locally owned and operated Bernie’s Pharmacy, also nominated last year, keeps its competitive edge with the national chains through ensuring customers’ comfort and confidence.
Old Harbor Books
ANIMAL HOSPITAL/CLINIC
DENALI: VCA ANIMAL HOSPITALS
ST. ELIAS: NORTH POLE VETERINARY HOSPITAL
FORAKER: CORNERSTONE ANIMAL HOSPITAL
VCA Animal Hospitals are “where world-class medicine meets hometown care,” and the organization's several locations in Anchorage, Eagle River, and the MatanuskaSusitna Borough. North Pole Veterinary Hospital made an impact on Alaska Business readers through just one North Pole location, though it serves many communities in the Fairbanks/North Pole area; similarly, Cornerstone Animal Hospital has a single location in Anchorage, at which it has been providing services for furry loved ones for more than fifteen years.
DINING & DRINKS
BREWERY
DENALI: 49TH STATE BREWING
ST. ELIAS: ODD MAN RUSH BREWING
FORAKER: KING STREET BREWING COMPANY
Alaska is blessed with a strong local brew community, and three exceptional companies have bubbled to the top. 49th State Brewing takes top honors for the eighth consecutive year in a row and is joined by another year-over-year favorite, King Street Brewing. Odd Man Rush Brewing is rejoining the top three in “bringing our community together through craft beer,” which it has been doing from Eagle River for more than fifteen years.
COFFEE SPOT
DENALI: KALADI BROTHERS & BLACK CUP
ST. ELIAS: JITTERS
FORAKER: FRESH CUP PLAYHOUSE
Black Cup started roasting specialty coffee in the Spenard neighborhood in 1975, and in 2011 it was acquired by Kaladi Brothers, which opened its first coffee cart in downtown Anchorage on the corner of 4th Avenue and F Street in 1984. “Grounded” in Eagle River, Jitters serves customers at its café and through home delivery. Recently founded Fresh Cup Playhouse is a play-café designed as a welcoming space for children age 6 and younger—and their parents.
INTERNATIONAL CUISINE
DENALI: RAY’S PLACE
ST. ELIAS: BOMBAY DELUXE
FORAKER: NAMASTE SHANGRI-LA
For those looking for offerings off the hamburger or deep fried halibut path, Ray’s Place—again snagging the Denali spot this year—has been serving Alaskans its treasured Vietnamese cuisine since 1993. If Vietnamese won’t quite hit the spot, Bombay Deluxe has two Anchorage locations serving fine Indian cuisine, and Namaste Shangri-La offers authentic homemade recipes from the Himalayan region, a fusion of India, Nepal, Tibet, and Burma, from its newly refurbished restaurant in Anchorage.
Bookstore | P. 43 Peach the shop dog is backed up by the team at Old Harbor Books in Sitka: Bette Gray, store manager Ashia Lane, Laurie Duncan, and Emma Froelich.
PIZZERIA
DENALI: MOOSE’S TOOTH
ST. ELIAS: THE HUNGRY ROBOT
FORAKER: UNCLE JOE’S PIZZERIA
Moose’s Tooth is again atop the pizzeria mountain, and it’s using that momentum to open a new location on Dimond Boulevard that will combine elements of Moose’s Tooth and the Bear Tooth Theaterpub. The Hungry Robot feeds the hungry folks of the Fairbanks area “wood fired pizza with unusual toppings,” using local ingredients as often as possible. And Uncle Joe’s Pizzeria serves handcrafted, stonebaked pizzas from its four Anchorage locations.
BAKERY/DESSERT SPOT
DENALI: FIRE ISLAND RUSTIC BAKESHOP
ST. ELIAS: THE FLYING DUTCHMAN PASTRY SHOP
FORAKER: SNOWY BERRY
Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop baked right into the hearts of our readers through small batches of croissant, bread, muffins, and scones from two Anchorage locations, moving up to the Denali position this year. The Flying Dutchman Pastry Shop returns to the top three after a short hiatus, selling cakes, cheese cakes, and other European pastries. Snowy Berry is another reader favorite, a locally owned café and confections shop proffering marshmallows, chocolates, cookies, chocolate bombs, and tea and coffee.
This year’s cohort of caterers is the same as last, though in a revised order. Main Event Grill & Catering offers catering and bar services, as well as party and meeting room and equipment rentals. Billing itself as “your every occasion Alaska catering company,” Peppercini's is a long-time BOAB favorite, delivering to more than 4,000 events every year and feeding more than 100,000 Alaskan guests. Our Town Catering calls Sitka home and is sure to serve up a menu faithful to authentic flavors using local ingredients. Animal Hospital/Clinic | P. 48 Teklanika the reindeer knows where to go (North Pole Veterinary Hospital) for the best veterinary staff in the Fairbanks area.
TACOS
DENALI: TACO KING
ST. ELIAS: SERRANO’S MEXICAN GRILL
FORAKER: XALOS MEXICAN GRILL
Aptly named, Taco King tops this new 2024 category. Taco King has been operating in Alaska for more than twenty-five years and today has locations in Anchorage and Fairbanks. Serrano’s Mexican Grill launched in November 2008 in a “tiny place in the heart of Anchorage” but has since moved to a much larger location on Northern Lights Boulevard. Xalos Mexican Grill rounds out this new category, serving customers through its Glenn Square and Xalos Burrito Express locations.
FOOD TRUCK
DENALI: YETI DOGS
ST. ELIAS: MOCHILEROS STREET FOOD
FORAKER: THE HUNGRY DECKHAND
Yeti Dogs took the lead in the Food Truck category for the second year, serving hot dogs from its “Yeti containment vehicle.” Dogs with standard toppings are on the menu, as are those unique as the company’s name, such as the Kenai jalapeno cheese dip. Mochileros Street Food is another repeat; the family-owned-and-operated food bus offers authentic Guatemalan inspired dishes. New this year, The Hungry Deckhand serves “massive sandwiches” for “monster appetites” in the Anchorage area.
CATERING SERVICE
DENALI: MAIN EVENT GRILL & CATERING
ST. ELIAS: PEPPERCINI’S CATERING
FORAKER: OUR TOWN CATERING
meet ANCHORAGE in
The Meeting: Pacific Health Gathering
Sept. 29 – Oct. 1, 2024
Marriott Anchorage Downtown
300 – 400 Delegates
Estimated Economic Impact: $443,531
Setting their sights on a healthier future for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders, the National Association of Pasifika Organizations will hold its 2024 Pacific Health Gathering in Anchorage. Tafilisaunoa Toleafoa, Executive Director, and the team at the Pacific Community of Alaska see this gathering as an opportunity to showcase Anchorage and highlight the thriving Pasifika community living in Alaska. The Pacific Health Gathering will attract attendees from across the nation, and cover a wide range of topics, all aimed at improving the well-being of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities.
Meeting Champions (left to right):
Mavis Boone: PCA Director of Programs
Tafilisaunoa Toleafoa: PCA Executive Director
Lorna-Lei Sua’ava: PCA Family Resource Navigator
Tracy Toefo’i: PCA Family Resource Navigator
Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
CROSS INDUSTRY
PLACE TO WORK 1-250 EMPLOYEES
DENALI: ALTMAN, ROGERS & CO.
ST. ELIAS: RIM ARCHITECTS
FORAKER: SET FREE ALASKA
Altman, Rogers & Co. continues to excel at employee satisfaction; the full service certified public accounting firm leads this category for the third year in a row. RIM Architects “represents resilience,” according to the architecture and design firm, which now has approximately 70 employees in five states and Guam. Christian treatment center Set Free Alaska says it works “hard to hire passion and talent and then walk with our team as they flourish.”
PLACE TO WORK 250+ EMPLOYEES
DENALI: FIRST NATIONAL BANK ALASKA
ST. ELIAS: ASRC ENERGY SERVICES
FORAKER: CREDIT UNION 1
First National continues to dominate this category, winning for the ninth year. The bank says taking care of employees is an essential part of its mission. In 2019 ASRC Energy Services gained insight from its more than 1,000 employees to identify and articulate its purpose, values, and behaviors, and that engagement continues today. Credit Union 1 helps foster happy communities by “always putting people first,” which clearly includes its approximately 350 Alaskan employees.
STARTUP BUSINESS (2023)
DENALI: PEAK INTEGRATED CONTRACTING
ST. ELIAS: AURORA SECURITY
FORAKER: GLOW EVENTS AK
INFLUENCER
DENALI: GIRL IN ALASKA
ST. ELIAS: ALASKA LIZZIE
FORAKER: FAR NORTH FASHION
In this new category, our readers selected some of Alaska’s incredible female influencers. According to those readers, Girl in Alaska “Showcases the best of Alaska in a relatable way,” has “wholesome content,” and features “Great stories.” Alaska Lizzie, they say, “Supports the community the best way she can,” as well as “keeping it local” while always being “kind and positive.” And Far North Fashion “Gives a real take on Alaska, motherhood, and fashion” while being “interesting, funny, [and] cool,” and exploring life “with a sense of humor.”
CUSTOMER SERVICE
DENALI: FIRST NATIONAL BANK ALASKA
ST. ELIAS: SNOWY BERRY
FORAKER: CREDIT UNION 1
All of the top Customer Service contenders have also placed in other Best of Alaska Business categories, which isn’t surprising as an excellent customer experience is key for any company. First National and Credit Union 1 both have company cultures that put people first, and while small business Snowy Berry is on a different scale, it’s dedication to a satisfied customer clearly competes with long-standing Alaska institutions.
CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION
DENALI: SET FREE ALASKA
ST. ELIAS: CATHOLIC SOCIAL SERVICES
FORAKER: ALASKA SPCA
Set Free Alaska provides services for Alaskans struggling with substance misuse and mental illness through a “trauma informed approach” and is one of the state's only facilities to provide a men’s residential treatment option. Catholic Social Services aims to help “Anchorage’s most vulnerable” with case management, hunger relief, refugee, and developmental disability services. The Alaska SPCA has been saving animals since 1955, providing low-cost veterinary care, shelter and adoption services, and other pet resources. Law Firm | P. 37 Not just the readers' choice, four attorneys at Landye
Peak Integrated Contracting is “your one-stop shop for home remodels, maintenance, snow removal, and more,” and was founded by Anthony Pickens, a licensed, bonded, and insured general contractor and former lineman. Aurora Security is a “one-stop” locksmith and home security company founded by cousins Lance and Thomas Lacey. And Glow Events AK was launched last year by Julie Matsumiya, her sister-in-law Abby Medez, and Matsumiya’s sister Lucky Limtiaco, who all share a love for event planning.
My wife Mindi and I are the owners and operators of Michael’s Jewelers. My parents moved our family to Kenai from Colorado in 1966. They were young and ambitious, my Dad worked as a roughneck on oil platforms until they had enough money saved up to start a small jewelry shop. In 1967 Michael’s Jewelers was born! Our family moved to Anchorage in 1972 and we had our store in the University center for 25 years, and then the Dimond center for 10 years. My wife Mindi and I had a dream and a vision to build our store on our own property, and we would write down what that might look like. In 2005 we made that vision come true and as they say “The Rest Is History”. As Anchorage Alaska’s oldest family jeweler we thank you for your business and support for almost 60 years! Dave and Mindi Robuck
Family Owned & Operated Since 1967 Please
Best Corporate Citizen
Un ique among our Best of Alaska Business categories, the Best Corporate Citizens are unranked and selected both through reader feedback and the editorial team’s knowledge of how these companies support the communities in which they operate. In addition to the three winners below, presented here in no particular order, every company nominated by one of our readers is also listed. In large and small communities across the state, our readers have taken notice that these businesses are in it for more than just the bottom line.
GCI
GCI donates $2 million annually in cash, services, products, scholarships, and grants to more than 150 Alaska nonprofits, including $100,000 earmarked for suicide prevention programs each year. According to one reader, “They deal with the most communities on the daily, by far, and work hard to represent all Alaskans,” and another states: “[GCI] really works with local folk and government and tribes to ensure their needs are always considered.”
Credit Union 1
In addition to supporting employee volunteerism and monetary and in-kind contributions, every year Credit Union 1 employees select “Leading Change Partners,” for which the credit union raises funds through its Text-to-Give donation tool. One reader says, “CU1's community outreach efforts are absolutely amazing. They volunteered more than 2,000 hours with local nonprofits last year and give back in communities all across the state.” Another reader notes, “They truly give to the communities they’re in. Whether they hand out gift cards to random strangers to brighten their days or awarding scholarships to students. “
ConocoPhillips Alaska
ConocoPhillips Alaska has an open application period every year from May through July in which local nonprofits can seek grants, and through this process it has invested in communities across the state. As one reader puts it, “We would not have half of the arts and other civic organizations in Alaska without their multi decade support.” Another reader agrees: “ConocoPhillips invests heavily in the local community by providing support to social services, education, the arts, and health and safety initiatives statewide.”
Additional Corporate Citizens
49th State Brewing
• AKCrazyCollector
• Alaska Airlines
Alaska Commercial Company
Alaska Communications
• Alaska Electric Light & Power Company
Alaska Housing Finance Corporation
Alaska Legal Services Corporation
• Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals
Allen Marine Tours
• Alopex Interaction Design
• Altman, Rogers & Co. Alyeska Pipeline Service Company
Our roots are in Alaska, and serving Alaskans is what we do best. We understand that as you grow, so do your needs. That’s why we’re expanding our business services to meet you where you are. Explore your potential and meet with a Credit Union 1 business expert today. Visit cu1.org/business or
HiDDEN Categories!
Alaska is the Great Land and, let no one forget, the Great Water too. Off the state’s shores, the briny deep hides such wonders as the world’s largest canyon (by area), Bering Canyon just north of Unalaska, and the deepest, Zhemchug Canyon farther northwest, just this side of the maritime boundary with Russia.
In Southeast, another underwater wonder: coastal caves where Ice Age people may have lived. An expedition last summer scanned the area to identify archaeological sites, and this research inspired artist Emily Longbrake’s design of this month’s cover.
Mixing science with whimsy, Longbrake also patterned her design after illustrator Ed Emberley’s Caldecott Medal-winning works and the Where’s Waldo series by Martin Hanford. Packed with detail, such images dare viewers to scrutinize every square inch. In that vein, Longbrake populated a private fantasy world, or “paracosm” as she calls it, with puckish, offbeat examples of the Best of Alaska Business at work.
Longbrake says, “Alaskans seem to thrive in some really challenging environments. Who says you can’t have an underwater food truck?”
Play along and spot the Best of Alaska Business categories. Here are some hints.
Readers’ Choice Regulars Repeat Best of Alaska Business Awards winners
By Mike Insalaco
Ev ery year, Alaskans nominate businesses as the best among their ranks, and a handful of those have consistently made the cut.
Among the standouts are Moose's Tooth, celebrated as the Best Pizzeria; 49th State Brewing, renowned as the Best Brewery; Kaladi Brothers Coffee, honored as the Best Coffee Spot; and First National Bank Alaska, acclaimed as the Best Place to Work (250+ Employees).
These Best of Alaska Business (BOAB) dynasties set the standard for excellence in their fields, earning loyalty and admiration from customers and employees alike through staff development, community involvement, and exceptional customer service.
Customer Experience
First National, routinely excelling in terms of employee experience, is led by President, CEO, and Board Chair Betsy Lawer. Employees make the case for a good experience, in her view. “The key to delivering an exceptional experience to our customers lies in our team of more than 600 local Alaskans, each one dedicated to serving their community. By providing in-person, responsive, and personalized service, they listen to our customer's needs, understand their businesses and vision, and provide the best solutions to help them succeed,” Lawer says.
Easy to say that a business puts customers first, but First National
reinforces that priority through policy. Lawer explains, “We never receive commissions for our services. Our recommendations are based on each customer's unique needs. We go above and beyond to provide exceptional customer service by meeting customers at their businesses, personally delivering documents and agreements, and customizing services to help their businesses thrive when they need it most.”
just trying to be a good, wholesome place , and it works out.”
Whether in banking or any other field, standing out in a crowded market requires a unique approach and a deep understanding of what customers value. These repeat winners have crafted distinctive strategies that resonate with their clientele, creating loyalty and setting them apart from the competition.
Sometimes it's a matter of focusing on what makes sense, according to Moose's Tooth co-founder and owner Rod Hancock. “You know, I don't think we think about it,” he says. “Obviously, any business will look at their competition, but at the same time, we just try to do what we do well and take care of our staff. From the health insurance we offer even to part-timers, competitive pay, and extra benefits. We make all of our food from scratch. When you do those things and put it together well and timely, it usually works out. I think, without consciously making a decision to be the best, you're
Outside of BOAB, Moose’s Tooth’s success is evident from its jam-packed parking lot, long lines of eager diners, and enough notability for a Wikipedia page. “It's a bit unusual, I guess, but we never really thought about it or planned it that way,” Hancock says. “If you looked at our original business plan, it's just so funny. You could have never dreamed up what Moose's Tooth has become, but we just continued to strive, move ahead, improve, and add on when we needed more space. Slowly, you're creating this thing that is now considered an institution, but it's not by design that way.”
Standing out is sometimes not a matter of the product but of the organization’s values. Kaladi Brothers' Retail General Manager Marvin Argueta believes that explains the iconic Anchorage coffee roaster’s success. “Kaladi Brothers has always provided delicious coffee, great customer service, and a welcoming environment, but I believe what really makes us stand out is that we've always given back to those very customers that have allowed us to get to where we are now,” Argueta says. “During the summer months, our community coffee truck goes to several events a week in the Anchorage area handing out free drinks to all that stop by. Year round, we fulfill donation requests for coffee, goodie bags, and free drink cards for hundreds of events.”
To top off those charitable efforts, Argueta adds, “We start every year with an event we call Dale Tran's New Year's Day of Giving, where we donate 100 percent of our coffee drink sales on New Year's Day to a local youth-focused charity.”
As in the coffee brewing business, brewing beer is about fighting for the customer as much as the bottom dollar. That attitude has kept 49th State Brewing in every BOAB edition. “I truly believe that what sets us apart is this tenacious desire to fight for both the survival of our business and the guest experience. Being there on the good days, the bad days, and even when we're forced to close, we adapt— by opening outside and becoming a cornerstone for our community,” says David McCarthy, founder and CEO of the Healy-based hospitality company. “The community rewards us by supporting our business in return. The average guest understands the challenges we face with rising labor costs, a reduction in the labor force, and increased food costs. Everyone who visits our business sees this. What makes us different is that we fight not just for the business, but for our guests every day. We fight to keep prices down and maintain a value proposition better than other businesses.”
Adapting and Expanding
Trained professionally as a chef before turning entrepreneur, McCarthy learned to embrace flexibility, so he applies that experience at Northern Hospitality Group, which owns and operates the 49th State Brewing restaurants and wholesale product lines.
“I learned very early in my career that changing with time is good, but being able to change every day while maintaining quality and standards takes you from good to great. Some of the greatest restaurants in the world create a new menu every day,” McCarthy says. “Our industry is built on the concept of adaptation. You have to adapt to the produce coming in the back door, the weather, the environment, and guests' demands. Over the last five years, it has become embedded in the fabric of our company that adapting is essential for survival in our industry. The need to adapt cannot be passive; it must be actively pursued as part of our
business strategy to navigate the daily challenges we face.”
At First National, too, history has shown an unwavering commitment to adaptation. Lawer says, “Despite challenges that come our way, our team never loses sight of First National's mission, written by my grandfather, Warren Cuddy, in the 1940s—to safekeep deposits, provide financial services to our communities, furnish employees with competitive salaries and a pleasant working environment, and earn a proper return for shareholders. This mission was a cornerstone of my pop's leadership when he became president in 1951, and it continues to guide us through times of uncertainty and change.”
Now in its second century of doing business in Alaska, First National has navigated plenty of uncertain times. “For First National, resilience is not just about meeting challenges; it's also about growing from them. The resilience needed to shape a better tomorrow for Alaska is a marathon, not a sprint. Our customers can count on us to adapt and transform, with purpose and vision. It's a good thing we're here for the long haul,” says Lawer.
Building the Dream Team
Beyond hiring talented individuals, forming a winning team is about fostering a culture where employees feel valued and motivated, according to these leaders. The seasonal workforce in Alaska affects many of the state’s top businesses, so converting workers into full-time Alaskans requires providing an exceptional experience.
First National actively integrates its staff in the communities the bank serves. “Our employees are the touchpoints throughout the state of Alaska; they are the ones who roll up their sleeves and provide our valueadded service,” says Lawer. “They tell us they are proud to work for a business that values our communities and encourages community involvement. We focus on workplace flexibility, comprehensive training, competitive salaries and benefits, and ample advancement opportunities. We understand that culture and satisfaction are ongoing discussions, which is why we conduct bank culture surveys with employees and management
“Resilience is not just about meeting challenges; it's also about growing from them. The resilience needed to shape a better tomorrow for Alaska is a marathon, not a sprint.”
Betsy Lawer Presi dent/CEO/Board Chair
First National Bank Alaska
to ensure our values are aligned. We have amazing longevity among our employees across all functional areas. Generations of Alaskans have worked— and still work—at our bank.”
According to Hancock, “In the restaurant industry, there are many mediocre work environments. By standing out—being more open, tolerant, and accepting—you set yourself apart. As a result, people want to stay, and our turnover is well below industry standards. It's about putting your staff first and letting them know that they're important. Listening to their needs and trying to make their work environment better is crucial. Health benefits, meal plans, and competitive or above-average pay all contribute to creating a positive experience.”
Hancock also says Moose’s Tooth has learned from recent challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. “With more layoffs and people wanting to leave the industry due to health concerns or other factors, we experienced more turnover but still managed to keep many important team members,” he says. “The pandemic illustrated how core our values and practices were to our success. We're still working on getting back to that level of stability, as hiring has been strained and other factors have shifted the job market.”
The Best Get Better
No rest for the best. These dynasties are making moves to maintain their winning positions.
Embracing its history of innovation, First National plans to improve customer experience both virtually and in person. “We were the first bank in Alaska to introduce a drive-thru teller, one of the first in the country to process checks by imaging, and the first to computerize operations. As technology advances, we understand that expectations evolve. By revamping our traditional branch experience, we aim to continue to create more welcoming spaces, enhance customer engagement, and embrace the latest technology,” says Lawer. “This summer, we plan to launch a complete redesign of our website, FNBAlaska.com, and in 2025 we will roll out a new online and mobile banking platform designed to offer our personal and business banking customers a more modern and seamless digital experience.”
Kaladi Brothers is expanding its capacity to roast Alaska’s favorite beans. Argueta says, “If you’ve been to our Brayton location recently, you may have noticed a big hole behind our current warehouse. We’ve outgrown our current facilities, thanks to all of our outstanding and loyal customers. We’re in the process of building a new roasting facility. It’s been a long time in the making, and we’re excited to see it come to life!”
Moose’s Tooth is embarking on a new venture, as it often has. “We've dabbled in lots of other things. Way back in 2000, we launched Bear Tooth [Theatrepub], which is a unique concept from Moose's Tooth. For instance, we helped design, build, and run the Rock Gym,” Hancock says. “Recently, we had a Foodhall concept that got sidelined due to COVID, but now we have a new project on Dimond [Boulevard and King Street]: a new restaurant that will combine elements from both Moose's Tooth and Bear Tooth. It's really exciting to have a new space where some of the team members who have been with us for a long time will have the opportunity to grow and express their interests in food in a new environment.”
And no slowing down for 49th State Brewing. McCarthy says the downtown Anchorage location is evolving. “We're converting the parking lot next to our Third Avenue brewpub into an outdoor beer garden, as Downtown doesn’t need more parking lots. It will be a licensed facility with a small dog run park, so people can walk Downtown with their dogs, let them run around, and enjoy a beer and sausage. We've partnered with Wild Scoops, a local leader in handmade ice cream,” he says. “Additionally, we are opening 49th State at the Rail later this summer. This small, intimate area will feature unique design elements and be connected to our production facility on Depot Drive. We also have plans for Anchorage as part of our broader Northern Hospitality Group, which includes multiple brands like Prospector's Pizzeria.”
Whether the coming year will include another repeat BOAB appearance is entirely up to the readers’ choice, yet these dynasties continue striving to extend their winning streaks.
Making Waves
The best startups from 2023
By Vanessa Orr
It ’s not easy to start a new business, and it’s even more difficult to make a big impression in the first year. Yet three Alaska companies— Aurora Security, Glow Events AK, and Peak Integrated Contracting—have impressed clients enough that they’ve been named the Best Startups in Alaska Business magazine’s Best of Alaska Business awards.
Aurora Security
When cousins Lance and Thomas Lacey decided to give entrepreneurship a shot after holding executive sales leadership positions for Fortune 500 companies for the past decade, they did it for a good reason—they value parenthood over professional development.
“Working for that size of corporate entity, there’s really no loyalty, which makes sense as it is a for-profit business,” Lance Lacey says. “But for me to continue to grow to the regional vicepresident level, it required me to leave Alaska, and I wasn’t willing to sacrifice time with my kids for professional growth. They’re here, so I’m here.”
The Lacey cousins, with several years of experience in security, felt comfortable leaping into the field. To them, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough was in dire need of a “one-stop shop” for residential and commercial security. Established in March of 2023, Aurora Security now serves the entire state, providing a wide range of services including locksmithing, security and camera systems, and safes.
“Nationwide, there’s not really a one-stop shop where customers can get all of their security needs met in one place,” Lacey says. “We pride ourselves on providing a holistic approach to our clients.”
The company is also willing to go the extra step—which in a recent case meant jumping onto a plane headed to Homer, reprogramming a person’s car key, and returning home on the next plane.
In addition to a storefront at The Liberty Center in Wasilla, the company also has a mobile fleet, which enables it to meet customer needs more efficiently. “It’s a pretty even split” how clients choose to take advantage of their offerings, Lacey says.
“What the customer needs is at the forefront of what we do at all times,” he adds. “If we continually put them first, the rest will take care of itself.”
He and his cousin chose the name Aurora Security because they didn’t want to be pigeonholed into the locksmith role.
“When you think of a locksmith, you picture some guy in a van smoking a cigarette with a dog; the whole industry in and of itself is antiquated or archaic, for lack of better term,” he says.
The Laceys’ goal has been to modernize security and to market their brand as a solution to any problem by taking a proactive approach. “I don’t want to be the company people only hear about when they’re Googling ‘locksmith’ when they get shut out of their cars,” Lacey says. “I want them to think of us for every need, from having their homes regularly rekeyed to installing a camera system that they can view remotely and on-site.”
This proactive approach is especially important with technology moving so quickly. The Laceys vet new equipment by putting it on friends’ and families’ homes to see if it can hold up to harsh Alaska conditions. “I want to make sure that we stay grounded, do the job right, and think about what the customer needs and not what we want to sell,” Lacey says.
Although relatively small, Aurora is looking to hire additional technicians this summer. The Laceys hope to expand into Fairbanks in the next
few years, with smaller offerings on the Kenai Peninsula. They’re also considering the idea of franchising once they have established at least three brick-and-mortar locations.
“I think franchising is easily doable,” Lacey says, envisioning the Aurora brand spreading nationwide. “It could be located in any metropolis and do well virtually overnight with some advertising dollars behind it.”
In addition to marketing support, the Laceys believe that a lot of Aurora Security’s success comes as the result of word-of-mouth advertising from satisfied clients. Lacey adds that he is also heavily involved in the community as the father of two small children, attending wrestling, football, band, and track events and “whatever else we can squeeze in to torture ourselves.” That involvement reflects well on his brand.
“Though Alaska’s landmass is huge, it’s actually a lot of very small towns, where if you’re not doing things the right way for the right reasons, you get weeded out very quickly,” he says of his company’s success. “We make sure we’re doing things the right way, which is from the heart.”
Glow Events AK
When Julie Matsumiya and her sisterin-law, Abby Medez, were both pregnant, they found joy in planning their children’s christenings and realized that they shared a love for event planning.
“We realized that we could do this full time,” says Matsumiya. Thus, she started Glow Events AK last August with her sister, Lucky Limtiaco, in partnership with Medez. “We didn’t even do any research before we started; we just loved the idea and had a passion for it, so we went all in,” she says.
The business is headquartered in Anchorage and has recently had inquiries to plan weddings in Palmer, Wasilla, and even Hawai’i.
“While we are willing to travel and branch out, we’re happy where we are right now,” says Matsumiya. “We want to perfect our craft in Anchorage first. Then if the opportunity comes to travel, we’ll take it.”
Glow Events AK specializes in planning, decorating, and stylizing a range of celebrations, from weddings and milestone anniversaries to birthdays, baby showers, and more.
“There is no such thing as a toosmall or too-big event; we can handle celebrations of all sizes,” says Matsumiya, who adds that the company’s first job came from a very pregnant client who did not have the energy to plan a baby shower.
Glow Events AK recently planned the 50th anniversary celebration of the Narcotic Drug Treatment Center, an organization that provides medicationassisted treatment for individuals with an opioid use disorder, as well as individual counseling and group therapy. The party at the Hotel Captain Cook Quarter Deck with more than 200 people was a resounding success.
“We helped create an event that was very memorable for them,” says Matsumiya.
She adds that Glow Events AK spends time getting to know its clients so that it can customize their events. This also helps to create longlasting relationships and, in turn, more business. Many of the company’s new clients come from word-of-mouth, and it also posts information on social media, especially Instagram.
“My business card is my personality; I take the time to get to know our clients and really listen to them,” says Matsumiya. “I think that in addition to the talent of our team and the time that we spend in planning and decorating, our personalities shine. This creates real relationships, and the clients we work with then recommend us to others.”
While Matsumiya loves all the events that she helps organize, she is especially fond of baby showers.
“We recently did a Heaven Sent baby shower and it was the most beautiful set-up we’ve ever done by far,” she says. “We didn’t know the gender of the baby and just went into the event space and did what we love to do, creating the space that the client wanted.” Heaven Sent is a popular, non-trademarked theme for baby showers.
“It was special because our client really trusted our vision and the process and planning of the whole event. She was in awe when it was finished,” Matsumiya adds. “Two weeks later, she had her baby. The fact that she trusted us was very special.”
The Glow Events AK team is working to continue to improve their product and craft as they approach their second year in business. “There’s no such thing as perfection, and experience is by far the best teacher,” says Matsumiya. “As long as we make our clients happy, we’re happy, though our goal is always to get be tter at what we do.”
Peak Integrated Contracting
When he was 16 years old, Anthony Pickens started remodeling homes with friends and thought that he would eventually run his own business. Instead, he ended up in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers powerline program when he was 23, which led to a successful career as a lineman.
“I had a fantastic career, and I loved the work, but now I’m ready for something different,” he recalls thinking last year. “I went back to my
roots. I’d been doing remodels on the side for fifteen years and ultimately decided to go for it.”
Pickens started Peak Integrated Contracting last October, mainly serving clients in the Anchorage area. “This past winter, our focus was on home remodels—kitchens, bathrooms, family rooms, multipurpose rooms," he explains, highlighting that the company's residential endorsement allows them to build brand new homes from the ground up. However, the weather had other plans.“We had the opportunity to tackle record-breaking snowfalls, which turned out to be a great addition to our services," Pickens says. "With my truck equipped with a plow and a tractor with a snowblower, we were able to assist homeowners who had challenging driveways that couldn't be plowed easily. This allowed us to expand our services and better support our community." That extra service earned enough votes to win Best Snow Removal as well.
With summer now approaching, the company has shifted gears into warm weather projects, including home remodels and building decks and sheds. Peak Integrated also provides maintenance—the handyman portion of the business—for those who need assistance with odd jobs.
He's picked up gigs at the Anchorage senior activities center where his wife works as a fitness manager. While Pickens was performing maintenance there, he tapped into a lot of seniors who need help at their homes. Pickens says, “I put my information out there,
Nathan Matsumiya
Nathan Matsumiya
Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
and it’s been really fulfilling to be able to do something that helps our seniors.”
When remodeling a home, Peak Integrated focuses on reusability by acquiring materials from Habitat for Humanity and Facebook Marketplace, along with other second-hand providers, if the client approves.
“I take cabinets in less-than-ideal condition and can make them look brand new to install in people’s homes,” Pickens says. “I try to shop locally and have established good relationships with the local hardware stores.”
While the start-up win came as a shock, not to mention ranking alongside large companies in the Best General Contractor category, Pickens credits it to the fact that he leads his company with a customer-first mentality.
“Customer service is like a second thought on most construction projects—they want to get in, do the work, and get out,” he says. “I focus a lot on the customer service side of things. I truly take pride in the work that we do.”
He adds, “I’m not finished until the customer is happy. I don’t know if that’s why we got chosen, but I’m assuming that’s what set us apart.”
Pickens’ goals include growing the company from a small shop into a full competitor in the marketplace, expanding his reach into all of Alaska, including remote villages.
“I want to take on bigger projects while still maintaining our handyman branch so that people can call when they need help,” he says. “We can take care of their homes in ways they don’t know how to.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW70hB_WeWM
• Views of Cook Inlet
• Alaska resident discount
• Inclusive & welcoming
• Includes breakfast
• In-room, local coffee
• Locally-owned small business
Best of Tomorrow
Kids Business Fair at The Workshop
By Scott Rhode
Swords were flying off the table before the Kids Business Fair officially opened. Demand clearly outstripped supply, but rather than adjust the $3 price and possibly discourage further sales, the vendor ramped up production to fill back-ordered purchases. And his grandfather helped.
Breck’s Swords was one of two dozen or so merchants set up at The Workshop, a nonprofit community space in South Anchorage. As the only seller of handmade toys, young Breck cornered the market. He and his papa cranked out cardboard cutlasses wrapped in gray tape. Breck found the sword design online after rejecting his first idea for making and selling rubber band-powered toothpick shooters. Even the youngest entrepreneurs must be conscious of product liability
Showcase for Creativity
Budding brainiacs have their science fairs; up-and-coming performers have their recitals; and tiny tycoons have the Kids Business Fair. The event was the brainchild of Kasie Krage, whose kids sold handmade pottery, keychains, and paracord bracelets for three hours that Saturday in April.
A steady stream of customers flowing through the storefront on Huffman Road could also find jewelry, polished stones, homemade crayons, scarves, stickers, candies, and baked goods.
One young designer sold magnets for $2 and embroideries for $12, both featuring original Crafty Critters animal characters. Hazel drafted a business plan to account for materials and the time spent making the items. The fair enabled Hazel to translate art into something that makes money.
Another Hazel sold lip balm and bath bombs, both in commercial-grade packaging. Shrink wrap with “H-Bomb” logos gave the merchandise a professional touch; she sells the items at other fairs, too. Other vendors created bookmarks, earrings, or sourdough starters especially for the Kids Business Fair.
The youngest vendor was not yet in preschool, selling bird feeders that his parents say left seeds scattered around the house during the assembly process. At a neighboring table, teenagers from the Anchorage Waldorf School sold homemade candles and woodcraft to raise money for an 8th grade class trip next year.
Sure, there are bake sales, carnivals, maker markets, or craft shows where junior entrepreneurs can sell their wares, but Krage wanted the Kids Business Fair to be different. “Plenty of adult-based vendor bazaars,” she points out, “but not as many geared toward kids.”
Her vision was to showcase creativity while kids practice the basics of buying and selling. “We wanted to really emphasize
that it was a business endeavor for them,” she says. “I wanted [it] to be open to as many groups as possible: public school children, homeschool children, any group.”
Fitting the Mission
The idea for the Kids Business Fair came to Krage in late 2023. “My kids heard of a business fair that happened in December with a homeschool group,” she says, but that event was limited to members of that group. She’d have to make her own.
Krage already knew of a suitable location. She and her family are regular users at The Workshop, established in November 2022 as a gathering place for family activities. Krage recalls, “We were coming here anyway, so I asked LeeAnna if it fit in her mission statement.”
LeeAnna Chronister is the executive director of The Workshop. In her previous career as a photographer, she gained experience running a business and renting out the studio. She drew upon that background to create a nonprofit to serve the community.
“I wanted [it]
many groups as possible: public school children, homeschool children, any group.”
Kasie Krage, Organizer, Kids Business Fair
“We have a variety of classes, both extracurricular—like art, chess clubs, games, things like that—and a lot of homeschool classes happen here. We do a lot of family events, dance parties, educational family events [e.g., Earth Day],” Chronister explains. “We do a lot of senior socials where they can bring their grandchildren and cultivate those important relationships. In general, there’s a lot of people that decide on their own to meet up and have play dates in an environment that’s safe and not going to cost an arm and a leg, not worry about their toddlers running off.”
The space is open to the public Monday through Saturday. Membership is like a library card, Chronister says, and payment is by donation. The shop includes a lounge, play area, and classroom programming.
Nothing Like It
The Workshop is rather unique for the neighborhood around Huffman Road.
LeeAnna Chronister The Workshop
Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
Some vendors at the Kids Business Fair specialized in one type of merchandise while others stocked diverse handcrafts at various price points.
“When we were looking for a location for this community center, we wanted to reach an area of town that did not have other social services. There are no social services south of Dimond [Boulevard], so it’s a very unreached location,” she says. “Traditionally, people think of South Anchorage as the more affluent side of town, but that has changed. It’s not necessarily that way anymore; there’s a lot of families on this side of town that need services just as badly as anywhere else. That’s why we picked Huffman.”
Social services, she believes, sets The Workshop apart from similar spaces.
“It was a shock to me, coming from out of state thirteen years ago, that Alaska doesn’t have community centers for families,” Chronister says. “We have rec centers, but we don’t have community centers like what I’m used to, which is a place that facilitates just
hanging out, taking an art class. The next best thing we have is The Nave [in Spenard], but that’s more events oriented; it’s not a space where you can walk in and hang out with your friends and let your toddlers play.”
The emphasis at The Workshop is on art and education, which is particularly useful for homeschool families. “There is really nothing like it, especially in Alaska,” Chronister adds. “We focus on things that bring family together and cultivate healthy relationships in our community.”
More than a casual hangout, Chronister sees The Workshop as a tool to prevent systemic problems. “We are identifying needs in our community, to fill them or redirect them. If we can fill a need that we see when someone walks in, it’s our responsibility to do so. If we can’t, it’s our responsibility to refer them to another organization that can.”
Growing Quickly
Chronister estimates that The Workshop serves about 200 to 300 people per week, apart from special events like the Kids Business Fair. "It’s a happening place all week long. We like having it feel like a home,” she says.
She hopes to be able to launch more locations. “Eventually, we would like to have small community centers on each side of Anchorage that cater to those neighborhoods instead of expanding into one bigger center,” Chronister says. Expansion is at least five years down the road. Chronister says, “It’s been an adventure. We’ve seen a lot of growth very quickly—which confirms that we’re filling needs.”
Fast growth also describes the Kids Business Fair. “I didn’t expect it to become this large, to be honest,” Krage says.
Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
Money changed hands briskly as customers circulated through the tables. Krage set the booth fee low enough that kids could easily cover the overhead with the day’s sales. “We wanted to gear it toward a price that kids could feel they could afford.”
Chronister’s kids set up their own table, too, selling cotton candy. It’s their mom’s machine, but they started whipping up treats as practice for another carnival later in the spring. The table fee goes to Krage, as the organizer, and Krage pays rent to The Workshop for hosting and facilitating the event.
“We try to make it as easy as possible to put stuff on like this,” Chronister says.
Lessons Learned
Krage looks forward to more fairs
in the future. She might adjust the table fee, based on lessons learned— just as the young makers and sellers of necklaces, pen-toppers, and marshmallows gained experience about starting and running a small business. What did they learn?
The importance of segmented marketing. Three booths sold plants, but they avoided direct competition by differentiating their products. One batch of nasturtiums and Swiss chard was started for aero- or hydroponic growing, while the table across the way sold seedlings in soil. Another flower stand sold jars of sourdough, too, the logic being that it’s made of flour. Get it?
Sellers learned how to set prices. One table sold jewelry, painted clocks, dreamcatchers, and knit goods,
all for various dollar amounts. The proprietress explained that the price depends on size and whether it’s hard or easy to make—which is exactly what adult artisans say. A young baker offered cheap $0.50 cookies at the front of the table to attract customers toward more expensive treats at the rear, thereby discovering the concept of the loss leader.
At a booth selling silicone bottle toppers, the merchant declared that she’s saving money to invest in bigger things. As for Breck’s Swords, the proceeds go toward raising pet rabbit s.
When the next sword came off the production line, it sold immediately. Breck had to make change for a $5 bill. At his age, five minus three is a lesson worth practicing.
Thank you
For voting Providence Alaska Medical Center for the Best of Alaska Business Denali Award for Best Hospital.
And thank you to our dedicated caregivers, providers, and community partners for enabling us to provide award-winning care to our community. Together, we are committed to ensuring Alaskans have access to the best care, including advanced technology and treatments.
50 Years of Excellence
Embracing the Past and Forging the Future
Achieving a fifty-year corporate anniversary “feels great” to Brad Osborne, president of NANA Management Services (NMS). But it also evokes feelings of gratitude for all the customers who have helped make Anchorage-based NMS a premier provider of support services throughout Alaska and North America. “We appreciate the long-term relationships that we have developed over the years,” Osborne says. “We want to say, ‘Thank you for working with us.’ We see it as a relationship that goes both ways, and we really do value that.”
This year’s golden anniversary also reminds Osborne of the dedication of NMS’ more than 2,000 employees— some of whom have been with the company for three decades. To celebrate its fiftieth year in business, NMS has planned a series of events to express its gratitude to clients and staff. For instance, the company is treating a number of customers to fishing trips in Homer this summer.
Upcoming festivities will also include a family-friendly barbecue that will allow employees to connect on a more personal level outside of work. The cookout will underscore NMS’ genuine appreciation for its personnel—the driving force behind the company’s ability to successfully execute its mission: to provide management and support services at a level of quality, value, safety, and expertise beyond clients’ expectations. As Osborne sums it up: “NMS is a great organization, with a lot of good, hardworking employees spread throughout Alaska.”
HISTORY OF DELIVERING ESSENTIAL SERVICES
Although NMS is a successful Alaska Native-owned company and certified Minority Business Enterprise,
it originated from humble beginnings. NMS’ journey began in 1974 as NANA Commercial Catering, which managed food services for remote camps during the construction of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System.
Over the years, it expanded service offerings to meet the industry’s growing needs. By 1986, the company was also servicing pipeline camps at Deadhorse and Sheep Creek. NANA Commercial Catering continued to diversify, entering the hospitality sector in 1997 with the opening of the Courtyard Anchorage Airport hotel. The company distinguished itself by setting new standards in hospitality management. Soon, it experienced another significant transition when it joined forces with global food services company Sodexo in 1998. Their strategic alliance led to the creation of the entity currently operating as NANA Management Services. NMS augmented its capabilities with the integration of Purcell Security into its operations. The expansion enabled NMS to further enhance its management services and emerge as a leading provider of support services in Alaska.
NMS is owned by NANA North (51 percent) and Sodexo Alaska (49 percent). NANA North, headquartered in Anchorage, is a wholly owned subsidiary of NANA Regional Corporation, which is owned by more than 15,500 Iñupiat shareholders who live in or have roots in Northwest Alaska.
KEYS TO SUCCESS
Today NMS offers a range of integrated support services, including food, facilities management, janitorial, remote camp services, security, and tribal support services. Whether it’s providing nutritious food options at the University of Alaska Anchorage
or integrated remote camp support at Red Dog Mine or on Prudhoe Bay, NMS has the expertise and experience to deliver high-quality services for diverse clientele. NMS offers scalable solutions that can be tailored to clients’ specific needs.
Companies that choose NMS as a trusted partner can capitalize on the distinctive advantages of working with a world-class provider and local Alaska Native-owned business. “We offer the benefit of having both Alaska Native ownership and a partner with global reach, as far as purchasing power and insight into the latest trends,” Osborne says.
NMS is committed to providing clientcentered solutions, supported by its ethical business practices, distinct corporate culture, and traditional values anchored in honesty and integrity. However, what also distinguishes NMS from the competition—beyond from its advantageous ownership—is its people, according to Osborne. “I feel that a company really is defined by the culture, and the culture is driven by the people,” he explains. “We have the advantage of having some longstanding, dedicated employees.”
Naturally, Osborne attributes NMS’ success to its well-trained, experienced, and resourceful employees. “Our people are willing to work with the customers and look at the latest trends to customize a solution,” he explains. “We are not set in our ways; we are looking for ways we can help our customers utilize the latest advances in technology.”
As a prime example, NMS is leveraging robotics out in the field. It’s using robots to dispense food at a senior care facility in Anchorage. NMS
is also deploying robots to clean floors and complete other tasks, which helps alleviate Alaska’s labor shortage. “We are a ‘people’ company first, and we use technology to supplement our workforce,” Osborne says.
In addition, NMS prioritizes safety as a central component of its fifty-year legacy of excellence and success. As a testament to its exemplary safety practices, NMS has garnered a string of impressive awards. These honors include a Governor’s Safety Award as well as multiple National Safety Council Occupational Excellence Achievement Awards and Alaska Oil and Gas Association Contractor of the Year for Safety Performance Awards (received three years in a row).
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
NMS is proud of the accolades it has earned over the years, but the company is not resting on its laurels. NMS is relentlessly focused on expanding its capabilities, services, and geographic reach. Hence, its unwavering strategy is securing and building in Alaska while looking beyond the state. Through a partnership with Harvest /Hilcorp., NMS recently began providing security services in Louisiana. “We are working
with what we currently have and seeing where it makes sense to provide services in the Lower 48,” Osborne says.
In the meantime, NMS is savoring the remarkable milestone of completing five decades in business. Yet, the company is looking far beyond the present, eagerly anticipating the future.
“It’s good to pause, reflect, and show appreciation—but get ready for the next fifty years,” Osborne says.
Elizabeth Aljibe and a Servi Robot serve NMS VP of Finance Mikel Christopherson. NMS has started rolling out these state-of-the-art machines at select sites, including the Anchorage Pioneer Home. Servi robots reduce operational costs and enhance efficiency, revolutionizing the service industry.
Photo Credit: Amber Johnson Photography
Directories and Apps
Connecting buyers with sellers
By Amy Newman
In the olden days, when anybody needed to buy a product or find a service, they turned to the Yellow Pages. From accountants to yard services and everything in between, the original business directory had it all, neatly categorized.
The Yellow Pages still exist, of course, even as mobile business directories have proliferated online. Some, like the State of Alaska’s Made in Alaska directory or the Alaska Small Business Development Center’s (SBDC) BuyAlaska Program, are broad, with Alaskan-owned being the primary qualification for inclusion. Other directories focus on a niche like Alaskan-grown produce, Indigenous art, or travel, while Alaska Native corporations have created directories specifically for shareholder-owned businesses.
Inclusion in most directories is free, which makes them an ideal marketing tool for small businesses.
“The best benefit for small business listings in directories is simply that it is free marketing,” says Clay Butcher, coowner of C+L Creative, an Anchorage public relations agency. “For a small amount of effort, it will help a small business owner sleep well at night knowing that their listings are working 24 hours a day at no cost.”
Refreshed and Relaunched
The Alaska SBDC’s BuyAlaska Program originated in the early ‘90s, says program manager Katie Nave. It initially served primarily as a contract procurement site and then, during the dot-com boom, a website hosting platform for small businesses. The website lay mostly dormant in the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nave says, but as many small businesses struggled during lockdowns, the SBDC took the opportunity to revisit the directory.
“In the wake of the pandemic, the Small Business Development Center
decided to relaunch the program and really address the needs of businesses,” Nave says. “At that time, there was such a desperate need to support local businesses, so we relaunched the business directory in 2020. We just kind of started fresh.”
The redesigned website organizes businesses into 109 self-selected categories and is searchable by product or service, region, or city/ town; searches can be further filtered to highlight business owner diversity, including Alaska Natives, women, or military veterans. The more than 1,000 small businesses listed in the BuyAlaska directory control their own listings, Nave says, and they can include as much or as little information as they want, from a simple store description, phone number, and physical address to multiple photos and links to their website and s ocial media handles.
“We’ve been able to act as a bit of a hub for businesses to connect with one another and kind of help bridge the gap of the vastness of our state,” Nave says, adding that directory listings
“Since the launch of the Marketplace, we have had success stories reported between our industry partners and international buyers, which is a great win.”
Tanna Peters Digit al Marketing Manager
Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute
span fifty-four Alaska communities. “We’re just that extra resource for directing people.”
Butcher says online directories are a resource that can direct potential customers to a business even if they never visit the directory itself, making it important for businesses to be listed in every one that matches their niche.
“Search engine rankings often use the number of directories you are in as a measurement for showing your business higher in search results,” he explains. “If a competitor is listed in all of the main and local directories, they may do better in search results than another business that does not have information in these directories.”
Direct-to-Consumer Seafood
The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) also redesigned its directory to better meet the needs of Alaska’s seafood suppliers. In April 2022, it launched the Alaska Seafood Online Marketplace, which “hosts both business-to-business and businessto-consumer introductions and allows suppliers to also create profiles within the platform to encourage trade,” says ASMI Digital Marketing Manager Tanna Peters. The Marketplace also allows industry and international buyers to register and create a profile on the site, allowing suppliers to reach out to buyers, a feature that’s unique among directories.
The Marketplace replaced ASMI’s old Suppliers Directory, which was little more than a “very black-andwhite listing” of Alaska seafood suppliers, Peters says. It has 164 registered users, but only 71 suppliers have created company profiles to date, roughly 45 of which sell directly to consumers.
In June 2023, ASMI created a second directory—Buy Alaska Seafood—which includes only direct-to-consumer suppliers. Though the Marketplace includes a filter to narrow search results only to these suppliers, the Buy Alaska Seafood page was specifically designed to eliminate that step. “The idea is, one click to the Buy Alaska Seafood page and [then] one click and you’re at the point of purchasing,” Peters says. The design makes Buy Alaska Seafood more user-friendly, connecting
Featured members of the BuyAlaska directory, clockwise from top left: Naataq Gear, FashionPact, and Bambino's Baby Food. BuyAlaska
Launched in 2022, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute’s Online Marketplace is a redesign of its old suppliers’ directory that allows Alaska seafood suppliers and industry and international buyers to register and create listings on the site.
Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute
“We’ve
the vastness of our state… We’re just that
people.”
consumers with suppliers more easily. The Buy Alaska Seafood page also reflects the changing realities in the wake of the pandemic.
“During the pandemic, there was a great growth in those direct markets,” Peters says. “A lot of people switched to selling their own seafood, so that’s why we’ve really focused on supporting them in this tool.”
Art and Artists Online
When BobbieAnn Meszaros started Collective49 in 2020, she did not intend to create a website to showcase Indigenous art; rather, it was an online business card for herself and two artist friends.
Meszaros worked full-time promoting arts as an economic driver and created art in her free time. When she decided to hold a First Friday pop-up, she realized she lacked the very things she told artists they needed to put their best professional foot forward.
“I struggled because I thought, ‘I don’t have an email, I don’t have a website, I don’t have the things that I need to go on a business card,’” she says. “[Collective49] was really my need to have a business card for that first event.”
Its expansion into what it is today was a direct result of the pandemic. When the Alaska Federation of Natives moved its 2020 conference online, it had to cancel the in-person art market. Meszaros, having heard directly from artists how economically devastating the lack of in-person events during the pandemic had been to their livelihoods, stepped in. She partnered with Alaska Federation of Natives, the First Alaskans Institute, and Doyon, Limited to use Collective49 as the platform to host the market.
A Directory of Directories
A
Alaska Farmers Market Association
alaskafarmersmarkets.org/market-directory
Dates, times, and locations of seventy-six farmers’ markets, food hubs, farm stands, and community supported agriculture. The association also publishes a print edition in Edible Alaska every two years.
Direct-to-consumer and direct-to-business sellers of Alaska seafood. Industry and international buyers can register and create a profile, allowing suppliers to reach out directly to buyers.
Arts Anchorage artsanchorage.com
Online calendar lists arts-related events and activities in Anchorage, Girdwood, and Eagle River.
B
BuyAlaska buyalaska.com
State-run directory encourages Alaskans to shop locally. Lists more than 1,000 businesses from fifty-four communities.
Online marketplace with 145 Indigenous artists from Alaska, Canada, and the Lower 48. Purchases can be made directly through the website.
M
Made in Alaska
commerce.alaska.gov/web/dcra/MadeInAlaska.aspx
The Made in Alaska directory lists products more than 51 percent made, manufactured, or handcrafted in Alaska.
V Voyij voyij.com
Features Alaska tours and activities, gifts, and stores in ten Alaskan communities, including Anchorage, Denali, Seward, and Fairbanks. Aimed at cruise ship tourists.
“The goal was to make it be like an art market,” Meszaros says. “People could just click around as though they’re walking around an art market and see things and interact.”
Since then, Collective49 has grown to include 145 Indigenous artists from across Alaska, Canada, and the Lower 48. The site is searchable by artist name or by one of fourteen different categories and, unlike other directories, visitors can purchase items directly through the website.
“It really has mirrored Etsy, only very specific for Indigenous needs,” Meszaros says. “My priority has been Alaskan ivory, fabrics made from polar bears, sea otters, those things that frequently get flagged on Etsy and eBay markets. That really is the point of the platform: to be able to provide Indigenous artists a service, knowing their cultural norms and the legal requirements around selling animal products. I’m not going to pull them.”
Directories aren’t always about finding a product or service; sometimes, they are about finding something to do.
“Anchorage is diverse, and there’s a lot going on here, but I realized we didn’t have any one resource where we could track down what was actually going on arts-wise out in the community,” says Emily Tallman. “In my twenty years living here, it has been a recurring theme to find out about an interesting event after it’s already happened. So I decided to do something about it.”
That something was Arts Anchorage, which lists arts-related events in Anchorage, Eagle River, and Girdwood. Tallman created the website in 2023 and curates most of its listings, but businesses and independent artists can submit events, workshops, and classes through the site’s submission page; if it meets the criteria, Tallman posts the details.
“There needs to be some component of artmaking involved,” Tallman says of listings that qualify. “So generally we don’t include karaoke or trivia nights, but anything involving visual arts, literary arts, music, arts and crafts, or arts and culture is eligible.”
Shop Local, Eat Local
Local grocery stores often stock Alaskan-grown produce, but sometimes shoppers want it straight from the
“The best benefit for small business listings in directories is simply that it is free marketing… For a small amount of effort, it will help a small business owner sleep well at night knowing that their listings are working 24 hours a day at no cost.”
Clay Butcher Co-owner
C+L Creative
farm. The Alaska Farmers Market Association’s (AFMA) online Market Directory can help find the farm—or at least the closest market.
The AFMA took over hosting the online Market Directory in 2021 as part of a US Department of Agriculture grant aimed at helping farmers’ markets more effectively connect consumers with local produce, says AMFA Co-Executive Director Claire Marshalek. The online directory includes traditional farmers' markets, food hubs, food stands, and CSAs (communitysup ported agriculture).
“We call it a farmers’ market directory, but we acknowledge that there are so many small communities that one farm might serve as the entire market,” Marshalek says. “It kind of transcends the farmers’ market and is more of this local foods directory. It’s welcoming to everyone.”
The directory currently includes sixty-five farmers’ markets and food hubs, seven farm stands, and four CSAs, and the numbers have steadily grown each year, Marshalek says. The directory is searchable by location, market type, hours of operation, and accessibility, and it includes website links and social media handles for farms that have them.
Marshalek says many farmers use the list themselves to decide whether to stay close to home or venture to Anchorage markets, using the Market Directory to help establish markets in their area.
“I’m in Seward, and we started a farmers’ market back in 2020,” Marshalek says. “The directory was kind of our go-to resource of what other markets can we reach out to and learn from and share resources. That is a collaborative effort for other markets to connect with each other, so [the directory] goes beyon d the foot traffic.”
Keeping Dollars in Alaska
Being included in as many directories as possible is nothing but beneficial to small businesses.
“Adding your business information to online directories should be one of the top priorities for small business, without a doubt,” Butcher says. “This will open the door to showing your
business in search results, getting online reviews, and raising awareness that your business exists.”
There is no quantifiable data to show whether inclusion in an online directory actively translates to sales. But data analytics and anecdotal evidence show that, at the very least, they successfully direct potential consumers to businesses.
ASMI has seen a quarterly increase in traffic flowing out of both its Marketplace and the Buy Alaska Seafood pages, Peters says. The Marketplace saw a 31 percent increase in on-page events—such as link clicks and form submissions— over the first quarter of 2024, and a roughly 27 percent increase in link clicks on the Buy Alaska Seafood page over the same period.
“Since the launch of the Marketplace, we have had success stories reported between our industry partners and international buyers, which is a great win,” Peters says.
The AFMA also has no data to support how many people found farmers’ markets through their directory, but Marshalek says three years of figures show that “sales amounts at farmers markets have increased each year, and each year there have also been more markets listed.”
Companies frequently contact Meszaros and ask her to connect them with Indigenous artists.
“I get a lot of outreach from international companies based in the United States that want to buy their corporate gifts, and they want it to be Indigenous made or locally made,” she says. “I’ve also been contacted frequently by costume designers or TV shows or movies that are looking for products from artists.”
Directories enable dollars to flow into Alaska from out of state, while shoppers can use the directories to circulate their money in the local economy.
“The money that gets spent in Alaska gets spent again and grows, and that’s really where we’re seeing the impact happen,” Nave says. “The impact of a dollar spent at these local businesses really carries on and has a cascading impact that really has a strong benefit f or our economy.”
Licensed to Sell
Why do businesses need a permission slip, anyway?
By Rachael Kvapil
In April, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly repealed a business license requirement. The Mat-Su began requiring business licenses in 1995 when the borough sought to make up for lost revenues after having difficulty collecting personal property tax on airplanes, trailers, and snowmachines. For the past twentynine years, borough businesses paid $100 for a license that they renewed every two years.
"Since that time, people would go online and complete the paperwork to print this business license," says Borough Mayor Edna DeVries. "It wasn't a hands-on process that required people to come into the office. But looking into the issue, we found that we had not been using any of that information for economic development."
The license fee brought in about $500,000 for the borough each year, or less than 1 percent of its budget. About $90,000 covered part of the wages and benefits for multiple staffers to administer the program, mainly by comparing records against state and city licenses.
Alongside assembly members Dee McKee and Rob Yundt, DeVries sponsored Ordinance Repeal (OR) 24-038 to end the business license requirement. At the April 2 regular meeting, two people from the public spoke in support of repeal, noting
that the borough never enforced compliance, there was no punishment for violations, and businesses saw no benefit from being licensed with the borough anyway.
The assembly passed the repeal unanimously.
That’s one less barrier to entry for businesses in the Mat-Su. They must still file for local licenses in the incorporated cities of Wasilla, Palmer, or Houston. And every business in Alaska must obtain a state license. But if the borough can do without business licenses, why are they necessary?
Taking Care of Business
The state of Alaska requires anyone engaging in business activity to obtain a business license through the Division of Corporations, Business, and Professional Licensing in the Department of Commerce Community, and Economic Development.
Division Director Sylvan Robb notes that a business maintaining a physical presence or physical office in Alaska is not a requirement for a business license. Rather, the need for a license is based on where business activity takes place.
"If any portion of a business’ activity occurs within the State of Alaska, then the expectation, per Alaska statutes, is the business will have an Alaska business license," says Robb.
The statutes list certain exemptions. For example, people not regularly engaged in furnishing goods or services (a garage sale, for instance) do not need a business license for their transactions. Other exemptions in Alaska Statute (AS) 43.70.105 include fisheries business, sale of liquor with a license issued under AS 04.11, insurance business, mining business, supplying services as an employee, activities of an investment club as defined in AS 43.70.105(7), banks organized under AS 06.05 or the laws of another state, national banks chartered by the US government, credit unions organized under AS 06.45 or the laws of another state, credit unions regulated by the National Credit Union Administration, and mutual savings banks chartered under AS 06.15 or organized under the laws of another state.
Many of these exemptions are for industries that are licensed at the federal level. Other than an identification number for payroll tax purposes, most businesses do not need a business license from the federal government—except for investment advising, drug manufacturing, meatpacking, broadcasting, ground transportation, air transportation, maritime transportation, commercial fishing, or making or selling alcohol, tobacco, or firearms.
On the surface, the need for a business license may seem archaic in the online age. However, filing for a license informs a jurisdiction that a business intends to operate there and is subject to its laws. Robb says proper licensing is an easy way to inspire public confidence through a balanced regulation of competent professional and business services.
"It grants the holder the privilege to engage in business in the State of Alaska," says Robb. "It is also required for nearly all businesses in Alaska, so obtaining a business license allows a business to comply with the law."
Permit Me If You Will
The Alaska Business Licensing website may seem overwhelming at first. There is a lot of information. Some of it pertains to all business owners, and some is specific to certain types of business structures and lines of business. Most top-level information is condensed in the website’s FAQ; however, additional details are only found on other related pages.
Obtaining a state business license is easy, Robb says. Business owners can complete the form on the State of Alaska business licensing website. The only possible hangup, Robb notes, is when individuals apply for a reduced fee as a disabled veteran. She says that process takes longer since applications must be submitted on paper along with the required documentation.
Otherwise, a state business license can be obtained online by completing the application and paying for it. The current fee is $50 per year, or half as much for sole proprietors older than 65 or service-connected disabled veterans (only one discount applies, not both). As long as the applicant has done their research and knows their business structure, line of business, and licensing requirements, the process should take less than 15 minutes.
That might not be the final step, though. As the division’s name indicates, some businesses have other paperwork to consider.
"People can be confused about the difference between registering their corporation with the state, purchasing a business license, and obtaining a professional license," says Robb. "Some individuals may need to do all three."
Anchorage | Juneau | Soldotna
BY THE KING’S DECREE
Business licensing traces its authority to ancient times. When the Historic Recrudescence Guild (HRG) conducts living history events around Anchorage, such as the Three Barons Renaissance Fair and the Alaska Scottish Highland Games, a focal point of the village is a pillar of pre-medieval Celtic design known as a market cross. This serves as a license for all trade, designating the fictional village of Trotton as a market town.
“A market town is where you are allowed by the king to transact goods,” explains HRG educator Greg Henrikson. “If you consolidate and make trade outside the market town illegal, you make sure the taxmen are here to collect their piece.”
Security guards could also be present at a single place and time, where so much money changed hands; a central location also enabled the crown to control foreign imports.
In many parts of Alaska, a state license is all that is needed to operate a business. However, additional licensing requirements may exist depending on the borough or the city. Most of these permits are specific to an industry or a general sales tax certificate.
Some boroughs and cities have combined their application process, some boroughs and cities have separate applications, and in some places, only one of the local governments will have requirements. For example, the City of Fairbanks requires a city license for any person or legal entity that maintains business premises within the city limits; however, the Fairbanks North Star Borough does not have the same requirements for businesses outside of the city. This means businesses on the west end of Fairbanks only need a state license and any specialized licenses that may apply (e.g., marijuana, alcohol, tobacco, et cetera). In the Municipality of Anchorage, additional licensing and permits apply to specific industries.
Fair Dealing
For businesses operating in a single location, owners apply for all necessary licenses and renew them according to the state, borough, or city schedule. However, businesses that travel for special events may have to pay additional fees in new locations. Vendors that gather in Palmer for the Alaska State Fair (ASF) are prime examples of businesses that incur new licensing requirements to participate.
According to the 2024 ASF Vendor Handbook, vendors must comply with all federal, state, and local laws and must have valid licenses with the State of Alaska, the City of Palmer, and, until recently, the MatanuskaSusitna Borough. Additional permits for raffles, drawings, and games must be obtained from the Gaming Group in the Tax Division of the Alaska Department of Revenue.
Some vendors at the fair being blindsided by an extra layer of licensing was partly the reason for repealing the borough requirement. For its part, ASF issued a statement regarding the multiple licensing requirements: “The Alaska State Fair vendors are a core part of the fair’s success. They play a vital role in providing great food, beverages, goods, and other services to fairgoers.
Alaska State Fair is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation. ASF instructs vendors to comply with all federal, state, and local laws or ordinances regarding business licensing. ASF does not require them to provide their licenses to us but to follow instructions given on the particular license.”
ASF vendors apply for business licenses on the City of Palmer website. This temporary license is issued for the sole purpose of engaging in business at the State Fairgrounds during the ASF. It expires at the state fair's conclusion during the year it was issued.
Among similar venues, licensing requirements differ from city to city. For instance, the Tanana Valley State Fair does not require a local business license because its fairgrounds are outside of Fairbanks city limits. However, it still requires vendors to display state business licenses in their booths and has the same licensing requirements for raffles, drawings, and games as the Alaska State Fair.
Next Order of Business
The Mat-Su Borough is not out of the business licensing business altogether. It still collects fees for liquor licenses.
DeVries says the borough staff overseeing business licenses will be shifted to other potentially beneficial financial pursuits, like maybe grant writing. Refunds won't be issued for businesses with a 2024 borough business license; however, DeVries says borough staff held back on processing recent new applications and renewals until the assembly voted on the ordinance.
Changes to the Mat-Su business license requirements won't affect state and city requirements. In addition to a state business license, operators in Palmer, Wasilla, and Houston must also carry a city-issued license. Businesses in Palmer and Wasilla can apply for business licenses online at their respective city website. The City of Houston has an online PDF form that must be completed and sent to the city clerk for review.
As long as licensees pay the oneyear or two-year fees and obligingly display their official certificates, they can be assured that they are part of a community that respects and enforces their rights to conduct business.
The Alaska Defense Forum (ADF) addresses critical challenges impacting military installations, families, and local communities. Throughout this two-day gathering, military officials and ADF participants engage with government representatives, and defense experts, fostering discussions essential for our national security. Positioned strategically between Asia, North America, and Russia, Alaska hosts key military bases crucial for power projection, top-tier training, and defense against threats, highlighting its indispensable role in national defense.
Business for Sale
Navigating the intricacies when companies change owners
By Tracy Barbour
Businesses buy and sell goods and services all the time. Occasionally the company itself is on the table. An owner might be liquidating the enterprise, handing it over to a new generation, or expanding through an acquisition—or an entrepreneur is ready to enter the game by purchasing an established operation. An array of professionals are available to help ensure a smooth exchange and a fair deal for both sides.
A good place to start is the Alaska Small Business Development Center (SBDC). “We have business expertise, numerous resources, and access to a network of professionals to refer clients to for help with legal, financial, and other issues,” says Carlos Machuca, director of the Alaska SBDC Anchorage office.
When clients request help with purchasing a business, Alaska SBDC typically guides them through an assessment to identify their goals, skills, experience, and financial resources. It also steers them in the direction of businesses that are for sale. Most clients already have a company in mind to buy, but those without prospects can explore a website like BizBuySell.com to see a list of companies that are a vailable nationwide.
At BizBuySell, users can find companies for sale in a variety of categories, from agriculture, construction, and financial services to retail, restaurants, and service businesses. In April, for example, the site listed Soldotna-based D & L Construction Company for sale. The asking price of $6 million included $3.5 million worth of furniture, fixtures, and equipment; 6,000 square feet of shop and office space; and the option of purchasing with owner financing. The listing noted the company’s gross
revenue of $3 million and cash flow of $950,000. All important details for initial consideration.
Due Diligence
Once a potential buyer identifies a business to purchase, the next step is due diligence. A thorough examination of the business' financial health entails an informal valuation of what the business is worth and compiling financial analysis, projection models, and any additional information a lender might require. Alaska SBDC can help clients with those steps, but the center does not provide in-depth accounting, tax, or legal advice; instead, it refers clients to professio nals in these areas.
When advising owners on the intricacies of selling, Alaska SBDC often shares strategies to enhance the business, such as improving their financial statements. “There’s nothing worse than trying to sell your business and you do not have your financial records in place,” Machuca says. “We
Carlos Machuca Alaska Small Business Development Center
send them to a CPA [certified public accountant] so they can have an audit completed of their financials.”
If owners are not receiving offers for the price they desire, maybe the company is not profitable enough, Machuca says.
Alaska SBDC helps owners review their expenses, prices, services/ products, strategies, and operating procedures, so they can streamline operations and maximize value.
Depending on the type of company and how prepared the owner is to sell, it can take a year or longer to complete the sale. “We need time to prepare clients,” Machuca says. “When you sell a business, the exit strategy can be done long term or short term. Typically, the more time there is for planning, the more value owners can receive from the sale of their business.”
However, Alaska SBDC’s job does not end when a client buys or sells a business. Machuca explains, “In many situations, we continue working with the client with marketing, strategic planning, workshops, and other needs. We will continue supporting our clients through the life of their business.”
Business Valuation Basics
Before embarking on any business sales transaction, acquiring an accurate valuation is paramount for sellers and potential buyers. The valuation accounts for all tangible assets (equipment, inventory, buildings, and land) and intangible ones (goodwill, customer lists, and intellectual property) that are associated with the business. Having an accurate valuation can support a realistic pricing decision and help ensure a fair deal for both parties.
Alaska SBDC has multiple informal business valuation tools available to clients who are selling or buying a business. For example, ProfitCents, a database accessible through an Alaska SBDC advisor, can help clients with financial analysis or benchmarking. Another useful resource, which can be downloaded from Alaska SBDC’s website, is What Is Your Business Worth. It provides a comprehensive overview of the company’s value, considering a variety of financial factors.
“If you’re negotiating from a place of ‘I like the guys on the other side,’ I think that puts you in a better place to get the deal done faster—and be happier.”
Andrea Canfield, Partner, Stoel Rives
“The value that we have is that we do this every day; we are in the marketplace, and we know who might be willing to sell their business based on relationships.”
Brandon Spoerhase Partner and Broker
BSI Co mmercial Real Estate
Machuca emphasizes that clients need to augment the valuations generated with Alaska SBDC’s tools with a formal assessment too. “These are all informal valuation tools, so we always tell clients they need to go to a CPA, appraiser, or business broker to obtain a formal valuation,” he says.
Professional appraisers, accountants, financial advisors, and legal experts can contribute valuable insights. Individuals can look for one who adheres to the standards of the National Association of Certified Val uators and Analysts.
throughout Alaska by providing “local ground knowledge” of what opportunities might be available, Spoerhase says. “The value that we have is that we do this every day; we are in the marketplace, and we know who might be willing to sell their business based on relationships,” he says.
The best type of valuation professional depends on the type of business, says Andrea Canfield, a partner in the corporate group at the law firm Stoel Rives. “For example, if you have inventory, you will need someone who has experience valuing those specific assets,” she says. “But if you provide a service and your assets are in people, that’s where you typically see a CPA valuing off earnings, EBITDA [earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization]. It just depends on wh at you are valuing.”
EBITDA, Canfield says, is the most common business valuation method she sees, being a straightforward and easily verifiable calculation of operating performance and cash flow. “It’s very palatable for business owners because the proposed sales price is something that is easy to confirm through financial records,” she says.
Brokers, Attorneys, and Other Experts
Business brokers, attorneys, and other professionals can play an important role in the sales process. As skilled intermediaries, they can steer either side through the transaction. Typically, when an owner is prepared to sell, the owner either has relationships in place or will hire a broker, according to Brandon Spoerhase, a partner and broker at BSI Commercial Real Estate.
BSI assists buyers and sellers
Spoerhase says it can be challenging to identify businesses for sale because owners tend to keep this type of information confidential, at least initially, until the potential buyer is vetted. “Most owners want to make sure their employees stay on and that the buyer has the wherewithal and has what it takes to grow the business,” he explains. “It’s kind of a research project between the buyers and sellers. Once we identify the business, we review all the documents.
The more information you have, the better-educated decision you can make about whether you want to purchase the business.”
Document review involves a request for an overview of historical, financial, project information, corporate performance, pay, and benefit information. “We would try to discover all these things relative to the company and the nature of who we’re representing,” Spoerhase says. “We want to guide our clients through who their competitors are, so they have all the capacity needed to make a decision about the current operating level of how the company is being run and will need to be run in the future.”
Requested documentation can include two years of tax returns, balance sheets, profit and loss statements, inventory value, list of employees, and a real estate appraisal if applicable. Due diligence can also delve into pending lawsuits, retirement plans, salaried owners, payments to officers, gross annual receivables, loan balances, and the owner’s personal valuation of the business.
Spoerhase recommends going as granular as possible. Details relating to the company’s operating
Brandon Spoerhase BSI Commercial Real Estate
Andrea Canfield Stoel Rives
“When you sell a business, the exit strategy can be done long term or short term. Typically, the more time there is for planning, the more value owners can receive from the sale of their business.”
Carlos Machuca Anchorage Director Al aska Small Business Development Center
locations, product lines, sales cycle, marketing activities, diversification, and competitive advantages and disadvantages can be crucial for indicating its current strength and potential for future growth.
Merger and Acquisition Advice
While business brokers can serve as principal advisors, they can also provide a vital connection to experts who understand the deal’s legal, tax, and regulatory implications. Complex transactions involving mergers and acquisitions (M&As) will require even more specialized legal counsel. M&A— the consolidation of companies or their major assets through a series of financial transactions—can be daunting, but experienced law firms, investment banks, and other specialists take on this challenge every day.
For example, Stoel Rives assists with various aspects of M&As. Its team includes experts on local, state, and federal taxes; intellectual property attorneys to help with trademarks and patents; labor and employment attorneys; and attorneys with expertise in specific areas like environmental regulations and mining. Stoel Rives works with both buyers and sellers, often by referral.
In Alaska, personal connections are integral for generating business, according to Canfield, who advises Alaska Native corporations and privately held, small and middle market companies in M&A. “Either we have a great relationship with a broker and they recommend us to represent their seller, or it’s by word of mouth,” she says. “We also get referrals from the other side… because we were reasonable, kind, and helpful during a previous transaction. It matters how you treat folks and interact with them—even in conten tious transactions.”
In the current market, M&As are slowing down in Alaska, Canfield says. Since there’s less M&A activity, completing a business purchase has been taking longer. “Our economy up here in Alaska is still recovering from the pandemic,” she says.
Many recent transactions are due to retirement, and retiring owners prefer not to stick around after the deal
closes. “We’re seeing a lot of owners not wanting to have a lengthy employment contract after they sell the company,” Canfield explains. This can complicate the due diligence process.
Important Considerations and Common Mistakes
For a smooth sale, buyers and sellers should consider some factors unique to business sales. For instance, sellers usually focus on how much they will walk away with at closing, and this can slow down the deal. But Canfield thinks sellers should be more flexible about what they accept. “They should not focus on the bottom line to the detriment of the entire deal,” she says.
In addition, buyers can minimize closing delays and failures by better understanding the risk profile of the business they are acquiring. Indepth conversations with the seller and the management team can avoid unnecessary surprises. “We have found that buyers may get cold feet if they have to deal with things they were not aware of,” Canfield says.
Canfield also points out that transactions tend to go more smoothly if the seller is comfortable with the buyer. Therefore, instead of fixating on financial terms, the seller should consider a broader, more amicable perspective. “If you’re negotiating from a place of ‘I like the guys on the other side,’ I think that puts you in a better place to get the deal done faster—and be happier,” Canfield says.
A crucial factor often overlooked by buyers, according to Spoerhase, is the seller's established relationships. Some buyers fail to appreciate the relationships the owner or founder has built. “At the end of the day, Alaska is still like a small town,” he says. “The guy who’s built this company and is selling it has gone through the trials and tribulations of establishing the company. And a new person who comes in may not have the knowledge or expertise to be successful. Unfortunately for the new buyer, if they are not successful, the seller can recoup the business, dust off what the new buyer did, and go back to having a successful business.”
By mastering key aspects of the business sales transaction, buyers and sellers can create a more rewarding experience for both parties.
Authorial Ecosystem
Alaska publishers support local writers and readers
By Sarah Reynolds Westin
Alaska is a place of stories. White Fang by Jack London. Fire and Ice by Dana Stabenow. Ordinary Wolves by Seth Kantner. Blonde Indian by Ernestine Hayes. The Raven's Gift by Don Rearden. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. Into Great Silence by Eva Saulitis. Second Nature by Chaun Ballard. Thousands more titles exist.
“Alaskan authors share a literary genealogy,” says Sandra Kleven, who runs Cirque Press. She invests in booklength, consequential literature written by Alaskans, as do Nate Bauer and Jeremy Pataky, who also acquire books for local publishers—the University of
Alaska (UA) Press and Porphyry Press, respectively. Peggy Shumaker edits the Alaska Literary Series, published by UA Press, and is the founding editor of Boreal Books, an imprint of Red Hen Press. To Kleven’s point, these four people along with many other Alaskans form a literary family.
Shumaker, Kleven, and Pataky have contributed significantly to Alaska’s literary community through poetry, essays, short stories, and memoirs. Their other activities have earned them respect as literary citizens. In addition to founding or furthering presses, they’ve taught creative writing courses,
established creative writing retreats and workshops, formed and run literary organizations, and championed authors’ works. For instance, Bauer’s press has published Pataky, and Shumaker has recommended authors to Kleven.
“When someone tells me, ‘This manuscript will fit Boreal Books because it’s a cousin to works by Sherry [Simpson] or Erin [Coughlin Hallowell],’ that’s helpful,” Shumaker says. “Those recommendations let me know the would-be author is reading stuff on our list and has an awareness of what’s happening in contemporary Alaska literature.”
For Alaskan writers far away from the world’s publishing hubs, cracking the code on becoming a published author feels daunting.
“A lot of would-be authors are unaware how the process works and operate out of fear,” Shumaker says. “You won’t prejudice an editor by asking a question, so just ask.”
An author may operate out of a variety of false beliefs that prevent them from even submitting a manuscript, such as thinking their view and work must perfectly align with the publisher or that they need to work with one of the “Big Five” publishers— namely Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan, and Hachette.
“The world is in love with local,” Pataky says, noting that a similar sentiment applies to more than microbrews and small businesses. “People want to support the labor of love poured into our own communities’ operations.” Alaska presses and organizations, as well as Alaskan readers, are increasingly extending their local support to literary artists, too.
Writing for Pleasure
Creative writers have opportunities to plug into the Alaska literary community and travel paths that result in authorship, such as joining 49 Writers or the Alaska Writers Guild, which are nonprofits dedicated to fostering writers. They can submit poems, essays, and short stories to journals, including Alaska Quarterly Review, Alaska Women Speak, and Cirque: A Literary Journal for the North Pacific Rim. They can attend Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference, North Words Writers Symposium, Storyknife Writers Retreat, and Tutka Bay Writers Retreat or apply for residencies and grants from Alaska Humanities Forum, Alaska State Council on the Arts, Anchorage Museum, or Rasmuson Foundation, among others. They can submit works to contests hosted by the Anchorage Daily News or the Alaska Center for the Book.
“Alaska has a different idea of what success is,” says Bauer. UA Press serves a scholarly market with academic writing, especially histories and cultural chronicles. “We’ve used creative thinking to help our creative writers,” he says. Although UA Press has
“A lot of would-be authors are unaware how the process works and operate out of fear… You won’t prejudice an editor by asking a question, so just ask.”
Peggy Shumaker, Founding Editor, Boreal Books
operated since 1967, it lost about half of its university funding in 2019. Bauer helped UA Press become an imprint of the University Press of Colorado consortium in 2021. Now UA Press is vibrant and productive again. “In many ways, we’re better positioned than we’ve ever been,” Bauer says.
Bauer highlights the Alaska Literary Series that Shumaker founded and edits, which UA Press publishes. “It has published many of our most interesting and compelling recent books,” he says. UA Press tries to acquire five to seven creative works annually. “How many we publish depends on our resources,” says Bauer. “But our strong university support means [that] if we receive a book everyone knows is good, even if it’s likely we’ll only sell a few hundred copies, that’s enough to make our effort worthwhile.”
Bauer raises a perspective that most people, even many authors, haven’t considered. For micro, independent, and academic presses, selling thousands of books is not a prerequisite for publication, as is often true for the “Big Five.” Smaller print runs sold to tight-knit customer networks and libraries can demonstrate success. “That’s what presses like ours are set up to do,” he says, “and it works most of the time.”
Circulating knowledge and art plus representing new voices and ideas motivates small publishers, including Cirque Press, Porphyry Press, Red Hen Press, and UA Press. Sales matter to them insofar as they, at least, don’t
go into the red. Luckily, few Alaskan literary authors expect to make money, instead writing for pleasure, art, and the connection it brings to others.
“Hardly any author can say one book has sold 5,000 copies,” Pataky notes. “Selling that amount shows tremendous achievement.” However, Porphyry Press’s first title, Cold Mountain Path by Tom Kizzia, has sold more than 6,500 copies, helping springboard Pataky into the book publishing world. For now, he aims to publish one book about every eighteen months. “Most authors get very little support from their publishers unless they’re the rare lucky ones,” he says. “Reining in the number of books in my catalogue protects my capacity to do a great job on prepress and launch promotions for each work I acquire.”
The other publishers agree with Pataky. “Small presses keep works in print,” says Shumaker. She offers an anecdote about her friend who is a well-known fiction writer. The person believed their novel was out of stock and contacted the publisher who acquired it, only to be told it was out of print. “The novel was gone,” Shumaker recounts. “It had a shelf-life about as long as yogurt.”
Close Relationships
Local publishers are vested in their acquisitions, unlike “Big Five” publishers, because their reputations, workforces, and connections demand it.
“Cirque Press sticks with Alaskan artists almost entirely because our state has great writers with amazing
manuscripts waiting to get picked up, who are receiving rejection letters,” Kleven says. These authors have often tried many times to get their books published, and their motivation is dwindling or gone.
“When we’ve published their books, they sell out,” Kleven adds, “and their authors do readings in packed venues.” As accolades mount, Cirque Press adjusts its priorities to continue promoting its books, unlike large presses.
To make these adjustments, small presses and their writers have usually laid the groundwork when they began exploring publication. “The relationship between a publisher and author is a pretty intimate thing and should be handled that way, though it isn’t always,” Pataky says. “Beyond editing and honing the manuscript comes discussions about production, promotion, and royalties.”
As an example, he recalls Porphyry’s first title. Pataky says, “Tom and I determined we were compatible through wide-ranging conversations over a long period of time before signing a contract.”
Printing Money
Once an Alaska publisher receives a manuscript, one of two things happens. Shumaker gives both scenarios. “For Boreal Books, if I say yes, I send it on to Red Hen Press,” she says. “If they also say yes, then it goes into production.”
This process is like Kleven’s and Pataky’s—minus sending it to another
McCarthy-based Porphyry Press, from its home in the Wrangell Mountains, specializes in the "solitude and community" of circumpolar writers, such as literary history by Tom Kizzia (left) and memoir essays by John Messick (right).
Porphyry Press
United Way of Anchorage is leading community innovation.
Year after year, we’re making strides for lasting change.
tier of a press consortium. However, for Alaska Literary Series at UA Press, a yes initiates the peer-review process, which its editorial board oversees.
“If the two required outsider reviewers provide positive reports, then it goes to press staff with an acquisition memo that summarizes its audience and other relevant factors,” Shumaker explains. “They package it for the board, which must confirm it can be evaluated for final review and approval.”
No Alaska press pays advances like the "Big Five," and less than 1 percent of authors even qualify for an advance. However, local presses add value to authors through offering unique incentives. Their authors may participate in cover designs, receive higher quality prints, benefit from promotions and award nominations, secure better royalties, or request subsequent editions.
Authors who sign with small presses tend to receive better compensation too—at least, a dollar per copy sold and often more. Larger presses usually pay them less than $1 per copy after they’ve covered their own expenses, including printers, warehouses, distributors, and wholesalers.
“If an author gets, say, $2 per book and sells 500 copies, that’s practically nada,” says Pataky. “The money they make comes from offshoots and side opportunities,” such as invitations to teach or lecture, requests to be a keynote speaker, or grants, awards,
and residencies. After a brief pause, he adds, “Which means they often do better than the presses.”
Pataky laughs. “We’re happy enough to break even.”
“I can tell you what Cirque makes on our journals,” Kleven says. “They have a cover price of $30. For issues sold via Amazon, Cirque earns around $0.83.” That amount, astoundingly, spikes to $14 if a hardcopy is purchased in-person.
“Honestly, the revenue difference doesn’t impact us. We’ve planned for it,” says Kleven. “So long as the book and its author is doing well, we’re delighted.”
“Success looks different for different authors and different presses,” Bauer confirms. “The amount we sell matters, of course—and we have books that sell 5,000 to 10,000 copies—but that’s not our primary objective.” Like other Alaska presses, UA Press strives to further knowledge and insights packed in literary works. “Finding the right readership is what counts.”
Room for Connection
Both authors and publishers can run into roadblocks in their pursuit of turning creative writing into profit. “When I came to Alaska as a tenuretrack professor in 1988, I went to UA Press and recommended starting a literary series,” Shumaker recounts. The editor told her, verbatim, literature is a great morass. However, like many writers, she couldn’t be persuaded to
49 Writers
relinquish her vision; Shumaker forged ahead alongside Red Hen Press to create the Boreal Books imprint and waited to pursue her idea of the series once that editor left.
“When I was named Alaska State Writer Laureate, my time came,” she says. “I chose to establish the Alaska Literary Series for my project.” Her determination has made Alaska more welcoming and accommodating for people like Bauer, Pataky, Kleven, and many other creative writers, like Alison Miller, executive director of 49 Writers.
“Sometimes creative writers feel like we’re alone here, struggling with a draft and trying not to chuck it out the window,” Miller says. “We must choose to make the process a social activity, even though writing’s inherently isolating.” Alaskan literarypress trailblazers, like Shumaker and the other publishers, have paved the way for people like Miller to map a creative writing future.
“There’s always more room for connection, whether that’s resources or people,” Miller continues, stressing the role that defines 49 Writers, which is a product of Alaska literary forebears like Pataky.
When a creative writer hangs around long enough, they’ll meet an author who may become a mentor and direct them to literary communities. “That’s what Alaska is,” says Miller, “a land of perseverance, opportunities, and stories.”
As part of the launch of John Messick's Compass Lines in 2023, the Alaska Botanical Garden hosted "A Literary Amble in a Garden Waking Up."
Porphyry Press
Writing can be solitary, so nonprofits like 49 Writers bind authors with activities such as the Friends, Family, and Food class led by Rich Chiappone and Justin Herrman at Loussac Library.
Ju st below the view of Alaska’s amazing landscape is an entirely different world. The state’s seascape offers stunning sights— and local dive and scuba shops are thriving because of them.
“When people think of Alaska, they think of wolves and moose and caribou, but Alaska is not just limited to terrestrial animals,” says Kristopher Baumann, service manager and instructor at Dive Alaska in Anchorage. “You never know what you’re going to see underwater. There are interesting and plain weird creatures out there, and they give you a much greater appreciation for Alaska. You see things that most people rarely get to see.”
“We have tons of diverse marine life, including big critters like whales, sea lions, and seals, as well as small critters that you wouldn’t see in the tropics or anywhere else,” agrees Kate Sample of Test the Waters Dive Shop, six miles south of Fairbanks. “We had an instructor from Hawai’i take students out on a boat in Valdez, and he came back stunned, saying, ‘So this is why people dive in Alaska!’”
While diving the 49th state is a popular pastime, not everyone can picture themselves putting on a drysuit and spending time in the frigid water. Like any outdoor activity, diving takes preparation.
“People say it’s too cold to dive in our waters, but I was in Girdwood skiing this winter when it was -10°F, and it was cold,” says Baumann. “When I went diving this winter, it was a balmy 38°F in the water. You can go diving to warm up!”
“You don’t go snowmachining in shorts and a t-shirt; you dress for it,” agrees Mitch Osborne at Test the Waters. “People think it must be miserably cold, but we sell gear that keeps divers comfortable, safe, and warm.”
Adventurous Experience
According to Emily Craver of Last Frontier Diving in Anchorage, people have any number of reasons to explore Alaska’s underwater world. While tourists want the majestic Alaska experience, those who live in the state tend to love new challenges.
The Underwater World
Dive shops at the threshold of adventure
By Vanessa Orr
“Alaskans are adventurous people, and I think diving is a natural continuation of that,” Craver explains. “Also, we’re kind of captive here, so we’d rather dive here than not at all.”
Despite the attraction, diving is a niche sport in Alaska. “When you look at the world’s population and how many people are certified to dive, then look at how many dive in Alaska, it’s a really small number,” Craver says. “A few years ago in Whittier, I was holding an open water class. It was the last dive of the day, it was snowing, and I told people to lie on their backs as we were kicking in to enjoy the moment. Because who else gets to do this?”
Craver adds that climate change also drives the need to dive. “Not to get political, but personally and professionally I feel like it’s important to dive more of the world while the diving is still good,” she says, noting that the condition of coral and other sea life is not improving as time goes on. “I want to see what I can, while I can. I encourage people who are interested in the natural world, animals, plants, and coral, to get out there and see this exciting environment now. I love sharing the underwater world with them.”
Divers who have never experienced Alaska waters may find adjusting to a drysuit a little difficult, but Baumann says many people find the challenge quite rewarding. While cold-water diving takes more time, effort, and patience than diving in other parts of the world, the experience is well worth it.
“Somewhere else, you may be able to dive after a two-minute walk from the marina; here, you can’t look at it as if you’ll get in the water quickly. It’s not that simple,” he explains. “You have to look at it like it’s a ski trip and enjoy the trip planning process. If you’re not used to diving in Alaska, it may come as a little bit of a shock. But Alaskans are adventurous people and understand the challenges of doing things outdoors in the winter.”
Breathing Lessons
While most divers who frequent local shops are Alaska residents, some tourists—who are drysuit certified—choose to explore the underwater world as well. Test the Waters also caters to Fairbanks-area
military personnel and university researchers, among other clients, from its location as the northernmost dive shop on the continent.
“When the military first started rotating troops back in from Desert Shield, they wanted to give them an activity to help them decompress,” explains Osborne. “They did skeet shooting, mountain climbing, and scuba diving, and we rated really highly as an activity that they loved.”
During that time, the shop taught 872 military troops through its Discover Scuba program, training 20 people in the pool in the morning and another 20 people in the afternoon for three months straight.
Test the Waters also trains military personnel to become professional divers after they leave the service, and the shop co-teaches a collegelevel scientific diving course with a UAF professor. Divers take the class in the spring and finish with dives at the federal ocean lab on Kasitsna Bay, near Seldovia. The company also teaches a survival course for various organizations.
OURFLEET,
TRUST
Emily Craver, the owner of Last Frontier Diving in Anchorage, enjoying the waters offshore of Whittier during the winter.
Marcy McDannell
“When you’re diving at Summit Lake, the response time for medical professionals to get to you is very different than if you’re diving on the shore in Hawai’i,” says Sample. “You’re in a really remote spot, and cell phones don’t work everywhere in Alaska, so you have to have a plan if something goes wrong.”
“In Interior and coastal areas, you’re also dealing with low visibility, so we train divers to become comfortable in those conditions,” adds Osborne. “You can dive in the Caribbean and see 100 feet ahead; here, visibility may be limited to 15 or 30 feet.”
Test the Waters also offers courses for ice divers and has worked with TV shows that need camera work done under the ice. Osborne is credited with shooting underwater scenery for the opening sequence of Ice Road Truckers, for example.
“We’ve literally had people call us to take them diving in the Arctic Ocean,” says Osborne. “We’ve chartered a plane, loaded up shop gear, and joined them so that they were able to check off that bucket list item.”
In addition to scuba diving, Dive Alaska teaches free diving, which is diving without tanks, using only air held in the lungs. “It’s a different way of enjoying the water,” says Baumann. “Free diving is almost meditative; you have to relax your body and mind and think about what each part of the body is doing. Some people have compared it to yoga.”
End-to-End Service
In addition to classes, dive shops sell and rent gear, as well as service that equipment.
“It’s not as easy as saying something is broken and calling up a person in the Lower 48 to fix it; that’s not always an option,” says Baumann. “Two or three years ago, before we did zipper installs, a diver had to send their drysuit outside, either to California or overseas, and the process took months. Now if someone walks in, depending on how quickly they need it, we can get it back to them in the same day, though it usually tak es about two weeks.”
The shop can repair drysuit zippers, fix regulators of all different brands, and even tinker with some electronics.
Bruce, the shop dog at Dive Alaska, joins an excursion in Whittier.
Dive Alaska
Emily Craver floats among a smack of moon jellies in Port Fidalgo, a bay on the east side of Prince William Sound. Mark Enarson
Baumann says these services were added during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the shop looked at how it was supporting the dive community.
“The pandemic drove us to provide services that we had otherwise looked outside for before,” he says.
For divers who want to experience the underwater world beyond Alaska, all three dive shops provide those opportunities as well. Last Frontier Diving not only puts together trips in-state—such as opportunities to dive in Valdez when salmon sharks come through—but has also hosted trips to Papua New Guinea, Egypt, Scotland, the Caribbean, Central America, and Australia.
“If there’s water, we’ll go,” says Craver. Test the Waters’ divers recently returned from the Red Sea and a tour of the Nile, and another group just got back from Cuba. Prior to the pandemic, the dive shop offered two to three lowend to high-end dive trips a year.
“Low-end is ‘We’ll meet you on the beach in Kona,’” says Osborne. “High-end is a guided dive tour of Fiji or Antarctica.”
Osborne retired last year from the US Fish and Wildlife Service as one of the agency’s only registered research divers. Enabling others to encounter underwater organisms is an extension of his lifelong interest in the aquatic environment.
Creating Community
Considering that the diving community is fairly small—especially in Alaska—dive shops make a concentrated effort to bring together those who love the underwater world. On the last Thursday of every month, Dive Alaska holds a shop mixer where divers can hang out for a couple of hours to talk about diving and upcoming vacations, among other things. The company also hosts trash cleanups, including a large harbor cleanup in Seward last year and Whittier this year.
“We had 100 divers underwater, as well as people working topside with the fire department and EMS,” says Baumann. “We brought up a ridiculous amount of trash.” These types of efforts, he adds, strengthen the Alaska
community more broadly, divers and landlubbers alike.
Social media platforms help divers meet each other, too, including an Alaska Scuba Divers Facebook page and The Alaska “Just Go Diving” Facebook page.
“One of the things we realized when we started was that we didn’t know a lot of people and that these different social media platforms could provide access to dive buddies and local information to help out new divers,” says Baumann. “It’s really exciting to be able to just roll up to Smitty’s Cove any weekend of the year and find dive friends there.”
This same sense of community extends among the dive shop owners themselves.
“There are two dive shops in Anchorage, but just one absolutely awesome community,” says Baumann. “It’s different in Alaska compared to other parts of the world. In other places, there’s a lot of one-upism and competition, but here we keep it simple. Like our shop motto says—just go diving.”
Freediving
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IN THE 49TH
THE FOCUSED MANAGER
Start Your Engines
How managers can build teamwork, create change, and influence culture
By Brian Walch
We took off from Anchorage and turned south, climbing to cross the inlet, my dad at the controls of our Cessna.
The engine started sputtering.
We were a thousand feet above open water water in a single-engine plane. I was scared.
Thoughts flashed through my mind. Had I told my mom I love her? What would it feel like to land in water? Did I have clean underwear on?
My dad, though, was calm and collected. He checked gauges, flipped switches, and pulled controls. The engine smoothed out, and we continued our flight.
Disaster averted.
My dad flew the plane all the time. He knew the engine and how it ran. Even when it stumbled, he knew it could continue producing power. He knew how much throttle he could add. He knew what the engine was capable of because he ran it regularly.
Businesses have engines, too. They have sales engines, recruitment engines, delivery engines, and other sources of energy. They must run them regularly to know how they are performing and what they are capable of.
Pilot at the Controls
Managers are tasked with running these engines. They work with the employees, talk to the customers, run the processes, and deliver results. When things aren’t running well, they suffer the consequences. Conversely, when things are going well, they benefit.
Managers know how to improve things but have too much on their plate. They can’t improve the engines because they are so busy running them.
Many managers carry individual contributor responsibilities in addition to managing their team. They are considered the experts and get called in for ad-hoc troubleshooting.
Their schedules are littered with meetings to collaborate with other departments, communicate with their bosses, and keep their teams informed. They learn people skills as they go, and when they make a mistake, they vow to work harder.
It is a problem across the board. According to Gartner research, managers have more direct reports than ever and more responsibility than they can manage.
No wonder managers are burning out in record numbers. How could they possibly have time to make changes and improve processes?
Small Changes Over Time
Below, I describe a framework for continuous improvement called the Iterative Improvement Engine. Managers can use this to create a self-perpetuating system for making changes that benefit their employees, the department, and the organization.
It focuses on the process rather than the size of the change. Small changes done consistently over time can yield significant results, and running this process regularly becomes a source of power.
To get started, the manager should identify changes that would benefit them directly. Otherwise, it is one more thing added to their plate rather than something that can improve their job. The manager should make a list of things they don’t enjoy doing, take too much time, or would provide a personal benefit to them.
Although acting on those ideas immediately will be tempting, using them to initiate a process will yield more significant and longer-lasting benefits. For instance, an ongoing process allows the manager to develop their leadership skills and enhance teamwork.
Any mechanic will tell you that engines work best when they are run often. The longer an engine sits, the more effort it takes to start. Similarly, to start an Iterative Improvement Engine, the manager will need to make an investment and prepare a few things.
• Identify a core team of staff that will be involved in every iteration.
• Identify objectives and key results (OKRs) that support the overall business objectives. A team will need only two or three OKRs to get started. Gather other materials needed to support the team during the iteration.
• Decide when to kick off the first iteration.
Once the manager has completed this, they are ready to run their Iterative Improvement Engine. Each iteration lasts one calendar quarter and has three phases: Engage, Accelerate, and Cruise.
Engage Phase
The Engage phase consists of a kickoff meeting, which requires a few things from the core team.
• Create an iteration plan. Outline the OKRs to be worked on during the iteration, and create a risk register and communication plan.
Identify the iteration team. This includes the core team and any other employees required to work on the OKRs.
An ongoing process allows the manager to develop their leadership skills and enhance teamwork. Any mechanic will tell you that engines work best when they are run often.
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Christine Merki has worked in Anchorage media for more than twenty years. Her sales and marketing skills help clients connect with their target audience and meet their annual goals. She unapologetically lures clients in with her homemade raspberry jam and enjoys pickleball, hot yoga, and Pilates.
When an Iterative Improvement Engine is up and running, it becomes a source of energy for the manager, the team, and the organization. Managers are responsible for running many engines in the business, and they need a way to make improvements and affect change.
• Schedule the kickoff meeting at a time when everyone on the iteration team can attend.
The structure and feel of the kickoff meeting will vary by organization. Still, a good kickoff will help everyone feel enrolled and invested in the OKRs selected, promote trust, and generate optimism for the work ahead.
The kickoff meeting must include the entire iteration team, and everyone involved should plan on leaving with action items. During the kickoff, the team will review the OKRs, and each member will identify the results they are working toward. The team will also review and discuss the risk register and communication plan.
Lastly, the team will review the schedule and commit to the weekly meetings, the midpoint review, and the demo day.
Accelerate Phase
Now it’s time to run the process, which consists of weekly check-in meetings and a formal midpoint review.
The weekly check-in is a short status meeting. Everyone on the team gives an update on their progress and what support they need.
The midpoint review is a chance to make course corrections. The manager interviews team members to assess how things are going. Then they present their observations to the group to discuss necessary actions.
Cruise Phase
The iteration wraps up during this phase, and the core team prepares to reengage in another iteration. The most essential activity in this phase is the judgment-free demonstration day, where accomplishments for the iteration are displayed as objectively as possible.
People feel a lot of pressure and expectations when demonstrating their results. Understandably, they try to present themselves in the best light. While results are important, the true purpose of a demo day is to understand how well the engine is running. That can’t be accurately assessed unless everyone is transparent with their accomplishments and focuses on results, not just activities.
The manager must emphasize and reinforce the judgmentfree nature of the demo day in the meeting setup, responses to progress demonstrations, and any fo llow-up discussions.
Following the demo day meeting, the core team conducts a post-mortem review of the iteration. Several items are covered during this meeting.
• Review the iteration and determine what worked well and what didn’t work well.
• Contextualize the progress made by the team. Was it more or less than expected, and why?
• Capture lessons learned and decide what to carry forward into future iterations.
• Create and revise the backlog. The backlog contains all the changes, improvements, and suggestions collected by the team. It will be empty when this process starts, but it will quickly fill up.
• Review the OKRs. Add new ones and revise existing ones. Then, organize the backlog using the OKRs. These are used to plan the next iteration and create a selfperpetuating process.
• Discuss what feedback to provide the iteration team and how best to provide it.
After this phase, the team will start another iteration and keep the engine running.
Benefits of a Running Engine
A running engine provides constant feedback, can be tweaked and tuned to improve performance, and powers movement. The same is true for this process.
It provides the manager with a chance to make changes in their department and improve things at a sustainable pace. The manager gains leadership skills and builds a team invested in the growth of the business. It allows employees to be involved in change initiatives and see the work being done to improve things. This increases engagement and transforms the culture, which will directly impact results.
When an Iterative Improvement Engine is up and running, it becomes a source of energy for the manager, the team, and the organization.
Managers are responsible for running many engines in the business, and they need a way to make improvements and affect change. This framework can help them do that. When the business’ engines run regularly, hiccups and sputtering don’t cause panic. The manager checks the gauges, flips some switches, pulls some levers, and keeps going.
Brian Walch is an executive coach, consultant, and speaker on leadership development. He uses his extensive experience in people and systems to provide tools and services to empower managers to lead themselves, their teams, and their organizations. Learn more at shiftfocus.com.
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INSIDE ALASKA BUSINESS
Circle K
Rebranding of Holiday Stationstores under the Circle K banner this spring was not such a big change as it might’ve appeared. Both gas station convenience stores are owned by the same parent company, Quebec-based Alimentation Couche-Tard. The worldwide retailer has owned Circle K since 2003 and the Holiday brand since 2017. Although new to Alaska, Circle K has the most company-operated locations of any convenience store chain in the US, with more than 7,000 (compared to about 9,000 for 7-Eleven, which uses a franchise model).
Among those are 17 Anchorage locatio ns and 2 in Wasilla. circlek.com
Great Alaskan Holidays
Adding to its sales fleet, Great Alaskan Holidays is now the exclusive dealer of Newmar RVs in the state. Newmar is an Indianabased luxury RV company, acquired by Winnebago in 2019. Great Alaskan Holidays now offers both Winnebago and Newmar floor plans in its fleet of new vehicles for sale, as well as Forest River Foresters in its inventory of used Class C’s and Minnie Winnie and Solis camper vans in its rental fleet. “This is a significant change for our organization, going from one major vendor in our supply chain to two,” says Bob Johnson, Great Alaskan Holidays’ director of marketing. “Doing so in direct response to customer feedback gives us the opportunity to provide our customers a highquality RV at a totally unique and affo rdable price point.” greatalaskanholidays.com
Three Bears Alaska
After having no local grocery store for two years, Delta Junction is seeing a surge. Shortly after the rebuilt IGA Food Cache opened
in March, Three Bears Alaska began working on its new location across the Richardson Highway. The Wasilla-based supermarket chain is tearing down the Buffalo Center Service Station and nearby convenience store to make room for a 28,000-square-foot store on the 3.5-acre property. It would be the twenty-second Three Bears location (including one store in Butte, Montana). The company has been in expansion mode since 2022, when a Seattle-based private equity firm injected some investment capital. Last year, Three Bears opened gas station convenience stores in Ester and North Pole, and a larger retail complex in North Pole is under development as well.
threebearsalaska.com
Armstrong Oil & Gas
Exploration drilling on the North Slope over the winter produced positive results for Colorado-based Armstrong Oil & Gas. Its affiliate company, Lagniappe, drilled three wells on behalf of joint venture partners that also include APA Alaska and Santos affiliate Oil Search (Alaska). Two of them did not reach target depth due to harsh weather conditions, but the third found hydrocarbon zones at 8,130 feet and 9,850 feet deep. The wells southeast of Prudhoe Bay extend the known reach of the Brookian topset, an oil-bearing stratum that owner Bill Armstrong discovered in 2013 that has since led to the Willow and Pikka developments.
Pantheon Resources
A proposed liquified natural gas (LNG) pipeline need not start all the way at Prudhoe Bay. South of the state’s largest oil field, Pantheon Resources is developing a new field along the Dalton Highway. The company acquired leases last December for the Ahpun field, which contains the Talitha-A and Alkaid units explored by its Great Bear Petroleum
subsidiary. Pantheon agreed in June with the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation to supply up to 500 million cubic feet per day at the Ahpun natural gas plant—subject to regulatory approvals and, crucially, a go-ahead on the long-sought LNG pipeline. Still, the parties are aiming for a 2029 delivery date. Cashflow from Ahpun would help Pantheon develop another new field, Kodiak, to the west. A final investment decision for Ahpun is scheduled for next year. pantheonresources.com
Coffman Engineers
After operating in downtown Anchorage for more than forty years, Coffman Engineers moved to Midtown in the spring. Offices in the Wells Fargo building at Northern Lights Boulevard and C Street accommodate Coffman’s growth, with more meeting space for collaboration. Coffman Engineers is a multidiscipline consulting firm with twenty-one offices across the country. coffman.com
Akima
A technology services company owned by Akima, a subsidiary of NANA regional corporation, was selected as one of two awardees of a communications and enterprise IT support services contract with the US Air Force. The contract with Akima Global Technology has an estimated value of $750 million over its ten-year term. The contract involves a service desk supporting 4,500 employees across thirty-seven networks, replacing IT hardware, providing cybersecurity support such as software vulnerability testing, and end-point security for the National Air and Space Intelligence Center’s IT enterprise. Services will be delivered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Springfield Air National Guard Base, both in Ohio akima.com
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RIGHT MOVES
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
· An attorney for the Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC) is the choice of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) to become Interim President and CEO, as of August. Natasha Singh takes over for Valerie Nurr'araluk Davidson, the former lieutenant governor of Alaska who has led the statewide healthcare nonprofit since March 2021. Prior to working at ANTHC, Singh served as TCC’s general counsel for more than a decade. During that time, she was part of the team that oversaw the joint venture to build and staff the Chief Andrew Isaac Health Center in Fairbanks. Singh is a tribal citizen of Stevens Village. She is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Law and Dartmouth College. For the past two years, Singh worked alongside Davidson to implement ANTHC’s strategic priorities.
Providence
· Providence Alaska Children’s Hospital has a new Executive Director. Margaret M. Horvath moves into the position after leading the Alaska Health Alliance, a Providence-sponsored clinically integrated network. In her new role, Horvath oversees children’s and women’s services at the “hospital within a hospital” at Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage. Horvath earned a bachelor’s degree with a minor in business administration from Columbia College in South Carolina and a master’s degree in health administration
from Tulane University in New Orleans. She is certified as a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and serves on the board of its Alaska chapter.
ASM Global
· A hospitality veteran is the new General Manager for ASM Global, the international firm that operates Anchorage’s city-owned convention centers. The company hired Steve Rader, previously general manager of the Lakefront Anchorage hotel. In this new position, Rader manages day-today functions at the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center and the Egan Civic and Convention Center. ASM Global, which operates more than 350 venues worldwide, has had the contract to run Anchorage convention centers since 2000. Rader has nearly two decades of experience in Alaska. In addition to the Lakefront Anchorage, he recently managed another Millennium brand hotel in Arizona, the McCormick Scottsdale. Previously, he served as general manager of the Hilton Anchorage and held various leadership positions with Marriott Anchorage Downtown, WeTravel, and Holland America Line.
Alaska Sealife Center
· The board of the Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC) in Seward chose Wei Ying Wong as the new President and CEO. Wong has worked at ASLC since December 2021 as chief science and education officer. Wong is the successor to Tara Riemer, who was
at ASLC for twenty years, the last twelve as president and CEO. Wong earned a master’s degree and PhD in environmental studies at Brown University; her specialty is invasion ecology. She previously held executive roles at the Washington Sea Grant, Woodland Park Zoo, and the Philadelphia Zoo. At ASLC, Wong is credited with expanding science and education programs through collaborative grants and fundraising.
Kodiak History Museum
· Kodiak History Museum (KHM) selected Kristin O’Lear as its next Executive Director. O’Lear joins KHM from Imperial Valley Desert Museum in Ocotillo, California, where she served as executive director since 2021 and head curator before that. O’Lear received a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Michigan State University and a master’s degree in history with a concentration in public history. During her tenure at Imperial Valley Desert Museum, O’Lear led the organization through community engagement and rapid expansion in preparation for formal museum accreditation.
Natives of Kodiak
Natives of Kodiak, the urban Native corporation for the city of Kodiak, placed new vice presidents in charge of two business lines.
· Eric McLaurin, as Vice President for the Services sector, also serves as General Manager for the corporation’s Environmental Assessment Services
RIGHT MOVES IS BROUGHT TO YOU B Y NORTHERN AIR CARGO
Singh
Horvath
O’Lear
Rader Wong
subsidiary. McLaurin served as an officer in the US Air Force and, in the private sector, managed global client contracts throughout the United States and international locations. McLaurin holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and an MBA from Louisiana State University-Shreveport. He is a licensed professional engineer and registered environmental manager.
· The new Vice President of Construction is Tamie Taylor. Taylor has more than forty years of experience in construction, mostly with government contracting, having worked with various Alaska Native corporations. Taylor holds a master’s degree in project management and several construction-related certifications, including a Quality Control Certificate from the US Army Corp of Engineers and an Alaska Certified Erosion and Sediment Control Lead certification.
Tlingit & Haida
The Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska elevated new leaders in communications, customer care, and printing and engraving.
· Dixie Hutchinson was hired as Communications Director based in Juneau after previously working as a community outreach manager with Sealaska regional corporation. Prior to that, she served as the news director for KNBA radio in Anchorage. Hutchinson is Tlingit of the Yéil (Raven) Kiks.adí (Frog) clan from Wrangell. She is also Unangan (Aleut) and was born
on her father’s traditional lands, part of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. Her Tlingit name is Tináa Shwáat, and she was one of the former co-dance leaders of Wrangell’s Shx’at Kwáan dance group.
· Tlingit & Haida formed a new Customer Care Department and promoted Judean Gordon as Customer Care Manager. She also teaches a certified customer service class through Generations Southeast Community Learning Center. Gordon is Yéil (Raven) of the L'uknax.ádi (Coho) clan from the Xixch' hit (Frog House). She was born in Juneau and raised in Skagway.
· The Printing & Engraving Department is a key part of the Shop Tlingit & Haida online store, capable of embroidery, screen printing, heat press transfers, and laser engraving. Sam Grubitz is promoted to Manager of the department. Grubitz joined Tlingit & Haida as a communications specialist in 2019, moving to the Printing & Engraving department in 2023. Grubitz is Choctaw from Arizona. He earned a bachelor’s degree in graphic design from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado.
Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association
· The board of the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association (BBRSDA) promoted Lilani Dunn to the position of Executive Director. Dunn had led the BBRSDA marketing department since 2020. She previously held staff positions with Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and Orca Bay Foods. Dunn is currently president of Northwest Fisheries
Association, chair of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute’s domestic marketing committee, and an active member of National Fisheries Institute.
Ocean Outcomes
· An international nonprofit that supports sustainable fisheries picked an Alaskan as its next Executive Director. Ocean Outcomes (O2) selected Kelly Harrell, previously executive director of the Alaska Marine Conservation Council. In her new position, Harrell is implementing O2’s new three-year strategic plan. Harrell studied fisheries at the University of British Columbia and earned an MBA with an emphasis on seafood business from the University of Alaska. She previously worked for Ecotrust as director of fisheries and coastal communities, for Sitka Salmon Shares (now Sitka Seafood Market) as chief fisheries and sustainability officer, and most recently as senior manager at Saltwater Inc., an ocean data provider in Anchorage.
United Way
· Greg Gallagher joined United Way of Anchorage’s senior leadership team as Vice President of Philanthropy, working to connect corporations, philanthropic organizations, and individual donors to impactful work. Gallagher was United Way’s individual giving officer since 2022. A graduate of Claremont McKenna College, Gallagher earned a master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Gallagher has more than ten years of fundraising experience working for institutions such as Covenant House Alaska and UAA.
Grubitz
Hutchinson
Taylor
McLaurin
Gordon
Dunn
Harrell
Gallagher
ALASKA TRENDS
According to the US Small Business Administration (SBA) definition of, well, its chief concern, a business counts as “small” if it employs fewer than 500 people. Up to 499 workers on the payroll, still small. Same category as an owner-operator sole proprietorship with, on paper, zero employees.
By the SBA definition, 99.1 percent of all businesses in Alaska are small. That leaves about 650 that employ 500 or more people and are, therefore, not small.
Alaska Business magazine’s Corporate 100, which ranks the state’s largest private-sector employers, included 42 small businesses with fewer than 500 worldwide employees in the April 2024 edition. An attentive reader might ask, “How can small businesses rank among the largest in Alaska when there are 650 non-small businesses to cram into the Corporate 100?”
The Corporate 100 survey is a rough count, but it’s not that rough; if there were double, triple, sextuple the number of qualified companies hiding somewhere in Alaska, we’d have heard about them. Conceivably, the missing 550-odd non-small businesses have large worldwide workforces but smaller crews in Alaska. For instance, engineering firm Jacobs just made the Corporate 100 cutoff with the 100 Alaskans on its team, even though it employs 60,000 total. Similarly, large national and global companies with double-digit staff numbers in Alaska could, therefore, explain the non-small businesses that don’t show up in the Corporate 100.
That resolves the large business conundrum. For details about small businesses, this edition of Alaska Trends looks at the 2023 Small Business Profile by the SBA Office of Advocacy. It counts 55,293 businesses “without employees,” which in the farming and fishing sector is practically all of them. The profile also notes that Alaska small business employment grew 17.5 percent from 1996 to 2020, outpacing the national rate. That ’s no small feat.
2,408 of the 2,514 Alaska businesses that started up from March 2021 to March 2022 were small.
Small
businesses paid more than $7.3B to 138,752 employees in 2020.
Small Business Employers by Industry
Exports by small firms reached $2.7B, making up 49% of exports by identified firms.
44% are owned by women.
11% are owned by veterans.
52% of Alaska employees work for a small business.
According to the US Small Business Adminstration, Alaska had 71,781 businesses with 499 employees or fewer in 2021.
99% of Alaska businesses are classified as small businesses.
Small Business Count by Size and Industry
16% are owned by racial minorities.
What book is currently on your nightstand?
I have about fifteen. The Complete Stories by Clarice Lispector… Another Roadside Attraction by Tom Robbins… Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace, which I reread every ten years.
What charity or cause are you passionate about?
Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team… I also donated my kidney in August 2023, so I’m a big fan of Donate Life.
What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long day at work?
Feed everybody… Dog, cat, chickens, my daughter, and my husband. Probably in that order of hunger urgency.
What vacation spot is on your bucket list? Antarctica.
If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?
A walrus. They have this mysterious life underwater that we don’t know much about. They love to hang out on the beach with their friends and get sunburned; they love to eat fresh seafood… I think we would get along great.
Photos by Kerry Tasker
OFF THE CUFF
Emily Longbrake
The owner and “dream executive” of Emily Longbrake Art & Design flits among thirty different hobbies. One moment, she might be gardening; the next, planning a scuba diving trip. She also turned one hobby into a job.
“Sometimes I get to color or draw all day,” like a little kid’s fondest wish, Emily Longbrake says.
While growing up in Alaska, “If somebody wanted a poster for school, I would be the one making it,” she recalls. Longbrake then worked at a farm, a lighthouse, a bookstore, a gym, and other places, “all of which I ruled out as good jobs for me.”
Because her father was self-employed, she says, “He planted the seed that I could run my own business one day.”
A generalist in terms of style, Longbrake adapts to her clients’ needs. “I’m doing something different every day,” she says. Often, she helps small businesses establish their graphic identity, translating between the client’s work and what the world sees. She adds, “It’s fun to be that translator.”
More of Longbrake’s works are on exhibit at the International Gallery of Contemporary Art and the Tiny Gallery, both in Downtown Anchorage.
Alaska Business: What do you do in your free time? Emily Longbrake: Art gets to be both my job and my fun activity. I do a lot of volunteering and try to get outside with my family.
AB: Is there a skill you’re currently developing or have always wanted to learn?
Longbrake: I’m learning Spanish right now. And learning to scuba dive; I’m like a baby scuba diver.
AB: What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done?
Longbrake: Donating my kidney to a stranger, who I hope is doing very well. Also becoming a mom through adoption.
AB: What are you superstitious about?
Longbrake: If I cannot stop thinking about something, I know it must be important.
AB: What supernatural experiences have you had?
Longbrake: I got to swim in the ocean in a phosphorescent algae bloom. I cannot explain how magical and wonderful that was. It definitely felt like being on another planet.
AB: What’s your favorite local restaurant?
Longbrake: Naruto ramen.
AB: Dead or alive, who would you like to see perform live in concert?
Longbrake: James Brown.
AB: What’s your greatest extravagance?
Longbrake: Being able to be self-employed as an artist feels like a huge privilege.
AB: What’s your best attribute and worst attribute?
Longbrake: I get really into things. That can be a blessing and a curse, depending on what I choose to be into at the time. Most of the time, it’s allowed me to work really hard, but sometimes I get distracted.
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