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CONTENTS APRIL 2021 | VOLUME 37 | NUMBER 4 | AKBIZMAG.COM
FE AT UR E S 10 HEALTHCARE
36 OIL & GAS
Ahead of the Curve
Alaska leads the nation in COVID-19 testing and vaccination rates By Vanessa Orr
Alaska’s Locally Grown Oil Industry Pumping billions of dollars into the state’s economy
20 FINANCE
Cultivating Capital Long-term relationships and large-scale investments foster financial growth By Tracy Barbour
26 CONSTRUCTION
Alaska’s Maritime Port(folio) Renovations and upgrades around the state spell good news for industry By Amy Newman
98 ENVIRONMENTAL
Abundant Environmental Fields The multi-faceted job opportunities in environmental services By Amy Newman
104 TOURISM
Tourism Executive Roundtable Industry experts weigh in on Alaska’s summer travel forecast
Ahtna Environmental, Inc.
112 RETAIL
Favoring Fresh Eats
Doyon Drilling
Alaska Harvest
By Tracy Barbour
Why dining on Alaskan-grown products is worth the effort By Vanessa Orr
QUICK READS 8 FROM THE EDITOR
122 I NSIDE ALASKA BUSINESS
126 ALASKA TRENDS
122 ECONOMIC INDICATORS
124 RIGHT MOVES
128 OFF THE CUFF
4 | April 2021
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
CONTENTS APRIL 2021 | VOLUME 37 | NUMBER 4 | AKBIZMAG.COM
S P EC I A L S EC T I O N : CO R P O R AT E 10 0 42 MINING
64 CORPORATE 100
Scouting for Prospects
Span Alaska Delivers
The journey from a parcel of land to a fully-functioning mine
By Tasha Anderson
By Bruno J. Navarro
48 MINING
Mining Optimism Several statewide mining projects bolster economic outlook By Julie Stricker
54 MINING
What Does It Mean to Mine? Mines employ a range of workers to start and maintain operations
Span Alaska
By Bruno J. Navarro
Faring Well
Resiliency and preparation characterize Fairweather team By Arie Henry
60 CORPORATE 100
The Top Five of the Top 100 Providence tops list again, Fred Meyer makes entry
72 CORPORATE 100
Right Time, Right Place, Right People By Tasha Anderson
76 CORPORATE 100
History, Facts, and Figures
80 CORPORATE 100 DIRECTORY
Fairweather
68 CORPORATE 100
ABOUT THE COVER Last April, Alaska’s unemployment rate sat at a staggering 13.5 percent. Since then, this number has slowly but steadily improved, with a reading of just below 7 percent in January. And it looks like our economy is finally ready to crawl out of its COVID-19-induced coma. This month’s cover is an ode to those companies who continue to provide opportunities for Alaskans, and whose effect on our community extends far beyond their bottom line. Inside, you’ll find a carefully considered list of some of Alaska’s most impactful companies, ranked by number of local employees: The Corporate 100.
Alaska Business (ISSN 8756-4092) is published monthly by Alaska Business Publishing Co., Inc. 501 W. Northern Lights Boulevard, Suite 100, Anchorage, Alaska 99503-2577; Telephone: (907) 276-4373. © 2021 Alaska Business Publishing Co. All rights reserved. No part of this publication May be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Alaska Business accepts no responsibility for unsolicited materials; they will not be returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self addressed envelope. One-year subscription is $39.95 and includes twelve issues (print + digital) and the annual Power List. Single issues of the Power List are $15 each. Single issues of Alaska Business are $4.99 each; $5.99 for the July & October issues. Send subscription orders and address changes to circulation@akbizmag.com. To order back issues ($9.99 each including postage) visit simplecirc.com/back_issues/alaska-business.
6 | April 2021
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FROM THE EDITOR
Coming Full Circle It’s hard to believe that we’re already celebrating the 2021 Corporate 100. That would mean it’s what… April? It feels like a few short months ago, and yet at the same time eons ago, since I last wrote about our annual ranking of Alaska's largest employers by employee numbers. This past year has brought with it so many challenges it’s impossible to really quantify the damage done by COVID-19 and all of its negative effects: financial, logistical, emotional, physical, practical. Some of us have felt all of it, some of us a bit of it, but nobody I’ve met has been spared all of it, not even the companies we’re featuring this month. Each company strategized, prioritized, and implemented protocols to safely navigate the pandemic while still keeping as many workers employed as possible—that alone deserves recognition. Where it is possible, workers are being directed to work from home which means new technological demands; for those required to be in the field, new, sometimes frustrating, safety protocols have been put in place and must be followed with meticulous care. And none of that even begins to touch on how an organization like Providence Health & Services Alaska, number one in the Corporate 100 rankings for the second consecutive year, managed being blindsided by a worldwide pandemic. We would need to (and probably should) dedicate an entire issue to examining the effects of COVID-19 on the healthcare system and the people working in it who have been taking care of us, our families, our friends, often at their own peril. Another organization that had its world upended completely is Princess Cruises, Holland America Line & Seabourn, number three in the Corporate 100. Last year when I was writing about the Corporate 100, I remember writing about the onset of the tourism season with excitement and some trepidation: COVID-19 had just crept into the state and nobody knew what to expect. This year I’m writing with the same enthusiasm mixed with a small dose of concern and an added ingredient of hope. And though Princess Cruises, Holland America Line & Seabourn have all delayed their sailings, it’s with a fair amount of optimism that I predict these will be delays, not an outright cancellation of the season. Why am I hopeful? The tourism industry has done a remarkable job of pivoting to meet the demands of operating during a pandemic. There are the safety protocols, which are vitally important, but there is also a push to get Alaskans to take advantage of the lull in Outside visitors by enjoying a tour they normally wouldn’t or visiting a lovely seaside town in the warming weather… without being surrounded by throngs of tourists. The season might not look like it did in 2019, but I know Alaska’s residents are already stepping up and helping bolster the large and small businesses that rely so heavily on seasonal visitor traffic. And the most obvious and exciting reason for hope: the vaccines. Alaskans are known for being innovative and persistent; we’ve continued to persist through this pandemic and are leading the nation in getting “shots in arms.” That alone is reason to celebrate. So join us as we recognize the companies that have given us a sense of stability and security when we need it most. And then get out and head to that tourist trap you’ve always secretly really wanted to visit or book a tour to explore the wonders of a glacier cave. If ever there was a year to do it, this is the one. Congratulations to the Corporate 100 and happy spring!
VOLUME 37, #4 EDITORIAL STAFF Managing Editor Kathryn Mackenzie 257-2907 editor@akbizmag.com
Associate/Web Editor Tasha Anderson 257-2902 tanderson@akbizmag.com
Digital and Social Media Specialist Arie Henry 257-2910 ahenry@akbizmag.com
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VP Sales & Marketing Charles Bell 257-2909 cbell@akbizmag.com
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H R M AT T E R S
Small businesses can lower healthcare spend with association health plans By Greg Loudon, Principal
T
here are some exciting new health insurance options for small businesses in Alaska being offered through group association plans. Association health plans allow smaller companies to access health insurance savings associated with large group medical coverage. Association Health Plan History Association health plans have to be sponsored by an association of employers that share a common industry and have other relationships bringing them together under bona fide regulations. Under the Affordable Care Act, association health plans had difficulty maintaining cohesion and staying competitive; federal regulations ensured that individual members and patients were adequately protected but could stifle creativity and limit the associations’ cost effectiveness. In 2018, the Trump administration issued new regulations that made it easier to form association plans. Several association health plans started using this new pathway, but the following year, a federal court rejected those regulations and those association health plans had to be unwound. In the wake of that confusion, a number of associations and insurers took a fresh look at the original rules, dusted them off, and figured out a new way to make them work.
HR Matters is sponsored content that is provided by
Creative Solutions The Alaska Support Industry Alliance has renewed their association health plan offering group insurance options for Alliance members supporting the oil, gas, and mining industries. Aetna, the Alliance’s insurer partner, brings their heavily discounted Mat-Su Community Health Plan to employers with fewer than 100 employees through the Alliance. Prior to this, the Mat-Su Community plan was only available to large group members. The Alliance can provide value for larger employers as well, but their health plan is the exclusive option for small groups. Health insurer Moda brings several new association health plans to Alaska employers with Associated Industries out of Spokane. They have run effective association health plans in Washington state for several years and are now offering access to Alaska employers in five different industries. Moda and Associated Industries are focused on options for employers with fifty employees or fewer and offer a range of other services, including outsourcing for smaller employers. Moda does offer group health solutions for larger employers, just not within the association plans. Association health plans are getting creative and finding new ways to harness
the collective bargaining power of small employers. They work to reduce healthcare spend using many of the strategies available to large employers, like rewarding healthcare spend on providers willing to provide discounts. These association health plans may lower health insurance costs substantially for the employer that fits with their program. Ask your insurance broker to review these options for you, or reach out to an association sponsor directly.
Greg Loudon is a Principal of Parker, Smith & Feek and leads our Employee Benefits practice. A lifelong Alaskan, Greg has more than 25 years of experience in employee benefits consulting and is active in state and national healthcare reform. Greg can be reached at gsloudon@psfinc.com or (907) 865-6829.
H E A LT H C A R E
Ahead of the Curve Alaska leads the nation in COVID-19 testing and vaccination rates By Vanessa Orr
10 | April 2021
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
F
or more than a year, COVID-19 has been testing the abilities of health systems all over the world to deal not only with the virus itself but with the host of challenges that accompany it. From ever-evolving CDC recommendations to the lack of personal protective equipment to vaccines that must be stored in sub-zero freezers, health professionals have had to be extremely agile in adjusting to the vagaries of the pandemic. Alaskans can take comfort in the fact that the state and its partners in the healthcare field have managed to shift as needed—setting up testing sites and finding ways to fill the gaps in supplies and equipment; establishing contact tracing protocols to identify those who might have been infected; setting up vaccination systems to get shots in arms as quickly as possible; and providing accurate, up-to-date information to ensure that all Alaskans can protect themselves from this highly contagious and sometimes deadly disease.
Testing for COVID-19 According to State of Alaska Department of Health & Social Services (DHSS) Chief Medical Officer Anne Zink, when it comes to testing for COVID-19, Alaska is ahead of the curve. “We are currently at the best place that we have been during the pandemic because we have a lot more access to resources, allowing for point-of-care testing,” she explains. “Many businesses are also doing their own surveillance testing of employees once or twice a week, so they have been able to identify asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic cases before the virus spreads.” She offers the example of the Juneau School District, which is providing surveillance testing for all of its teachers. Companies such as the Alyeska Hotel and the Alaska Railroad are also partnering with the state to collaborate on how to best provide this type of testing. “We are encouraging any businesses that work with the public on a regular basis to look at surveillance testing as a tool to keep their employees safe and to keep the state moving forward,” says Zink, adding that they are reaching out www.akbizmag.com
to grocery stores and similar businesses to offer their assistance. “Some may be hesitant because of the amount of time they think it will take, but we can work through the process with them to find a way that it doesn’t require too many additional resources while keeping employees safe.” Many employers are ordering the tests themselves or partnering with the state to offer testing in the workplace, which is increasing the number of sites where people can get tested. Most hospitals and clinics also offer testing,
and Zink adds that there are now testing kits available online. Since testing began in early 2020, automation and an increase of in-house testing have become key factors in improving how quickly the virus can be detected. “Even though Providence had its own testing machine at the beginning of the pandemic, we had limited reagents, so we could only do a certain number of tests a day,” explains Michael Bernstein, chief medical officer for Providence Health & Services Alaska. “We had to
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“The neat thing about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is that it only requires one dose, and it doesn’t need to be stored at supercold temperatures, which will make it much easier to use in rural areas where they don’t have the proper storage. I think that by the second quarter of 2021, we will be able to provide the vaccine to anyone in Alaska who wants it.” Michael Bernstein Chief Medical Officer Providence Health & Services Alaska
follow specific criteria about who we could test and not test in-house, and the majority of tests had to be sent to the state lab, which, because of the large amount of tests they were processing, had a long turnaround time. “As the process became more automated, we’ve been able to utilize machines that can perform higher numbers of tests per day with faster throughput, and now we can do all of our own testing in-house, which results in much more reasonable turnaround times,” he adds. 12 | April 2021
COVID-19 vaccine is prepared for distribution at Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center’s pharmacy. Angel Somerling | Providence Health & Services Alaska
Zink credits collaboration, as well as innovation, for the state’s high testing numbers. “Early on when the state couldn’t get swabs, we partnered with a local manufacturer to produce our own,” she says. “The state lab also greatly expanded testing capabilities to be able to respond to the demand. “We also saw a rapid response from hospitals and tribal health systems,” she adds. “Realizing how long it would take to get the tests to and from labs in the Lower 48, they purchased the supplies
and the resources they needed to do it here.” As of mid-February, more than 1.5 million tests had been performed since the start of the pandemic, with an overall daily positivity rate of 2.51 percent. Alaska ranked second in the country overall for per capita testing. Still, with the influx of new strains of the virus, no one is letting down their guard. The state is currently requesting that people get a COVID-19 test one to three days prior to travel, and to quarantine for five to seven days once
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in the state, followed by an additional test to make sure they are negative for the virus. “The goal of this is to catch variants quickly,” says Dr. Zink. “While we’ve been fortunate that we’ve not had much in the way of the new genetic variants of the virus, it can change things, particularly before we’re fully vaccinated,” she continues. “We believe that the vaccines will be protective, but variants can spread more easily between people, so we potentially could have another surge on that basis. That’s why we want to get everyone vaccinated as quickly as possible.”
other’s lives,” says Zink. “Every person who gets vaccinated helps the rest of us by reducing hospital capacity and virus transmission.” While the vaccine is available to anyone older than sixteen, which is the lowest age authorized by the Food and Drug Administration for use of the Pfizer vaccine, the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are available to anyone over eighteen. “The vaccine is safe and has passed all safety protocols, but there is a lot of misinformation out there,” says Zink.
“It’s heartbreaking when someone gets sick and it was preventable. “I recently spoke to a woman who was worried about getting the vaccine, and she asked, ‘What would you tell your mom?’” Zink continues. “I told her I would tell my mom to get vaccinated, 100 percent.” Zink believes that the process may move more quickly in the next few months as people in the next tiers tend to be a more computer-savvy group, making it easier to sign up for vaccines. “A lot of the kinks in the
Getting Shots in Arms While testing for the virus is going well, the vaccination process is working even better. In March, Alaska became the first state in the nation to make COVID-19 vaccinations available to anyone over the age of sixteen who lives or works in the state. “We are getting out quite a bit of vaccine; so far, our biggest limitation has been the amount of vaccine that we have available in-state,” says Zink. The state reports it has administered more than 309,997 with 126,145 people fully vaccinated and 183,859 having received the first shot as of midMarch. That means about 33 percent of Alaska’s population has received at least one dose of one of the three available vaccines and 22 percent have been fully vaccinated, according to the state’s vaccine dashboard. The first round of vaccines went to healthcare workers and those in longterm care facilities, with the second round going to those 65 and older and progressing along through age groups and tiers until it became widely available in March. “Those age 65 and over account for more than 70 percent of our deaths and 50 percent of our hospital visits, even though they make up only 10 percent of our population,” says Zink. “We want to vaccinate them as quickly as possible to keep hospital capacity down while protecting the most vulnerable. “It’s a bit challenging for messaging when you talk about essential employees, because we are all essential to this economy and to each www.akbizmag.com
Alaska Business
April 2021 | 13
“It’s a bit challenging for messaging when you talk about essential employees, because we are all essential to this economy and to each other’s lives. Every person who gets vaccinated helps the rest of us by reducing hospital capacity and virus transmission.” Anne Zink, Chief Medical Officer, Alaska Department of Health and Social Services
system have also been worked out,” she adds. “We say, ‘Shots in arms fast and fair,’ and [have been] striving to get the vaccine out as fast as possible and to do it fairly, giving it first to those who are most at risk,” she adds. Providence Health & Services Alaska is doing its part to inoculate healthcare workers, as well as spread the message to the general public about the safety of the vaccine and where it is available. Sponsored by
“Our allocation from the state was specifically to be used to vaccinate our healthcare workers and doctors who worked in our facilities, as well as contractors and others on site,” says Bernstein, adding that Providence held its first vaccine clinic on December 16. “Now [as of mid-February] over 65 percent of our healthcare workers and doctors have been vaccinated, which is a higher number than we thought
we’d be able to get to this quickly,” he adds. “We were limited initially by the amount of vaccine available, but that has improved.” While communities are hosting mass vaccination events where they can provide up to 1,000 vaccines a day, vaccines can also be found at private clinics, doctors’ offices, and pharmacies, among other locations. “There were so many opportunities available for community mass vaccinations that it didn’t make sense for us to provide another one,” says Bernstein. “What we’ve done instead is to provide education and advice— particularly targeting underserved populations—to address vaccine hesitancy and to encourage people to get the vaccination.” Providence is reaching people through social media campaigns, as well as working with community health workers who live in underserved neighborhoods to spread the message. Southcentral Foundation has also been integral to the vaccine rollout, first offering the vaccines to elders and Alaska Native customer-owners. And very shortly after that to teachers,
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Registered Nurse Nicole Vosgien, with Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center’s Caregiver Health Services, administers the COVID-19 vaccine to Dr. Dana Kerr, an Emergency Department physician at the hospital. Kerr was the first caregiver at Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center to receive the vaccine. Angel Somerling | Providence Health & Services Alaska
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Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center security department caregivers deliver a box of COVID-19 vaccine to the facility on Tuesday, December 15, after it was picked up from Kodiak Benny Benson State Airport. Angel Somerling | Providence Health & Services Alaska
16 | April 2021
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police officers, and people who are incarcerated or experiencing homelessness. Finally, by mid-March the Alaska Native foundation was offering the vaccine to everyone (of age). “It is exciting to be part of Alaska’s vaccine success by offering more vaccine to the community while ensuring that all customer-owners and their household members remain eligible for the vaccine.” said April Kyle, president and chief executive, in an early March release. “The health and well-being of our community is a shared responsibility, and we are pleased to make additional vaccine available to even more Alaskans.” Southcentral Foundation receives its vaccine allotment from the Indian Health Service, an operating division within the US Department of Health and Human Services, that dispenses vaccines separately from the state of Alaska’s allocation.
Overcoming Logistical Challenges Logistics are always a concern in Alaska and distributing the vaccine
to remote areas is a challenge in and of itself. From the time that the vaccine leaves the manufacturing site in Colorado, for example, Alaska has five days to get it administered. While some vaccine can be shipped directly to its final destination, other shipments go through Anchorage and are redistributed to outlying areas. “We’ve had to deal with some logistical barriers, and of course, weather, but we’ve managed to overcome these limitations through our redistribution process,” says Zink, adding that states that lack Alaska’s existing infrastructure have had more difficulty supplying the vaccine. While most states get a weekly allocation of vaccines, Alaska receives a monthly allocation, which has also helped the state to overcome geographic barriers in reaching more remote communities. The state is fortunate that, in addition to vaccines provided by the federal government to the general population on a per capita basis, it also receives vaccines specifically targeted at those who work at Department of Defense
facilities or who are served by the Veterans Administration and Indian Health Services. “One of the reasons that Alaska is ranked so high in the number of vaccinations given is because we have these three significant sources of the vaccine,” says Bernstein. To reach the highest number of people possible, especially in remote areas, the state has been working on its vaccine allocation plan in partnership with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium since the very beginning. “The tribes all opted to come in with the state to distribute the vaccine,” says Zink. “They decide how to prioritize it, based on how they want to allocate it within a census area. We’re like Amazon delivery: we get it there, and then they decide where it goes.” Providence also worked with its more rural facilities in Seward, Valdez, and Kodiak to reach critical access communities. “Our hospital in Kodiak Island had enough vaccine left that after vaccinating healthcare workers, they were able to open it up to community members,” says Bernstein.
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“We are encouraging any businesses that work with the public on a regular basis to look at surveillance testing as a tool to keep their employees safe and to keep the state moving forward. Some may be hesitant because of the amount of time they think it will take, but we can work through the process with them to find a way that it doesn’t require too many additional resources while keeping employees safe.”
Alaska was first in the nation to make the COVID-19 vaccines available to everyone sixteen and older who lives or works in the state.
Anne Zink Chief Medical Officer Alaska Department of Health and Social Services
According to Zink, as of midFebruary, almost 100,000 people had been vaccinated, which is just under one-seventh of Alaska’s population. As more vaccines become available, it is expected that the state will be able to ramp up even further. On February 27, the Johnson & Johnson “one and done” vaccine received emergency 18 | April 2021
Angel Somerling | Providence Health & Services Alaska
use authorization from the FDA, and the federal government also agreed to purchase 200 million additional vaccine doses, which should make even more available. “The neat thing about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is that it only requires one dose, and it doesn’t need to be stored at super-cold temperatures,
which will make it much easier to use in rural areas where they don’t have the proper storage. I think that by the summer of 2021, we will be able to provide the vaccine to anyone in Alaska who wants it,” Bernstein said in February. And she was right. The vaccine is now available to anyone in Alaska who wants it.
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FINANCE
Cultivating Capital
Long-term relationships and large-scale investments foster financial growth By Tracy Barbour
C
apital-intensive investments can help businesses enhance their operations, capture a larger market share, and boost revenue and profits. These distinctive types of investments—which are typically largescale, long-range, and high-cost in nature—encompass multiple facets and complexities. Often, capital investments entail the acquisition of businesses, buildings, land, vehicles, and equipment, as well as major construction and maintenance projects. Regardless of the assets and intricacies involved, the key objective for investors is to grow capital and generate long-term value.
20 | April 2021
The Need for Capital Many projects need capital to acquire the assets or infrastructure necessary to begin or continue operations, but capital can be hard to come by in Alaska, according to Rob Gillam, CEO and chief investment officer of McKinley Capital Management. There are generally three sources of capital available to Alaska businesses: bank loans, small business loans, and private or public bonds. “Bank loans are generally based on asset and cashflow, meaning companies that qualify tend to need both a significant value of assets and cashflow production on those assets,”
Gillam explains. “Bank loans, therefore, tend to only be available to the biggest and most well-financed companies and are not generally available to startup or distressed companies. And of course, in the recent pandemic, banks all across the United States tightened lending standards, making this capital more difficult to obtain.” Continuing, Gillam says: “Small business loans from the SBA [Small Business Administration] or USDA [US Department of Agriculture] can provide smaller-sized capital. These loans typically require a personal guarantee and are usually capped out at about $7 million. These loans tend to have more
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liberal lending standards, but they are small and not usually helpful to mid- or larger-sized businesses. A third option on the very high side of lending is issuing public or private bonds. These bonds are usually in the range of $500 million to $1 billion and higher, so they only apply to a small number of very large businesses and projects.” What’s missing in Alaska, Gillam says, is funding between the high end of small business loans ($7 million) and the lower end of private and public bonds ($500 million). “There is little capital available in this gap, and it’s an obstacle for the economic growth and development of Alaska business,” he elaborates. “This is the space that McKinley Capital is trying to fill with both private equity capital and private debt capital available to qualifying Alaska businesses.”
Facilitating Investment Opportunities Alaska businesses can partner with a variety of companies, including banks, private equity firms, and other financial institutions, to facilitate their capital investing activities. Entities like McKinley Capital, PT Capital, and Wells Fargo fill disparate roles to meet the needs of their clients. For example, McKinley Capital’s private investment business provides capital through the Na’-Nuk Investment Fund, which has invested in projects like Astra, a space company with a spaceport in Kodiak, and Peter Pan Seafood, a vertically integrated seafood company. McKinley Capital also finances projects such as Alaska Cargo and Cold Storage directly through direct private investments. Recently, McKinley Capital added a Direct Lending Program to its roster of services. The program provides one-stop capital solutions for Alaska businesses needing financial investment to thrive and/or grow in the current, post-pandemic economy. Gillam says, “This program fills a known void in Alaska for corporate capital options that are greater than those offered by the Small Business Administration but less than those offered by the investmentgrade bond market.” Another potential partner for investors is PT Capital, an Anchoragebased private equity firm. The www.akbizmag.com
company focuses on investment opportunities in high-potential markets in North America and Europe, including Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, Iceland, and Finland. “We tend to invest into private companies and work with management teams to grow the companies and create shareholder value,” says CEO, CoFounder, and Chairman Hugh Short. Established in 2013, PT Capital invests in attractively valued companies in industries that are well-positioned to benefit from increasing economic activity in its target regions. Its portfolio includes successful investments in remote housing, scrap metal recycling, tourism, telecommunications, and, more recently, helicopter service providers. In the aggregate, the firm’s portfolio of companies has a combined enterprise value of more than $300 million and manages more than 950 employees across the United States, Iceland, and Finland. PT Capital invests in companies that are looking to grow and are looking for additional growth capital. “We will invest in those companies and support their management teams to create more value in those companies,” Short says. “We look to exit the investment to another investor at some point. We currently hold ten companies in our portfolio.” Wells Fargo provides investment banking solutions through its affiliate, Wells Fargo Securities. “Wells Fargo Bank provides commercial loans, lines of credit, asset-backed loans, letters of credit, treasury management services, depository services, and many other related financial services,” says Wells Fargo Alaska Commercial Banking Leader Sam Mazzeo, who is based in Anchorage. “Wells Fargo is a leader in arranging syndicated loans [offered by a group of lenders who work together to provide credit to a large borrower], bond issuances, and other financing structures.”
Advantages for Investing in Clients Capital management and other financial companies provide a range of benefits to their clients. Wells Fargo, for instance, offers traditional bank financing, along with debt capital market financing solutions. More Alaska Business
Rob Gillam McKinley Capital Management
“I believe Alaska’s best days are ahead. I am excited to be helping create jobs and infrastructure in our state while delivering returns for our clients.” Rob Gillam, CEO/Chief Investment Officer McKinley Capital Management.
specifically, the bank offers debt capital market partners, investment banking solutions, asset-based loan solutions, interest rate risk management solutions, and other services that provide financial solutions for Alaska businesses. “Wells Fargo has a twentyfour-person, Alaska-based, middlemarket banking and mid-corporate banking team that provides customized credit and treasury solutions to Alaska businesses,” Mazzeo says. After a great idea, access to capital is one of the biggest hurdles for growing a business, Gillam says. This is especially true in many technology, manufacturing, and natural resource projects where the costs to operate are typically front-loaded before the project can produce any revenue. However, private investors bring capital to projects to help them reach their operating potential. April 2021 | 21
Sam Mazzeo Wells Fargo
A good example of this is McKinley Capital's investment in 60Hertz Energy. 60Hertz is a maintenance software designed to manage and monitor assets that are in remote, off-grid locations for sectors such as mining and rural electricity. “Microgrids are very important in Alaska, and the cost of power in rural Alaska is one of the greatest challenges to overcome, not just for the consumption of power but also for the basic human needs of food and shelter,” says Gillam, a secondgeneration Alaskan. “It is hard to afford
such luxuries when the cost of power consumes most of a household's cash income for the year.” As an early investor in 60Hertz, McKinley Capital supplied muchneeded money and continues to provide operations collaboration and connections to other potential investors and customers. “This company found and filled a gap in rural power-related challenges and costs around the globe, is providing a tangible benefit to Alaska and Alaskans, and met our disciplined methodology for providing a return on investment,” he says. At PT Capital, team members execute on sourcing and placing investments, among other specialized services. Many companies cannot complete these services on their own because they lack the capital and/or the expertise, making PT Capital a vital resource. “We work with the management team on the operating day to day; we develop a strategy to develop a long-term plan,” Short says.
Large-Scale Investing in Alaska So what types of large-scale investment projects have been
consequential for firms in Alaska? They run the gamut. With a focus on Alaska and other parts of the world, PT Capital’s largest company is Nova, the dominant mobile phone company in Iceland. This venture includes significant investments in 5G technology and broadband over the phone. PT Capital also has an investment in Ice Services, which provides remote housing and utility management for large oil producers in Alaska. “Our team and our investment decisions are 100 percent made out of Alaska,” Short says. McKinley Capital’s focus in Alaska typically falls into one of the following categories: Arctic and situationally relevant technology; transportation and logistics; energy, mining, and exploration; tourism; and seafood. A prime example of a largescale project that met the firm’s investment criteria is Alaska Cargo and Cold Storage—a joint venture of industrialist Chad Brownstein and McKinley Capital Management. Wells Fargo has a substantial presence in Alaska’s major markets, ranging from natural resources to
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seafood and energy, according to Nick Williams, a leader within Wells Fargo’s corporate and investment banking team. Williams is based in Seattle and works directly with Alaska clients on equity investments, typically involving customers buying or selling businesses. In his role on the investment banking side, Williams often works with companies seeking to tap debt and equity capital markets, as well as an advisor for merger and acquisitions. Currently, Williams says he is seeing more capital investing activity taking place in the seafood industry, including new ships being built to replace antiquated vessels. Another example of a significant capital investment is the new cold storage facility in the works at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. The 190,000-square-foot cold storage and climate-controlled air cargo transfer facility—slated to open next summer—will provide the seafood industry with enhanced options for cargo transfer cold storage and seafood processing. Williams says that over the past
decade he has noticed the growth of another form of large-scale capital investing: infrastructure funds. These specialized funds raise large amounts of capital to invest in infrastructurerelated assets in various sectors, such as utilities, cold storage container terminals, and railroads. “They’re looking for long-life assets with predictable cash flows; in return, they tend to be a cheaper source of capital,” Williams says.
Capital Investing and Lending Terms Wells Fargo typically provides cash flow-based and asset-based commercial financing. This normally includes a recourse to more than one cash flow stream or multiple assets. Wells Fargo develops long-term, deep relationships with its Alaska business customers to understand their financial goals and needs, Mazzeo says. “This enables us to develop large-scale commercial financing that is customized for each borrower,” he says. “Corporate clients with capital market access can also obtain general corporate-purpose
and market-based credit with even more flexible terms.” At PT Capital, the terms related to investing are typically deal-specific. In some cases, owners are looking to sell a small piece of their company to diversify their own balance sheet, Short says. In some cases, PT Capital invests in a minority position. And in other cases, the firm purchases 100 percent of the company, and the owner exits the business completely. Each scenario requires a personalized approach. Short says: “For investments in Alaska, there is no cookie-cutter approach because we’re a larger state but a small population… Relationships are really important here. So you need to be creative, transparent, and cater to the situation. You have to somewhat create a team around each of those investment pieces.” Investments vary based on the amount of capital committed, the investor’s timeline, the investment entity, and the investor's specific goals. In general, private investments tend to have a longer investment hold time, with investors looking for a return after about seven to ten years, Gillam says.
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Funding Sources
Hugh Short PT Capital
“For investments in Alaska, there is no cookie-cutter approach because we’re a larger state, but a small population… Relationships are really important here. So you need to be creative, transparent, and cater to the situation. You have to somewhat create a team around each of those investment pieces.” Hugh Short, CEO/Co-Founder/Chairman PT Capital
24 | April 2021
Private equity firms and other financial companies bring a variety of sources to bear to support large-scale capital investment. These companies have diverse methods and criteria for making investments. Some of the factors are internally driven (company process) while some are externally driven (client goals and mandates). “At McKinley Capital, we use a very disciplined and data-driven process for evaluating an investment that comes from thirty years of evaluating public equity stocks,” Gillam elaborates. “McKinley Capital uses a similar teambased approach to analyze potential private investments and identify those that meet the investment criteria.” Most of PT Capital’s investors are comprised of institutions that include larger asset managers in the Lower 48 and life insurance companies. “I saw a unique opportunity in Alaska,” says Short, explaining the rationale behind PT Capital’s inception. “There hadn’t been an institutional private equity firm started out of Alaska when we launched back in 2013… When we formed, I went out and found investors in and outside Alaska. They were interested in our track record, our reputation. We were able to raise a substantial pool of money.” Wells Fargo, on the other hand, has a different approach to facilitating investments for businesses. The bank funds loans from its balance sheet with its capital. “Wells Fargo is a national leader in arranging syndicated loan structures for its largest business clients,” Mazzeo says. “In addition, Wells Fargo Securities can underwrite and distribute bonds for its corporate clients that have access to public debt markets.”
Finding Places to Invest Wells Fargo offers a variety of advisory services for mergers and acquisitions provided by its investment banking teams with Wells Fargo Advisors and Wells Fargo Securities. Mazzeo emphasizes that Wells Fargo combines the resources of a national bank with a focus on relationship building and the Alaska-industry expertise of its local commercial banking team. He says, “Wells Fargo has been the leading source of commercial and
industrial financing, syndicated loan financing, asset-based financing, and treasury services for Alaska businesses for decades.” Capital management firms are constantly seeking to identify potential new investments, which often requires an individualized approach, according to Short. “Alaska is not a place where you cold-call people,” he says. “You pick up the phone and invite someone out to lunch. It’s really relationship-based in Alaska. We believe our approach in Alaska—with our network, with word-ofmouth and being in the community—is super important.” He adds, “In other places, like Finland, we have advisors and bankers who help identify potential investments.” Gillam, as the head of a global finance firm, feels that the world has a keen interest in investing in Alaska. The reason: Alaska has an underdeveloped economy, rich natural resources, and the security of US law and the US dollar—and this makes for an attractive investment opportunity. “We opened our private investment business in 2019 because we believed that our public investment experience and discipline, combined with our Alaska knowledge and location, could help us effectively identify private investment opportunities and bring investment capital to Alaska,” Gillam says. Gillam adds that he appreciates McKinley Capital’s long-term relationship with the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation, which was the founding investor in the Na’Nuk Investment Fund through its Emerging Manager Program. “As of December 31, 2020, we have vetted more than sixty-six deals worth more than $750 million,” he says. “Through our private investment business, we have brought Peter Pan Seafood back to US ownership, helped Astra get its spaceport operating in Kodiak, and just announced a 55-year lease with the state of Alaska for a cold storage facility at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport—all while being singularly focused on providing a return for our investors. “I believe Alaska’s best days are ahead. I am excited to be helping create jobs and infrastructure in our state while delivering returns for our clients.”
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Alaska’s Maritime Port(folio)
Renovations and upgrades around the state spell good news for industry By Amy Newman
hether delivering groceries to Cape Fox or equipment to the North Slope, providing the infrastructure needed to deploy equipment to Alaska’s military bases, or supporting the millions of tourists who arrive via cruise, Alaska’s economy relies on the maritime industry. And with 90 percent of Alaska’s freight entering the state by marine vessel, ship, or barge, maintaining the state’s maritime infrastructure is essential. To keep things running efficiently and safely, the ports and harbors that serve the industry undergo a steady stream of renovations, modifications, and expansions to keep pace with evolving user needs and facilities that degrade due to the forces of time and the elements.
Juneau Docks & Harbors Six launch ramp facilities, four small boat harbors, and two cruise ship floating docks serve an array of users in Alaska’s capital city. “We support large national corporations, we support the commercial fishing industry, we support
26 | April 2021
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“We’re going to do some bridge decking repairs to the causeway and ramps to the floating dock and rebuild the fittings on each side of that. This should extend the life of the infrastructure up to twenty-five years. The causeway will go first in the spring and the transfer ramp will go in the fall.” Jeremy Talbott, Ports and Harbor Director, City of Valdez
recreational boating, we support the pedestrian that just wants to walk along the sea walk,” says Port Director Carl Uchytil. “The need is really access to the water.” Recent projects, many of which are phases of long-term plans, seek to meet the needs of those users. In October 2019, City and Borough of Juneau’s Docks and Harbors
began the $8.4 million Statter Harbor Improvements Project. Expected to be completed in May 2021, the project will modernize the popular Auke Bay harbor, which has a yearlong waitlist of eighty-five vessels, by adding a “for-hire float” and new gangway to provide more access for recreational boaters, fishing, and whale watching vessels. Pacific Pile & Marine dredged
the basin, which allowed Trucano Construction to install roughly 900 feet of float destined for use by charter vessel operations. “Looking at that project, we see the value of creating something for the local tour companies that are involved in the industry but also building that capacity that adds more float area for the locals to find moorage,” Uchytil says. Downtown, Trucano Construction also completed a $12.5 million project at the Archipelago Lot, which stretches along the waterfront from Marine Park to Taku Dock. Part of the city’s 2004 long-range Waterfront Development Plan, the project decked over portions of the Archipelago Lot and built a staging area for the small airportersized buses that take tourists around town, Uchytil says. “We know there’s a need to have more room to create a nicer atmosphere along the waterfront, so we’re very pleased with how that turned out,” Uchytil says. Future plans at the Archipelago Lot include adding a covered staging area for tourists and more restrooms. Zinc anode replacements scheduled for Statter and Harris Harbors this
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summer will extend the life of the harbors’ pilings by one-third, he adds.
Port of Alaska The Port of Alaska has several waterside and shoreside projects underway. “The biggest, brightest, boldest, most sexy one is the Port of Alaska Modernization Program,” says Jim Jager, director of business continuity and external affairs. “[It’s] basically a dock replacement program that is replacing aging infrastructure.” Phase I is construction of the Petroleum and Cement Terminal to replace the Petroleum Oil Lubricants Terminal 1, which has served as the Port of Alaska’s primary petroleum terminal and Alaska’s only bulk cementhandling marine terminal since 1965. Deterioration due to age and earthquake damage, combined with technological advancements that changed the way cargo is offloaded, means the current dock has reached the end of both its usable and economic life. “We’ve extended the life of that dock as long as we can,” Jager says. “They’ve reached their economic capacity
Lack of space for every sized vessel at the Homer Harbor led to prioritizing construction of a second harbor dedicated to serving larger vessels that use the harbor’s transit moorings. Homer Port and Harbor
because the cargo capacity has changed. In 1961 containerized cargo wasn’t a thing, and as the technology has evolved, it becomes less and less efficient to use that old facility to service the new technology.” The Petroleum and Cement Terminal will have the necessary technology to efficiently offload containerized cargo, which means
that functionally, the old and new docks will likely be similarly sized, Jager says. But because the upgrades will significantly decrease offload times, the new dock will have an effectively greater capacity. “With the new dock, we expect that that cement offload time is going to be cut in half, partially because it’s going to be located closer to the cement
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April 2021 | 29
“Our facility is beyond capacity and we’re turning vessels away. I have customers mooring large vessels in Washington and Oregon because they can’t moor them in Alaska, and it costs them to run back and forth. As a state, we really need to focus on our core industries, and the maritime industry is definitely one of our core industries. We should be focusing on trying to serve that fleet in the future and building the infrastructure that supports and promotes growth in our commercial fleet will grow Alaska’s economy.” Bryan Hawkins, Harbormaster, City of Homer
facility and partially because it’s going to be using the new technology,” Jager says. Pacific Pile & Marine completed construction of the base structure of the access trestle and platform last November and is scheduled this month to resume work on the project, estimated to have an allin cost of $205 million to $210 million, Jager says. The project is set for completion in November or December of this year. Other waterside projects include the continuation of a pile jacketing program that reinforces degraded piles with steel jackets and replacing damaged portions of some fender piles, says Port Modernization Program Director Sharen Walsh. Each project is roughly $1.5 million, although the fender repair project is dependent upon receipt of an US Army Corps of Engineers permit, she adds. Shoreside, the Port of Alaska will continue draining repairs leftover from the 2018 earthquake and some power upgrades, Jager says. A project to stabilize the Port of Alaska’s north end could begin as early as 2022, pending
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A regional shipping hub, the Port of Nome serves fuel and cargo vessels, adventure cruise ships, foreign and domestic government vessels, and research vessels, says Port Director Joy Baker. It also exports a large amount of gravel, rock, and sand every year. “We serve nearly every maritime industry that traverses the Bering Strait because there’s nowhere else to go,” Baker says. “We’re kind of like a onestop-shop for everybody,” with vessels utilizing the port for crew changes, to resupply, and for emergency medical services. In December, Congress approved the Arctic Deep Draft Port project, which has been in development for more than a decade, Baker says. The expansion project will allow deepdraft vessels to dock, which eliminates the risk to lightered vessels as well as the environmental risk associated with ship-to-ship fuel transfers.
With the feasibility study approved, the project has advanced to the engineering phase and is currently in negotiations with the federal government over the design agreement. Once completed, the project is expected to go out to bid sometime between Fall 2022 to Spring 2023, Baker says.
Sim Brubaker | Port of Alaska
Port of Nome
“We are pushing the breakwater out about 3,500-feet from the end of the existing causeway, so we can get to deeper water and dredge a 40-foot basin to accommodate the larger ships,” Baker says.
the outcome of litigation between the Municipality of Anchorage and the US Department of Transportation Maritime Administration, he adds.
Other projects currently in the design and funding phases include completion of an 18-acre pad, roughly $2 million to $3 million; development of a ship waste reception facility, estimated at $5 million to $6 million; and an estimated $14 million to $15 million project to build small vessel moorage floats in the Snake River to address overcrowding in the Small Boat Harbor, Baker says. This summer, the Port will replace anodes at three aging docks to protect the steel’s integrity and will put out an RFP to replace the port’s concrete launch ramp, a project that was pushed back a year due to COVID-19, according to Baker. “It wasn’t intended to service heavy vessels, and we’ve got so many vessels trans-shipping out of Nome that we didn’t envision because the cargo and gravel built up so quickly,” Baker says. “So the ramp has taken some abuse and it’s time to replace it.”
Seward Passenger Dock Constructed in 1966, the Seward Passenger Dock stores barges in the winter and serves the cruise ship industry in the summer with a second,
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Juneau Docks & Harbors have installed two new main walk floats and a new head walk float that connects the existing float system to a second gangway as part of its ongoing Statter Harbor improvements Juneau Docks & Harbors
smaller dock dedicated to freight, explains Jim Kubitz, vice president of real estate and facilities for the Alaska Railroad Corporation (ARRC), which owns the dock. ARRC has replaced and reinforced the dock’s steel pilings through the years to slow its deterioration, but those fixes are “band-aids… that can’t last forever,” Kubitz says. Currently ARRC has an RFP out for construction of a new dock, which would include enlarging the existing cruise ship passenger terminal to accommodate 32 | April 2021
the number of tourists who arrive on larger cruise ships. “We’re in the process of negotiating with a developer to replace that dock, which would be a couple of years project,” he says. “The idea is to have someone remove the dock without interruption to service and build a new dock and a new building on the shore that processes passengers, because we get a lot of cruise ships there.” The goal is to have the project awarded this spring, and construction completed and ready for the 2024
season, Kubitz says. He anticipates that planning for the project will cost $65 million to $70 million. ARRC also plans to extend and widen its existing freight dock to accommodate heavy freight and rail and to serve as a backup to the Port of Alaska, Kubitz says. The railroad decided to push the project back until 2022. It will be funded by a Build America grant awarded in 2020. “With the passenger dock going to start this fall, we kind of have to pace ourselves,” he explains. “Two dock
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Sim Brubaker | Port of Alaska
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projects are a pretty big deal in the same area.”
Valdez Ports and Harbor The City of Valdez is preparing a scope design to support a $12 million reconstruction of the Valdez Harbor H-K floats, says Ports and Harbor Director Jeremy Talbott. Scheduled to go out to bid in late spring, the project will replace the harbor’s H-K floats, add full electric and fire protection systems for 511 slips, replace the tour dock with an Americans with Disabilities Act compliant gangway/ramp, and expand the boat launches to include three full lanes with floats. This summer, a $2 million project will extend the useful life of the container dock; its primary users are Samson, Alaska Marine Lines, oil and gas industry/spill response support, and the US Military. “We’re going to do some bridge decking repairs to the causeway and ramps to the floating dock and rebuild the fittings on each side of that,” Talbott says. “This should extend the life of the infrastructure up to twentyfive years. The causeway will go first in the spring and the transfer ramp will go in the fall.”
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City of Homer Port and Harbor As a combined port and harbor, the City of Homer serves a diverse fleet. “We have a very diverse customer user group, ranging from truly recreational all the way to heavy industrial vessels,” says Harbormaster Bryan Hawkins. The port and harbor serves commercial freight vessels, is a homeport for the MV Tustumena, the Coast Guard Cutters Hickory and Naushon, and draws recreational www.akbizmag.com
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April 2021 | 33
Large national corporations, the commercial fishing industry, recreational users, and pedestrians all need access to the water in Juneau, meaning waterfront projects are a priority for the community. Juneau Docks & Harbors
boaters and commercial fishing vessels from far beyond Homer. There are several projects on Homer’s capital improvement list in various stages of development, Hawkins says, but the City Council has prioritized a port expansion project to better accommodate the larger fleet of ships the port serves. “The Port Expansion Project would build another harbor just to the north of the existing basin that would be dedicated to the larger vessels,” Hawkins 34 | April 2021
says. “It would move the large vessel fleet here in our small boat harbor to this new port.” The project must first undergo a three-year, $3 million preliminary investigation by the US Army Corps of Engineers to justify the need for federal funding, Hawkins explains. But he says the expansion will ultimately improve both Homer’s and the state’s ability to serve the maritime industry. “Our facility is beyond capacity and we’re turning vessels away,” Hawkins
says. “I have customers mooring large vessels in Washington and Oregon because they can’t moor them in Alaska, and it costs them to run back and forth. As a state, we really need to focus on our core industries, and the maritime industry is definitely one of our core industries. We should be focusing on trying to serve that fleet in the future and building the infrastructure that supports and promotes growth in our commercial fleet will grow Alaska’s economy.”
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Alaska’s Locally Grown Oil Industry
laska's oil and gas industry has come a long way since Humble Oil and ARCO confirmed North America's most significant oil discovery in 1968, transforming Alaska's economy overnight. Since Prudhoe Bay's historical development, the oil and gas industry has pumped a staggering amount of money into the state. The list of companies that have been involved in Alaska's oil and gas industry is also staggering, nearly as long as the trans-Alaska Pipeline itself. This list includes numerous Alaskanowned oil field service companies, many of which have been critical to the oil industry’s success.
36 | April 2021
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Doyon Drilling
Doyon
Pumping billions of dollars into the state’s economy
In January 2020, a report prepared for the Alaska Oil & Gas Association (AOGA) by McKinley Research served to underscore the importance of Alaska's oil and gas industry. The impact report defines seventeen organizations as "primary companies" in Alaska's oil and gas industry, most of which are production companies like ConocoPhillips, Hilcorp, Oil Search, and Eni Petroleum. The report details the spending of these companies on Alaska goods and services—and here is where Alaskan-owned companies begin to shine. In 2018 alone the primary companies paid $4.4 billion to approximately 1,000 Alaska support services companies. Mckinley’s report defines Alaska companies as either based in the state, with resident and non-resident employees, or based Outside but with a satellite office and employees in state.
“The focus that the North Slope producers have placed on HSE for their employees, their contractors, and the environment over the last twenty years is exponential to that of other industries—even within the same industry compared to other regions of the United States.” Delta Constructors
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Construction Is Crucial Just about one-quarter (24 percent) of this $4.4 billion was dished out to private companies supporting the industry through various construction services. Delta Constructors is one of these companies. Delta was formed more than ten years ago by principal partners possessing decades' worth of collective industry experience. "Delta Constructors is a 95 percent self-perform general contractor supporting the oil and gas industry in the upstream and midstream sectors," says a Delta spokesperson. "In addition to integrated construction services, we provide project management services, assist clients in TIC estimating, supply chain and logistics services, fabrication and truckable module assembly, and commissioning services." Delta Constructors has experienced growth despite what it describes as a retracting industry. "Opportunities for construction have remained relatively flat on the North Slope, with a new drill site installed approximately every other year," the spokesperson says, noting the exception is the 2015 Point Thomson facility installation project in which Delta participated. "Before this, major construction projects for expansion on the Slope were abundant." Delta points to the GHX-1 and GHX2 projects in the late '90s, Alpine and Northstar in the early 2000s, www.akbizmag.com
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the GMT-2 facilities for ConocoPhillips in its Alpine field, going on its fourth year of executing capital projects for the production giant. Delta is also keeping an eye on opportunities to support ConocoPhillips' Willow development and Oil Search's Nanushuk development.
Oil Field Support Services
Extended reach technology allows Doyon 26 to drill targets some 7 miles from the surface location. Typically rigs are designed to drill about 22,000 feet from the pad, yet the highly specialized Doyon 26 can reach 37,000 feet. Doyon Drilling
the Pioneer Natural Resources Ooguruk installation in 2007, and the Eni Petroleum Nikaitchuq facility installation in 2011. The company notes that North Slope operations are placing an increased emphasis on health, safety, and environment (HSE). "The focus that the
North Slope producers have placed on HSE for their employees, their contractors, and the environment over the last twenty years is exponential to that of other industries—even within the same industry compared to other regions of the United States." Recently, Delta Constructors began installing
Sustainability
Partnership – Energy - Excellence
38 | April 2021
Per McKinley Research's findings, 28 percent of the $4.4 billion spent was paid to oil field support service companies. This group includes companies like ASRC Energy Services, Colville, Doyon Drilling, and Peak Oilfield Service Co., a subsidiary of Bristol Bay Industrial Services. Unsurprisingly, Alaska Native Corporations and their various subsidiaries have been instrumental in supporting growth in the oil and gas industry in Alaska. Alaska Native owned ASRC Energy Services (AES) has provided a comprehensive suite of services to Alaska’s oil and gas industry for more than forty years. Services include operations and maintenance, pipeline construction and maintenance, remediation, engineering, staffing, security, equipment rentals, pumping, production testing, regulatory, environmental, and other consulting services. To support operations, AES deploys more than 800 pieces of equipment on the North Slope, owns a 53,000-square-foot equipment and maintenance facility, and has a mancamp in Deadhorse. To find solutions for a sustainable future, the AES Technology Department is building out its capabilities in sustainable resource development, clean energy, and environmental remediation, including the development and 2021 deployment of an all-Alaskan, novel, proprietary technology for treating PFAS contaminated soils. AES is a wholly owned subsidiary of Arctic Slope Regional Corporation. Another Alaska Native Corporation making its mark in the oil and gas sector is Doyon Limited. Its subsidiary Doyon Drilling has grown into one of the state's leading drilling and exploration contractors. It currently operates eight rigs on the North Slope. The subsidiary was formed in 1982 as a joint venture between Doyon and Nugget Alaska. A little more than a decade
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later, Doyon bought out Nugget's share in the business. Echoing Delta Constructors' observation, Doyon Drilling has emphasized an HSE management system to "demonstrate HSE leadership, commitment to continual improvement, and HSE responsibility to its stakeholders." The company explains the system's purpose is to provide a structure for key management processes that drive Doyon Drilling's workplace, health, safety, and environmental performance. This is also a rigorous training regimen that includes dozens of health and safety modules, ensuring its employees are well equipped to handle the industry's hazards. Two years after Doyon Drilling started operations, another Doyon subsidiary came into the picture: Doyon Anvil, a joint venture between Doyon and Anvil Corporation. The design, engineering, and procurement firm has projects in each of the upstream, midstream, and downstream segments of Alaska's oil and gas industry. Past work in its upstream portfolio includes providing critical project control services for Drill Rig 142, which sister company
Hilcorp Alaska’s Moose Pad is at the western edge of the Milne Point field near the Kuparuk River field boundary. The 14-acre pad, which began producing in 2019, was the first new production pad built in Milne Point since 2002. Delta Constructors
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We’re glad you’re here.
Delta Constructors provides integrated construction services for oil and gas projects. The company used a mix of project management, supply chain and logistics, fabrication, and truckable module assembly to help construct Hilcorp Alaska’s Moose Pad on the North Slope. Delta Constructors
Doyon Drilling headed up. Efforts in the midstream arena include extensive work with storage tanks—from design to inspection. The bulk of Doyon Anvil's downstream roles focus on revamping refineries in Alaska and locations across western America and Canada. AOGA's economic impact report groups the remaining chunk of spending—roughly one-half of the $4.4 billion—into a third category. This group, referred to as "Other Suppliers of Goods and Services," encompasses a broad range of firms providing a variety of goods and services, including technical services (13 percent); transportation and warehousing (10 percent); retail/wholesale (9 percent); accommodations and food service (4 percent); and then an additional "other" grouping within the subset (12 percent). AES subsidiary Houston Contracting Company has provided pipeline construction and maintenance in Alaska since 1930. ASRC Energy Services.
While not explicitly stated in the report, it becomes quickly apparent that many Alaskan-owned businesses could fall under multiple categories. This is due to the cross-functionality that is commonplace among companies operating in this space, which can sometimes be challenging to quantify in economic analyses. An example of this is a third Doyon subsidiary: Doyon Remote Facilities & Services. Doyon Remote Facilities & Services is Doyon's answer to the logistical challenges of housing a workforce in remote locations. The company offers seven different camp configurations that range from 21 to 140 beds, which can be tailored to clients' specific needs. Doyon Remote Facilities & Services explains that the camps can be rapidly deployed, with most camp mobilizations completed
in anywhere from two to seven days. Doyon Remote Facilities & Services provides additional services such as administration and maintenance, construction, and logistics, as is typical of these multifaceted oil field service providers.
Local Impact The economic impact from the oil and gas industry is felt in every corner of the state—from royalties and taxes collected by local and state governments to high-paying careers that support local commerce. According to the McKinley Research report, Alaska's oil and gas industry paid $3.1 billion in state and local taxes for FY 2019. The organization reports, "no other private sector comes close to generating more economic impact in Alaska." For comparison purposes, economic impact reports from years prior show that another primary industry in Alaska—the seafood industry— contributes around $172 million to funding for state, local, and the federal government. The oil and gas industry supports an estimated 77,600 Alaskan jobs. The sector accounts for 14 percent of resident Anchorage employment, 6 percent in Fairbanks, and roughly 7 percent in the MatanuskaSusitna Borough. As an encouraging sign for future employment growth opportunities, promising exploration and development projects such as Willow and Horseshoe are in the works. They could collectively contribute between 14 billion and 35 billion barrels of oil—more than the entirety of all petroleum recovered thus far in Alaska's history. This bodes well for the future of Alaska's oil and gas support industry and for those Alaskan-owned companies leading the way.
MINING SPECIAL SEC TION
Scouting for Prospects The journey from a parcel of land to a fully-functioning mine
B
efore a patch of land can be developed for mining, its specific location has to be vetted to confirm that it’s an economically feasible place to mine. From start to finish, the process is a long, involved endeavor that requires a significant commitment of time and resources—but the payback can be substantial. In mid-February 2021, a report by McKinley Research Group (formerly McDowell Group) estimated that companies spent $127 million on exploration in Alaska in 2020 and a total of $4 billion since 1981. The first step toward striking gold (or coal or zinc or… you get the picture) is deciding what commodity is being targeted. “Ultimately, it’s based on the geology,” says Lance Kilvagiaq Miller, vice president of natural resources
42 | April 2021
for NANA Regional Corporation. For instance, one wouldn’t go looking for copper in Iowa, Miller adds. “Then you have to look at access, logistics, and if the area is open for mineral entry, or mining,” says Miller, who holds a doctorate in geology and has worked on advanced-stage projects throughout Alaska, as well as Russia, Central Asia, Mexico, and the Canadian Arctic. One key piece of information for mining companies evaluating their options is the Fraser Institute’s Annual Survey of Mining Companies, most recently published in February 2021. The survey, according to the organization, “is an attempt to assess how mineral endowments and public policy factors such as taxation and regulatory uncertainty affect exploration investment.”
For 2020, the institute sent out approximately 2,200 electronic surveys and received 276, allowing it to evaluate seventy-seven jurisdictions around the world. In the survey, Alaska slipped from fourth place in 2019 to fifth in 2020. Miller says that the Fraser Institute survey is just one element of a comprehensive look at any given site that includes an understanding of what has “a geologically high potential” for the commodity in demand. “So you need a fundamental understanding of that,” he adds. “Then you look at the political jurisdiction, whether they have a stable government, the permitting and tax regime.” Next comes site consideration. Once an area’s been established as a potential
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Varina Zinno
By Bruno J. Navarro
“If you look at what’s needed for base metals in the future, it even outstrips what we’ve mined in the past. Metals are the basic building blocks of our built society.” Lance Kilvagiaq Miller, Vice President of Natural Resources, NANA
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The Future of Mining Mining’s prospects appear to be strong for the foreseeable future, Miller says, especially as society slowly inches toward a zero-carbon existence and growing adoption of alternative energy sources. Miller notes that there are approximately 23 kilograms of copper used in conventional automobiles, a figure that grows to more than 80 kilograms in an electric vehicle. In fact, a February 2021 report by Casey Research estimates copper demand from the auto industry will more than double between 2020 and 2030. www.akbizmag.com
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MINING SPECIAL SEC TION
site for investment, it’s necessary to determine how mature it is and how much development, if any, has already taken place. “A lot of times, if there’s been a lot of work done, you can conduct desktop work before going into the field,” Miller says. Alaska’s Department of Natural Resources’ Mineral Resources Section provides a good deal of public information about the state’s geological and geophysical framework to support the mining industry. Other jurisdictions, such as Canada, also maintain extensive public databases of geoscience in the form of geological maps, regional geophysical surveys, and other scientific information. This approach toward public information can save private companies time and effort, says Miller. After all the initial research is completed, the first boots on the ground are usually geologists or prospectors. Getting that key personnel in place is often determined on a caseby-case process, depending on who owns the land. “If you’re working on private land, clearly you have to have an agreement before you even do exploration,” Miller says. State and federal permitting is a consideration on public lands, too. Beyond regulatory issues, Miller says mining companies must often work with municipalities, tribal governments, state governments, and local residents. “Certainly community outreach, communication, consultation, and involvement are critical,” Miller says, adding that projects have stalled in the past due to a failure at this stage.
MINING SPECIAL SEC TION
The growth of future demand for industrial and precious metals has drawn the attention of mining companies and investors. A 2019 report from CME Group, a leading derivatives marketplace, found that demand is outstripping supply. Copper prices rose 440 percent from 2000 to 2011, and aluminum prices doubled from 2000 to 2008—despite greater global supply. “If you look at what’s needed for base metals in the future, it even outstrips what we’ve mined in the past,” Miller says. “Metals are the basic building blocks of our built society.”
Geologist Varina Zinno performs exploration work in the Alaska Range. Cat Samson
It Starts With Exploration
The exploration camp at the Fairhaven Gold Project in Northwest Alaska. NANA
“The mining cycle begins with exploration,” McKinley Research Group states in a 2018 report. “Following discovery, drilling, sampling, engineering, metallurgical analysis, financial analysis, and baseline environmental analysis are all part of the effort to determine if profitable and environmentally responsible mining is possible. Ore grade, tonnage, and mineral/metal prices are critical factors for mine feasibility, but so are costs.”
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An exploration drill rig at the Fairhaven Gold Project in northwest Alaska. NANA
to look at a property before it became a mine.” “It is a scientific, geologic process that can lead to new discoveries in places that have been previously looked over,” he adds. “The best place to find a mine is where there’s already a mine.”
The Infrastructure Challenge In the Interior, infrastructure costs can quickly add up, particularly in those areas accessible only by air. “One of the challenges [in Alaska] is the infrastructure,” Miller says. “The cost to develop all that is borne by the project.”
“We protect the environment because this is the land where we grew up.” – Evan Polty Jr. Lead Mechanic, Donlin Gold Born in Pilot Station and Resident of Russian Mission
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MINING SPECIAL SEC TION
According to Miller, plenty of exploration occurs before work begins at a site. “It takes 1,500 to 3,000 projects evaluated at a reconnaissance level to come up with one mine. Out of 1,500, you might drill 60 of those,” he says. “You might take five to ten of them to scoping or pre-feasibility. That timeline takes on the order of twenty years and hundreds of millions of dollars in capital spent to get there.” Miller explains that evaluating a potential mining site involves steps that become more in-depth as the process progresses. “A lot of the same work goes into each stage, just in more and more detail,” he says. All told, it might take two decades or more. “There are a lot of examples in Alaska that have taken longer,” Miller says. Factors other than geological ones can affect development time, including commodity prices, permitting issues, lawsuits, and the seasonality of work, Miller says. He cites a study that found “it usually took about seven different companies
MINING SPECIAL SEC TION
Tools of the Trade
Helicopter support aids geologists performing exploration work in the Goodpaster District. Varina Zinno
It costs significantly more to explore here than it does in other locations such as Australia, Nevada, and Chile, due to remoteness and increased transportation costs. In addition, many projects are supported by helicopter for exploration drilling rather than by roads. “It’s high-risk, and hopefully, highreturn,” Miller says. “Exploration funding can be erratic based on metals prices and the investors’ perception of the commodity or the jurisdiction.” All of those factors are combined to gauge a potential project’s overall attractiveness, and stability is a desirable trait. “It’s where there’s a dramatic shift in the regulatory regime or taxation that can be a disincentive,” Miller says. “If more people understood timing and what goes into a project on the technical side, maybe there would be more appreciation for why it takes so long and how much money it costs,” he adds.
‘Standing on their Shoulders’ Varina Zinno, who began her career as an independent geologist in Ontario, Canada, and has worked throughout the western United States and across Alaska, emphasizes the iterative nature of exploration—and credits the pioneers upon whose work modern mining relies. “We basically stand on the shoulders of the explorers, prospectors, and geologists who came before us,” Zinno says. Oftentimes, in the past, a potential mining prospect was discovered by a prospector or a local resident, she adds. 46 | April 2021
Such discoveries helped spark the 1876 gold rush in Juneau. When looking at the time it takes for a parcel of land to go from undeveloped to a fully operational mine, the pace can almost appear to be measurable in geological time. “It can take over 100 years,” Zinno says. That long time frame can be because an area might have been explored for its placer potential a century ago, but it could take various subsequent stages of work to discover worthwhile lode mineral deposits. “We say that for every 1,000 prospects, only one has what it takes to become a mine.” In other cases, work can move much more quickly. Zinno cites Pogo Mine, which lies roughly 135 road miles southeast of Fairbanks. The site, on land owned by the state, was first explored for gold in 1915 along with the broader Goodpaster River region. Interest quickly waned, however, as prospectors turned up largely empty-handed. Yet in 1991, a regional surface sampling program discovered potential. Zinno says Pogo Mine was permitted by 2004, “and by 2006, ore was arising at the mine.” “They have a really, really rich gold deposit,” she says, noting that smaller ore deposits drum up less interest and often experience a longer development timeline. Pogo Mine reached a production milestone in 2020, hitting 4 million ounces of gold.
Whether looking for base metals (such as copper, lead, and zinc), precious metals (such as gold and silver) or rare earth elements, the exploration process follows a similar pattern. “Exploring the public data from agencies is a good way to begin,” Zinno says, referring to the US Geological Survey and the state DNR’s Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys. Zinno says that understanding the geological conditions friendly to various types of mineralization is important, noting that two major fault systems create plenty of possibilities. “There could be geological structure that plays a role,” she adds. “The Tintina Gold Province in the Yukon runs all the way through Alaska and is bound by two major fault systems.” Geologists will develop analyses of such traits as geochemical and geophysical data sets and run them through computerized tools like ArcGIS to find potential sites. “That’s how we do targeting,” she says. “After that stage, which can be a desktop study, you go out into the field with boots on the ground to see if you can find evidence of mineralization.” Geologists can determine the likelihood of mineral deposits in greenfields—or undeveloped areas—as well as brownfields, which are areas that contain “waste rock that was already mined years ago, or next to mines but not fully explored,” Zinno says, adding that scientific understanding of the underlying geological conditions may have changed, or there is new information to consider. Zinno says that aerial surveys for geophysics—which aren’t always easy to conduct—are another commonly used tool. “The weather affects it a lot. The remoteness affects it a lot because it’s very expensive,” she says. “Equipment and crew may have to travel a very long way, and they might have to set up a site camp.” Weather delays can sometimes hinder up to 20 to 30 percent of flights, as well as surveys that are affected by cloud cover or snow cover. “You really have to work for it in Alaska,” Zinno says. Budget considerations for such logistical challenges can be so significantly
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People, Planet, Profits An increasingly important element of the process today comes in the form of environmental, social, and governance (or ESG) considerations, Miller says, making it crucial that mining companies emphasize the social purpose of their projects in addition to exploration efforts. “The importance of ESG is critical,” according to Miller. “And also because the investment community is demanding that projects have a positive societal impact. BlackRock puts that right up front.” In recent years, BlackRock—the world’s largest asset manager—has emphasized the need for better practices and public education. In fact, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink wrote in a 2021 letter to investors, “It’s not just that broad-market ESG indexes are outperforming counterparts. It’s that within industries, from automobiles to banks to oil and gas companies, we are seeing another divergence: companies with better ESG profiles are performing better than their peers, enjoying a ‘sustainability premium.’”
Miller notes that the concerns around ESG mirror an earlier trend known as the “triple bottom line,” sometimes known as TBL or 3BL, that takes into account people and the planet, as well as profit. “It’s not just all about profit. It is a way to think about things, with sustainability representing intergenerational wellbeing,” Miller says, making it clear that mining is a critical component of society and the economy. Similarly, Zinno emphasizes that it’s important for the general public to understand that the metals and minerals extracted from the ground are absolute necessities in the day-to-day lives of modern society. “There’s really a big disconnect, but Alaska mining is sustainable and ethical mining,” she says, crediting the state’s environmental protections. “It takes a few extra years at the end to go through the permitting process, and that’s really important because that’s the mechanism through which Alaska does sustainable mining,” Zinno says. “We’re really proud of the robust permitting process that regulates it and keeps it safe for everyone.”
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MINING SPECIAL SEC TION
higher relative to other expenses “that I think outside financing companies get sticker shock at first.” Still, the possibility of making a big discovery has meant increased activity in the state from Australian companies seeking new investment opportunities around the world. Miners from Down Under have now overtaken Canadian as the most active Outside mining companies in Alaska. Reportedly, Australian mining companies—South32, Northern Star, Nova Minerals, and four others—are expected to invest nearly $100 million in Alaska mining and mineral projects beginning in 2020. And it’s not surprising, the lure is undeniable. Alaska holds the world’s second-largest reserves of coal, or approximately 12 percent of the global supply, according to the state Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys. Alaska holds 3.5 percent of the world’s zinc (7th globally), 3 percent of the world’s gold (10th spot worldwide) and 2 percent of the world’s lead (11th globally).
MINING SPECIAL SEC TION
Mining Optimism
Several statewide mining projects bolster economic outlook By Julie Stricker
I
n 2020, mining provided a bright spot in an otherwise bleak economy for Alaska. While the COVID-19 pandemic decimated the tourist industry and pinched the oil and gas sector, mining stayed on track, with none of the six major operating mines reporting pandemic-related shutdowns. Several other mineral prospects also advanced and exploration efforts remained robust, with $127 million spent on exploration in 2020 alone, according to a report by McKinley Research Group that was commissioned by the Alaska Miners Association and the Council of Alaska Producers. Another $430 million was spent on mine construction and capital investments. Alaska’s mines produce coal, gold, lead, silver and zinc, as well as construction materials such as sand, gravel, and rock. Two projects are in the advanced permitting stages; several others are in the works in various stages of development.
Pebble The Pebble project is a world-class copper and gold deposit in Southwest Alaska owned by Northern Dynasty through its wholly owned subsidiary 48 | April 2021
Pebble Limited Partnership. It also contains significant amounts of silver, molybdenum, rhenium, and more, which would be accessed through an open pit mine. According to the project description, during its twenty years of production, the mine would produce an annual average of 318 million pounds of copper; 362,000 ounces of gold; 14 million pounds of molybdenum; and 1.8 million ounces of silver. Despite the wealth of minerals at the site, Pebble has proved controversial due to its location near the headwaters of several streams that feed into salmon-rich Bristol Bay. The US Army Corps of Engineers published the final Environmental Impact Statement for the project in July 2020, noting it "would not be expected to have a measurable effect on fish numbers" in Bristol Bay. However, the following month, the agency halted the permitting processing, saying that the project proposal contains too many environmental risks and "lacks adequate compensatory mitigation." It asked Pebble to come up with a detailed mitigation plan to offset environmental risks. However, in November, the Corps of Engineers denied a key permit saying it has "determined that the applicant's plan
for the discharge of fill material does not comply with the Clean Water Act guidelines." Colonel Damon Delarosa, commander of the Corps' Alaska District, says the agency determined that "the proposed project is contrary to the public interest." Pebble is appealing that decision and the denial of a key water permit, but for now, further development is on hold.
Donlin Gold The Donlin Gold project is in the Yukon Kuskokwim region in southwest Alaska and holds one of the largest known undeveloped deposits of gold in the world, an estimated 33.8 million ounces. Donlin Gold is jointly owned by subsidiaries of NovaGold Resources and Barrick Gold Corporation. In 2020, Donlin continued its drilling program to outline the deposit, which reports 2.24 grams per tonne overall, with some areas showing much higher grades. Mark Bristow, president and CEO of Barrick, says the assay results are encouraging. "The ongoing modeling work and planned 2021 follow-up drilling program could further enhance the project parameters,” Bristow says.
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MINING SPECIAL SEC TION
“Not only are these ancillary metals valuable augmenting components of the Bokan Resource, they're among a select group of metals now earmarked by the US government as critically required by domestic growth
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industries.”
Trilogy Metals
Mike Schrider, COO, Ucore Rare Metals
Greg Lang, NOVAGOLD’s president and CEO, adds, “In an era characterized by declining gold grades, it is truly rewarding to continue to be able to report drill results that support the potential of Donlin Gold, already an impressive asset in terms of size and grade for a large-scale open-pit gold project. Indeed, the latest assay results continue to point to additional highgrade gold intersections that have only served to add confidence in recent geologic modeling concepts, while confirming multiple highgrade extensions in both the intrusive (igneous) and sedimentary rocks.” In August 2020, Donlin reached a major permitting milestone when the Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Land Management issued a joint record of www.akbizmag.com
In unity, we accomplish great things. P.O. Box 49, Kotzebue, AK 99752 (800) 478-3301 nana.com
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MINING SPECIAL SEC TION
Signing ceremony at Manh Choh in 2020. From left to right: Jeremy Brans, Fort Knox; Rick van Nieuwenhuyse, Contango ORE; Marianne Young, Tetlin Village Council; Chief Michael Sam; Kristie Charlie, Tribal Administrator; Vince Paul, Council Member; Anna Atchison, Fort Knox. Kinross Gold
decision. It was the final step in the federal review of the proposed mine under the National Environmental Policy Act. It also received several key permits. Donlin Gold operators are looking at how to optimize the construction and startup of the mine, which they have said has the potential to produce an average of more than 1 million ounces of gold annually over a twenty-seven-year lifespan. It could create up to 1,000 jobs.
Livengood The Livengood Gold Project is on the Elliott Highway, 70 miles north of Fairbanks in a region that has been home to placer mines for more than a century. The Livengood project, owned by International Tower Hill Mines, is estimated to have 11.5 million ounces of indicated gold resources at an average grade of 0.68 to 0.71 grams per tonne. The deposit is located on a ridge aptly named Money Knob. A 2017 study showed that the project would break even at a gold price of $1,231 per ounce. Over the past decade, International Tower Hill Mines has conducted an extensive drilling program to outline the resource and engineering optimization studies to improve the economics of a potential mine. In 2021, its focus is to complete a prefeasibility study, which is expected in October, according to ITH Mines CEO Karl Hanneman. “The gold market’s continued strength gives us strong motivation 50 | April 2021
"Ucore is very appreciative of the efforts by the AIDEA board and staff as we pursue a potential co-development partnership which will greatly benefit the state of Alaska and contribute to criticalmetals independence for the United States.” Mike Schrider, COO, Ucore Rare Metals
to advance our work to establish the best foundation to support future development,” Hanneman says. “The 11.5 million ounce gold resource at the Livengood Gold Project is in a premier jurisdiction and the large resource size
gives our project high leverage to the gold price.” The permitting process is expected to take another about four years and mine construction about two-and-a-half years, according to the company. It is forecast to generate about 1,000 jobs during the construction phase and 350 while the mine is in operation, and workers would be bused to the site. Current mine life is estimated at twenty-three years. ITH also controls another 74 square miles of land in the immediate vicinity of the Money Knob deposit where additional gold mineralization has been found.
Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects The Upper Kobuk Mineral Project is an advanced exploration project focused on two sites, Arctic and Bornite, near Ambler in Northwest Alaska. The sites contain rich deposits of copper, zinc, gold, silver, lead, and cobalt and are being developed by Ambler Metals, a 50/50 joint venture between South 32 Limited and Trilogy Metals. It is one of the largest undeveloped copper-zinc mineral belts in the world, but development has been hampered by the lack of transportation infrastructure. The company plans to spend $27 million in 2021 on a drilling program and further exploration around the Arctic site with an eye toward beginning the permit process late in the year. In 2020, it received the final
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Graphite Creek The Graphite Creek project on the Seward Peninsula about 37 miles north of Nome is the largest known, and highest grade, large flake graphite deposit in the United States. It is wholly owned by Graphite One (Alaska), which plans to build a vertically integrated business to mine, process, and manufacture the highgrade graphite, primarily to make lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. Currently, the United States imports graphite from China. Graphite One estimates the deposit is large enough to feed the project for forty years at a rate of about 55,350 tonnes annually. Graphite has been mined at the site on a small scale for a century. In January, the federal government determined that the project qualifies as a High Priority Infrastructure Project, which gives Graphite One access to a more efficient federal permitting process. The company plans to complete its pre-feasibility study in mid-2021.
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Manh Choh A gold deposit near the village of Tetlin off the Alaska Highway in eastern Alaska is in its scoping phase. Formerly www.akbizmag.com
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Environmental Impact Statement Joint Record of Decision and a wetlands permit for a 211-mile access road that will connect with the Dalton Highway. The Ambler Road has proven to be a contentious topic, with a tribal consortium and five Alaska Native tribal governments having filed a lawsuit to stop it, saying the federal review of the road's impact was "rushed, flawed, premature, and inadequate." The road itself is expected to cost at least a half billion dollars to construct. In February, Ambler Metals entered into an agreement with the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA)—the state's investment arm— to evenly split $70 million in predevelopment work on the road. “We value the relationship that we’ve established with AIDEA and this agreement will further advance our partnership to develop the long-term potential for the Ambler Mining District,” says Ramzi Fawaz, president and CEO of Ambler Metals.
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“The gold market’s continued strength gives us strong motivation to advance our work to establish the best foundation to support future development. The 11.5 million ounce gold resource at the Livengood Gold Project is in a premier jurisdiction and the large resource size gives our project high leverage to the gold price.” Karl Hanneman, CEO, International Tower Hill Mines
called Peak Gold, Kinross Alaska acquired a 70 percent interest in the site in September 2020. In February, Kinross announced the site has been renamed "Manh Choh," which was chosen by Village of Tetlin Chief Michael Sam and the tribal council.
Manh Choh means Big Lake in the Upper Tanana Athabascan language, a reference to nearby Tetlin Lake. Kinross, which operates the Fort Knox gold mine about 250 miles northwest of Manh Choh, plans to build an open pit mine at the site
and truck the ore to its existing mill and processing infrastructure. The site contains approximately 1 million ounces of relatively high-grade gold, about 6 grams per tonne. The project is in the preliminar y economic assessment stage. Kinross expects to complete permitting and a feasibility study by the end of 2022. Production is expected to begin in 2024 and continue for about four years, although there is the potential for additional gold discoveries in the area. "Blending higher grade ore from the Peak Gold project with Fort Knox ore is expected to extend mill operation at Fort Knox, reduce overall costs, and increase cash flow," according to Kinross.
Niblack Project After a several-year hiatus, work resumed in 2020 at the Niblack Project in Southeast Alaska. Niblack is a high-grade copper, zinc, gold, and silver prospect about 30 miles southwest of Ketchikan. Heatherdale Resources has a 100 percent interest in Niblack. The
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of this area and the entire Niblack Property," he says.
Palmer Project The Palmer Project is a copper, zinc, silver, gold, and barite prospect about 35 miles southeast of Haines. The advanced exploration project is operated by Constantine North under a joint partnership between Constantine (51 percent) and Dowa Metals & Mining (49 percent). Development is primarily underground and not far from historic placer mines. The mineralization at Palmer occurs in the same belt of rocks as the Greens Creek mine, the company says. A preliminary economic assessment was completed in June 2019 and shows a mine life of about eleven years.
Bokan-Dotson Ridge The Bokan-Dotson Ridge Rare Earth Mine on the southern tip of Prince of Wales Island hosts highgrade rare earth elements, such as dysprosium, terbium, and yttrium, which are used in high-tech products. It is an advanced exploration project
under development by Ucore Rare Metals. In 2019, its mineral resources were upgraded with an additional 38.5 thousand tonnes of critical and strategic metals, including niobium, zirconium, beryllium, hafnium, titanium, and vanadium. Currently, the United States must import rare earth elements from China. "Not only are these ancillary metals valuable augmenting components of the Bokan Resource, they're among a select group of metals now earmarked by the US government as critically required by domestic growth industries," says Mike Schrider, Ucore COO. The company is talking with AIDEA about its plans to build a separation and processing plant in Ketchikan operated under wholly owned subsidiary Alaska SMC. "Ucore is very appreciative of the efforts by the AIDEA board and staff as we pursue a potential codevelopment partnership which will greatly benefit the state of Alaska and contribute to critical-metals independence for the United States," Schrider says.
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company reorganized in 2020 with the appointment of Robert McLeod as president and CEO, and work at Niblack resumed. Niblack was first mined in the early 1900s as an underground mine and the site consists of an underground tunnel and several major deposits. Niblack is located at tidewater and ore could be barged to a central processing facility at low cost. In 2020, Heatherdale undertook a drilling program to further outline the deposit, with promising results. Additional drilling is planned for this year, underground at the Lookout zone and on the surface at the highgrade Dama Cu zone, according to the company. "We are exceptionally encouraged with our first round of drilling, targeting some of the highest-grade massive-sulfide mineralization that has been recognized on the property," McLeod says. The 2020 work showed that the deposit extends in a different direction than what was previously thought. "This confirmation has significantly increased the exploration potential
Mines employ a range of workers to start and maintain operations By Bruno J. Navarro
Coeur Alaska
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What Does It I Mean to Mine?
t takes a team of highly-trained, skilled individuals to keep a mine running. From heavy machinery operators moving massive amounts of earth to core sampling specialists who help determine an area’s mineral and chemical makeup, a mine requires professionals performing a variety of duties—including some unexpected ones. Rochelle Lindley, community and government affairs manager at Coeur Alaska, says that the exact composition of jobs can change from site to site.
54 | April 2021
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Career Opportunities Opportunities for career advancement vary according to position, but all hourly roles—including miners, maintenance workers, electricians, and technicians—follow a progression from supervisor, foreman, to manager. Salaried personnel also have opportunities for career growth with junior, senior, and management level roles for accounting, engineering, geology, and human resources departments, to name a few. “Coeur Alaska Kensington Mine believes that its most valuable resource is its people and is committed to developing talent and promoting from within,” Lindley says, noting that more than 50 percent of the general workforce and 70 percent of the management team has worked at Coeur Alaska Kensington Mine for at least five years.
Developing a Local Workforce Lindley says that the Coeur Alaska Kensington Mine “is committed to www.akbizmag.com
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“Every mine site is different, and therefore core positions will vary depending on numerous characteristics including the specific type of mining being done, the ore being processed, the logistics of the mine site, and the environment in which the mine is located,” she says. Coeur Alaska’s Kensington Mine is an underground, hard rock gold mine located off the road system approximately 45 miles northwest of Juneau. The mine, Lindley says, has critical job classifications that include health and safety, operations, environmental, technical services, and administration. At Kensington Mine, core positions include safety coordinators, environmental coordinators, underground miners, diesel mechanics, water treatment plant operators, mill operators, millwrights, accountants, geologists, mine engineers, warehouse technicians, procurement specialists, surface operators, assay technicians, electricians, management, and administration. Lindley adds that “each position in every department plays a pivotal role in facilitating mine production.”
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Environmental department staff perform regularly scheduled water quality monitoring of Johnson Creek. Coeur Alaska
hiring a diverse workforce, which includes local and Alaska Native hire.” The company has an agreement in place with three local Alaska Native corporations to encourage employment from their shareholders, with opportunities for both contractors and subcontractors. Its human resources department works with Alaska Native partner organizations to share recruitment opportunities. “Over 50 percent of the total workforce are Alaska residents, and over 30 percent reside in Juneau,” Lindley says.
Coeur Alaska Kensington Mine partners with the University of Alaska’s Mining and Petroleum Training Services (MAPTS) to provide residents with the opportunity to complete a six-week training program. Lindley says that participants who successfully complete the program and meet all HR requirements will qualify to begin a fulltime position as either an underground miner or maintenance technician. Lindley says that most jobs are yearround positions, but some seasonal opportunities exist as well, such as seasonal equipment operators and
“seasonal marine mammal observers to count and record mammals during the twice-a-day employee boat commute.”
Welcoming Newcomers Phil Hetle, general manager at AKHIRE, an Anchorage-based employment agency that also operates in Juneau, says that there are career opportunities for people who are new to the industry. “Most of the people I hire have not worked in a mine before, so there’s a federal training program,” he says. “We help people get through that.” Hetle adds that it typically takes up to four days to complete the necessary training, some of which is mandated by the US Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration to ensure the safety of mine workers. Hetle says that most of the people who begin the training will complete it and move on to potentially lucrative jobs at one of Alaska’s various mining sites. “Most of them stick it out. It’s my job to find people that will,” he says. “I’m sure I’ve had them quit before, I just can’t think of any. If they’re willing
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“Every mine site is different, and therefore core positions will vary depending on numerous characteristics including specific type of mining being done, the ore being processed, the logistics of the mine site, and the environment in which the mine is located.” Rochelle Lindley, Community and Government Affairs Manager, Coeur Alaska
Electricians, mechanics, welders, and general contractors are all in demand, not necessarily for a mine itself but perhaps for the temporary camps that need to be built to house mine workers and provide support services. “If I had someone who’d done the same job, that would be amazing,” Hetle says, though he adds that it’s not common. What’s important, he adds, is that a prospective employee has the correct aptitude for mine site work.
Beyond that, much of the specific knowledge can be taught. “We’ll bring people in and train them on the ins and outs of what they do. As long as they have some of those other pieces, then we can train them for the next step,” Hetle says. As to the most attractive qualification for mining jobs, Hetle says this: “Anyone who has experience in a mine… because the mine experience is something all its own.”
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to do the training, typically they're pretty committed.” While mines operate year-round, construction workers are busier from spring to the early fall, making those types of jobs more common, Hetle says. “You will find journeymen mechanics who are taking a temporary job, and then there’s other people who have spent a career in a mine or rock quarry.” Hetle, who says he has hired about twenty people in the past year for mine-specific jobs, estimates that workers are evenly split between the two types of tenures. But mines need other types of workers, too. “Some of what we do is in the mines, but we tend to be a contractor supplier,” Hetle says. “We provide staff on-site at the mine, and most of our people are what I would call mechanical-style people.” Hetle says that workers are also needed for a couple of different mechanical groupings—including those who operate vehicles, such as bulldozers, and on-site machinery, such as a rock crusher or conveyor.
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Underground miner sprays down the rock to inspect the surface. Coeur Alaska
“Mines need a wide variety of jobs that you would not normally think of because most of the time they’re remote. ” Deantha Skibinski, Executive Director, Alaska Miners Association
Potentially Lucrative Prospects The mining industry accounts for some of Alaska’s highest-paying jobs, with an estimated annual wage of $115,320—more than twice the state average for all sectors of the economy. In all, the total payroll for jobs directly and indirectly linked to the mining industry hit $890 million in 2020, according to a report published in February 2021 by the Alaska Miners Association. Deantha Skibinski, executive director of the AMA, says that jobs at mining sites often exist outside the scope of what is commonly associated with the exploration and extraction industry. “Mines need a wide variety of jobs that you would not normally think of because most of the time they’re remote,” she says. “If you’re in the middle of nowhere, you have to build a camp. And you’ll need the IT guy to keep all the communications going.” While mining operations near metropolitan areas such as Juneau or Fairbanks might be able to rely on the services they provide, other operations need to set up what amounts to a small city. That includes chefs, medical personnel, diesel mechanics, and other professions not generally found 58 | April 2021
in the Alaska wilderness. “You don’t have urgent care down the street and can’t take your car to Jiffy Lube,” Skibinski adds. Yet some high-demand jobs are also needed elsewhere. Diesel mechanics, for instance, are useful across a variety of sectors. “We train them, and they’re stolen away by the construction or oil industry,” Skibinski says. “They’re highly sought-after.” A wealth of commercial drivers’ training programs across the state help train haul truck drivers, too, she adds. And the demand for qualified workers remains steady. “For our large mining operations in Alaska, they operate 24/7, 365 days a year—so those jobs are very stable, year-round, and very full-time,” Skibinski says. “Meanwhile exploration projects at placer mining operations occur only in the summertime, from break-up to freeze-up,” she says, indicating the period from March or late April (early to mid-May in some areas) to September or October.
Training Key For some technical and vocational careers, university programs help
provide students with the necessary education, many of them via degreeseeking programs. UAS in Juneau is one such institution, Skibinski says, adding that they also provide high-school students with exposure to a variety of mining careers. “You could end up with a full-time job making $70,000 to $80,000 a year right out of college,” Skibinski explains, adding that mining companies are interested in developing talent among local residents. To that end, facilities like the Delta Mine Training Center in Delta Junction help provide handson experience. Training programs such as Rural Reach provide similar opportunities for locals, while others include the Alaska Technical Center in Kotzebue, which benefits from a partnership with NANA and Teck Resources’ Red Dog Mine about 80 miles away, and EXCEL Alaska, which works closely with Donlin Gold to prepare residents for potential careers within the region. “As long as those qualified people are there, that’s the first place they go to hire,” Skibinski says. Skibinski notes that Donlin Gold embarked on a drilling and exploration project last summer, working with twenty communities in the region to find a reliable workforce. “Just like Red Dog, they want to be able to hire from the area,” Skibinski says. “People [who] already want to live in Alaska.” And for state residents, there is the prospect of generational employment. “Anecdotally, there are lots and lots of people who started as a geologist right out of college or a haul truck driver right out of a training program and advanced so much in their training and abilities that they might have a child who follows in their footsteps,” she says, citing one family who has been working at the Usibelli Coal Mine near the town of Healy for three generations. “I think that for someone who is just starting out at a mine, there's tons of opportunity for advancement, and I think that there’s always an opportunity because there’s such a diversity of work,” she says. “There’s a lot more opportunity to grow into a position that a lot of other types of operations don’t have.”
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O The Top Five of
the Top 100
Providence tops list again, Fred Meyer makes entry
60 | April 2021
ver the past year, the top five private employers in the state provided jobs for more than 19,500 people—jobs that support families and the community, not just with the tangible dollars in hand but also by providing stability and security when uncertainty and fear abound. One purpose of the Corporate 100 is to celebrate those companies that find ways to keep Alaskans employed, even as budgets shrink. The five companies here lead by example, representing about one-quarter (26 percent) of the 74,537 Alaska jobs reported by the 2021 Alaska Business Corporate 100.
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Ranked #1 by employing 5,000 Alaskans* Providence Health & Services Alaska reported in 2019 it had invested $65 million throughout the state’s communities as part of its mission to make healthcare readily available to any Alaskan who needs it. Preston Simmons, the organization’s CEO, could have never known just how important his words would become when he wrote in the annual report’s executive summary, “Community partnerships are a critical part of fulfilling our commitment to those in need.” Providence Health & Services Alaska first appeared in the Corporate 100 rankings in 1998 with 2,261 Alaska employees; it has appeared among the state’s top employers every year since except one. The organization reports it experienced 4 percent employment growth in 2021 for its Alaska employees. Worldwide employee numbers remained flat at 120,000. Guided by its core values of compassion, dignity, justice,
excellence, and integrity, Providence Health & Services Alaska’s 5,000 Alaskan employees have worked under tremendous pressure this past year to make sure every person who needed care received it. Whether that was in a COVID-19 isolation ward or through the organization’s recently-opened Express Care and Express Care Virtual care models, every worker in the healthcare organization contributed to caring for Alaska in 2020. And for that we’re all grateful.
NANA Ranked #2 by employing 4,750 Alaskans* NANA moved up three spots in the Corporate 100 rankings this year by reporting about 1,700 additional Alaskan employees. The Alaska Native corporation’s companies range from construction and engineering to information technology and telecommunications, facilities and logistics, and resource management. Employment opportunities span the gamut from entry-level positions to highly-skilled professional roles. NANA, like every company in every
industry, felt the effects of COVID-19. Despite developing strong safety protocols and working closely with upper Kobuk communities, the continued uncertainty of COVID-19, in conjunction with an already delayed and therefore much shortened field season, led Ambler Metals and NANA to cancel the Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects 2020 summer exploration program.
“We know the decision to delay work until next year affects everyone involved.” Darryl Steane, past Interim President Ambler Metals
“We know the decision to delay work until next year affects everyone involved,” said Darryl Steane, who was serving as interim president of Ambler Metals when the July 2020 news was
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Providence Health & Services Alaska
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released. “However, we believe this to be the right decision for the long term, and we remain fully committed to the UKMP.” At the same time, NANA and Teck’s flagship project, Red Dog Mine, continued operations with a few hiccups. Red Dog provides economic opportunities for independence and local control for residents of northwest Alaska. In 2019, wages paid to shareholders from mining and mineral exploration were more than $53 million and represented 61 percent of all shareholder jobs at NANA or with its partners and affiliates. NANA debuted on the Corporate 100 in 1993 with just 960 employees. The next year it grew by about 7 percent, or 300 people, and… fast forward to 2021 and NANA has grown its operations to become one of the top five employers in the state with nearly 5,000 workers.
Princess Cruises, Holland America Line & Seabourn Ranked #3 by employing 3,450 Alaskans* What can be said about the tourism industry in 2020 that hasn’t already been said over and over? It was decimated and led Princess Cruises to temporarily pause its global ship operations. Sister companies Seabourn and Holland America also stayed docked. In early March, Seabourn announced that while it is maintaining optimism for the “ultimate restart of travel” it was also taking a practical approach and extending its current operational pause. “Our highest priorities are compliance, environmental protection, and the health, safety, and well-being of our guests, crew, and the people in destinations we visit,” said Josh Leibowitz, president of Seabourn in a company release. “We understand guests are eager to travel and, even though we have extended our pause in operations a bit further, we continue to prepare to welcome them back once again.” Holland America extended its hiatus through the end of April and canceled all Alaska cruises through mid-May, Alaska departures on three ships through early June, and any Land+Sea 62 | April 2021
Journeys connected with canceled Alaska sailings. But the companies continue to look to the future, providing creative travel options (such as HAL@HOME, a virtual series showcasing Holland America experiences and artists) while awaiting the safe return of cruising and managing to keep 3,450 Alaskans employed during this past year.
Fred Meyer Ranked #4 by employing 3,377 Alaskans* If you live in Alaska, you know Fred Meyer. The company is based in Portland with more than 130 stores throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska. Fred Meyer offers one-stop shopping with employment opportunities in apparel, housewares, food, pharmacy, and home electronics, as well as in its division office.
“Our highest priorities are compliance, environmental protection, and the health, safety, and well-being of our guests, crew, and the people in destinations we visit. Ranked #5 by employing 3,000” Josh Leibowitz, President, Seabourn
Fred Meyer’s parent company, Kroger, said of its broad COVID-19 precautions: “As America’s grocer, our most urgent mission is to be here for our customers when they need us most, with open stores and openhearted hospitality. We’re taking proactive steps to protect the health and safety of our associates, customers, and communities, including adjusted store operating hours, enhanced cleaning procedures,
physical distancing precautions, and expanded associate benefits.” The biggest merger in Kroger’s history was Fred Meyer in 1999. The $13 billion deal created a supermarket chain with the “broadest geographic coverage and widest variety of formats in the food retailing industry.” Fred Meyer operates eleven food and ten jewelry stores in Alaska. The company reports it reinvests more than $1 million annually in the community at food banks, nonprofits, and schools.
Trident Seafood Corporation Ranked #5 by employing 3,000 Alaskans* “The story of Trident Seafoods starts back in 1961, when a 19-year-old kid with nothing but a dream drove an old Ford from Tennessee to Seattle in search of a great adventure at sea,” begins founder Chuck Bundrant’s account of starting the company with partners Kaare Ness and Mike Jacobson more than forty years ago. Today Trident reports it is the largest vertically integrated seafood company in North America; it operates its own fishing fleet (in addition to partnering with independent, local fishers) and processes the catch on both on- and off-shore processing plants. The company did not go without its share of COVID-19 struggles. Trident saw outbreaks throughout the year at several of its processing plants, both on- and off-shore, but said it was committed to focusing its efforts on eliminating COVID-19 to ensure a safe working environment for all 3,000 employees in Alaska. The company’s safety precautions include fourteenday required quarantines, daily health monitoring with temperature checks, and COVID-19 PCR testing. Trident first appeared in the Corporate 100 rankings in 1994 with 2,555 employees in Alaska. It offers employment opportunities in Alaska, Washington, Minnesota, and Georgia for seasonal, hourly, corporate, vessel, and skilled trades. *Editor's note: During our data collection process, we ask potential Corporate 100 employers to report their peak number of employees if employee numbers fluctuate seasonally.
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Span Alaska Delivers By Tasha Anderson
S
pan Alaska ranked Gold as a Quest for Quality Regional LTL Carrier in 2020; that ranking is based on customer service, on-time performance, value, information technology, and equipment and operations. The Gold ranking reflects Span Alaska’s mission, which is to ensure its customers receive the highest level of service and reliability when shipping their goods to, from, and within Alaska. And while the pandemic changed a lot of things, it didn’t change that. “We are very proud to serve the state of Alaska for more than forty years, and we understand our responsibility as a transportation lifeline of food and essential supplies throughout this crisis,” says Span Alaska President Tom Souply. “We have had no disruptions or slowdowns during the COVID pandemic—and that is a testament to our employees who understand this responsibility, who care about what they do every day, taking care of our customers and those communities.”
messages by text, email, voicemail—or all three—to any or all employees within two minutes,” Souply says. Along with such alerts, Souply now participates in virtual meetings throughout the day to maintain lines of communication across the organization. He meets on Zoom daily with the Span Alaska executive team: “There are five people that get on the call each morning, and we review all protocols that are required and mandated by the CDC and by the states to make sure that we’re in line with those protocols. “We also go through—on every call— talking about any employee who has reported an illness, trying to understand what their symptoms are, and making sure that we manage that appropriately. We err on the side of caution and, in many cases, have had employees stay
home, get tested, and then determine what the next steps are. We work with those employees and their families until they’re able to come back.” The executive team is especially vigilant because the nature of Span Alaska’s work prevents many employees from working remotely; as of yet, containers don’t get loaded and unloaded by robots, and trucks don’t drive themselves. However, as of publication, many Span Alaska office employees are working from home in accordance with various city, state, and federal guidelines. “We’ve got an amazing IT team that has enabled us to get everybody booted up in their home and be effective working from home,” Souply says. He says Span Alaska is looking forward to having all of its employees
COVID-19 Early in the pandemic, companies that adapted quickly and efficiently were the same companies that focused on communication at all levels, and Span Alaska was no exception. In addition to ramping up utilization of Zoom and maintaining other, established forums such as newsletters, quarterly updates, and town halls, “We realized we needed a quick way to communicate to our employees if our operations are affected by emergency stay-athome orders and other restrictions. We implemented an alert system that sends
64 | April 2021
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Adjust and Expand
source transportation provider. We listened to them.” Managing a cold chain service isn’t as straightforward as managing ambient commodities: it requires additional infrastructure and temperaturecontrolled delivery trucks. Span Alaska also programmed its tracking system to identify and mark chill or frozen shipments, which enable constant monitoring throughout the journey. To further improve efficiency, the dual temperature-controlled delivery trucks carry chilled or frozen shipments or a combination of the two. “We load both types and monitor temperatures in each zone,” Souply says. “The chain of custody is critical when you’re dealing with food, medicine, and other perishable products, and that means that from the time we receive freight at our loading facility near the Port of Tacoma, we monitor its
Span Alaska
Outside of its safety protocols, Span Alaska is evolving and expanding in several ways that benefit its customers. In 2019, the transportation provider
completed its new flagship facility, the Anchorage Service Center. “It’s a state-of-the-art building and was the largest private construction project in Alaska at the time,” Souply says. Centrally located in the commercial section of Anchorage, Souply says it also streamlines and accelerates Span Alaska operations. And the Anchorage Service Center set the company up for another exciting development: Span Alaska has launched a new service for chilled and frozen commodities. “Now that we’ve built the new Anchorage facility, we have the capacity and infrastructure to enable us to provide cold chain logistics for our customers,” Souply says. “We have several customers that are moving both ambient freight (meaning it does not need to travel at a specific temperature) and temperature-control freight. They have clamored for this because they want to use a single-
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back in the office. “Our goal is to continue to be as safe as possible, and we will follow all of the required protocols until the pandemic ends.” Of course, a focus on safety didn’t start for Span Alaska in the spring of 2020. As Souply puts it: “Our first priority is the safety of our people, from the front desk to the loading dock to the drivers and mechanics.” Exactly what “safe” means has certainly evolved, and that rather abrupt evolution forced many companies to test their adaptability. “We’ve learned that we can be nimble when we need to be nimble,” Souply says. “And we have become very nimble at changing and adapting to the environment.”
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The Anchorage Service Center was purpose-built to improve customer experience, streamline freight handling, and enable faster delivery of cargo to its final destination. Span Alaska
temperature to ensure it’s maintained in the correct cold zone,” he explains. Span Alaska documents the freight’s temperature when it’s received, as it travels, and all the way to delivery at the customer’s facility. “It’s critical the ‘chain of custody’ of this freight is secure and documented… so we have provided additional training to our employees,” he adds. Employees were trained on various protocols, including the importance of keeping food-grade freight at temperature and how to stow it safely as it’s transported.
Employees and Community A cold chain service—or any logistics service—is impossible without all employees working to ensure freight is moved safely and efficiently; and it highlights how critical every employee is to Span Alaska’s operations, a fact that certainly doesn’t escape the attention of the company’s executive team. “Recognition is a big part of the [parent company] Matson and Span Alaska corporate culture,” Souply says. “The highest employee honor is the Presidential Award, which is given to just a few employees each year for their exceptional service.” In addition to employee of the year and employee of the month awards that recognize stellar achievements, Span Alaska has a program called Span Bucks, which gives employees monetary rewards for exceptional work that can be used in the company store. 66 | April 2021
And the company also facilitates employees recognizing and honoring each other. “This includes an online program in which employees give points to other employees to be redeemed for gifts. And if an employee wants to quickly recognize another employee, we have the Mahalo Award, which means ‘thank you’ in Hawaiian. It’s a $25 gift card that is given without the need for manager approval,” Souply explains. Enabling employees to support each other fits within Souply’s vision of leadership. “I view all 200-plus employees as leaders,” he says. ”We do not micromanage; it’s my role to help provide our team with the resources, tools, and technology that will allow them to meet our customer’s expectations and company goals. “It’s all about empowerment,” he continues. “We believe our managers
should have the autonomy to lead their operations. They, in turn, give employees the freedom to do their jobs, meet internal expectations, and fulfill customer needs.” This is part of a larger company culture that Souply says is inclusive, fosters camaraderie, and respects diversity. “The direction to the leadership team is simple—promote a work environment that motivates each employee always to bring his or her highest effort.” And that culture expands beyond Span Alaska. “Our culture was a perfect match for Matson when we were acquired in 2016. Matson, based in Hawaii, fosters a culture of Ohana— the Hawaiian word for family. Not just within the organization, but in the communities we serve,” Souply says. Through the pandemic, Matson and Span Alaska committed $500,000 in cash and aid to food banks located where the companies operate. And in November, Matson announced a $5 million donation extending through 2023 to food banks in Alaska, Hawaii, and Guam to continue supporting those communities as the effects of the pandemic linger. Souply says, “Since our start in 1978, Span Alaska has been blessed with great customers and very loyal employees. We work hard each day to earn our customers’ trust and find ways to grow our loyalty with our employees. “It’s a complex operation to coordinate thousands of shipments a week that are moving by ocean and truck that can deliver to virtually any address in Alaska, whether in Anchorage or the most remote communities, like Utqiaġvik. Our team of experts welcomes this challenge every day.”
Despite the challenges COVID-19 has presented, Span Alaska had no slow downs or disruptions during the pandemic. Span Alaska
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
Resiliency and preparation characterize Fairweather team By Arie Henry
C
omplex logistics. Unforgiving weather. Bears… These are just some of the major challenges that come with resource development in Alaska. They are also precisely where support service company Fairweather (ranked number eighty-three on this year’s Corporate 100) has excelled for the last forty-five years. There is no question that support services play a vital, necessary role in responsible development in Alaska. And if there is one company that can support industry across the board in this state, it is Fairweather. What began as a weather observation provider for the aviators supporting remote industry sites has grown to include an entire array of services for Alaska’s resource developers. Fairweather—founded in 1976 by pilot Sherron Perry—provides services to clients in the oil and gas, mining, commercial fishing, and construction industries; it even provides support for scientific expeditions. Alaska’s aviation industry has also benefitted greatly from the use of Deadhorse Aviation Center, a facility jointly owned by Fairweather’s parent company Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) and Kaktovik Iñupiat Corporation.
“The attitude that [Perry] helped create and that still exists in Fairweather all these years later is about, ‘What does the client need and how can we help achieve their goals in some of these really harsh and challenging places?’” says Rick Fox, CEO and coowner of Fairweather. “That’s where our expertise grew.” As the oil and gas boom helped Alaska’s economy expand, Fairweather did some expanding of its own. The company added exploration and production support activities such as logistics and drilling support, remote medical support, meteorological and oceanographic forecasting, airstrip support, and even bear guard security to its list of offerings. “I think a lot of our growth is in response to hearing what the needs of the clients are and adapting, being innovative, and trying to find solutions for operating in remote Alaska,” says Sally Marinucci, business manager at Fairweather. “And I know now that we have Deadhorse Aviation Center and are part of the Edison Chouest Offshore family of companies, [Fairweather] has obviously grown exponentially to what we are providing today.”
Fox also notes that Fairweather leverages a combination of Alaskan know-how and significant capital investment from ECO. “The Chouest family of companies are an outstanding resource to us. They were a contractor to me when I was at Shell many years ago and I had enormous appreciation for their capabilities,” he says. “They’re a resource for us in many areas, but they also help provide capital for things like the Deadhorse Aviation Center.” Thanks to ECO’s resources, Fairweather can reach out to affiliated companies with other areas of expertise to provide solutions to clients. The affiliations also provide additional benefits to Fairweather employees such as competitive health benefits and insurance options.
In-Demand Services Geographically speaking, Fairweather has served virtually every part of the state, from the Aleutians to the North Slope to the Panhandle. The company’s diverse set of services allow it to serve multiple industries at the same time. Meanwhile, Fairweather’s original aviation support services segment has remained one of its main businesses.
Fairweather
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Faring Well
68 | April 2021
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
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Fairweather employees in Anchorage participate in a citywide clean up. Fairweather
Fairweather bear guards participate in a skills check and training class. Fairweather
A GROL Electrician installing an airstrip in Black Rock City, Nevada (also known as the location for Burning Man), pictured here next to a Fairweather wind sock. Fairweather
Alaska Business
April 2021 | 69
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“All the aviation support is still a core business for us,” says Fox. “We’re probably the only provider of remote runway systems—the complete airportin-a-box package. You just put the gravel down, we’ll get you certified, do all the lights, weather stations, everything.” Fairweather has also seen plenty of demand for its Quality, Health, Safety, and Environment (QHSE) support services. One facet of those QHSE services is North Slope Training Cooperative (NSTC) training to Fairweather employees. According to Ezequiel Chalbaud, Fairweather’s director of QHSE, his specialty has a reputation for requiring extensive networks of systems, policies, and procedures as well as copious documentation. While those aspects are important, Chalbaud says it is arguably just as important to combine that systematic approach with a personal component to gain buy-in from each employee. Marinucci and Chalbaud agree that the QHSE team has become so integrated within Fairweather’s COVID-19 response that a great amount of focus has been placed on the "H" of "QHSE." This includes physical health and mental health. The pandemic has given Fairweather the opportunity to bring health to the forefront of the QHSE field and take a more in depth look at a whole health approach for its employees. “QHSE is a very personal thing. It’s truly based on person-to-person interactions and actively caring for each other,” says Chalbaud. “So it’s a way to marry the system-based processes with what makes an individual tick; what do you care about? What motivates you to stay healthy and motivates those around you to do the same? And that’s what’s so satisfying about this field—you get to touch on people’s core values and expand into the workplace and the processes by which you work.” Even prior to the pandemic, this aspect of Fairweather’s operations has proven to be a source of continuous business, helping boost company growth. “The medical and the health parts have become a bigger part of our company than I expected,” says Fox. “But we’ve got the right services now to provide a balance and we’re just getting
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proud to have been able to support our clients and our community with COVID-19 testing, monoclonal antibody infusions, and COVID-19 vaccinations. We are also very proud of our service at the Alaska Airlines Center, providing upwards of 1,000 COVID-19 vaccinations per day.” Guy Miyagishima, general manager at Fairweather, adds that Fairweather’s entire year in 2020 is an example of the company's diligent and engaged approach to business. “That goes for everything from our people volunteering to work on their time off to help the community, help the state, help the company, and help our clients with COVID to people from companies coming to us, saying ‘Listen, we know that you guys are providing these services, and on my time off from my regular job, I’d like to be part of Fairweather.’”
Bob Baker, a Fairweather Bear Guard in Southeast Alaska, on assignment. Fairweather
better at all of them. If the state allows for the continued development on the North Slope, it’ll be a very good several years for us.” Then there are the bears. Considering the remote nature of its clients’ work, protecting crews from overly curious wildlife has become another Fairweather specialty. In fact, many Fairweather personnel are cross-trained as bear guards to provide additional project support, all in accordance with the US Marine Mammal Protection Act. Part of Fairweather’s success can be traced to the relationships it has cultivated in the business community. According to Marinucci, the company has current and active memberships with multiple trade associations, including the Alaska Miners Association, the Alaska Support Industry Alliance, the Anchorage and Alaska Chambers of Commerce, and Resource Development Council. “We try to be very active with all of those trade associations for a variety of reasons,” she explains. “It’s mutually beneficial, it provides a way to educate our staff on some local challenges within different sectors in Alaska that may affect our clients and services.” In addition to trade associations, Fairweather is an active supporter and collaborator with the Alaska Safety Alliance (ASA), especially when it comes to NSTC certification—one of the most 70 | April 2021
essential requirements for workers on the Slope.
Powered by People Fox believes that Fairweather’s allAlaskan personnel is what sets the company apart. “I would say that if you went to one of our locations and saw how we manage safety, you would say that there’s a lot of ownership and teamwork around that,” says Fox. “People are looking out for each other and being proactive to prevent [accidents]. You would see a sort of esprit de corps, if you will, around that issue—no one putting it off on somebody else. It’s people that care about each other, want to be safe, and have the right tools to do it.” A little more than a year ago the pandemic and falling oil prices caused many of Fairweather’s clients to cancel planned activities, which had an immediate impact on Fairweather’s own workload. Other issues like testing, quarantines, and travel soon became logistical challenges as well. Fairweather works with clients to find safe solutions that allow work to continue while protecting both the clients’ people and its own. Marinucci notes this has been and continues to be an ever-changing effort. “We found ways to get involved in supporting communities around the state as well,” she says. “We are
Flying into the Future Without hesitation, Fox credits the people that make up Fairweather’s workforce as the key differentiator when it comes to the reasons their clients and partners choose to work with the company. And with a 100 percent Alaska-based workforce, resiliency and preparation are key characteristics for Fairweather personnel. “It’s the culture that we have that our clients appreciate, the culture around safety makes it part of our success story, if you will. We have a quite a range of services that allows us to survive— when things go wrong in one area we manage to get through another.” Fox feels confident about the road ahead, re-emphasizing Fairweather’s diverse offerings and potential developments in the Western North Slope, ANWR, and even in the continued dialogue surrounding natural gas. Out of all that is possible in Alaska’s industrial future, only a portion of that potential development needs to come to fruition for Fairweather to fully thrive in 2021 and beyond. “I have to admit that the biggest way that we know we’re doing well is not by those nice emails [from clients], but by them calling us up and asking us to do more work. The truth is, when they want you to come help them again… that’s how we’ve grown.”
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
At SEARHC, healthy is here. SEARHC is proud of each and every one of our employees and applauds the work they did over the last year to offer high-quality healthcare closeto-home in Southeast Alaska. Our excellent staff provided high-quality medical, dental and behavioral health services in 27 communities, delivered 107 babies, conducted 188,494 outpatient visits, conducted over 95,000 COVID-19 tests and rolled out vaccinations across Southeast Alaska. And their hard work didn’t go unnoticed, 99.3% of patients reported a positive satisfaction score.
To learn more about our work in Southeast, visit searhc.org. If you are looking for a new career and would like to join our team, visit our job opportunities at searhc.org/careers.
HC Contractors
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Right Time, Right Place, Right People By Tasha Anderson 72 | April 2021
B
y the time Bill Hoople founded HC Contractors in 1993, he’d been working in engineering and construction in Alaska for fifteen years. Educated as an engineer (he earned his PE in 1971 and his master’s in civil engineering in 1982), Hoople moved to Alaska in 1975 to work on a construction project. Following that first project, for several years Hoople alternatively worked as a tradesperson or providing engineering services. “During the time I was working as an engineer, I received a call from a larger contractor in Alaska that asked me if I would be interested in working for them, so I took the job because I actually prefer construction to design: the outdoors, and the activity, and the change of pace is much more my style,” Hoople says. That was in 1981, a few years before the mid-80s recession in Alaska. During the recession, the company Hoople worked for closed—and he was out of a job. Hoople’s wife, family, and friends encouraged him to start his own business, but he was hesitant. Instead, he went back to school, taking night classes to study accounting, hoping to build up his skillset to run a business. “I did that for a year or so and then I thought, ‘Oh, I’ll just do it.’”
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
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“We treat our owners and the people we work with all the same. Integrity is a big part of it. We do what we say, and we always do what's right. It's important to be honest, but you also have to be humble. Listening is an important quality of leadership, and so people need to listen to others, and I find that that's got me farther than anything. If I just don't know the best way to solve a tough situation, I ask. Those are important things to do to be successful.” Bill Hoople, Owner, HC Contractors
in building a lot of overpasses in Fairbanks, and I wanted to bid on that kind of work,” Hoople says. However, he realized his ability to bid on those kinds of jobs was limited unless he had an asphalt plant, so he bought one in Illinois to ship north. Alaska Business
HC Contractors’ “first big job” was on the Richardson Highway, “which was about six miles or so right outside our ‘office’—or our project location or our property location— we didn’t have much of an office at the time,” Hoople says. “We paved a four-lane highway on our first job. It turned out well and we just went from there.” Today Hoople says most of HC Contractors’ revenue comes through contracts with the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities doing road and highway work. As of mid-March the company was performing heav y civil work, paving, bridge work, utilities, and road construction. “Alaska is so big and there are so many kinds of projects out there. I’ve worked construction, I worked in the Bush for a time, I worked on schools, I worked on large utility projects—it’s all been ver y good experience for me,” Hoople says. “But I’ve used all that experience to focus on the work that I like to do and that’s best for our company. We do 90 percent road paving, utility, and bridge work now.”
The Right People As HC Contractors has developed as a company over nearly thirty years it has also employed more people, growing from the initial 3 to approximately 230 during the construction season. “I prefer to hire people locally here that we have some connection to,” Hoople says. He also looks for people who are passionate about doing good work instead of focusing solely on their technical qualifications. “I’ve found that people who maybe didn’t seem to have all the credentials were some of the best people I’ve had… the amount of work and effort they put into helping has outweighed anything they were lacking as far as experience. “People can learn—they can learn how to do most anything if they want to.” He seeks out employees who are talented and invested in a job and like the work they’re performing. “We talk a lot about that, putting people in the right place… something that they want April 2021 | 73
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HC Contractors Hoople launched HC Contractors in 1993 with himself and two employees. “We made it through the first year and we just kept on going,” he says. “Actually it was much easier than I thought—I just wish I had done it sooner. I wasn’t sure I was ready, but everything worked out fine.” One of the early challenges for any construction company is being bonded. Most project owners require a construction company to be bonded to even bid on a project, which provides a certain amount of liability protection in the event that a contractor is unable to finish a project as contracted. “You have to have the experience behind you and the money behind you to support those bonds, and as you’re starting out you really don’t have that, and it’s hard to come up with the insurance,” Hoople explains. He addressed the problem by working as a subcontractor for more than five years, performing site work for building construction. “It was at the time when the military was building up and the pipeline was just going on. There was a lot of activity; it was a good time to be starting a business because there was just a lot of work,” he says. During that period HC Contractors mostly performed work at Eielson Air Force Base and Fort Wainwright, which led to work for the Fairbanks North Star Borough and the state. Around that time HC Contractors acquired a property with a concrete batch plant and large gravel pit; the previous owner, who Hoople describes as “as real pioneer,” came to Alaska in the ‘50s and was looking to sell it after a fire on the site. “I called her and asked if she’d be interested to sell anything, and so we worked out a sale, and that’s how I ended up with that source,” he says. “It was excellent timing… it was close to the military bases and it was a large and very good source, and it also had the concrete batch plant.” Shortly after, HC Contractors acquired five mixer trucks, which it shipped up from California, and draglines, which were transported across the country from New Jersey. “After we got set up here, there was more highway work and construction… I had been involved
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“During the time I was working as an engineer, I received a call from a larger contractor in Alaska that asked me if I would be interested in working for them, so I took the job because I actually prefer construction to design: the outdoors, and the activity, and the change of pace is much more my style.” Bill Hoople, Owner, HC Contractors
to do and not putting them in a position just as a job.” Once the right people are in the right place, Hoople prefers to lead his employees by working with them. “I involve everybody in the work,” he says. “People tell me that they like to work here because they like to be able to talk to the owner and work with the owner and not be in a large corporation where there are too many layers and they feel detached from the company.” He also doesn’t hesitate to ask his employees to do what needs to be done. “I put a lot on their plate, and I push them, but I think they respond better and grow better and they become more capable,” he says. “I give them more responsibility and more trust as I see they can take on more.” Hoople deliberately reinvests in the company in ways that are visible to his employees. “We’ve built a large, 10,000-square-foot shop for our mechanics to take care of equipment; we’ve added to our offices and put in new concrete plants; bought new concrete trucks and increased our fleet of equipment; and bought new equipment for the operators,” he says. “I think all that goes a long way. It’s an investment in the company, but it’s an investment in the people as well.” Beyond that, Hoople believes in treating people well across the board. “We treat everyone with respect… and people have learned that I put a lot of 74 | April 2021
emphasis on those sorts of things, on establishing good relationships and being professional. “There’s a lot of parts to a business, and employees are a large part of it. Rewarding them is important to me as well as having the business be successful because that’s how our company has been successful.” He has two specific examples: years ago HC Contractors was working on a large road project in Fairbanks. A man saw how the project was being managed, came to Hoople and said, “After I saw that project, I decided I want to work for you.” That was Greg Barker, who today is HC Contractors’ environmental, health, and safety manager. “He has extensive experience in that field… and one of the things he’s done for us is improve our safety culture and our safety,” Hoople says. “He’s reduced our experience modifier to one of the best in the industry now, and our insurance rates have fallen dramatically. It’s a huge savings to have a good safety record, and not only that, it’s so much better for employees to be safe. We don’t want anybody hurt.” And it was Travis Malin, the project manager, who directed work in such a way that it caught Barker’s eye. “Travis is young but took on responsibility from the start and has made a difference in acquiring people like Greg and making improvements,” Hoople says. The effect just builds.
Bill Hoople HC Contractors
Hoople also credits Malin with leading HC Contractors to utilize the latest technology in its operations. “We’re improving the technology aspects of the equipment—the GPS and UTS and machine controls that we use now—it all improves our operations and efficiencies, and I think it just makes a good place for people to work.” For Hoople, having a positive impact on his employees and community is a priority, and he knows their buyin is essential for HC Contractors to continue providing quality work in the future. “Everybody says how people are so important, but it’s true. I can’t do it by myself, employees are the key and their attitude is important.” He continues, “We provide a service and we want to do quality work for everybody so, when they see it, they want us to come back and do other work for them.” For Hoople success comes down to a few critical values: integrity, honesty, humility, and a willingness to listen. “We treat our owners and the people we work with all the same. Integrity is a big part of it. We do what we say, and we always do what's right. It's important to be honest, but you also have to be humble. Listening is an important quality of leadership, and so people need to listen to others, and I find that that's got me farther than anything. If I just don't know the best way to solve a tough situation, I ask. Those are important things to do to be successful.”
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
You bring out the best in us. Alaska’s most award-winning hospital.
Alaska.Providence.org Providence Alaska Medical Center, a nationally recognized trauma center and Magnet hospital, provides full-service, comprehensive care to all Alaskans, a role unmatched by any other in Alaska. Providence Alaska includes the state’s only children’s hospital and a complete array of cancer services so patients can receive care close-to-home. For more information about PAMC, visit alaska.providence.org.
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The Corporate 100 History, Facts, and Figures
A
laska Business has been celebrating the corporations that have a significant impact on Alaska’s economy since 1993. At the time, the corporations weren’t ranked as the list didn’t have specific ranking criteria. Instead, the Alaska Business editorial team held long, detailed, and occasionally passionate discussions about which organizations around the state were providing jobs, owned or leased property, used local vendors, demonstrated a high level of community engagement, and in general enriched Alaska. In 1993, had we ranked them by Alaska employees, Atlantic Richfield would’ve been number one with 2,914 Alaska employees. The top ten would’ve also included Carrs Gottstein, Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, Providence Alaska, BP Alaska, Ocean Beauty Seafoods, Veco, Lynden, and Alaska Int’l Industries. In total, the Corporate 100 in its inaugural year reported 55,023 Alaska employees and about 3 million worldwide employees. Over the years, many corporations and other interested parties reached out to us with inquiries about the Corporate 76 | April 2021
100: How does a company qualify? How are companies selected? What are the criteria for being considered? We realized that many of our readers wanted a more detailed idea of exactly what the Corporate 100 is and how companies were being selected, and of course many companies wanted clarity on what (if anything) could be done to lead to their inclusion on the list. And so in 2016 the Alaska Business team held several in-depth conversations about how to make the Corporate 100 list slightly more concrete. And in discussions about which qualities can even be quantified and ranked, we realized that for the magazine—and our readers, and most Alaskans—which corporations are providing local jobs matters. It matters to the employees, it matters to vendors and subcontractors, it matters for local policy making and community growth, it matters for corporate giving and volunteering. Having jobs in Alaska builds Alaska—there’s no question. In 2016, the first year we officially ranked the Corporate 100 companies, NANA topped the list, reporting 5,000 Alaska employees, 2,000 more than
Atlantic Richfield twenty-three years earlier. NANA was followed by Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, Providence Alaska, Fred Meyer, Carrs|Safeway, CH2M, GCI, BP Alaska, Alaska Airlines, and Bristol Bay Native Corporation. In total, in 2016 the Corporate 100 were employing 67,466 Alaskans and almost 2.5 million people worldwide. Five years later, instead of anticipating another year of growth, we braced ourselves to see a drop in employment figures because of the devastating effect of COVID-19 on employment in every community across the globe. In a testament to their commitment to Alaska, their employees, and their ability to adapt, the Corporate 100 companies, the majority of which are consistent from year to year, reported a slight dip this year in Alaska. In 2020 the group reported a total of 78,378 Alaska employees, which dropped in 2021 to 74,537, approximately 5 percent less. In contrast, the Corporate 100 reported employing 2.8 million people worldwide in 2020, and this year reported 1.5 million, a significant drop of 46 percent. Despite a hard year, the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation
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16%
The Transportation industry represents 16% of companies on the Corporate 100.
#1
Providence Health & Services Alaska has been ranked #1 two years running.
20%
The Health & Wellness industry represents 20% of employees reported by the Corporate 100.
The Seafood Industry represents 5% of companies BUT 10% of employees on the Corporate 100.
8 Corporate 100 organizations were founded in the 1800s.
Alaska Business
April 2021 | 77
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anticipates that by the end of 2021, Alaska will stop losing jobs and will even regain some positions as the tourism industry slowly rebuilds itself following the pandemic, oil prices remain strong and even gradually climb, the healthcare industry gets back on its feet, and the entire state continues to overcome a several-year recession. It’s positive news either way that many of Alaska’s largest employers have managed to keep their employees employed. And leading that list again in 2021 is Providence Health & Service Alaska, which reported 5,000 Alaska employees. It’s followed by NANA, Princess Cruises|Holland America|Seabourn, Fred Meyer, Trident Seafoods Corporation, Carrs|Safeway, Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, Southcentral Foundation, Foundation Health Partners, and GCI. While the top ten ranked entities in the Corporate 100 represent some of the state’s most prominent industries—health and wellness organizations make up 12 percent of the list, and Alaska Native corporations are 15 percent—the largest number of companies, 16 percent, come from the transportation industry. Other industries represented by the Corporate 100, all less than 10 percent, are construction, engineering, financial services, industrial services, mining, retail/wholesale trade, seafood, telecommunications, travel and tourism, and utilities. This is, unsurprisingly, an accurate representation of Alaska’s major economic sectors, even though the Corporate 100 list does not include every qualified corporation. Some decline to publish official employee numbers, and since we insist on annually updated data and company participation, we respect their right to do so. Even so, we continue to publish this list every year as it is still a highly informative look at the shape of Alaska’s economy. And while we may not be ranking these companies on philanthropic giving or how often they opt to utilize Alaska-based vendors—we know they excel in those areas as well. Congratulations to every organization that has ranked on the Alaska Business 2021 Corporate 100.
100
40,000+
Percentage of Anchorage attorneys who did pro bono work in 2020
COVID-impacted workers receiving grants from national, DWT-sponsored Restaurant Employee Relief Fund
5
120
83
Northwest college students participating in our inaugural Pre-Law Diversity Fellowship
Black entrepreneurs mentored as part of our 1:1 With Black Founders initiative
Percentage of our 2020 class of summer associates who are diverse*
82
742
Percentage of Anchorage-based attorneys who are diverse*
Pro bono hours devoted to seeking post-conviction relief for inmates found guilty by non-unanimous juries
55
14
70
DWT corporate lawyers who participated in a one-day pro bono clinic for small businesses
Workshops held for women business owners on surviving COVID
DWT lawyers and staff volunteering for voting rights hotline and as poll observers
850
1
Pro bono and community service hours completed by Anchorage DWT attorneys
New firmwide Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer
*Diverse includes women, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ, veterans, and attorneys with disabilities
BY THE NUMBERS Every year, we define our success in numbers: clients served, hours worked, deals closed, value of deals handled. This past year was unlike any other. The pandemic, the challenges to our democracy, and the exposure of deep racial inequities, all require that we look at other measures of success. Here are a few of the firm milestones from 2020 that make us most optimistic for the future. We salute our clients who also rose to the moment in 2020, caring for their employees, customers, communities and country in myriad ways that were compassionate, creative, and generous. We are honored to have assisted so many of you during this difficult year and are deeply grateful for the trust you continue to put in us. We enter 2021 with hope and conviction that the best is yet to come. Here’s to good deals and great numbers ahead!
DWT.COM Anchorage | Bellevue | Los Angeles | New York | Portland San Francisco | Seattle | Washington, D.C.
It’s April, and at Alaska Business that means spring counting instead of spring cleaning (though, of course, with COVID-19 there is some of that happening too). In particular this year we are especially enthusiastic to share with our readers the Corporate 100, Alaska’s largest employers. Every January we reach out to hundreds of Alaska corporations and nonprofits and ask them to supply us with their number of Alaska and worldwide employees; because of the seasonal nature of many of Alaska’s largest industries, we ask them to report their peak number of employees to get a clear picture of their impact on the state and those who work so hard within it. This year the Corporate 100 reported a total of 74,537 Alaskan employees across a range of sectors, including health and wellness, fisheries, retail and wholesale, transportation, Alaska Native corporations, telecommunications, oil and gas, construction, engineering, and more. The Corporate 100 operate across the state in its large population centers and in small, remote communities—and they are critical in both. Especially this year, every job counts, and it counts in more ways than one. In many ways 2020 required everyone to just grin (or frown and grumble, depending on the day) and bear it. In mid-March as we’re putting the final touches on the Corporate 100, it’s in the midst of some positive news: Alaska is excelling in vaccination distributions, the price of oil is improving, and the tourism industry is gearing up for another beautiful Alaska summer—even if that requires finding creative ways to do so. So it feels like the right time of year to celebrate more sun, warmer weather, and optimism for 2021 through the Corporate 100; these companies have kept us employed as we’ve weathered the storm, and we’re glad to see them still standing.
#1
PROVIDENCE HEALTH & SERVICES ALASKA PRESTON SIMMONS, CHIEF EXECUTIVE 3760 Piper St., Ste. 3035 Anchorage, AK 99508
alaska.providence.org 907-212-3145
Healthcare, serving Alaskans in six communities: Anchorage, Eagle River, Matanuska-Susitna Valley, Kodiak Island, Seward, and Valdez. PH&SA includes Providence Alaska Medical Center. Year Founded 1859 Year Founded in AK 1902 Employees (Worldwide) 120,000 Employees (AK) 5,000
nana.com 907-442-3301
Natural resource development, land management, federal contracting services, engineering and design, architecture, surveying and mapping, food and facilities management, camp services, security, and industrial and commercial fabrication and installation. Year Founded 1972 Year Founded in AK 1972 Employees (Worldwide) 14,749 Employees (AK) 4,750
worldsleadingcruiselines.com 907-264-8043
Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, and Seabourn own and operate 8 hotels, 20 railcars, and more than 200 buses and motor coaches in Alaska in addition to supporting port operations to the cruise business. 475 employees work yearround in the state Year Founded 1873 Year Founded in AK 1947 Employees (Worldwide) 35,000+ Employees (AK) 3,450
fredmeyer.com 907-267-6778
Retail grocery, clothing, household, and general merchandise with pharmacy, liquor, and fuel. Year Founded 1922 Year Founded in AK 1975 Employees (Worldwide) 40,154 Employees (AK) 3,377
HEALTH & WELLNESS
#2
Providence St. Joseph Health Renton, WA
NANA BILL MONET, INTERIM PRESIDENT/CEO PO Box 49 Kotzebue, AK 99752
NATIVE CORPORATION
#3
PRINCESS CRUISES, HOLLAND AMERICA LINE & SEABOURN STEIN KRUSE, GROUP CEO 720 W. Fifth Ave. Anchorage, AK 99501
TRAVEL & TOURISM
Carnival Corporation Miami, FL
FRED MEYER HOLLY MITCHELL, DISTRICT MANAGER
#4
CORP OR ATE 10 0 SPECIAL SEC TION
Corporate 100 Directory
2000 W. Dimond Blvd. Anchorage, AK 99515
RETAIL/WHOLESALE
The Kroger Co. Cincinnati OR
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#5
PO Box 66 Girdwood, AK 99587
tridentseafoods.com 206-783-3818
Trident Seafoods, 100 percent American-owned and privately held, is a seafood harvesting and processing company. The company employs more than 8,000 people and serves hundreds of independent harvesters annually. Year Founded 1973 Year Founded in AK 1973 Employees (Worldwide) 8,000 Employees (AK) 3,000
carrsqc.com 907-339-7704
Retail food, drug, and fuel. Year Founded 1901 Year Founded in AK 1950 Employees (Worldwide) 270,000 Employees (AK) 2,900
asrc.com 907-852-8633
ASRC is the largest Alaskan-owned and operated company and has six major business segments: government services, petroleum refining and marketing, energy support services, industrial services, construction, and resource development. Year Founded 1972 Year Founded in AK 1972 Employees (Worldwide) 13,667 Employees (AK) 2,700
907-729-4955
Alaska Native-owned, nonprofit healthcare organization serving nearly 65,000 Alaska Native and American Indian people living in Anchorage, Matanuska-Susitna Valley, and 55 rural villages. SCF is home to the award-winning Nuka System of Care. Year Founded 1982 Year Founded in AK 1982 Employees (Worldwide) 2,500 Employees (AK) 2,500
gci.com 907-265-5600
GCI delivers communication and technology services in the consumer and business markets. GCI has delivered services in Alaska for 40 years to some of the most remote communities and in some of the most challenging conditions in North America. Year Founded 1979 Year Founded in AK 1979 Employees (Worldwide) 1,900 Employees (AK) 1,900
foundationhealth.org 907-452-8181
Foundation Health Partners is a nonprofit, community owned health care system in based in Fairbanks, Alaska that operates the Tanana Valley Clinic, Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, and long term care facility the Denali Center. Year Founded 2017 Year Founded in AK 2017 Employees (Worldwide) 1,900 Employees (AK) 1,900
alaskaair.com 907-266-7200
Alaska Airlines and regional carrier Horizon Air provide passenger and cargo service to 115 destinations in Alaska, Canada, Mexico, Hawaii, and the Lower 48. Year Founded 1932 Year Founded in AK 1932 Employees (Worldwide) 23,000 Employees (AK) 1,800
bbnc.net 907-278-3602
Industrial services, construction, government services, tourism, and seafood. Year Founded 1972 Year Founded in AK 1972 Employees (Worldwide) 4,043 Employees (AK) 1,507
SEAFOOD
#6
CARRS SAFEWAY REINO BELLIO, GENERAL MANAGER 5600 Debarr Rd., Ste. 100 Anchorage, AK 99504
RETAIL/WHOLESALE
#7
Albertsons Companies Boise, ID
ARCTIC SLOPE REGIONAL CORPORATION REX ALLEN ROCK SR., PRESIDENT/CEO PO Box 129 Barrow, AK 99723
NATIVE CORPORATION
#8
SOUTHCENTRAL FOUNDATION APRIL KYLE, INTERIM PRESIDENT/CEO 4501 Diplomacy Dr. Anchorage, AK 99508
HEALTH & WELLNESS
#9
Cook Inlet Region, Inc. Anchorage, AK USA
GCI RON DUNCAN, CEO 2550 Denali St., Ste. 1000 Anchorage, AK 99503
#10
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
FOUNDATION HEALTH PARTNERS SHELLEY EBENAL, CEO 1650 Cowles St. Fairbanks, AK 99701
#11
HEALTH & WELLNESS
ALASKA AIRLINES BRAD TILDEN, CHAIRMAN/CEO ALASKA AIR GROUP 3600 Old International Airport Rd. Anchorage, AK 99502
TRANSPORTATION
#12
Alaska Air Group Seattle, WA
BRISTOL BAY NATIVE CORPORATION JASON METROKIN, PRESIDENT/CEO 111 W. 16th Ave., Ste. 400 Anchorage, AK 99501
NATIVE CORPORATION
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Alaska Business
April 2021 | 81
CORP OR ATE 10 0 SPECIAL SEC TION
TRIDENT SEAFOODS CORPORATION JOE BUNDRANT, CEO
#13
PO Box 244027 Anchorage, AK 99524
OIL & GAS
hilcorp.com 907-777-8300
Oil and gas operator/producer. Year Founded 2012 Year Founded in AK 2012 Employees (Worldwide) 3,200 Employees (AK) 1,450
searhc.org 907-463-4000
SEARHC is a nonprofit health consortium that serves the residents of Southeast Alaska. Providing essential healthcare services in 27 Southeast communities, SEARHC is one of the oldest and largest Native-run health organizations in the country. Year Founded 1975 Year Founded in AK 1975 Employees (Worldwide) 1,300 Employees (AK) 1,300
ppsf.com 907-497-2234
Peter Pan Seafood Company operates four shore based processing facilities in Alaska processing salmon, crab, and groundfish. Peter Pan's sales team markets seafood all over the world. Year Founded 1907 Year Founded in AK 1907 Employees (Worldwide) 1,303 Employees (AK) 1,263
northpacificseafoods.com 907-486-3234
Seafood processing and marketing. Year Founded 1972 Year Founded in AK 1972 Employees (Worldwide) 1,230 Employees (AK) 1,200
AlaskaUSA.org 907-563-4567
Alaska USA is a member-owned cooperative committed to delivering products and services that support financial wellbeing. Year Founded 1948 Year Founded in AK 1948 Employees (Worldwide) 1,865 Employees (AK) 1,173
Unisea.com 907-581-7300
UniSea's largest Alaska operations include state of the art processing facilities in Dutch Harbor. UniSea processes surimi and fillets from pollock and processes crab, cod, and halibut. Year Founded 1974 Year Founded in AK 1975 Employees (Worldwide) 1,206 Employees (AK) 1,132
conocophillipsalaska.com 907-276-1215
An independent exploration and production company. We are Alaska's largest oil producer and have been a leader in oil and gas exploration and development in the state for more than fifty years. Year Founded 1952 Year Founded in AK 1952 Employees (Worldwide) 9,680 Employees (AK) 1,110
lynden.com 907-245-1544
The Lynden family of companies provides transportation and logistics solutions in Alaska, Canada, the Pacific Northwest, Hawaii, and around the world. For more than a century, Lynden has been helping customers get the job done. Year Founded 1906 Year Founded in AK 1954 Employees (Worldwide) 2,595 Employees (AK) 1,080
#14
Hilcorp Energy Houston, TX
SOUTHEAST ALASKA REGIONAL HEALTH CONSORTIUM CHARLES CLEMENT, PRESIDENT/CEO 3100 Channel Dr., Ste. 300 Juneau, AK 99801
#15
HEALTH & WELLNESS
PETER PAN SEAFOOD COMPANY RODGER MAY, PRESIDENT/CHIEF GROWTH OFFICER PO Box 16 King Cove, AK 99612
SEAFOOD
#16
NORTH PACIFIC SEAFOODS KAZUO TAGUCHI, CHAIRMAN 627 Shelikof St. Kodiak, AK 99615
SEAFOOD
#17
Marubeni Corporation Tokyo, Japan
ALASKA USA FEDERAL CREDIT UNION GEOFFEREY S. LUNDFELT, PRESIDENT/ CEO PO Box 196613 Anchorage, AK 99519
FINANCIAL SERVICES
#18
UNISEA TOM ENLOW, PRESIDENT/CEO PO Box 920008 Dutch Harbor, AK 99692
SEAFOOD
Nippon Suisan Kaisha Tokyo, Japan
#19
CONOCOPHILLIPS ALASKA EREC ISAACSON, PRESIDENT ALASKA 700 G St., PO Box 100360 Anchorage, AK 99510
OIL & GAS
ConocoPhillips Company Houston, TX
#20
CORP OR ATE 10 0 SPECIAL SEC TION
HILCORP ALASKA DAVID WILKINS, SENIOR VP
LYNDEN JIM JANSEN, CHAIRMAN 6520 Kulis Dr. Anchorage, AK 99502
TRANSPORTATION
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#21
250 Hospital Pl. Soldotna, AK 99669
cpgh.org 907-714-4404
CPH is a Planetree designated acute care hospital offering emergency medical care, surgery, family birth center, imaging, laboratory, physical therapy, inpatient detox, addiction rehabilitation, and behavioral health. Year Founded 1971 Year Founded in AK 1971 Employees (Worldwide) 1,027 Employees (AK) 1,027
alaskacommercial.com 907-273-4600
Rural Alaska's largest retailer of food, apparel, and general merchandise with continuous service since 1867. Year Founded 1867 Year Founded in AK 1867 Employees (Worldwide) 1,000 Employees (AK) 1,000
907-581-1660
Seafood processing and sales. Year Founded 1989 Year Founded in AK 1989 Employees (Worldwide) 1,004 Employees (AK) 972
thealaskaclub.com 907-337-9550
The Alaska Club has fourteen statewide locations offering group fitness classes, state-of-the-art equipment, personal training, swimming, youth activities, amenities, and more. Providing fitness options for everyone in a safe and clean environment. Year Founded 1986 Year Founded in AK 1986 Employees (Worldwide) 900 Employees (AK) 900
colaska.com 907-273-1000
Colaska is a heavy civil contractor and part of the worldwide Colas Group. Colaska's operating companies cover all of Alaska and include QAP, Secon, Southeast Roadbuilders, Exclusive Paving, AGGPRO, Emulsion Products Company, and University RediMix. Year Founded 1999 Year Founded in AK 1999 Employees (Worldwide) 57,000 Employees (AK) 800
alyeskapipeine.com 907-787-8700
Alyeska Pipeline Service Company has operated the Trans Alaska Pipeline System since 1977 and delivered more than 18 billion barrels of oil. Focused on safe and flawless operations, employees are committed to keeping TAPS sustainable for Alaska. Year Founded 1970 Year Founded in AK 1970 Employees (Worldwide) 760 Employees (AK) 760
chugach.com 907-563-8866
The Chugach family of companies provides government services, facilities services, and energy services. Chugach also manages a diverse portfolio of investments and land/resource development opportunities. Year Founded 1972 Year Founded in AK 1972 Employees (Worldwide) 5,000 Employees (AK) 750
doyon.com 888-478-4755
Doyon, Limited operates a diverse family of companies in the areas of oil field services, utilities, construction, information technology, natural resource development, tourism, laundry, real estate, and wireless telecommunications. Year Founded 1972 Year Founded in AK 1972 Employees (Worldwide) 1,046 Employees (AK) 708
HEALTHCARE
#22
ALASKA COMMERCIAL CO. WALTER PICKETT, GENERAL MANAGER 3830 Old International Airport Rd. Anchorage, AK 99502
RETAIL/WHOLESALE
#23
The North West Co. Winnipeg, MB Canada
WESTWARD SEAFOODS MARK JOHAHNSON, PRESIDENT PO Box 920608 Dutch Harbor, AK 99692
SEAFOOD
#24
THE ALASKA CLUB ROBERT BREWSTER, CEO 5201 E. Tudor Rd. Anchorage, AK 99507
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Partnership Capital Growth San Francisco, CA
#25
COLASKA JON FUGLESTAD, PRESIDENT 4000 Old Seward Hwy., Ste. 101 Anchorage, AK 99503
INDUSTRIAL SERVICES
#26
Colas USA Morristown, NJ
ALYESKA PIPELINE SERVICE COMPANY BRIGHAM MCCOWN, PRESIDENT PO Box 196660, MS 542 Anchorage, AK 99519
#27
OIL & GAS
CHUGACH ALASKA CORPORATION SHERI BURETTA, CHAIRMAN/INTERIM PRESIDENT/CEO 3800 Centerpoint Dr., Ste. 1200 Anchorage, AK 99503
NATIVE CORPORATION
#28
CORP OR ATE 10 0 SPECIAL SEC TION
CENTRAL PENINSULA HOSPITAL RICK DAVIS, CEO
DOYON, LIMITED AARON SCHUTT, PRESIDENT/CEO 1 Doyon Pl., Ste. 300 Fairbanks, AK 99701
NATIVE CORPORATION
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#29 #30
445 N. Pittman Rd., Ste. B Wasilla, AK 99623
threebearsalaska.com 907-357-4311
Retail grocery and convenience stores, general merchandise, sporting goods (hunting, fishing, and camping), pharmacy, package stores (beer, wine, and spirits), and fuel. Year Founded 1980 Year Founded in AK 1980 Employees (Worldwide) 718 Employees (AK) 666
FNBAlaska.com 907-777-4362
Friendly Alaskans offering the convenience, service, and value of deposit, lending, wealth management services, and online and mobile banking. With assets of $4.7 billion and serving eighteen communities, we believe in Alaska and have since 1922. Year Founded 1922 Year Founded in AK 1922 Employees (Worldwide) 649 Employees (AK) 649
fedex.com 800-463-3339
Air cargo and express-package services. Year Founded 1973 Year Founded in AK 1988 Employees (Worldwide) 245,000 Employees (AK) 600
calistacorp.com 907-275-2800
Calista Corporation is the parent company of 30+ subsidiaries in the industries of defense contracting, construction, real estate, environmental services, natural resource development, marine transportation, oil field services, and heavy equipment. Year Founded 1972 Year Founded in AK 1972 Employees (Worldwide) 2,600 Employees (AK) 600
denaliuniversal.com 907-522-1300
Operational support including catering, housekeeping, facility maintenance, and security. Year Founded 1946 Year Founded in AK 1946 Employees (Worldwide) 660 Employees (AK) 600
alaskarailroad.com 907-265-2300
Freight rail transportation, passenger rail transportation, and real estate land leasing and permitting. Year-round employees 590-610; seasonal (summer) employees 125-135; total employees more than 700. Year Founded 1914 Year Founded in AK 1914 Employees (Worldwide) 600 Employees (AK) 600
hopealaska.org 907-561-5335
Providing services and support to Alaskans who experience an intellectual, developmental, or other physical disability; a traumatic brain injury; or a mental health challenge. Year Founded 1968 Year Founded in AK 1968 Employees (Worldwide) 600 Employees (AK) 600
alyeskaresort.com 907-754-2111
Alyeska Resort is Alaska's premier year-round destination. Just forty miles from Anchorage, it's a great base camp for summer and winter activities. Featuring the 300 room Hotel Alyeska, year-round mountain resort, seven restaurants, and spa. Year Founded 1959 Year Founded in AK 1959 Employees (Worldwide) 550 Employees (AK) 550
RETAIL/WHOLESALE
FIRST NATIONAL BANK ALASKA BETSY LAWER, BOARD CHAIR/CEO PO Box 100720 Anchorage, AK 99510
FINANCIAL SERVICES
#31
FEDEX EXPRESS DALE SHAW, MANAGING DIRECTOR 6050 Rockwell Ave. Anchorage, AK 99502
TRANSPORTATION
#32
FedEx Corp. Memphis, TN
CALISTA CORPORATION ANDREW GUY, PRESIDENT/CEO 5015 Business Park Blvd., Ste. 3000 Anchorage, AK 99503
NATIVE CORPORATION
#33
DENALI UNIVERSAL SERVICES MARIA BOURNE, PRESIDENT 11500 C St., Ste. 100 Anchorage, AK 99515
INDUSTRIAL SERVICES
#34
Sodexo Paris, France
ALASKA RAILROAD CORPORATION BILL O'LEARY, PRESIDENT/CEO PO Box 107500 Anchorage, AK 99510
TRANSPORTATION
#35
Alaska Dept. of Commerce, Community & Economic Development, Juneau, AK
HOPE COMMUNITY RESOURCES MICHELE GIRAULT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 540 W. International Airport Rd. Anchorage, AK 99518
#36
HEALTH & WELLNESS
ALYESKA RESORT/HOTEL ALYESKA MANDY HAWES, GENERAL MANAGER PO Box 249 Girdwood, AK 99587
TRAVEL & TOURISM
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Alaska Business
April 2021 | 85
CORP OR ATE 10 0 SPECIAL SEC TION
THREE BEARS ALASKA DAVID A. WEISZ, PRESIDENT/CEO
#37
1600 Gambell St. Anchorage, AK 99501
TRAVEL & TOURISM
#39
#38
ASM Global Los Angeles, CA
ALASKA COMMUNICATIONS BILL BISHOP, PRESIDENT/CEO 600 Telephone Ave. Anchorage, AK 99503
anchorageconventioncenters. com www.sullivanarena.com www.carlsoncenter.com 907-279-0618
Sporting events, concerts, conventions, family shows, and miscellaneous events. Year Founded 1977 Year Founded in AK 1999 Employees (Worldwide) 56,730 Employees (AK) 532
alaskacommunications.com 907-297-3000
Alaska’s leading provider of managed IT services, high-speed internet, data networking, and voice communications. Year Founded 1999 Year Founded in AK 1999 Employees (Worldwide) 571 Employees (AK) 521
nsrltd.com 907-895-2841
Northern Star Resources Limited is a top ten global gold producer with mines in Western Australia and North America. In 2018, the company acquired Pogo Mine, 30 miles Northwest of Delta Junction. Year Founded 2000 Year Founded in AK 2018 Employees (Worldwide) 3,300 Employees (AK) 515
teck.com/reddog 907-754-6170
One of the world's largest producers of zinc concentrates. Year Founded 1986 Year Founded in AK 1986 Employees (Worldwide) 616 Employees (AK) 511
Matson.com 1-877-678-SHIP
Matson provides twice-weekly ocean-shipping service from Tacoma to Anchorage and Kodiak and weekly service to Dutch Harbor, as well as service to Asia from Dutch Harbor. Additional service includes rail and trucking connections across Alaska. Year Founded 1882 Year Founded in AK 1964 Employees (Worldwide) 2,000 Employees (AK) 506
peacehealth.org/ketchikan 907-225-5171
In 1923 the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace opened the Little Flower Hospital in Ketchikan. Today, it is a 25-bed critical access hospital, in partnership with the city, providing medical services to support the health and wellness of Southeast Alaska. Year Founded 1890 Year Founded in AK 1923 Employees (Worldwide) 16,000 Employees (AK) 500
lithiachrysleranchorage.com 907-868-9300
Visit Lithia Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Fiat of South Anchorage for a new or used car, service repairs and maintenance, or parts. Year Founded 1946 Year Founded in AK 2001 Employees (Worldwide) 14,150 Employees (AK) 500
odysseylogistics.com 907-248-5548
Ocean freight forwarding, freight consolidation of all kinds, LTL/ LCL, full loads and single shipments, temperature protected, dry vans, specialized equipment, heavy haul, project logistics, intrastate trucking, warehousing, and distribution. Year Founded 1984 Year Founded in AK 1988 Employees (Worldwide) 2,500 Employees (AK) 500
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
NORTHERN STAR RESOURCES LIMITED (POGO MINE) JIM COXON, GENERAL MANAGER PO Box 145 Delta Junction, AK 99737
#40
MINING
TECK ALASKA INCORPORATED–RED DOG MINE LES YESNIK, GENERAL MANAGER 2525 C St., Ste. 310 Anchorage, AK 99503
MINING
#41
Teck Resources Limited, Vancouver, BC Canada
MATSON BAL DREYFUS, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT ALASKA 1717 Tidewater Rd. Anchorage, AK 99501
#42
TRANSPORTATION
PEACEHEALTH KETCHIKAN MEDICAL CENTER DORI STEVENS, CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER 3100 Tongass Ave. Ketchikan, AK 99901
HEALTH & WELLNESS
#43
PeaceHealth, Vancouver, WA
LITHIA CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE RAM OF ANCHORAGE JOHN OKONIEWSKI, GENERAL MANAGER 9600 Old Seward Highway Anchorage, AK 99515
RETAIL/WHOLESALE
Lithia Motors, Medford, OR
#44
CORP OR ATE 10 0 SPECIAL SEC TION
ASM GLOBAL GREG SPEARS, GENERAL MANAGER
ODYSSEY LOGISTICS KEITH HANCOCK, PRESIDENT MULTIMODAL GLOBAL SOLUTIONS 5025 Van Buren St. Anchorage, AK 99517
TRANSPORTATION
AFF Global Logistics Fife, WA
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Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
Always here for you ALASKA’S MEDEVAC COMPANY
LifeMed Alaska provides safe, full-scope air medical transport services throughout Alaska to critically ill or injured infants, children and adults utilizing jets, turbo-props and helicopters. LifeMed Alaska Membership Program
Group Memberships
The LifeMed Alaska Membership BERSHIP PROGR MEM AM Program is available for $49 PER YEAR FO RY per year that covers all LifeMed D OUR WHOLE HOUSEHOL Alaska transport fees not covered by the patients’ primary health insurance. There is no waiting period to enroll and the program is available to all Alaskan residents and visitors. Terms and conditions apply.
LifeMed Alaska also offers group memberships. Visit www.lifemedalaska.com/groupmemberships to start your application. For questions, call 855.907.5433 or 907.249.8358 or email membership@lifemedalaska.com.
$49
24-Hour Medevac Dispatch:
1.800.478.5433
3838 W. 50th Ave. | Anchorage, AK 99502 | Office: 907-563-6633 | Fax: 907-563-6636 | www.LifeMedAlaska.com
#45
5601 Electron Dr. Anchorage, AK 99518
chugachelectric.com 907-563-7494
We provide safe, reliable, and affordable electricity through superior service and sustainable practices, powering the lives of our members. Year Founded 1948 Year Founded in AK 1948 Employees (Worldwide) 500 Employees (AK) 500
sphosp.org 907-235-8101
Medical and surgical inpatient hospitalization; general and orthopedic surgery; diagnostic lab services; rehabilitation; SART/SANE, home health, primary care, visiting specialists, infusion clinic, behavioral health, and long term care. Year Founded 1956 Year Founded in AK 1956 Employees (Worldwide) 500 Employees (AK) 500
beringstraits.com 907-563-3788
Bering Straits was established by ANCSA in 1972. It is owned by more than 8,000 Alaska Native shareholders and actively pursues responsible development of resources and other business opportunities. Year Founded 1972 Year Founded in AK 1972 Employees (Worldwide) 2,020 Employees (AK) 487
greenscreek.com 907-523-1410
Hecla’s 100%-owned and operated Greens Creek mine in southeast Alaska is one of the largest and lowest-cost primary silver mines in the world. Year Founded 1989 Year Founded in AK 1989 Employees (Worldwide) 1,600 Employees (AK) 440
business.att.com 800-478-9000
AT&T provides more than 100 million US consumers with entertainment and communications experiences across TV, mobile and broadband. Plus, it serves high-speed, highly secure connectivity and smart solutions to nearly 3 million business customers. Year Founded 1876 Year Founded in AK 1971 Employees (Worldwide) 252,000 Employees (AK) 429
odomcorp.com 907-272-8511
Licensed wholesale alcoholic beverage distributor. Franchised soft drink distributor. Year Founded 1934 Year Founded in AK 1934 Employees (Worldwide) 1,521 Employees (AK) 411
uicalaska.com 907-852-4460
Commercial civil and industrial construction, architecture, engineering, surveying, environmental, marine logistics, real estate, land, natural resources, IT, maintenance and manufacturing, tundra transportation, and Arctic science support. Year Founded 1973 Year Founded in AK 1973 Employees (Worldwide) 4,193 Employees (AK) 391
mtasolutions.com 304-610-9415
Alaskan-owned co-op providing residents and businesses with advanced communications products including wireless, high-def digital television with video-on-demand, high-speed internet, local and long-distance, IT business support, IoT devices, and more. Year Founded 1953 Year Founded in AK 1953 Employees (Worldwide) 391 Employees (AK) 386
#47
#46
UTILITY
SOUTH PENINSULA HOSPITAL RYAN SMITH, CEO 4300 Bartlett St. Homer, AK 99603
HEALTH & WELLNESS
BERING STRAITS NATIVE CORPORATION GAIL R. SCHUBERT, PRESIDENT/CEO 3301 C St., Ste. 100 Anchorage, AK 99503
#48
NATIVE CORPORATION
HECLA GREENS CREEK MINING CO. BRIAN ERICKSON, VICE PRESIDENT/ GENERAL MANAGER PO Box 32199 Juneau, AK 99803
MINING
Hecla Mining Company, Coeur d'Alene, ID
#50
#49
AT&T BOB BASS, PRESIDENT ALASKA 505 E. Bluff Dr. Anchorage, AK 99501
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
AT&T Dallas, TX
THE ODOM CORPORATION WILLIAM ODOM, VICE CHAIRMAN/ EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT 6300 Changepoint Dr. Anchorage, AK 99518
RETAIL/WHOLESALE
#51
The Odom Corporation Bellevue, WA
#52
CORP OR ATE 10 0 SPECIAL SEC TION
CHUGACH ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION LEE THIBERT, CEO
UKPEAĠVIK IÑUPIAT CORPORATION (UIC) DELBERT J. REXFORD, PRESIDENT/CEO PO Box 890 Utqiaġvik, AK 99723
NATIVE CORPORATION
MTA MICHAEL BURKE, CEO 1740 S. Chugach St. Palmer, AK 99645
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
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#53
PO Box 196960 Anchorage, AK 99519
ancairport.com 907-266-2526
World class cargo airport, largest passenger airport in Alaska, and the world's busiest float-plane base. Year Founded 1951 Year Founded in AK 1951 Employees (Worldwide) 377 Employees (AK) 377
captaincook.com 907-276-6000
The Hotel Captain Cook is a 546-room luxury hotel with four unique restaurants and an athletic club. Centrally located in downtown Anchorage. Year Founded 1964 Year Founded in AK 1965 Employees (Worldwide) 375 Employees (AK) 375
coeuralaska.com 907-523-3300
Kensington Mine is an underground, hard rock gold mine located in the Berners Bay Mining District about 45 miles northnorthwest of Juneau, Alaska. The mine is owned and operated by Coeur Alaska, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Coeur Mining. Year Founded 1987 Year Founded in AK 1987 Employees (Worldwide) 370 Employees (AK) 370
Ravnalaska.com 907-266-8394
Scheduled passenger, cargo, mail, and charter service to more than 115 communities throughout Alaska. Year Founded 1948 Year Founded in AK 1948 Employees (Worldwide) 364 Employees (AK) 364
ahtna.com 907-822-3476
Construction, engineering, environmental, facilities management, surveying, security, military training, janitorial, healthcare and medical records management, government contracting, land management, resource development, and oil and gas pipeline services. Year Founded 1972 Year Founded in AK 1972 Employees (Worldwide) 1,320 Employees (AK) 354
crowleyfuels.com 866-770-5587
Crowley is a leader in the Alaska fuel industry, selling and distributing petroleum products to more than 280 communities across the state. Crowley serves its customers via 75 million gallons of storage, 160 delivery vehicles, and 7 tug-barge sets. Year Founded 1892 Year Founded in AK 1953 Employees (Worldwide) 6,300 Employees (AK) 350
cu1.org 907-339-9485
As a full-service financial institution that serves 86,000+ Alaskans, Credit Union 1 is proud to help foster thriving, happy communities by always putting people first. We achieve this goal by offering low cost loans, cutting edge eServices, and more. Year Founded 1952 Year Founded in AK 1952 Employees (Worldwide) 370 Employees (AK) 350
Northrim.com 907-562-0062
Northrim Bank is an Alaska-based community bank with 17 branches statewide, serving 90% of Alaska’s population. The bank differentiates itself with its detailed knowledge of Alaska’s economy and its “Customer First Service” philosophy. Year Founded 1990 Year Founded in AK 1990 Employees (Worldwide) 348 Employees (AK) 335
TRANSPORTATION
#54
THE HOTEL CAPTAIN COOK WALTER HICKEL JR., CHAIRMAN/CEO 939 W. Fifth Ave. Anchorage, AK 99501
TRAVEL & TOURISM
Hickel Investment Company Anchorage, AK
#55
COEUR ALASKA MARK KIESSLING, GENERAL MANAGER 3031 Clinton Dr., Ste. 202 Juneau, AK 99801
MINING
#56
Coeur Mining Chicago, IL
CORVUS AIRLINES DBA RAVN ALASKA ROB MCKINNEY, PRESIDENT/CEO 4700 Old International Airport Rd. Anchorage, AK 99502
TRANSPORTATION
#58
#57
Float Alaska Anchorage, AK
AHTNA, INC. MICHELLE ANDERSON, PRESIDENT PO Box 649 Glennallen, AK 99588
NATIVE CORPORATION
CROWLEY FUELS RICK MEIDEL, VICE PRESIDENT/ GENERAL MANAGER 201 Arctic Slope Ave. Anchorage, AK 99518
#60
#59
TRANSPORTATION
CREDIT UNION 1 JAMES WILEMAN, PRESIDENT/CEO 1941 Abbott Rd. Anchorage, AK 99507
FINANCIAL SERVICES
NORTHRIM BANK JOSEPH SCHIERHORN, CHAIRMAN/ PRESIDENT/CEO PO Box 241489 Anchorage, AK 99524
FINANCIAL SERVICES
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Alaska Business
April 2021 | 89
CORP OR ATE 10 0 SPECIAL SEC TION
TED STEVENS ANCHORAGE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT JIM SZCZESNIAK, AIRPORT MANAGER
#61
PO Box 61680 Fairbanks, AK 99706
EvertsAir.com 907-450-2300
Everts Air Cargo provides scheduled cargo service within Alaska (using C-46, DC-6, DC-9, and MD-80 aircraft), and On Demand Air Charter Services to domestic and international destinations. Year Founded 1995 Year Founded in AK 1995 Employees (Worldwide) 353 Employees (AK) 328
nac.aero 907-249-5163
Anchorage-based Northern Air Cargo is Alaska’s largest allcargo airline. From groceries to medical supplies and lumber, customers across Alaska, including an array of industries such as oil, gas, mining, and construction, depend on NAC. Year Founded 1956 Year Founded in AK 1956 Employees (Worldwide) 429 Employees (AK) 321
beaconohss.com 907-222-7612
Beacon provides remote medical, occupational medicine, safety staffing, and training solutions to keep your employees safe and healthy, regardless of their location. Year Founded 1999 Year Founded in AK 1999 Employees (Worldwide) 318 Employees (AK) 310
northstarbehavioral.com 907-258-7575
North Star, a premier behavioral health provider, specializes in helping youth via acute and residential treatment. We also treat first responders, service members, and veterans at the Chris Kyle Patriots Hospital. Year Founded 1984 Year Founded in AK 1984 Employees (Worldwide) 300 Employees (AK) 300
carlile.biz 907-276-7797
Transportation and logistics company offering multi-model trucking as well as project logistics services across Alaska and North America. Year Founded 1980 Year Founded in AK 1980 Employees (Worldwide) 395 Employees (AK) 285
gvea.com 907-452-1151
GVEA provides service to more than 44,370 meters in Fairbanks, Delta Junction, Nenana, Healy and Cantwell. 3,229 miles of power lines; 35 substations, including mobile; 8 generating facilities; 381 megawatts of capacity; 5,973-square-mile service. Year Founded 1946 Year Founded in AK 1946 Employees (Worldwide) 282 Employees (AK) 282
cruzconstruct.com 907-746-3144
Experts in resource development and heavy civil construction. Year Founded 1981 Year Founded in AK 1981 Employees (Worldwide) 280 Employees (AK) 280
flygrant.com 888-359-4726
An Alaska airline known for a strong track record of safety and commitment to customer service. Provides scheduled and charter passenger, mail, freight, and air ambulance services in the YK Delta, Bristol Bay, the Aleutian chain, St. George, and Kenai. Year Founded 1971 Year Founded in AK 1971 Employees (Worldwide) 257 Employees (AK) 257
TRANSPORTATION
#63
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NORTHERN AIR CARGO BETSY SEATON, PRESIDENT/CEO 4510 Old International Airport Rd. Anchorage, AK 99502
TRANSPORTATION
Northern Aviation Services Anchorage, AK
BEACON OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY SERVICES HOLLY HYLEN, PRESIDENT 800 Cordova St. Anchorage, AK 99501
#64
HEALTH & WELLNESS
NORTH STAR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH JIM LYNCH, CEO 2530 Debarr Rd. Anchorage, AK 99508
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Universal Health Services King of Prussia, PA
#65
CARLILE TRANSPORTATION TERRY HOWARD, PRESIDENT 1800 E. First Ave. Anchorage, AK 99501
TRANSPORTATION
#66
Saltchuk Resources Seattle, WA
GOLDEN VALLEY ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION JOHN BURNS, PRESIDENT/CEO PO Box 71249 Fairbanks, AK 99707
#67
UTILITY
CRUZ CONSTRUCTION JEFF MILLER, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS 7000 E. Palmer Wasilla Hwy. Palmer, AK 99645
INDUSTRIAL SERVICES
#68
CORP OR ATE 10 0 SPECIAL SEC TION
EVERTS AIR CARGO ROBERT EVERTS, PRESIDENT/CEO
GRANT AVIATION ROBERT KELLEY, PRESIDENT/CEO 6420 Kulis Dr. Anchorage, AK 99502
TRANSPORTATION
90 | April 2021
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
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#69
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graniteconstruction.com 907-344-2593
Public and private heavy civil construction, design-build/ alternative delivery, construction aggregates, recycled base, warm and hot mix asphalt, road construction, bridges, piling, mine infrastructure, and reclamation and sitework. Year Founded 1922 Year Founded in AK 1974 Employees (Worldwide) 8,000 Employees (AK) 250
hunatotem.com 907-789-8500
Owned by more than 1,450 Alaska Native shareholders from Hoonah and Glacier Bay, Huna Totem has investments in tourism, government contracting, natural resource management, and an investment portfolio. Winner of Seatrade’s Port of the Year Award for 2020. Year Founded 1973 Year Founded in AK 1973 Employees (Worldwide) 285 Employees (AK) 249
tdxcorp.com 907-278-2312
Industry leader in energy and alternative power solutions, electric utilities, power plant construction and operations. Government services worldwide remote power O&M and switch gear development, nationwide construction environmental services. Year Founded 1973 Year Founded in AK 1973 Employees (Worldwide) 598 Employees (AK) 248
grtnw.com 907-452-5617
Heavy highway civil construction, utilities, paving, landscaping. Year Founded 1976 Year Founded in AK 1976 Employees (Worldwide) 238 Employees (AK) 238
hccontractors.net 907-488-5983
HC Contractors is a local heavy civil contractor specializing in road, airport, airfield, and building site construction and reconstruction including paving, bridges, utilities, and concrete construction. Year Founded 1993 Year Founded in AK 1993 Employees (Worldwide) 237 Employees (AK) 237
subwayak.com 907-563-4228
Feed the whole group with subs, signature wraps, and salads prepared in front of you. Order at subway.com, on the Subway app, or at any Anchorage, Eagle River, or Girdwood Subway Restaurant. Third party delivery and curbside service also available. Year Founded 1988 Year Founded in AK 1988 Employees (Worldwide) 225 Employees (AK) 225
mea.coop 907-761-9300
A member-owned electric cooperative that serves more than 53,000 members across nearly 4,500 miles of power lines in the Mat-Su and Eagle River areas. MEA’s mission is to provide safe, reliable energy at reasonable rates with exceptional member service. Year Founded 1941 Year Founded in AK 1941 Employees (Worldwide) 213 Employees (AK) 213
spanalaska.com 253-395-7726
Freight transportation services to and from Alaska, less-thantruckload and truckload. Steamship and barge service to Railbelt area of Alaska. Barge service to Juneau and Southeast. Overnight service from Anchorage to Fairbanks and the Kenai Peninsula. Year Founded 1978 Year Founded in AK 1978 Employees (Worldwide) 205 Employees (AK) 205
CONSTRUCTION
#71
#70
Granite Construction, Watsonville, CA
HUNA TOTEM CORPORATION RUSSELL DICK, PRESIDENT/CEO 9301 Glacier Hwy., Ste. 200 Juneau, AK 99801
NATIVE CORPORATION
TDX (TANADGUSIX) CORPORATION CHRISTOPHER MANDREGAN JR., CEO 3601 C St., Ste. 1000 Anchorage, AK 99503
#74
#73
#72
NATIVE CORPORATION
GREAT NORTHWEST JOHN MINDER, CEO/PRESIDENT PO Box 74646 Fairbanks, AK 99707
CONSTRUCTION
H C CONTRACTORS BILL HOOPLE, PRESIDENT PO Box 80688 Fairbanks, AK 99708
CONSTRUCTION
SUBWAY OF ALASKA STEVE ADAMS, PRESIDENT/COFOUNDER 1118 E. 70th Ave., Ste. 200 Anchorage, AK 99518
FOOD & BEVERAGE
#75
Subway World Headquarters Milford, CT
MATANUSKA ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION TONY IZZO, CEO PO Box 2929 Palmer, AK 99645
UTILITY
#76
CORP OR ATE 10 0 SPECIAL SEC TION
GRANITE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY DEREK BETTS, VICE PRESIDENT/ REGIONAL MANAGER
SPAN ALASKA TRANSPORTATION TOM SOUPLY, PRESIDENT 6128 Electron Dr. Anchorage, AK 99518
TRANSPORTATION
Matson Logistics AK USA
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Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
#77
6411 A St. Anchorage, AK 99518
slb.com 907-273-1700
Schlumberger is the world's leading provider of technology for reservoir characterization, drilling, production, and processing to the oil and gas industry. Year Founded 1927 Year Founded in AK 1956 Employees (Worldwide) 82,000 Employees (AK) 200
essalaska.com 907-865-9818
Restaurants, lounges, espresso. Catering services at remote sites: short-or long-term, including offshore platforms, camp janitorial, and other employee staffing and leasing, in-flight services, governmental agency support services. Year Founded 1986 Year Founded in AK 1986 Employees (Worldwide) 2,000 Employees (AK) 200
ncmachinery.com 907-786-7500
Cat machine sales, parts, service, and rental. Cat engines for marine, power generation, truck, petroleum, and industrial applications. Sales and rental of Cat and other preferred brands of rental equipment and construction supplies. Year Founded 1926 Year Founded in AK 1926 Employees (Worldwide) 1,055 Employees (AK) 200
pricegregory.com 907-278-4400
Pipeline, power, heavy industrial construction, EPC, and consulting services. Infrastructure construction services provider. Year Founded 1974 Year Founded in AK 1974 Employees (Worldwide) 300 Employees (AK) 200
enstarnaturalgas.com 907-277-5551
ENSTAR is a regulated public utility that delivers natural gas to more than 148,000 customers across Southcentral Alaska. For sixty years, ENSTAR has heated homes and businesses with clean-burning, efficient natural gas. Year Founded 1961 Year Founded in AK 1961 Employees (Worldwide) 200 Employees (AK) 200
conamco.com 907-278-6600
General construction contractor specializing in design and construction of oil and gas facilities and pipelines, mining facilities, water and sewer facilities, and other remote infrastructure projects. Year Founded 1984 Year Founded in AK 1984 Employees (Worldwide) 200 Employees (AK) 200
fairweather.com 907-346-3247
Fairweather offers highly-specialized services supporting oil and gas and mining operations. These services include remote medical and HSE support, drilling program management and support, weather forecasting, bear guards, and aviation and airstrip services. Year Founded 1976 Year Founded in AK 1976 Employees (Worldwide) 163 Employees (AK) 163
rei.com/stores/anchorage.html 907-272-4565
National specialty outdoor retailer. Year Founded 1938 Year Founded in AK 1979 Employees (Worldwide) 13,000 Employees (AK) 162
#78
INDUSTRIAL SERVICES
ESS SUPPORT SERVICES WORLDWIDE MARQ COUEY, VICE PRESIDENT NORTH AMERICA 201 Post Rd. Anchorage, AK 99501
INDUSTRIAL SERVICES
Compass Group PLC (North America), Charlotte, NC
#79
N C MACHINERY JOHN HARNISH, PRESIDENT/COO 6450 Arctic Blvd. Anchorage, AK 99518
INDUSTRIAL SERVICES
#80
Harnish Group Tukwila, WA
PRICE GREGORY INTERNATIONAL ROBERT STINSON, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT ALASKA DIVISION 301 W. Northern Lights Blvd., Ste. 300 Anchorage, AK 99503
CONSTRUCTION
Quanta Services, Houston, TX
#81
ENSTAR NATURAL GAS JOHN SIMS, PRESIDENT PO Box 190288 Anchorage, AK 99519
UTILITY
AltaGas Calgary, AB Canada
#83
#82
CONAM CONSTRUCTION MIKE COLOMBIE, PRESIDENT
#84
CORP OR ATE 10 0 SPECIAL SEC TION
SCHLUMBERGER OILFIELD SERVICES NATHAN ROSE, GENERAL MANAGER ALASKA
301 W. Northern Lights Blvd., Ste. 300 Anchorage, AK 99503
CONSTRUCTION
Quanta Services Houston, TX
FAIRWEATHER RICK FOX, CEO 301 Calista Ct. Anchorage, AK 99518
INDUSTRIAL SERVICES
REI ERIC ARTZ, CEO 500 E. Northern Lights Blvd. Anchorage, AK 99503
RETAIL/WHOLESALE
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Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
#85 #86
Pouch 340012 Prudhoe Bay, AK 99734
colvilleinc.com 907-659-3198
Colville’s family of companies provides essential supplies and services across the entire state from the North Slope to the Kenai Peninsula. Our services include fuel, aviation, solid waste, transport, industrial supply, camp/hotel, and office space. Year Founded 1981 Year Founded in AK 1981 Employees (Worldwide) 151 Employees (AK) 151
oilsearch.com 907-375-4600
Among the top two oil and gas lease holders on Alaska’s North Slope and operator of the Pikka Unit located east of the Colville River and seven miles northeast of Nuiqsut. Oil Search expects first production from Pikka in 2025. Year Founded 1929 Year Founded in AK 2018 Employees (Worldwide) ~1,200 Employees (AK) 150
Sourdoughexpress.com 907-452-1181
Freight/transportation services, logistics, moving, and storage services. Steel Connex container sales/lease. Year Founded 1898 Year Founded in AK 1902 Employees (Worldwide) 150 Employees (AK) 150
mvfcu.coop 907-745-4891
Building better financial futures for people who live, learn, work, or worship in the state of Alaska and the Waipahu, Hawaii Neighborhood Board #22. MVFCU offers a full range of financial services to all eligible members. Year Founded 1948 Year Founded in AK 1948 Employees (Worldwide) 150 Employees (AK) 150
usibelli.com 907-452-2625
Alaska's only operational coal mine and its affiliate companies. Year Founded 1943 Year Founded in AK 1943 Employees (Worldwide) 175 Employees (AK) 140
lifemedalaska.com 907-563-6633
Your Alaska Owned Medevac Company. Statewide air ambulance services with bases in Anchorage, Bethel, Fairbanks, Juneau, Palmer, and Soldotna, Dutch Harbor, and Kodiak. Anchoragebased ALS ground ambulance services. CAMTS accredited. Year Founded 2008 Year Founded in AK 2008 Employees (Worldwide) 140 Employees (AK) 140
homerelectric.com 907-235-8551
Homer Electric Association is a member-owned electric cooperative serving more than 24,600 members on the western Kenai Peninsula including Soldotna, Kenai, Homer, and remote communities across Kachemak Bay. Year Founded 1945 Year Founded in AK 1945 Employees (Worldwide) 137 Employees (AK) 137
ryanalaska.com 907-562-2227
From Platinum to Kobuk, from Gambell to Mt. Village, we know the challenges of transportation in Alaska. Ryan Air operates twenty aircraft out of seven hubs across Alaska to serve more than seventy villages. Year Founded 1953 Year Founded in AK 1953 Employees (Worldwide) 137 Employees (AK) 137
INDUSTRIAL SERVICES
OIL SEARCH BRUCE DINGEMAN, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT/PRESIDENT ALASKA PO Box 240927 Anchorage, AK 99524
#88
#87
OIL & GAS
SOURDOUGH EXPRESS JEFF GREGORY, PRESIDENT/CEO 600 Driveways St. Fairbanks, AK 99701
TRANSPORTATION
MATANUSKA VALLEY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION ED GRAVLEY, CEO 1020 S. Bailey St. Palmer, AK 99645
#89
FINANCIAL SERVICES
USIBELLI COAL MINE JOSEPH E. USIBELLI JR., PRESIDENT/ CEO 100 Cushman St., Ste. 210 Fairbanks, AK 99701
#90
MINING
LIFEMED ALASKA RUSS EDWARDS, CEO PO Box 190026 Anchorage, AK 99519
HEALTH & WELLNESS
#91
Critical Care Medical
HOMER ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION BRADLEY JANORSCHKE, GENERAL MANAGER 3977 Lake St. Homer, AK 99603
#92
UTILITY
RYAN AIR LEE RYAN, PRESIDENT 6400 Carl Brady Dr. Anchorage, AK 99502
TRANSPORTATION
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April 2021 | 95
CORP OR ATE 10 0 SPECIAL SEC TION
COLVILLE DAVE PFEIFER, PRESIDENT/CEO
#93
300 Alimaq Dr. Kodiak, AK 99615
afognak.com 907-486-6014
Afognak Native Corporation, Alutiiq, and subsidiaries provide an exceptional record of service in government and commercial sectors worldwide, including leasing; timber; engineering; security; logistics; facility maintenance; oil field; and education services. Year Founded 1977 Year Founded in AK 1977 Employees (Worldwide) 4,299 Employees (AK) 135
chenega.com 907-277-5706
Professional services contracting for the federal government, including security, military, intelligence and operations support, environmental, healthcare, facilities management, and information technology. Year Founded 1974 Year Founded in AK 1974 Employees (Worldwide) 6,449 Employees (AK) 134
koniag.com 907-486-2530
Alaska Native corporation representing the Kodiak region. Koniag owns several subsidiaries in multiple business lines including government services, information technology, natural resources, tourism, oil field services, and real estate. Year Founded 1972 Year Founded in AK 1972 Employees (Worldwide) 1,672 Employees (AK) 129
hiltonanchorage.com 907-272-7411
Newly renovated guest rooms. More than 23,000 square feet of flexible function space. 24-hour fitness center, indoor pool, business center. Centrally located in Downtown Anchorage. Year Founded 1927 Year Founded in AK 1927 Employees (Worldwide) 173,000 Employees (AK) 120
907-279-1020
Heavy civil contractor, roads, airports, site work, underground utilities, industrial. Year Founded 1958 Year Founded in AK 1958 Employees (Worldwide) 120 Employees (AK) 120
Goldbelt.com 907-790-4990
Tourism, hospitality, transportation, security services, 8(a) government contracting. Year Founded 1974 Year Founded in AK 1974 Employees (Worldwide) 1,453 Employees (AK) 116
cmiak.com 907-563-3822
Construction and mining equipment sales, rentals, service, and parts. Year Founded 1985 Year Founded in AK 1985 Employees (Worldwide) 109 Employees (AK) 109
hdrinc.com 907-644-2000
Comprehensive infrastructure development services for transportation, water/wastewater, solid waste, power, mining, and oil and gas, including engineering, environmental, planning, permitting, cultural resources, and stakeholder engagement. Year Founded 1917 Year Founded in AK 1979 Employees (Worldwide) 10,343 Employees (AK) 105
#94
NATIVE CORPORATION
CHENEGA CORPORATION CHARLES W. TOTEMOFF, PRESIDENT/ CEO 3000 C St., Ste. 301 Anchorage, AK 99503
#96
#95
NATIVE CORPORATION
KONIAG RON UNGER, CHAIRMAN/CEO 194 Alimaq Dr. Kodiak, AK 99615
NATIVE CORPORATION
HILTON ANCHORAGE KATE SPROUT, DIRECTOR SALES/ MARKETING 500 W. Third Ave. Anchorage, AK 99501
#99
#98
#97
TRAVEL & TOURISM
PRUHS CONSTRUCTION DANA PRUHS, CEO 2193 Viking Dr. Anchorage, AK 99501
CONSTRUCTION
GOLDBELT, INCORPORATED MCHUGH PIERRE, PRESIDENT/CEO 3025 Clinton Dr. Juneau, AK 99801
NATIVE CORPORATION
CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY INDUSTRIAL KEN GERONDALE, PRESIDENT/CEO 5400 Homer Dr. Anchorage, AK 99518
INDUSTRIAL SERVICES
#100
CORP OR ATE 10 0 SPECIAL SEC TION
AFOGNAK NATIVE CORPORATION GREG HAMBRIGHT, PRESIDENT/CEO
HDR TIM GALLAGHER, ALASKA AREA MANAGER 2525 C St., Ste. 500 Anchorage, AK 99503
INDUSTRIAL SERVICES
96 | April 2021
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
Donlin Gold is poised to be one of the largest, highest-grade, and most prospective open-pit gold deposits in the world. We believe that it should be developed responsibly – through a safe and healthy workplace, stewardship of the environment, and the preservation of traditional cultures.
novagold.com
E N V I R O N M E N TA L
Abundant Environmental Fields
The multi-faceted job opportunities in environmental services
A
career in environmental services tends to evoke clichéd images of eco-warriors protesting the cutting of timber or oil extraction, but scratch the surface and it becomes clear that the field is far from that stereotype. “[Environmental science] means a lot of different things to a lot of different people,” explains Adrian Gall, president at ABR, Inc., an environmental consulting firm with offices in Anchorage and Fairbanks. “It can mean permit compliance and writing permit acquisition, or it can be more grounded in the environmental and physical sciences, where you want to go out and answer very applied questions.”
ABR, Inc.
By Amy Newman
98 | April 2021
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
The environmental services industry is an umbrella term that encompasses a variety of subspecialties and positions, from studying wildlife habitats to creating spill prevention mitigation strategies, from coordinating environmental clean-up to preparing environmental impact statements. And it crosses into every industry that could impact the environment. “There are so many things you can do,” says Dan McMahon, environmental group leader at Shannon & Wilson’s Anchorage office. “Even just doing mostly site assessment and cleanup, there are so many facets to it.” Regardless of the enormity and variety within the field, the common thread throughout the work is the interplay between the environment and the people and industries who interact with it. “The thing that draws it all together is this interface between the built and the natural world,” Gall says. “That’s where environmental sciences operate, in that space where people interact with everything else around them and affect the natural world, in one way or another. And you have to have an interest in that, in operating in that interface of people and the rest of the ecosystem.”
One Industry, Many Fields In Alaska, the environmental services industry is most frequently thought of as a safeguard—making sure oil and gas and mining activities aren’t disturbing the surrounding habitat during extraction and development work. In reality, it extends far beyond that, reaching into any industry, including timber, transportation, telecommunications, and even real estate, that directly or indirectly impacts the environment. “We have these laws and regulations in place to help maintain ecosystems,” Gall says. “As we carry out these development projects—whether that’s drilling for oil or mining or timber— whatever these extractions are, we have to ensure things are done in a way that doesn’t completely destroy where we live.” Some large organizations have in-house environmental teams, but most companies hire environmental consulting firms to help with specific www.akbizmag.com
“[Environmental science] means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. It can mean permit compliance and writing permit acquisition, or it can be more grounded in the environmental and physical sciences, where you want to go out and answer very applied questions.” Adrian Gall, President, ABR, Inc.
projects, whether that’s collecting and analyzing data or assisting with spill clean-up. Even large companies that have an environmental team on staff will often turn to outside consultants for help with certain projects, particularly one-time jobs like creating an environmental impact statement. “Part of it is just the specialized knowledge that the consultants have,” says Eran Hood, professor of environmental science at the University of Alaska Southeast. “The people who are developing those projects typically don’t have the skills to do those inhouse, so they will contract with environmental consultants to complete that piece of it.” There’s also a public sector side to the environmental services industry. Where the private sector is concerned with obtaining permits, preparing environmental impact statements, collecting and analyzing data, and ensuring compliance with local, state, and federal regulations, their public sector counterparts act as the gatekeepers, making sure that every step of the process is completed in accordance with those regulations. “On the government side of it, there’s a lot of regulatory work and managing the resources, either from the state or federal perspective,” Hood explains. “And then if you go on to the industrial side, they have the obligations that are being dictated to them by the state and federal groups; that you need to do this kind of monitoring at your mine [or] Alaska Business
collect these kinds of measurements.” That means private sector consultants act as a bridge between their clients and their public sector counterparts, which can sometimes create confusion about whose interests the consultant is promoting. “We’re not an agent of the state; we’re working for our clients,” McMahon explains. “It’s not how I want to clean it up, it’s how the state wants it cleaned up. I know how to help our clients satisfy state regulations, and that’s a lot of what the job is, helping our clients understand the regulations and being the go-between the regulator and our client.” For those who aren’t drawn to either the public or private sector, there’s always the nonprofit or academic worlds. “We have a lot of students who go on to work in nonprofits,” Hood says. “There’s a big watershed coalition down here, there’s a fish habitat partnership that’s a nonprofit, so we’ve had students who are interested in environmental management go on to work with those types of groups as well.”
A Scientific Background A bachelor’s degree with a science focus is considered the minimum requirement for a career in environmental services, though which degree depends on the individual’s specific area of interest. “The field wasn’t as developed as it was when I started twenty-five years ago, April 2021 | 99
“If you want to go more into the research end of things, doing fieldwork, you’d want an ecological science background. If you’re more into the permitting end of things and collecting the information and then trying to get permits for particular projects and ensure compliance with the regulations, then a more general background in environmental science is certainly a good degree.” Adrian Gall, President, ABR, Inc.
An ABR employee tests water samples. ABR, Inc.
100 | April 2021
but honestly, I’d get an environmental science or environmental engineering degree,” McMahon says. “I do a lot of hiring and I usually look for engineers and environmental scientists, geologists, or chemists.” Gall agrees. “If you want to go more into the research end of things, doing fieldwork, you’d want an ecological science background,” she says. “If you’re more
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into the permitting end of things and collecting the information and then trying to get permits for particular projects and ensure compliance with the regulations, then a more general background in environmental science is certainly a good degree.” The undergraduate degree provides a solid foundation in the basics, with marketable skills acquired through a combination of coursework and internships, Hood says. But like many other professions, much of the learning is done on-the-job. “I think almost all of it [is] learned on the job,” McMahon says. “You have to learn how the regulations work; you have to learn how the real world works. There are very few things here I think people learned in science.” Though an advanced degree isn’t required, those with an interest in management positions typically obtain one at some point. “When you do a master’s in any one of the ecological disciplines, you get experience doing study design, developing statistical skills, and other things that are kind of required to make those determinations about impact, so more quantifiable skills,” Gall explains. “But you can go really far with a bachelor’s degree; you can have a great career going no further.” Certain disciplines also have advanced certifications, such as a certified wildlife scientist, professional wetland scientist, or hazardous waste certifications, common for those dealing with environmental cleanups, Hood says, but those are generally obtained later while on the job.
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Changing Tools of the Trade Technological advances have changed the way the industry operates, but McMahon says those changes don’t necessarily make the work easier; rather, they simply add a different dimension to how it’s done. “When I started, it was Microsoft Word and Excel,” McMahon says. “Now they have so much knowledge and the technologies have come so far. Everybody here either knows AutoCAD or GIS. There’s all this stuff in people’s toolboxes that wasn’t there before.” Geographic information systems (GIS), GPS, and drones are just some www.akbizmag.com
Alaska Business
April 2021 | 101
A Shannon & Wilson field worker collects surface soil samples adjacent to a fuel tank. Shannon & Wilson
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of the technologies that have changed how, and how much, data can be acquired and analyzed. “Certainly, using a lot of GPS in the way surveying is being done now is very different,” Hood says. “On the GIS side, I would say everyone uses GIS—the city uses it, the state uses it, if you look at all the COVID dashboards or companies that are developing any type of project, you have to have GIS information.” Drones can capture video and still images from hard-to-reach locations, while new software makes it possible to stitch together the hundreds of photos they capture to create digital topographic maps based on the drone’s GPS position, Hood says. “You have the ability to map relatively large areas with a drone in a way that wasn’t possible just a few years ago,” he says. “Previously, you had to hire surveyors and use airplanes to do these kinds of things.” The sheer amount of data that can now be collected means possessing the ability to visualize and archive such large streams is increasingly important. “So many environmental sensors now can collect data every ten seconds
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for a year, so people are putting sensors in rivers and [using them] to look at wind,” Hood says. “So to have the ability to work with the large data streams that those are creating is another really valuable skill.” Technological advancements also increase the safety of field workers. “With aerial surveying, it’s a risk to put people in planes, so there’s a big move to do [these things] with video or cameras,” Gall says.
A Data Mindset Notwithstanding educational requirements, industry roles require a keen interest in performing the type of work called for by the position. “If you’re doing something that’s very GIS- or very data-oriented, you’re going to be someone who enjoys spending time in front of a computer and spending time on those applications,” Hood says. “In contrast to that, some of the jobs are extremely field-oriented, and so if you’re going to work on collecting all the baseline data, you’re going to be out flying in helicopters, working on weather stations, and to some people, that’s a huge draw for sure.”
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For people working in the field, being able to think outside the box is hugely beneficial. “It’s really good if you have the kind of mind that can take on new tasks and try new things and figure out things on your own, that kind of jack-of-all-trades mentality,” McMahon says. Those working in the industry should also have an interest in the environment, though exactly what that looks like can vary greatly. “I think there needs to be a passion for what we’re doing and hopefully an understanding of the importance of maintaining the ecological integrity [as] human beings move through these worlds,” Gall says. “And maybe that is my ideal. For some people, their priority is figuring out how to comply with the letter of the law.” Whether the work is in the public, private, or nonprofit sectors or performed in the field or behind a desk, McMahon says variety is what makes the job fulfilling. “It’s hard to be bored because there’s always something new,” McMahon says. “It’s great to have that, to think you can always do something new.”
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TOURISM
Tourism Executive Roundtable Industry experts weigh in on Alaska’s summer travel forecast By Tracy Barbour
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fter a devastating “lost season” in 2020, Alaska tourism stakeholders are hoping this summer will see a much-needed return of visitor spending—or at least the start of the recovery process. Alaska went from expecting 1.5 million cruise passengers in 2020 to experiencing a dearth of cruise ships coming to the state, according to Alaska Chamber President and CEO Kati Capozzi. And with half of Alaska’s visitors historically arriving by cruise ship, this greatly reduced the number of visitors who traveled within the state. Many businesses in the community were impacted—and not just in the typical, tourism-oriented cities—but also in places up north. The effect was also felt by local governments, especially those— like Fairbanks—whose budgets rely heavily on land-touring cruise passengers to generate hotel/motel taxes. “It had an effect we are still
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Hotel/motel tax collections also took a major hit in the Fairbanks North Star Borough region. According to Hickok, the region’s hotel/motel taxes had five years of unprecedented increase, with 2019 generating the highest numbers to date in both summer and winter. She says: “The lack of cruises to Alaska has had a devastating impact, given the important role the cruise market plays in our summer visitor season. In 2016 the Alaska Visitor Statistics Program indicated that of Interior Alaska’s 320,000 summer visitors, 41 percent, or 131,200 were on a cruise land tour. Through December 2020, hotel/ motel taxes for the region showed a 54.51 percent decrease from 2019. This extraordinary growth made the unprecedented fall-off-the-cliff in
2020 even more devastating.” Visit Anchorage President and CEO Julie Saupe echoes her peers’ sentiments saying, “In Anchorage, 2020 saw a 57 percent drop in people passing through the airport. Hotel demand in 2020 was down 33 percent year-over-year. On the employment front, the travel industry shed 4,500 local jobs in 2020.” Saupe says the industry locally has done everything it can to diversify its offerings in the short term and to show potential travelers that it is ready to welcome them when the time is right. “We have our work cut out for us, but
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grappling to understand,” Capozzi says. “And with the news [that] it will be a severely suppressed 2021 season, we are just trying to figure out how to get through it.” So is Deb Hickok, president and CEO of Explore Fairbanks. Fairbanks, like many other places in Alaska, has been pounded by tourism-related losses. The leisure and hospitality industry— composed primarily of tourism or tourism-related jobs—for the Interior Region experienced a dramatic decline in jobs. The region, which includes Denali and Fairbanks, usually has an annual average of 6,000 leisure and hospitality jobs per month, peaking at 8,300 in July, says Hickok. But in 2020, leisure and hospitality averaged just 4,225 jobs per month, peaking at 5,500 in July, Hickok says, citing Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development statistics.
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as conditions improve, there are some encouraging signs that travelers’ tastes in 2021 align well with what we have here in Alaska,” she says. “Looking ahead, the emphasis has to be on independent travel, which was a significant swath of Anchorage’s overnight visitation yearround, even before COVID-19.” It has been an incredibly tough year, says Bill Popp, president and CEO of the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation (AEDC). But he doesn’t think Alaska has seen the full details and scope of the damage that was done in 2020. The lost jobs and revenue in the leisure and hospitality sector has severely affected businesses, although federal aid has helped. Many companies have resorted to minimal operation models just to keep business going while others closed completely. However, members of Alaska’s tourism industry continue to move forward. With outward-facing service businesses—not just those in leisure and hospitality—there is a significant shift to observing strict protocols for COVID-19. “They have to assure their customers that they can interact with them and provide the experience safely,” Popp says. “We’re seeing a significant marketing shift trying to assure out-of-state visitors that they can come here safely. And I think there is a more conservative view in terms of what they expect in terms of revenue and costs.”
Aimee Williams Discover Kodiak
In Kodiak, the magnitude of tourism losses during the 2020 season was “colossal,” says Aimee Williams, executive director of Discover Kodiak. 106 | April 2021
“Many of our wilderness lodges did not even have enough business scheduled to make it possible to operate,” she says. “Industry members are hoping for the best in 2021 but are remaining realistic because we understand that we have a higher-than-average vaccination rate on our island.”
Feedback Indicates Strong Interest in Alaska So what feedback have tourism industry members received from people in anticipation of the coming season, and what are the implications? Responses have mostly been positive, such as the feedback Saupe has seen from “likely” US travelers. “Broadly speaking, travelers say they want open spaces, parklands, and natural beauty more than ever,” she says. “That’s certainly the type of thing we can deliver.” She adds: “There’s also some indication that Anchorage and Alaska specifically are near the top of travelers’ wish lists, particularly if they’re considering destinations in the Western United States. Beyond that, there’s an opportunity to grab the attention of travelers that might normally head overseas to vacation. In light of uncertainties around international travel, these travelers may look more closely at domestic options that still pack something epic and new.” People have indicated that they are eagerly waiting for the time when they can vacation in Alaska again. Some customers have said they miss coming to Alaska and are extremely excited about the prospect of returning to Kodiak. And the pandemic has been particularly disruptive to people who make regular trips to the area. “There are some guests who did not make it to Kodiak last season for the first time in over twenty years,” Williams explains. Fairbanks is receiving a few travelers who are defying the pandemic to visit the state. Hickok explains: “We have been seeing a ‘trickling of intrepid’ visitors throughout last summer, aurora, and winter seasons, with noticeable blips over the Christmas/New Year holidays and President’s Day Weekend/ Valentine’s Day and anticipated throughout the month of March. The summer forecast is hazier.”
But Hickok says, national data indicates that American travelers long to travel and are gaining more confidence as vaccinations become more widespread. “The general consensus as of now is that visitation will start out slow in May and gradually increase through the summer—which actually has been a consistent pattern for a number of years,” she says.
Bill Popp Anchorage Economic Development Corporation
To compensate for the scarcity of travelers from outside, Alaska’s tourism marketers have been diligently searching for new opportunities to promote travel within the state. A prime example is the Show Up for Alaska campaign, which offered attractive deals for locals and encouraged them to get out and explore their own backyard. “A lot of Alaskans took advantage of that last year,” Capozzi says. “Instead of taking a trip down South, many Alaskans chose to stay in Alaska.” Tourism marketers are aggressively promoting independent travel. “Alaska offers a safe, exotic place to come visit and it’s still on the confines of the US borders,” she says. “We think we have a lot to offer the independent traveler. You can spread out, be safe, and be socially distant here.” In the midst of the pandemic, safety is top of mind for almost everyone. There is an expectation that visitors have that they want to be safe when they visit the state, Popp says. Consequently, participants in Alaska’s leisure and hospitality sector are rebuilding their business model to provide services as safely as possible.
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Expectations for Summer It’s going to be difficult to be in full operation this year for any tourism operator (in terms of volume), Popp says. And it’s because of factors that businesses have no control over. “If our city and state move forward on becoming rapidly vaccinated and if we continue wearing masks and social distancing, we will see businesses have an opportunity to open up more quickly,” he explains. “It’s incumbent upon us all—not just the leisure and hospitality industry—to continue to observe social distancing, practice mask wearing, and get vaccinated as soon as it’s available to us.” Saupe, like most of her colleagues, is doubtful about when things will return to normal. “For this summer, I don’t know that there’s a ‘back to normal’— but I do think there’s a way through to the other side,” she explains. Continuing, she says: “Anchorage is going to have plenty for people to see and do—lots of travel options, activities and attractions open, much like with any year. Our job is really all about showing people what there is to see and do.”
Deb Hickok Explore Fairbanks
In Fairbanks, tourism businesses models are very diverse, but it will take years for the hard-hit industry to recover, Hickok says. In the meantime, COVID-19 best practices will continue to remain in place. “Since April, the Explore Fairbanks website has listed detailed information on what safety and sanitation protocols businesses have established,” she says. “We are launching an Explore Fairbanks Responsibly Pledge, which will mirror pledges in place by Visit Anchorage and www.akbizmag.com
“Our hope is that vaccination levels will be high enough to make people feel safe enough to travel again. Our tourism partners, along with the bears, fish, otters, whales, eagles, and puffins, will be ready once tourism begins again.” Aimee Williams, Executive Director, Discover Kodiak
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Discover Denali, so we have consistency throughout the Railbelt.” Hickok says that in her thirtynine years in the field of destination marketing, she has never witnessed such dramatic losses for the travel industry. And unless there is targeted governmental assistance for tourism and hospitality, some businesses will not survive. However, she says she is inspired every day by the fortitude demonstrated by tourism businesses. “As for Explore Fairbanks, despite staff reductions and reduced pay for the remaining staff in 2020, we continued marketing efforts with a gradual roll out starting in April 2020 to local, statewide, and national audiences at the appropriate times with nuanced messaging,” she says. She continues: “The winter version is still in process and the summer 2021 is to be fully launched by mid-April. All include Explore Fairbanks Responsibly messaging. While dramatically smaller in number, visitors from the Lower 48 are finding their way to Fairbanks and Interior Alaska.” Like most of the state’s tourism industry leaders, Williams is not
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expecting the sector to make a full recovery in 2021. She does think it will be much better than 2020 but does not think everyone who is looking to travel to Kodiak will feel comfortable enough to do so. However, Kodiak is adhering to local, state, and federal government safety guidelines. William says: “Kodiak has a green, yellow, and red system for what the COVID-19 regulations are on the island. The levels are determined by the number of active cases and what the community transmission rates are. Any restrictions or guidelines would stem from those green, yellow, and red levels.” Anchorage businesses were optimistic going into 2021 that the summer tourism season would recover—not to the levels of 2019—but certainly better than 2020. At this time, companies are trying to determine what the future holds regarding local restrictions and inbound tourism volume for the summer. “Restrictions put in place by local cities and towns will be determined by COVID case counts and vaccination levels,” says Bruce Bustamante, president and CEO of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce. “At
this time, it is difficult to predict what those restrictions may be.”
Bruce Bustamante Anchorage Chamber of Commerce
He also says he does not believe all tourism businesses will be back to full operations this summer, and this will vary by the type of businesses and whether they provide service or product delivery. “The key variables that will determine tourism volume are the levels of CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] restrictions
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imposed on the cruise industry and the status of large passenger vessels traveling through Canadian waters,” he says.
Canadian Ban and CDC Deliver Double Whammy The Canadian ban on large cruise ships—those carrying more than 100 passengers—through Canadian waters will have a devastating effect on Alaska tourism. The reason: Unless it is USregistered, a cruise ship that departs from Seattle for a trip to Alaska must first call at a Canadian port. And since the larger cruise lines tend to be registered with foreign nations—not the United States—that means fewer cruise tourists can come to Alaska. However, tourism had experienced significant increases year over year up to the 2020 pandemic, and then the cruise ship industry virtually evaporated. “Alaska businesses suffered the effect of completely losing cruise ship tourists for the summer, and another summer of reduced volume will be extremely impactful on these businesses,” Bustamante says. The Canadian cruise ship ban and the CDC’s nebulous restrictions are
two huge, multilayered problems. The Canadian ban could possibly be lifted later, but the CDC’s uncertain guidelines are an even bigger challenge for Alaska. The procedures are not clearly defined, leaving Alaska’s tourism businesses wondering if they will be able to meet the eventual requirements by summer. “We don’t have time on our hands to figure this out,” Capozzi says. “The tourism season is quickly approaching. These are precious days and weeks for us ahead, and if it’s not sorted out, there will be a problem.” From Anchorage’s standpoint, Saupe says, Canada’s ban on large cruise ships means there’s work to be done to make this summer as successful as possible for the community. “Before the pandemic, between 50 and 60 percent of the municipality’s overnight visitation came from independent travelers in the summer,” she says. “Canada’s announcement is likely to have big ramifications for Alaska travel, but it’s possible Anchorage could fare somewhat better than communities that have a much greater reliance on cruise.”
Julie Saupe Visit Anchorage
Revenue and Visitor Projections Not surprisingly, Alaska’s tourism executives are hard pressed to offer revenue or visitor predictions for this summer. Saupe, for example, says it’s difficult to make projections when so much depends on national and even global developments. “Still, we know there is pent-up demand for travel and that Alaska is very attractive to travelers who have been dreaming of open
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spaces,” she says. “We also have heard from potential travelers that they are watching and are aware of the incredible work done by Alaska’s health providers in getting Alaskans vaccinated.” In addition, Saupe notes that Anchorage and Alaska as a whole rank highly on the wish lists of likely US travelers, based on research conducted by destination analysts. Anchorage, she says, was also the fourth mostsearched destination for flights on Kayak, which is an encouraging indicator as people plan. Williams also harbors feelings of uncertainty—and hope. “Everything we are doing for the 2021 season is in a state of flux,” she says. “Kodiak had fifteen cruise ship visits planned and are down to having only five left on the official schedule. Our cruise ship schedule was scheduled to start on May 1, 2021, and now if there are any ships arriving, the first one will be on August 26, 2021.” With tourism being a significant part of Kodiak’s economic base, not having guests come to the island is affecting many of its small businesses and artists. “Our hope is that vaccination levels will be high enough to make people feel safe enough to travel again,” Williams says. “Our tourism partners, along with the bears, fish, otters, whales, eagles, and puffins, will be ready once tourism begins again.” Alaska is ready to have visitors, Williams says, and she encourages travelers to come whenever they feel safe to do so. “The Alaska tourism infrastructure has been working hard to create protocols to keep guests
Kati Capozzi Alaska Chamber
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Executive Director of Discover Kodiak Aimee Williams hikes with her husband, Jerred, in Kodiak. Discover Kodiak
safe,” she says. “About one third of Kodiak Island’s population is currently vaccinated, and we miss seeing guests from all over the world.”
Additional Insights and Reassurances Alaska’s tourism executives offered encouragement and advice for anyone who is contemplating a trip to Alaska. Capozzi emphasizes that Alaska is open for business and a safe state to visit. In fact, she says, Alaska is the most vaccinated state and has some of the lowest COVID-19 case numbers in the country. She heartily welcomes independent travelers, urging: “We’re ready for you. It will be one of the best times to visit because it will be less crowed.” Popp highlights that Alaska is an exotic and stunning place to vacation in the summer. He thinks 2021 will be one of the greatest summers to travel to the state because there will be less congestion, giving visitors more room to spread out and explore. Prior to COVID-19, Alaska saw up to 2 million visitors per season; this year, the state is expecting hundreds of thousands, he says. Visitors can indulge in land tours, take incredible independent trips, and enjoy some good travel
bargains. And they can do so safely because of the protocols Alaska has in place. “We’re a state that has been embracing vaccinations…. I think our community will be a safe place to visit this summer.” Saupe encourages people to know their responsibilities while traveling and take advantage of trip-planning resources. She says: “Together, we keep each other safe. We have a great deal of focus right now on explaining travel mandates, testing, and health and safety protocols from all levels of government in a clear, concise, and easy-to-understand way…There are many resources available to help plan a trip, including organizations like ours, and I’d anticipate that there will be opportunity to find great deals for their Alaska experience.” Bustamante extends this enthusiastic invitation, saying: “There are still many wonders to experience in our great state, and many accommodations, restaurants and tourism operators will be open for business. We still have mountains, glaciers and wildlife to enjoy, so please make plans to come up this summer.” And Hickok issues a short and simple plea: “Come, enjoy our open spaces, and travel responsibly.”
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Favoring Fresh Eats
Why dining on Alaskan-grown products is worth the effort By Vanessa Orr
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estaurant owners are heeding the call of the many Alaskans who want to support local farmers by buying local produce. But that’s easier said than done in the 49th State, where getting the food from farm to table takes extra time, money, and effort. Fortunately, there is an increasing number of people in the food industry—from farmers to distributors to restaurant owners—who are committed to creating a sustainable pipeline. “While it’s trendy to work directly with farms, most restauranteurs find that the logistics are too challenging; you have to have an avenue to consolidate and move products over great distances, and that’s a huge undertaking,” explains David McCarthy, owner and founder of Northern Hospitality Group, which operates 49th State Brewing Company. “It’s taken us more than fifteen years to create a network of farmers and ranchers that we can work with all over the state.”
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“For a restaurant to make the commitment to look for Alaskagrown products, and to make those extra phone calls and accept another delivery truck coming to their location, takes extra effort,” agrees Amy Pettit, executive director for Alaska Farmland Trust. “So many restaurants are used to the pipeline of food that comes from the Lower 48 that it’s hard to get them to make changes.”
Getting the Food to Market (or Table) The good news is that there are plenty of people and companies willing to go the extra mile to bring Alaskagrown products to market. Kyla Byers, owner of Arctic Harvest Deliveries, aggregates products from multiple farms around the state (mostly from the Mat-Su Valley) to provide a one-stop shop for chefs to buy produce, meat, eggs, and other products. In addition, the company offers retail sales as farm-share subscriptions. “We collaborate with farmers on their crop plans so that they can meet the demands we see from chefs and our retail customers,” Byers says, adding that they make several weekly product deliveries from the Valley into Anchorage. “Without this service, restaurants would have to call individual farmers, check product availability, work out pricing, and coordinate everyone’s days of delivery. We consolidate everything and provide consistent delivery days and invoicing; it just makes things a lot more convenient.” Chefs are notoriously busy, so simplified logistics makes Alaska-grown products more accessible.
There is an increasing number of people in the food industry—from farmers to distributors to restaurant owners—who are committed to creating a sustainable pipeline to meet growing demand for locally-grown produce. Arctic Harvest Deliveries
“Restaurants are able to shoot us a text of what they want, and we can shoot them an email of what we have,” says Byers. “We also have an online ordering system if they want to do it on their own; they can see what we have, what it costs, and what farms it is coming from.” What’s unique about Arctic Harvest Deliveries, which has been in business for five years, is that the company exclusively offers made and grownin-Alaska products as wholesalers. While some other companies do carry Alaska-grown products, it is only a part of their business. The company was originally started by a chef who provided Byers with a list of farmers when she took over. “We’ve grown it from there, and now we are able to meet the demands of the larger scale restaurant market,” she says. “For example, when we see a trend for
certain products, we go to our farmers with that information—say we need 500 pounds of broccoli a week—and ask if they can grow it. Knowing what we can sell helps them plan what to plant.” Arctic Harvest also has a farmer aggregation site where growers can drop their product off at any time into a refrigerated CONEX with 24/7 access. While most of the product is taken to Anchorage, the company also ships to Juneau, Fairbanks, Seward, Kodiak, and other Alaska communities. The Alaska Food Hub is another option for farmers to list their products for sale. Customers can buy online and the items are dropped off at a central location for pick-up. While the food hub tends to serve mostly individuals and families, it also serves some smaller bed-and-breakfasts and restaurants. “In 2015, we got a USDA grant that provided seed money to launch the
Arctic Harvest Deliveries aggregates products from farms around the state to provide restaurants with a one-stop shop for Alaska produce, meat, eggs, and other products. Arctic Harvest Deliveries
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Arctic Harvest Deliveries collaborates with farmers on their crop plans to meet upcoming demand from chefs and retail customers. Arctic Harvest Deliveries
“It would make sense for the state to get involved in providing more cold storage in farming communities; especially since we’re pretty food insecure up here. There is always the potential of being cut off from the Lower 48.” Kyla Byers, Owner, Arctic Harvest Deliveries
food hub,” says Sitka Local Foods Network Executive Director Robbi Mixon. “We’re just about to open our sixth season, and this past season was our best so far. “We made the same amount of sales last year [as] we did in the past four years combined,” she continues. “All of the social distancing stuff pushed people to buy online, which was good for our farmers in Homer, because with restaurants closed or reduced in capacity, they were able to make more sales through the Food Hub.” She gives the example of Two Sisters Bakery in Homer, which closed its doors until October. But by listing products on the Alaska Food Hub, it was able to continue selling. The food hub operates on a weekly cycle, with local purveyors listing and customers adding to their baskets, everything from produce and seafood to
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“We made the same amount of sales last year [as] we did in the past four years combined. All of the social distancing stuff pushed people to buy online, which was good for our farmers in Homer, because with restaurants closed or reduced in capacity, they were able to make more sales through the Food Hub.” Robbi Mixon, Local Foods Director, Alaska Food Hub
Rainbow chard grown in Alaska. Alaska Farmland Trust
kombucha and coffee. On Wednesdays, vendors deliver the goods to the United Methodist Church in Homer, where the products are aggregated into individual orders for customer pick-up. The Hub also sends products to Seldovia by air.
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Why Support Local Producers? When it’s so easy to just take advantage of streamlined delivery options from the Lower 48, why would restaurants take the extra steps required to work with local vendors?
“First, there’s the value of superfresh ingredients; food coming from the Lower 48 is often several weeks old, while most of our products are harvested to order,” says Byers. “It tastes better, lasts longer, and there’s
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Most of Arctic Harvest’s deliveries are made in Anchorage, but the company also ships to Juneau, Fairbanks, Seward, Kodiak, and other Alaska communities. Arctic Harvest Deliveries
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“I think 2021 will be really telling; it will be interesting to see what happens. Not only did the pandemic bring out people’s commitment to support their neighbors and their communities but it exposed them to the freshness and quality of Alaska-grown food. And once you meet that farmer and taste carrots that are eight times sweeter, you don’t want anything else.” Amy Pettit, Executive Director, Alaska Farmland Trust
less waste. It also shows a restaurant’s customers that they have a connection to the state and pride in Alaska and that they are a part of the community.” “The palate never lies,” agrees McCarthy. “The quality is already in the product; you can literally eat a raw
onion straight out of the ground like an apple because of the quality of the soil here. The terroir—where and how the food is grown—is important. “You’re also providing long-term sustainability with the money you spend going back to the farmers, ranchers,
and manufacturers in the state,” he continues. “A rising tide raises all ships, so from the beginning, we decided to support the full-circle philosophy of supporting those businesses who supported us. As they grow, we grow.” Pettit credits other Alaska restaurants and chefs, including Alex Papasavus at Turkey Red in Palmer, and Lemongrass Thai Cuisine in Fairbanks, with helping to spur this evolution. “Even fifteen years ago, they were leading the way by demanding local food,” she says. “That commitment really helped mature a couple of farmers into what they are today.”
Helping the Pipeline Grow Considering that food is a $2 billion industry in Alaska and more than 95 percent of the food consumed here is imported from the Lower 48, more can be done on local and state levels to support the Alaska-grown restaurant supply chain. Some state effort has been made to encourage the pipeline’s growth with seemingly successful results. Unfortunately, when the funding stopped, so did the programs.
Alaska’s Economic Future—Reasons for Optimism By Charles Bell, VP of Sales
A
way with the naysayers and the pessimists… I am here to say that I am optimistic about the economic future in Alaska for 2021 and beyond. Yes, we’re still in a pandemic and industries are suffering, but Alaskans are resilient and good things are on the horizon. Using a little 20/20 vision and looking into the crystal ball, here are but a few macro reasons join in my optimism: • ConocoPhillips Willow Project received its final EIS ROD and Greater Mooses Tooth 2 (GMT-2) should achieve first oil production in Q4 2021. • Oil Search entered the FEED stage on the Pikka Phase 1 oil project with an investment decision by the end of 2021. • Oil prices are projected to be stable in the mid-$40. • The Ambler Access Road with 2020 BLM approval will provide access to the Ambler Mining District, one of the largest undeveloped copper-zinc deposits in the world.
• Donlin Gold is one of the of the largest and highest grade open pit gold mine projects in the world with an estimated 33.8 million ounces of probable gold reserves. • The real estate market is stable with a statewide increase in home sale prices of 4.3% to 11% and historically low-interest rates, according to Northrim Bank Economist Mark Edwards • The tourism industry is starting to see some signs of recovery for 2021, according to an article authored by Scott McMurren published in ADN. • The USGS released a January 2020 report on potential undiscovered oil and gas reserves in the Central North Slope region estimating 3.6 billion barrels of undiscovered and technically recoverable oil and 8.9 TCF of natural gas. Life is full of uncertainty, and the pandemic certainly isn’t over. As we navigate 2021, remain positive! Mindset is such an essential aspect
of determining success. Remember there are plenty of outstanding opportunities ahead.
Optimist Prime (Transformers pun)
Charles Bell is the Vice President of Sales at Alaska Business Publishing Co. and is known for his witty puns and successfully helping advertisers reach their target audience. Having worked at Alaska Business since 1998, Charles is well-versed in Alaska’s economic landscape and looks forward to assisting magazine clients with their marketing endeavors.
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Currants grown in Alaska. Alaska Farmland Trust
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Arctic Harvest Deliveries is the only distributor in the state that carries exclusively Alaska grown and made products.
49th State Brewery bratwurst featuring Yensis onions grown by Alaska farmer Arthur Keyes.
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“The State Division of Agriculture had a restaurant rewards program that provided a reimbursement incentive; restaurants received a portion of the food price back for every Alaskagrown product they purchased,” Pettit explains. “It exposed a number of restaurants to these products, and even though it ran out of funding, ten years later, they are still committed to buying local.” In 2014, the Kenai Soil and Water Conservation District utilized a USDA grant to create a Farmers Market Promotion Program that resulted in creating more sites where Alaskagrown products were sold and helped to double the number of farms in the Central Peninsula in just two years. It currently sponsors Farm & Food Fridays, where people interested in local foods, including farmers and chefs, can network. It also publishes a local food directory in partnership with the Kenai Local Food Connection. “One thing we know about farmers is that they are passionate about growing food or raising livestock, but they are not always as passionate about marketing their products,” says Pettit. “The pipeline needs middlemen, or connectors, to bring farmers and restaurants together.” Infrastructure is important, too. “When we started out, we struggled to find any cold storage to meet our needs and ended up building our own cold storage facilities,” says Byers. “We did a trial project getting retail boxes to Nome, and the biggest barrier was having reliable, consistent temperature control the whole trip up there.” Because many smaller farms don’t have their own cold storage, a lot of food goes to waste. “It would make sense for the state to get involved in providing more cold storage in farming communities; especially since we’re pretty food insecure up here,” Byers adds. “There is always the potential of being cut off from the Lower 48.” The Alaska Food Hub has worked to increase the use of hubs throughout the state by providing software for trials at Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage. They’ve also worked with Kodiak Harvest and have advised groups in Palmer and Canada. “We would love to see hubs all over the state; imagine sending Homer www.akbizmag.com
oysters all the way up to Fairbanks and getting some of their food in return,” says Mixon. “One of our big goals is to find ways to connect regional food systems.” According to McCarthy, not only is it vital that the state provide monetary assistance to help restaurants investing in Alaska-grown products but that it invests in promoting the products as well. “Advertising the products that are grown and raised in the state is extremely important,” he says, giving the example of New Zealand, which is involved in both the testing and promotion of its Manuka honey, which is now considered by many to be the best honey in the world. He adds that providing funding to save local farms would also make a big difference. “One of most challenging things that we face is the loss of farmland: if the state would work directly with farmers to get them the funding they need to remain sustainable and to supporting generational farming, it would provide stability not only in production and manufacturing but in the retail and
Alaska Business
wholesale markets,” McCarthy says.
What the Future Holds The pandemic really showed Alaska— and the country—the importance of the food pipeline. “The pandemic revealed how global and international our food system is; there were tomato shortages across the country because there was no one to harvest the food, and there was a crisis in meat availability when the Midwest shut down and the supply chain stopped,” says Pettit. “What it showed in Alaska is that people really want Alaska food. Our farmers sold out faster than they ever had and got better prices than ever before; it was exciting. “I think 2021 will be really telling; it will be interesting to see what happens,” she adds. “Not only did the pandemic bring out people’s commitment to support their neighbors and their communities but it exposed them to the freshness and quality of Alaska-grown food. And once you meet that farmer and taste carrots that are eight times sweeter, you don’t want anything else.”
April 2021 | 121
INSIDE ALASKA BUSINESS KTUU Channel 2 and CBS 5 flipped the switch on two new transmitters March 3. “This is an exciting day in our station’s history as the new equipment replaces transmitters we’ve had for twenty years,” General Manager and Vice President Nancy Johnson says. The upgrades to the towers located in Goose Bay are also more energy efficient. In 2019, the station added an additional transmitter and expanded its over the air signal into the Kenai Peninsula. Most television sets will find the new signals automatically; others will need to be rescanned. alaskasnewssource.com
DPOR Recreational trail construction and maintenance efforts in Alaska could be bolstered by an additional $1 million this year, according to the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation. Under its Recreational Trails Program, the division typically offers grants of about $1.2 million a year for trail work in Alaska, says Director Ricky Gease. Each $1 a grant recipient provides is matched by $9 from the Federal Highway Administration (FWHA). Eligible applicants include nonprofits; educational institutions; Native corporations or tribal governments; and local, state, and federal government agencies. With additional FWHA money recently becoming available to the state, the division is currently accepting a second round of applications in 2021 for grants totaling approximately $1 million. The division is especially interested in using this year’s additional money to fund grants of up to $300,000 for projects supporting motorized uses and up to $150,000 for non-motorized uses.
However, under the grant rules, projects supporting trail safety and education are not eligible for this second round of grants. dnr.alaska.gov/parks
Hughes White As of March 1, Hughes White Colbo Wilcox & Tervooren updated its firm name to Hughes White Colbo & Tervooren—shortening it colloquially to Hughes White. Founded in 1939, Hughes White has met the legal needs of businesses and individuals throughout Alaska with a focus on litigation, insurance defense and employment law; environmental law; family law including divorce and custody disputes; and property law. hugheswhite.com
Koniag | GNE Koniag added Great Northern Engineering (GNE) to its Energy and Water business sector. Based in Palmer, GNE is a well-established engineering firm with clients and projects that range from the North Slope to Anchorage. GNE will join Dowland-Bach, Glacier Services, and recently acquired Big G Electric & Engineering in Koniag’s Energy and Water sector. koniag.com | greatnorthernengineering.com
McKinley Capital Management McKinley Capital Management and the newly forming entity McKinley Alaska Private Investment are launching a Direct Lending business to provide local capital solutions for Alaska businesses in the current and postpandemic economy. McKinley’s Direct Lending program serves businesses that have need for loans in the $10
million to $500 million range, filling a known void in Alaska for business capital. According to Rob Gillam, McKinley Capital Management CEO and Chief Investment Officer, “There have traditionally been three sources of capital available to Alaska businesses: small business loans (which typically have a $7 million cap and many restrictions), bank loans (which typically require existing assets for collateral and historical cash flow), and private or public bonds (which are typically for very large businesses and have a $500 million minimum). This has left a large gap for capital needs between $7 million and $500 million, and for businesses that need capital in order to acquire the assets or infrastructure necessary to begin or continue operations. This lack of capital has been an obstacle for the economic growth and development of Alaska business, so this is the space that McKinley is trying to fill with both private equity capital and private debt capital available to qualifying Alaska businesses.” mckinleycapital.com
CVRF Coastal Villages Region Fund (CVRF) is partnering with American Honda Motor Company to open three Authorized Honda Service Centers in rural Alaska. These first-of-a-kind service centers will be equipped with Honda-trained CVRF staff and original equipment manufacturer parts and tools. With staff’s ability to perform service and warranty work, residents will have access to faster repairs for their Honda ATVs and UTVs (side-by-sides) and experience tangible cost savings. coastalvillages.org
ECONOMIC INDIC ATOR S ANS Crude Oil Production 501,693 barrels -1.7% change from previous month
ANS West Coast Crude Oil Prices $67.34 per barrel 19% change from previous month
3/8/21 Source: Alaska Department of Natural Resources
3/9/21 Source: Alaska Department of Natural Resources
122 | April 2021
Statewide Employment As of publication, Labor Force and Unemployment figures from January 2021 were unavailable.
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
RIGHT MOVES Alaska Department of Law Governor Mike Dunleavy announced Treg Taylor as Attorney General for the Alaska Department of Law. Taylor started with the Alaska Taylor Department of Law in 2018, serving as deputy attorney general in charge of the civil division. He holds a bachelor’s in political science and a law degree from Brigham Young University. Attorney General Treg Taylor announced Cori Mills as the new Deputy Attorney General for the Department of Law. Mills started with Mills the department in 2012 as legislative liaison and public outreach coordinator for the Civil Division. She spent eight years in that role where she honed her legislation skills, worked on budget and fiscal issues, and served as special assistant under two former attorneys general. In May of 2019, she transitioned to the elections attorney position in the Labor & State Affairs Section until becoming supervisor of that section in August 2020.
Alaska USA Alaska USA Federal Credit Union has chosen six new executives and announced two promotions. Elizabeth Rense Pavlas has been promoted to Chief Operations Officer. Pavlas has more than ten years of experience with Alaska USA Pavlas in positions of increasing responsibility, most recently as executive director of retail financial services.
Patrick Cosgrove has been selected to fill the position of Chief Lending Officer. Cosgrove joins Alaska USA Federal Credit Union with Cosgrove more than twenty-five years of credit union experience. Cosgrove holds a bachelor’s in economics from Dickinson College in Pennsylvania. Shannon Conley has been promoted to Executive Director of retail Financial Services. Conley has worked for Alaska USA for more Conley than fifteen years and most recently held the position of senior vice president of branch administration. Doug Horner has been promoted to fill the role of Senior Vice President of IM Operations. Horner has been with Alaska USA performing Horner information management duties for more than eight years, most recently as the vice president of IM Operations. Peter Caldwell has been selected to fill the Vice President of Accounting role. Caldwell joins the credit union with more Caldwell than twenty-five years of accounting experience as a CPA in the financial services industry and has overseen accounting and reporting functions for multiple investment entities totaling more than $1 billion in revenue. Katie Schwab has been named Vice President for Personnel. Schwab rejoins Schwab Alaska USA Federal Credit
Union with a wealth of experience in the human resource field, including previous experience as the manager of personnel. June Gardner has been promoted to the recently created role of Vice President for Consumer Compliance. Gardner has more than Gardner nineteen years of industry experience and has worked for Alaska USA for the last five years. She was a recipient of the Alaska Journal Top Forty Under 40 award for demonstrating professional excellence. Roland Pilapil has been promoted to the recently created position of Vice President of Branch Administration, Southwest Pilapil Region, which is a role that will support branches in Arizona and the High Desert region of California. Pilapil has been with Alaska USA Federal Credit Union since 2005 and has held positions of increased responsibility since that time.
Northrim Bank Northrim Bank announced two new hires: Melissa Galloway, Loan Officer/Business Banker, Soldotna Financial Center and Ki Hoon Lee, Assistant Branch Manager, 7th Avenue Branch, Anchorage. Galloway joins Northrim Bank with thirteen years of retail, investment, and commercial lending experience. She holds an MBA from the University of Phoenix. Galloway has been a member of the Alliance, Rotary, Chamber and volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, the Boys and Girls Club, Kenai Peninsula
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Keeping Alaska Open for Business 124 | April 2021
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Food Bank, and financial education events. Lee comes to Northrim with nearly four years of experience in the financial industry, two and a half as a manager. He was a small business owner prior to starting his career in banking. Lee volunteers at the Food Bank and has participated in city area spring cleanings and kid’s day community events.
Kootznoowoo Deborah J. Atuk has joined Kootznoowoo as its new President and CEO. Prior to joining Kootznoowoo in 2016, Atuk served as a portfolio specialist and institutional relationship manager for SkyView Investment Advisors in New York City where her focus Atuk was on serving the unique needs of Alaska Native and American Indian clients. Previously, she was the treasurer of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation in North Carolina and director of business development at the Colville Tribal Federal Corporation in Eastern Washington. Atuk also serves as treasurer of the Board of Directors for Bering Straits Native Corporation. She earned an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Chicago and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.
Chugach Chugach Alaska Corporation announced that Daniel Fenza has been appointed to President and COO. He succeeds Sheri Buretta, who remains Chugach’s Chairman of the Board and Interim CEO. In his new role, Fenza is responsible for leading
Chugach’s corporate services functions and overseeing the Chugach family of companies and investments. He has demonstrated a natural Fenza inclination and passion for operational excellence, innovation, and developing talent throughout his twenty-year tenure with the corporation’s largest government contracting business, Chugach Government Solutions. Most recently, he served as vice president of Business Intelligence and Innovation, during which he pioneered technology transformation efforts designed to reduce costs and streamline efficiencies for the organization. Fenza has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida and a master’s in business administration from Florida Institute of Technology.
Mt. McKinley Bank Mt. McKinley Bank promoted Kareston Robinson to Assistant Vice President & Consumer Loan Officer and Allison Workes to Senior Vice President & Human Resources Manager. Robinson has worked within the financial industry in Fairbanks for more than twelve years and has played an integral role with all Robinson aspects of the SBA Paycheck Protection Program loans and has been highly engaged in helping customers with their lending needs. Robinson is a lifelong Fairbanks resident and graduated from UAF with an associate’s degree. Workes has worked within the human resources/business management field in Fairbanks for more than fifteen years and has proven herself an important member of the management team at Mt. McKinley
Bank. In her time with the bank, she recommended and implemented many programs and has helped navigate the complex Workes world of COVID-19. Workes is a lifelong resident of Fairbanks and graduated from UAF with a master’s in business administration.
Cornerstone Cornerstone announced two additions to the company: Jordyn High joins as an Accountant and Kyler Dias joins as a Project Manager. High brings several years of experience in the Alaska construction industry, including work for both general and specialty High contractors. She earned a bachelor’s in business administration with a concentration in accounting at UAF and is currently working towards her MBA. She grew up in the building industry; her paternal grandfather, a registered engineer, owned and operated a civil engineering firm in Alaska. At her family’s firm, High gained appreciation for the design and development of buildings in northern environments. Dias joins Cornerstone with more than a decade of Alaska construction experience. His professional career focused on large Dias federal and commercial projects as a civil engineer, project manager, estimator, and quality control manager. He will be responsible for leading Cornerstone’s efforts in federal contracting opportunities. Dias holds a bachelor’s in civil engineering from UAA.
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April 2021 | 125
ALASKA TRENDS
W
hile vaccination rates in Alaska continue to soar, total prices consumers paid for goods and services in 2020 moved in the opposite direction. The CPI, or Cost Price Index, measures the average change in prices paid by consumers for a market basket of goods and services over a period of time. According to Department of Labor Economist Neal Fried, it is the most applied cost-of-living statistic in the state that is used to adjust a variety of rates including collective bargaining agreements and minimum wage. And as revealed in the Department of Labor’s March Economic Trends report, the CPI for urban Alaska experienced a 1.1 percent decline in 2020—the first time in the history of the state. The deflation was likely a pleasant symptom of an otherwise unpleasant year. And while it’s not expected to continue, we’ll take the small win.
US inflation rate compared to the Alaska inflation rate
USA
2010
1.5 1.80
AK
2011
2.96 3.20
2012
1.74 2.20
2013
1.5 3.10
2014
0.76 1.60
2015
0.73 0.50
2016
2.07 0.40
2017
2.11 0.50
2018
1.91 3.00
2019
2.29 1.40
2020
1.36 -1.10
'10 '11 '12 '13 '14 '15 '16 '17 '18 '19 '20
.3%
$98.90=$100
For every $100 the urban consumer spent in 2019, they paid $98.90 in 2020. 2019 had a 1.4% inflation rate, the average consumer spent about $101.40 for every $100 they spent in 2018. It’s the mostapplied cost-of-living statistic in the state, used to adjust collective bargaining agreements, rental agreements, child support payments, the minimum wage, and real estate contracts. 126 | April 2021
Signs point to a different story for 2021. October and December recorded 0.3% inflation from the same periods the year before.
4.4%
Food and beverage prices rose 4.4%.
4 of 6
Demand fell hard for many goods and services last year, and Alaska’s CPI registered deflation from the prior year four out of the six (bimonthly) times it was measured. Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
Price change comparisons to the US by select category Urban AK
0.10%
Food & Beverages
4.40%
3.30%
Housing
-1.90%
2.20%
1.80%
Medical Care
5.20%
4.10%
Other Goods & Services
2.40%
2.50%
Recreation
-1.50%
1.30%
Medical Care
Food & Beverages
Other
Education/Communication
Recreation
Transportation -6.80% -4.20%
Clothing
Transportation
Housing and transportation were responsible for most of last year’s drop in prices. Housing costs fell 1.9%, its “weight” alone pushed the index into negative territory.
Education/communication
Housing
Housing
USA
Clothing -6.10% -4.80%
Clothing
Clothing was near the top of the deflation list, with prices down about 6% over the year.
Travel
Lower energy prices seeped into other categories, contributing to the 6.8% drop in overall transportation costs. Air travel was another factor in that decline; demand tanked in 2020 and plane ticket prices plummeted in response.
56%
The typical household spends more than 56% of its monthly budget on housing and transportation costs.
Energy
Alaska’s energy costs fell a whopping 10.6% in 2020 because of the oil price collapse at the pandemic’s onset. While oil prices recovered somewhat as the year went on, they remained well below 2019’s levels.
Energy Prices Energy prices have already risen past their 2020 lows. www.akbizmag.com
Alaska Business
April 2021 | 127
AT A GLANCE What book is currently on your nightstand? How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. What cause or charity are you passionate about? Images ©Kerry Tasker
Saint Jude’s Children’s Hospital. What vacation spot is on your bucket list? One of the things I haven’t done is the Atlantic Crossing on a large cruise ship—having several days out at sea with no cell phone seems extremely appealing to me.
128 | April 2021
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
OFF THE CUFF
Rob McKinney C
olleagues have described him as “the weirdest pilot in the world” because he doesn’t drink
coffee and he doesn’t play golf, but when it comes to reviving an airline in the middle of a pandemic, Rob McKinney is just the man for the job. Having returned to the state after spending some time in Hawaii, Ravn Alaska’s new CEO certainly enjoys a challenge. Take, for example, his stint as a stand-up comic. After picking up a Comedyfor-Dummies guide on a whim, McKinney quickly found himself at the Stardust in Las Vegas, performing for a crowd of 2,000. As for his latest venture, McKinney couldn’t be more optimistic: “I have the best team that I could ever imagine, the customers have welcomed us back with open arms, every day we’re flying more people than we did the previous day, we’re redeveloping our partnerships—I really am thrilled with how it’s going.” Alaska Business: What do you do in your free time? Rob McKinney: I love tennis, I’ve played my whole life. I usually don’t play competitively due to timing, but I love everything outdoors—I really love hiking. I used to spend a lot of time in the ocean, so I’ve been looking for some things to replace that with up here, but tennis and hiking are my two favorite things. AB: Is there a skill you’re currently developing or have always wanted to learn? McKinney: After this becomes public, I’m gonna have some pressure on myself to go make sure I finish it. But I bought myself a ukulele and never learned how to play it—so now I’m gonna get the YouTube videos fired up and get that guy going. AB: What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done? McKinney: I’d definitely have to say doing stand-up comedy in Las Vegas. My biggest score was to play in front of about 2,000 people in the Stardust when it was still in existence. I www.akbizmag.com
was a Learjet pilot at the time and saw a book in a bookstore called Stand-up Comedy for Dummies and thought that went straight down the middle of home plate for me. So I read it from to cover to cover and then started doing open mic night, and then I saw an audition in Denver for the first annual comedy festival so I went and auditioned and won for Denver, even though I didn’t live there. And then I ended up getting to go to Vegas and be part of the comedy festival. AB: What’s your favorite local restaurant? McKinney: My Achilles’ heel is pizza. So as I have been sampling all the different pizzas in Anchorage, so far Moose’s Tooth is my favorite. AB: Other than your current career, if you were a kid today, what would your dream job be? McKinney: That’s easy. I was just determined up until I was sixteen that I was going to be a veterinarian. I grew up on a farm and I’ve always had this great love for animals, so to ease their suffering or help them live a better life would still be very important to me. AB: Dead or alive, who would you like to see perform live in concert? McKinney: Definitely the Beatles back in their heyday. AB: What’s your greatest extravagance? McKinney: I’d probably have to admit that it’s cars. I think my entire adult life I’ve had way more cars than a person actually needs. I think at my peak I’ve had six cars and three of them were Corvettes. AB: What’s your best attribute and worst attribute? McKinney: I would say my best attribute is that I’m fiercely loyal to my family, my friends, the people I work with, the people that are important in my life. And depending on who you ask, I would say that one of my weaknesses is that I’ve been fairly driven my whole life professionally, and so this has probably caused my work/life balance to be more out of whack than maybe what I would have liked it to have been.
Alaska Business
April 2021 | 129
ADVERTISERS INDEX 3-Tier Alaska..............................................30 3tieralaska.com
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP..................78, 79. dwt.com
Oil Search...................................................38 oilsearch.com
Ahtna Inc....................................................67 ahtna.net
Denali Universal Service | Sodexo............ 49 denaliuniversal.com/
Oles Morrison Rinker & Baker LLP............ 51 oles.com
Airport Equipment Rentals......................131 airportequipmentrentals.com
Donlin Gold...............................................45 donlingold.com
Oxford Assaying & Refining Inc.................55 oxfordmetals.com
Alaska Air Cargo - Alaska Airlines..............25 alaskaair.com
Dorsey & Whitney LLP...............................52 dorsey.com
Pacific Pile & Marine................................123 pacificpile.com
Alaska Humanities Forum..........................43 akhf.org
First National Bank Alaska (FNBA)...............5 fnbalaska.com
Parker Smith & Feek.....................................9 psfinc.com
Alaska Mergers & Acquisitions.................. 17 fink@alaska.net
Foss Maritime...........................................101 foss.com
PIP Marketing Signs Print.........................119 pip.com
Alaska Pacific University (APU)..................13 alaskapacific.edu
Fountainhead Hotels.............................. 120 fountainheadhotels.com
Alaska PTAC...............................................33 ptacalaska.org Alaska Railroad........................................... 17 alaskarailroad.com Alaska Railroad Real Estate Division..........29 alaskarailroad.com/real-estate Alaska USA Federal Credit Union..............91 alaskausa.org Altman Rogers & Co................................121 altrogco.com Anchorage Sand & Gravel......................... 31 anchsand.com Arctic On-Demand....................................37 akaod.com Arctic Slope Regional Corp. (ASRC)........107 asrc.com Avis Rent-A-Car...................................... 108 avisalaska.com Bering Straits Native Corp.........................41 beringstraits.com Carlile Transportation Systems.................93 carlile.biz Central Environmental Inc. (CEI).............102 cei-alaska.com CIRI...........................................................103 ciri.com Conrad-Houston Insurance Agency........23 chialaska.com Construction Machinery Industrial (CMI)............................................2 cmiak.com
GCI...............................................................3 gci.com Great Originals Inc....................................56 greatoriginals.com HC Contractors.........................................61 hccontractors.net Hecla Greens Creek Mining Co................. 51 hecla-mining.com JAG Alaska.................................................28 jagmarinegroup.com Junior Achievement of Alaska...................14 alaskaja.org LifeMed Alaska...........................................87 lifemedalaska.com
Port of Nome.............................................33 nomealaska.org Providence Health & Services Alaska........75 alaska.providence.org R & M Consultants Inc...............................55 rmconsult.com Ravn Alaska................................................ 11 ravenalaska.com Southcentral Foundation..........................57 southcentralfoundation.com Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium................................................ 71 searhc.org Span Alaska Transportation LLC.............. 117 spanalaska.com
Lynden Inc...............................................132 lynden.com
Stellar Designs Inc.....................................23 stellar-designs.com
Material Flow & Conveyor Systems Inc............................................... 27 materialflow.com
Teck Alaska Inc..........................................47 teck.com
Matson Inc.................................................19 matson.com Medical Park Family Care Inc....................15 mpfcak.com MTA............................................................63 mtasolutions.com NANA Regional Corp................................ 49 nana.com Nenana Heating Services Inc..................101 nenanaheatingservices.net New Horizons Telecom Inc.......................16 nhtiusa.com
The Odom Corp......................................116 odomcorp.com Thomas Head & Greisen.........................115 thgcpa.com TOTE Maritime Alaska................................83 totemaritime.com UIC Construction Services........................35 uiccs.com United Way of Anchorage........................... 7 liveunitedanchorage.org USI Insurance Services........................... 109 usi.com
Northern Air Cargo (NAC).............. 124, 125. nac.aero
Usibelli Coal Mine......................................53 usibelli.com
Credit Union 1............................................22 cu1.org
Novagold Resources Inc...........................97 novagold.com
Westmark Hotels - HAP Alaska............... 111 westmarkhotels.com
Cruz Companies........................................39 cruzconstruct.com
Odyssey Logistics & Technology Corp.....59 odysseylogistics.com
Whitley Manufacturing............................. 44 whitley.com/upgrade
130 | April 2021
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
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