ESTATE PL ANNING | CONSTRUCTION | MARKETING TO AL ASK ANS March 2020
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CONTENTS MARCH 2020 | VOLUME 37 | NUMBER 3 | AKBIZMAG.COM
FE AT UR E S 16 REAL ESTATE
8 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Elevating Downtown
The Art of Building and Growing Alaska Brands
Placemaking, community commitment essential to revitalization
Finding the right tactics to garner hard-earned Alaskan loyalty
By Vanessa Orr
By Tracy Barbour
26 OIL & GAS
Materials, Soil, and Chemical Testing In a lab or in the field, the right data keeps the oil & gas industry on track By Isaac Stone Simonelli
32 ALASKA NATIVE Building Business
Alaska Native construction subsidiaries provide shareholder jobs, financial benefits By Amy Newman
86 INSURANCE
Higher Quality, Lower Costs The Pacific Health Coalition brings together healthcare providers and self-insured businesses for a healthier Alaska By Tasha Anderson
94 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Thinking of the Unthinkable Plan your estate transition or it will be planned without you
Mining Foundations Hard rock, sand, and gravel ground Alaska infrastructure By Isaac Stone Simonelli
Š Matthew Waliszek | Anchorage Downtown Partnership
100 MINING
Anchorage Sand & Gravel
By Tracy Barbour
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. Š 2020 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 & December 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.
4 | March 2020
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
CONTENTS MARCH 2020 | VOLUME 37 | NUMBER 3 | AKBIZMAG.COM
CONSTRUCTION SPECIAL SECTION 42 THINKING BIG AT THE TED STEVENS ANCHORAGE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
62 THE MIDTOWN MALL’S MOMENTOUS MAKEOVER
Constructing new facilities to improve the world-class airport
New anchor tenants set up the mall for the new decade
By Tasha Anderson Research by Kayla Matthews
By Arie Henry
50 BUILDING ALASKA’S LONGEST SINGLE-SPAN BRIDGE The Sterling Highway MP 45-60 project addresses congestion and increases safety By Brad Joyal
Midtown Mall
68 CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
ABOUT THE COVER
Blueprint North
56 S MALL CONTRACTORS MAKE A BIG IMPACT
Building partnerships and specializing in niche contracts By Joy Choquette
Anchorage Downtown Partnership’s Executive Director Amanda Moser is passionate about building communities. She and her team are investing in Anchorage’s downtown, creating a space that attracts businesses and community members alike. Building community takes demolition and construction, science and art, places for events and spaces for spontaneity. Mostly though, it takes people to invest. While Moser and the Anchorage Downtown Partnership are spearheading Anchorage’s downtown revitalization, it takes all of us to create a community. So get out, get involved—and you’ll get a lot more than you put in. Cover Photo by Jeremy Cubas | Mad Men Studios
QUICK READS 108 C OMMUNITY EVENTS
110 BUSINESS EVENTS
112 INSIDE ALASKA BUSINESS
114 RIGHT MOVES
116 ALASKA TRENDS
120 OFF THE CUFF
6 | March 2020
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
VOLUME 37, #3
FROM THE EDITOR
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 257-2906 ahenry@akbizmag.com
Art Director Monica Sterchi-Lowman
Making a Place a Destination
257-2916 monica@akbizmag.com
Art Production Linda Shogren 257-2912 production@akbizmag.com
Photo Contributor Kerry Tasker
BUSINESS STAFF President Billie Martin VP & General Manager Jason Martin 257-2905 jason@akbizmag.com
VP Sales & Marketing Charles Bell 257-2909 cbell@akbizmag.com
Senior Account Manager Janis J. Plume 257-2917 janis@akbizmag.com
Advertising Account Manager Christine Merki 257-2911 cmerki@akbizmag.com
Accounting Manager Ana Lavagnino 257-2901 accounts@akbizmag.com
Customer Service Representative Emily Olsen 257-2914 emily@akbizmag.com
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lacemaking in its broadest form is planning, designing, and managing a city’s public spaces. But what it’s really about is making the most of existing resources to boost the appeal of an urban area. It’s about bringing light and fun to a downtown’s shadowy areas by adorning alleyways with murals and foliage or transforming a barren strip of sidewalk into an outdoor café, all with the intent of making the city center a destination instead of a throughway. The best example of placemaking in Alaska is happening in downtown Anchorage, which is undergoing an evolution to make the area appealing—not just to tourists—but to residents. The area already has so much going it for it: stunning views of Cook Inlet, an eclectic mix of small shops and boutiques, and large open spaces. But downtown Anchorage has seen its fair share of neglect. Those large open spaces became gathering spots for nefarious activities and new businesses stopped coming in (especially with the economic downturn), giving many downtown areas an empty, eerie, forgotten feel. However, the downtown revitalization effort happening now, spearheaded by the Anchorage Downtown Partnership (ADP), working in partnership with both the public and private sectors, has begun to infuse downtown with excitement and life, transforming the forgotten into the inviting. Revitalizing downtown Anchorage—or any downtown for that matter—requires engaging the services of a host of industries including architecture, engineering, construction, hospitality, retail, tourism, government entities, and more… all working together to turn an area that has fallen into disrepair into an economic engine that supports the local economy. This month in Alaska Business we delve into how ADP, with Amanda Moser at its helm, is working closely with municipal and regional leadership to advocate for more affordable housing and better transportation to execute a plan to help the city center reach its full potential. If you haven’t visited lately, put downtown Anchorage on your to-see list—we think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
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Kathryn Mackenzie Managing Editor, Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
Alaska Business
March 2020 | 7
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
The Art of Building and Growing Alaska Brands Finding the right tactics to garner hard-earned Alaskan loyalty By Tracy Barbour
8 | March 2020
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
B
randing is an intangible but powerful force. It subtly shapes the identity of a company in the minds of consumers and, ultimately, the marketplace. That’s why it’s imperative that businesses make a conscious effort to establish, maintain, and grow their brand. And branding can be even more important for companies operating in Alaska, a relatively small market where relationships and reputations often play an expanded role in business success. The words “brand” and “branding” are somewhat nebulous terms that marketers define in a variety of ways. So what exactly is a brand? In a broad sense, it’s the combination of all the attributes that make up a company’s identity and the essence of what it represents to consumers. To Sarah Erkmann Ward, a company’s brand is what it wants customers to think of when they see its logo, promotional materials, and advertising, along with what they read about it in the news and online. “The brand helps the company stand out from competitors by drawing attention to their
www.akbizmag.com
Alaska Business
March 2020 | 9
products and services, and it’s what makes them unique,” says Ward, president of Blueprint Alaska, an Anchorage advocacy and strategic communications firm. Branding is when a company creates a name, symbol, or design that is easily identifiable as belonging to that company. And it’s critical for businesses and organizations because it tells customers what the experience with the company will (or should) be. A strong branding program gives companies a competitive edge because it clarifies what makes them different and better than other companies. “A solid brand ultimately leads to increased awareness and sales and creates a favorable business environment,” Ward says. “Branding also provides clarity to company employees and helps them develop pride and satisfaction in their work.” A brand is much more than a logo, color palette, or tagline, according to Kaylee Devine, an account planner with Spawn Ideas, which was named the 2018 Small Agency of the Year by Ad Age. A brand is a promise to customers, a promise of an experience. It’s the associations people think and make about a company, and creating those associations is important. “About 95 percent of our decisions are intuitive, so helping to create those strong brands helps you get to those associations faster,” Devine says. However, the brand also must be very ownable, resonate with customers, and drive a company’s value propositions. There’s real weight behind a strong brand, Devine says. It’s not just a fluffy marketing strategy. “A powerful brand helps you drive longer business growth and minimize price sensitivity,” she explains.
Brand Building in Alaska Given the uniqueness of Alaska, there are marked differences between building a brand in Alaska versus other places. Ward sums it up this way: “Alaskans demand transparency and authenticity. It’s the reason voters are skeptical of politicians wearing shiny new Carhartts. If you’re going to succeed in Alaska business, it’s critical to understand the nuance of the market and avoid unforced errors. Consulting with Alaska-based 10 | March 2020
professionals can help.” She adds: “Of course, businesses nationwide are also expected to be authentic, but there’s more emphasis on being ‘one of us’ in Alaska than in other places. We’re provincial that way.”
“A solid brand ultimately leads to increased awareness and sales and creates a favorable business. Branding also provides clarity to company
who have come up from the Lower 48,” says Devine, whose Anchoragebased agency has hubs in Denver; Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; and Madison, Wisconsin. “So it’s important that those Alaska values translate to new residents. It’s making sure that their Alaskaness is extending a hand to people who are new to the state. You have to keep in mind that you’re going to be talking to potential customers who don’t know you from Adam.” The state of Alaska carries a certain mystique that companies often promote when marketing their brands, says Debbie Reinwand, president and CEO of Brilliant Media Strategies, which is based in Anchorage and also works with firms outside Alaska. While Alaskans place a heavy emphasis on patronizing local businesses, a key difference between building a brand in Alaska and elsewhere comes down to money. Reinwand says: “We’ve done work for Outside firms a lot… We spend a fair
employees and helps them develop pride and satisfaction in their work.” Sarah Erkmann Ward, President, Blueprint Alaska
Alaskans have a strong sense of pride, Devine says. And local companies tend to convey their “Alaskaness” prominently in their identity. However, they should be mindful that Alaska has a sizeable transient population. “We are always going to have a new batch of people
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
amount of money trying to figure out what people responded to. Here in Alaska, you can build a heck of a brand for not very much money, compared to outside Alaska.” Alaska’s small population has a distinct impact on the effort necessary for a business to maintain its brand. It makes relationship building and reputation management even more important in the marketplace. “When you’re in a major metropolitan area, there will be twenty-five dentists; up here we don’t have as many choices,” Reinwand says. “But people talk, so you need to make sure you do manage your reputation.” Companies can get a sense of where their reputation stands by conducting reputational polling on an annual basis. Or they can do a less formal assessment by regularly reviewing the comments on their Facebook page. Then they can see where they need to make
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“Alaskans demand transparency and authenticity. It’s the reason voters are skeptical of politicians wearing shiny new Carhartts.” Sarah Erkmann Ward, President, Blueprint Alaska
Alaska Business
March 2020 | 11
necessary tweaks to improve their brand image. In the Alaska market, there are zero degrees of separation, Devine says. But whether companies are local or national, social media gives customers a greater ability to provide public feedback. So businesses should always be conscientious about how they conduct themselves. “It’s always really important for an Alaska brand to treat their customers—and employees—like neighbors because they really are,” she says.
“It’s always really important for an Alaska brand to treat their customers— and employees—like neighbors because they really are.” Kaylee Devine, Account Planner, Spawn Ideas
The importance of reputation management and overall brand building cannot be overstated. In Alaska, people expect companies to operate on a personal level. National brands, Ward says, expecting a onesize-fits-all approach to work in Alaska usually figure out the error of their ways. She explains: “For example, Delta Airlines believed that simply by providing cheaper fares in and out of Juneau, they could eat into Alaska Airlines’ year-round market share. They underestimated the strength of Alaska’s brand in the state, particularly in Southeast. Despite cheaper fares, customers stuck with Alaska out of loyalty to the brand (and the mileage program, which contributes to the brand).” Ward continues: “Alaska Airlines has also developed its brand in Alaska by being a visible community partner 12 | March 2020
for decades, sponsoring hundreds of events across the state and providing excellent customer service. Saving customers a few bucks was not enough incentive for Alaska’s brand enthusiasts to switch carriers. As such, Alaska Airlines’ domination of the Alaska market continues.”
Tactics for Growing an Existing Brand It can be challenging for companies to build and grow their brand in an environment in which consumers are bombarded with thousands of messages through traditional advertising and online media channels. But with the right strategies, companies can develop an ownable, valuable, and memorable brand position that can make its organization, products, and services resonate with target audiences. When striving to build a strong brand, Ward says, companies need to decide exactly what they want that brand to be. It sounds simple, but it’s an important step that requires strategic planning. Then they need to check their desired brand attributes against reality. “An airline may want to be known as a reliable, on-time carrier and spend millions on ads claiming to be so, but if the customer experience doesn’t match the brand, it won’t work,” Ward says. Once brand attributes are established, it’s critical that all internal and external communications match the brand. In Alaska, for example, if a company decides part of its brand is buying local, that company should hire Alaskans. As part of their brand building strategy, Reinwand says, companies should have a solid theme that connects everything they do, including a recognizable logo and tagline. Then once those pieces are in place, businesses need to figure out what tactics to use to reinforce the brand. This will depend on what’s available to that particular niche or industry. Some companies may be able to benefit more from social media. Others may need to amplify their brand more through TV, print, advertising, or radio. Online and digital are also
viable options. “We look at the right mix for what the client is trying to accomplish,” she says. “For example, I’m working with a smaller company, and we are using video and pushing them out on Facebook and elsewhere, and it’s more of a subtle effect.” A well-established business might focus its branding efforts on doing more top-of-mind awareness and generating goodwill. For example, a company with significant longevity might opt to emphasize another aspect of its story to further solidify its brand. For instance, Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC) has been a top company in Alaska for decades, but many people didn’t know that it has government contracts and engages in a diversity of endeavors. So Brilliant Media Strategies employed an ad campaign to highlight the full breadth of ASRC’s activities, which encompass more than forty-five states. “We’re showing Alaskans that they are so much more than the company in Barrow and Anchorage,” she says. GCI is a prime example of a local company that has excelled at branding itself for the Alaska market, according to Ward. Its slogan (“Alaska born and raised”) highlights the local ties that Alaskans prefer. “It’s also why, when you call their help desk for technical support, you are connected to a real human who lives here,” she says. “GCI also makes significant contributions to local charities and organizations like Covenant House, Special Olympics Alaska, and suicide prevention programs in rural Alaska. These actions, combined with consistent, sustained communications (TV and radio ads, social media posts, customer service
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experiences), all contribute to the brand.” Whatever strategies companies choose to use to promote their brands, Devine says, they must have a strong foundation and consistency in their communication. They must make sure that their ultimate promise helps to build a strong foundation. And that foundation should involve the perspectives of the company, its competitors, and its customers. From there, businesses can define their core identity and what they offer. Once that’s solidified, they need to ensure there’s consistency with their outward communication, including the use of their logo, fonts, tagline, and other elements. “That’s going to echo your brand voice,” Devine says. “It will also help you be more memorable, and customers will be more open to what you have to say.” Companies should carefully ponder
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“An airline may want to be known as a reliable, on-time carrier and spend millions on ads claiming to be so, but if the customer experience doesn’t match the brand, it won’t work.” Sarah Erkmann Ward, President, Blueprint Alaska
their options and not try to be all things to all people. They need to identify a brand promise that works for them— something they can uphold, live, and breathe every single day. They also must ensure employees understand what that promise is, so they can communicate it clearly to potential and existing customers. www.akbizmag.com
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Branding Strategies for New Companies When it comes to branding, the beauty for new companies is that they have a fresh start to make a first impression, Devine says. However, they need to make sure they can consistently deliver on what they promise customers. This will help them make a positive first impression and foster good word of mouth. New businesses also need to ensure their brand is something obtainable, distinctive, and ownable so people can distinguish them from a competitor. And because they are just starting, they don’t have the equity built on their brand yet, so they need to make sure their communication style is clear. “You want to make sure you’re not veiling your product offering too much,” Devine says. “If it’s clearer, it’s more memorable. And if it’s more memorable, you have a better chance of accomplishing your brand goal.” Today, it’s easier for a new business to begin building a brand without breaking the bank, Ward says. While traditional mediums like broadcast and print advertising remain important, a company can augment those efforts and develop its brand on any number of social media channels. For example, a strategic, creative, and consistent social media campaign is an excellent tool for new companies. Proactive earned media, the industry term for free news coverage, is also helpful in getting the word out and developing a brand. “Of course, the same is true of negative publicity damaging a brand, which is also why every major company or organization should have a crisis plan in place, or at least someone available to help them navigate a crisis,” she says. “It takes years to establish a brand [or reputation], but it can be lost overnight if a crisis is poorly managed.” Owned media is another tool companies can use, especially those that struggle to tell their story in traditional mediums like the news media. An updated company website is critical and can be relatively inexpensive to maintain. Blog posts, employee profiles, and photo galleries are also relatively easy tools that provide the benefit of being within a company or organization’s control. Reinwand suggests starting with 14 | March 2020
a decent logo and tagline and then building from the ground up. The first step is always a well-thought-out plan and message. “Frankly, that’s where agencies can come in and be helpful,” she says.
“You want to make sure you’re not veiling your product offering too much. If it’s clearer, it’s more memorable. And if it’s more memorable, you have a better chance of accomplishing your brand goal.”
Building a brand, Devine says, is less about being trendy and more about adapting a brand’s identity for modern times. At Spawn Ideas, there’s a greater focus on content strategy and digital channels. “Tight content strategies and being more thoughtful about how you design experience is important,” she says. Social media branding is an everincreasing trend that will continue in 2020. Most customers are on social media, Ward says, so it’s important for companies to research which channels their current and prospective customers use. Then they should develop strategic and thoughtful plans for the channels that make the most sense and engage with customers that way. “It’s important to note that companies are better off doing a good job on fewer channels than a mediocre job on many channels,” she says. “In other words, pick a winner, and knock it out of the park.” Connecting visually with customers and stakeholders also will be more important than ever in 2020. With social media platforms like Facebook changing their algorithm to prioritize family and friends’ posts instead of advertising, marketers must use visual assets to break through. “Short videos, infographics, and even webinars will perform better than traditional ads,” Ward says. “Of course, these visual elements must be compelling and match the overall brand. Creativity will be key.”
Kaylee Devine, Account Planner, Spawn Ideas
Brand Building Trends In terms of brand building trends in Alaska, more companies are stressing corporate culture and what they stand for, Reinwand says. That’s exactly what her company did when it recently celebrated fifty years of service in Alaska. Brilliant Media Strategies created a new logo that hearkens back to its past and gave its employees branded jackets to celebrate the momentous occasion. “It’s a way to start at home first… to get your office and coworkers on the same team and instill that pride,” Reinwand says. Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
PERSONNEL PLUS EMPLOYMENT AGENCY Your Employment Connection
S
ince 1989, Personnel Plus Employment Agency has been differentiating itself as Alaska’s “employment connection.” The traditions established by its founder, Cindy Schebler, are still going strong— especially now with a new owner at the helm: her son, Mike Schebler. “Cindy is enjoying her retirement life after building Personnel Plus to what it is today,” he says. While the company’s ownership has changed, the way Personnel Plus operates and serves customers remains the same. “We intend to keep doing what we’ve been doing for the last thirty years,” says Schebler, who joined his mother in the business in 1998. We Do It All A full-service employment agency with offices in Anchorage and Fairbanks, Personnel Plus offers a variety of services for businesses of all types and sizes. It provides a viable alternative to the time-consuming and costly task of staff placement, helping clients significantly enhance the efficiency of their personnel department. Each year, the experienced staff at Personnel Plus puts 500 to 600 employees—from technical to executive level—to work in Alaska. The company’s key services include permanent placement, temporary placement, and employee leasing. With permanent placement, Personnel Plus handles the recruiting, testing, screening and checking references to find the most qualified applicants. “For one position, we’ll easily go through
a hundred resumes, pick ten of the top ones, interview those people, and narrow it down from there,” says General Manager Morgan FitzsimmonsGallagher. “I like to give clients three applicants to interview, and from there they can select their top candidate.” Following placement, Personnel Plus often conducts a well-check to see how the employee is meshing with the employer. “We like to go back and check to make sure both the employer and employee are happy and it’s a good fit for both,” Fitzsimmons-Gallagher says. Maintaining close relationships with employers and employees is extremely important to Personnel Plus. That’s especially true with temporary services, where Personnel Plus takes responsibility for employee tax and workers’ compensation, then bills clients hourly based on the position. “We’re constantly getting calls from companies that need people, even on the same day,” Fitzsimmons-Gallagher says. “We’re very competent at being able to find the people we need to place those positions.” Employee leasing is another core service of Personnel Plus, and it’s
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increasing in popularity. It’s ideal for any business owner who wants to avoid the headache of doing payroll and all that is associated with it. With this solution, Personnel Plus would take over the company’s payroll and “lease” back their original employees. The only change for their employees would be the name Personnel Plus on their paychecks. Schebler says: “It doesn’t matter if it’s for one or a hundred employees, employee leasing can be beneficial. It’s a real paperwork saver.” We Make It Personal Regardless of the services being provided, Personnel Plus uses a friendly, hands-on management style with its office staff, employees and clients. The company’s success is inextricably tied to its culture of excellence and treating everyone like family. “We try to get to know our applicants as well as our clients,” Schebler says. “I think it’s keeping the personal in personnel.” For more information, contact:
Mike Schebler, President Anchorage Office (907) 563-7587 1500 W. 33rd Ave., Ste. 220 Anchorage, AK 99503 Fairbanks Office (907) 452-7587 3437 Airport Way, Ste. 203-B Fairbanks, AK 99709 www.perplus.com
R E A L E S TAT E
Elevating Downtown Placemaking, community commitment essential to revitalization Š Matthew Waliszek | Anchorage Downtown Partnership
By Vanessa Orr
16 | March 2020
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
W
hat do Oklahoma City; Cleveland; Cincinnati; Boise, Idaho; and Bend, Oregon have in common? Visitors to these cities—and the people who live in them— are benefitting from the fact that their downtown areas have undergone a revitalization, attracting businesses, tax dollars, and tourists that contribute to the area’s overall economy. “When you look at other cities across the US, you can see the rebirth of community and economy that occurs from reinvestment in downtown areas,” explains Bill Popp, president and CEO of the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation. “And it’s not just the downtown area that becomes vital again; we’ve seen in case after case that there is growth in economic activity in outlying areas thanks to a more dynamic downtown core.”
The Downtown Difference For years, people lived and worked in cities before the attraction of suburbia took hold. As people moved out of downtown areas, apathy—and sometimes crime—moved in. Today, more people and companies are moving back downtown, but cities have to make it attractive enough to interest diverse demographics. “Getting people and businesses to move to Anchorage is predicated on the community being inviting and attractive to the workforce,” says Popp. “We have been focused on the national talent wars that have been going on for the last five or so years, and we expect things to get even more intense, looking at projections of national labor force shortages in the next decade.” According to Popp, there are several critical elements that make up a vital downtown. The first is that the city center has a large resident population, which in turn attracts new businesses, such as pharmacies, grocery stores, dry cleaners, and restaurants. “In the core of downtown Anchorage, there are hundreds of people; not thousands,” says Popp. “Other cities of our size have a population of 5,000 to 10,000 people, so it’s important that we expand our housing opportunities to develop a strong resident population base.” www.akbizmag.com
Mixed-use spaces are also important, such as having a coffee shop or retail business on a ground floor with housing on the upper floors. Downtown cores also need to be walkable and contain cultural elements such as music, art, and nightlife. According to Popp, an “activated” downtown means having something going on for 300 days or more each year. And of course businesses have their own list of criteria that must be met before they decide to invest in an area that is in the process of being revitalized. These include market opportunities, investment cost, and the ability to attract and retain a workforce. “Ten years ago, workforce attraction and retention were not even in the top ten of what a business looked at to open or relocate,” says Popp. “Now, if a city can’t offer that, they are not even on a business’ radar.” In order to attract a viable workforce, downtown areas need to provide not just amenities but affordable and ample housing. “While living in downtown Anchorage may be desirable, there
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are not adequate opportunities for people to move here,” says Popp. “The community needs to find ways to incentivize businesses to make it really exciting to create housing downtown. This will bear fruit over the next decade, as young professionals and retirees looking to downsize are searching for walkable, easily accessible neighborhoods.”
“When people come downtown, they spend money at brick-andmortar establishments and bring a sense of vibrancy to the area.” Amanda Moser, Executive Director Anchorage Downtown Partnership
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In the summer of 2019, The Alaska Club held Zumba in Town Square every Tuesday. Anchorage Downtown Partnership
According to Popp, Millennials and Gen Xers have a different mindset than the generations that came before. “While Baby Boomers used to go to where the good jobs were, even if the cities weren’t great, Millennials and Gen Xers feel that they have a right to expect more out of their communities,” he says. “They are looking for diverse, welcoming spaces that have great amenities like parks, trails, and outdoor activities; music; art; nightlife; public gathering spaces; and activities nearly every day. “They are willing to move to a community without a job; if the community is that good, the job will make itself apparent,” he adds. “And it’s working for them.”
looking for underused or problem spaces that have fallen by the wayside— places where people may not feel comfortable going—and we’re taking these spaces back,” explains Rosie Frankowski, placemaking coordinator for the Anchorage Downtown Partnership. “We’re creating community
gathering places through a number of different methods.” Anchorage Downtown Partnership started its placemaking program in 2017, beginning with Town Square Park. “People didn’t hang out in the park unless there was an event happening, and there were problems with drug
The Value of Placemaking While placemaking may be a fairly new buzzword, the concept of making a space for people to gather has been around for years. The difference is that now there are organizations dedicated to revitalizing communities in both the United States and internationally and making it a priority. “In downtown Anchorage, we’re 18 | March 2020
The Bike to Work Day station in Town Square is a collaboration with Bike Anchorage, Kaladi Brothers Coffee, and The Kobuk. Anchorage Downtown Partnership
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
use, homelessness, and crime,” says Frankowski. “You can try to mitigate these issues, but to make a park viable, the community needs to use it. Otherwise, it becomes a place for negative activity.” Frankowski says placemaking brings in positive energy through activities, programming, and the “creation of space,” using bright colors, art, and flowers to beautify an area. “You want to make it a place where people want to hang out,” she explains. “In summer 2017, we had 144 activities in Town Square Park happening daily, and it worked amazingly well. We had yard games, small concerts, and buskers performing, as well as a weekly Live after Five program.”
“We’ve seen in case after case that there is growth in economic activity in
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DOWNTOWN VACANT DEVELOPMENT PARCELS • 8.5 +/- acre parcel north of railroad tracks • 1.5 +/- acres east of Comfort Inn • 7.5 +/- acre parcel south of railroad tracks • 1 +/- acre north of Ship Creek Ave. • 6 +/- acre waterfront parcel • 1 +/- acre south of Ship Creek Ave.
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outlying areas thanks to a more dynamic downtown core.” Bill Popp, President/CEO, AEDC
As a result of that success, Anchorage Downtown Partnership began adding to already existing programs as well as creating more. A community piano was added to the park, and the Anchorage Downtown Partnership partnered with the Anchorage Library to bring in a book cart with rotating titles. Zumba, salsa, and hip-hop classes are now offered free to the community every week during the May through September season. Businesses in the area have seen a positive impact from these events and now partner with Anchorage Downtown Partnership to provide even more programming. A prime example is Wild www.akbizmag.com
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Scoops, which takes advantage of the busker services launched last year to provide entertainment to customers who are waiting in line for ice cream. “There’s already a long line there, and now they have Ava Earl from Girdwood playing outside,” says Frankowski. “They’ve made it a space even though it’s a sidewalk. People come for music, ice cream, and just to hang out. It’s a positive, low-cost event that has a big impact.” While there are not hard numbers, audience surveys filled out after events show that businesses see increased traffic from placemaking activities. “Our surveys show that between 80 and 90 percent of people who come to a free event stop to eat or purchase something while they’re downtown,” says Frankowski. “Businesses can also use this as an opportunity to showcase what they have to offer; for example, Gelatte gave out free samples at one of our events, and now people are aware that there is a new gelato place in town.” Because placemaking activities were unfunded at the beginning, Anchorage Downtown Partnership looked for low-cost events and
partnered with other organizations, such as Anchorage Parks & Recreation, for discounted permits and other services. A $10,000 community grant went toward establishing the Movies in the Park series, and local businesses have either donated or paid for services that have allowed Anchorage Downtown Partnership to reach an even larger audience. “The first year, there were maybe ten to thirty people at events; at Anchorage Yoga last June, 200 people showed up, which we didn’t expect,” says Frankowski. “Live after Five draws a huge crowd, and the Summer Solstice Festival attracts between 10,000 and 20,000 people. Now we have to prepare for crowds.”
The Importance of Creating Alliances Revitalizing a downtown area doesn’t happen in a vacuum; it takes everyone from local businesses and city, state, and federal agencies to nonprofits and volunteers to create a place where people want to live and work. Since 1997, Anchorage Downtown Partnership has been representing commercial property owners in the 120 blocks of the city’s central core, but they know they
The community book cart and the community piano in Town Square are part of Anchorage Downtown Partnership’s placemaking events. Anchorage Downtown Partnership
couldn’t do it alone. “We couldn’t do the programs we do without partners; for example, The Alaska Club provides instructors at no cost for our Zumba in the Park event,” says Amanda Moser, executive director of Anchorage Downtown Partnership. “We’re really grateful to the Anchorage Police Department for hosting their Coffee with a Cop event in Town Square Park.” Anchorage Downtown Partnership takes a three-pronged approach to
Movie in the Park is a partnership between the Anchorage Downtown Partnership and Anchorage Police Department. © Matthew Waliszek | Anchorage Downtown Partnership
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Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
improving downtown Anchorage, which includes providing ambassadors in fluorescent yellow jackets to patrol the 120 blocks in downtown Anchorage twenty-four hours a day. “They help with maintenance, such as snow and ice removal, to taking care of trash and graffiti, to providing security,” says Moser, who adds that ambassadors do not have a law enforcement role.
“Ten years ago, workforce attraction and retention were not even in the top ten of what a business looked at to open or relocate. Now, if a city can’t offer that, they are not even
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on a business’ radar.” Bill Popp, President/CEO, AEDC
“We also provide ‘space activation,’ which includes a fleet of events year-round,” she continues. “When people come downtown, they spend money at brick-and-mortar establishments and bring a sense of vibrancy to the area.” Anchorage Downtown Partnership also provides a voice for downtown and advocates for business owners. “We are consistently sharing information about the downtown community with all of Anchorage, and we make sure to keep our members informed about issues that affect them,” says Moser. She adds that she has seen interest in downtown increasing, and that can only be good for the community. “We’re pleased that there’s been a shift in the last couple of years and people have started to become more active,” she says. “I think in some part that’s because of our ambassadors on www.akbizmag.com
Alaska Business
March 2020 | 21
“Our surveys show that between 80 and 90 percent of people who come to a free event stop to eat or purchase something while they’re downtown.” Rosie Frankowski, Placemaking Coordinator Anchorage Downtown Partnership
the street who are out there building relationships. It’s been really positive for the downtown community.” While the Downtown Association of Fairbanks has been working to improve their core district, they have had a
tougher time making the inroads being seen in Anchorage. “Fairbanks did have a downtown implementation plan from 2008 to 2011, but it was not implemented,” explains David Van Den Berg, executive director, Downtown Association of Fairbanks. “Our goals to do A, B, or C got derailed by City Hall or the borough; and much of what was in the plan was later defeated or repealed. We supported the repeal with the prospect of the plan being replaced; sixteen months in the making, it is stalled.” Part of the problem that Fairbanks is facing, according to Van Den Berg, is that there is not one centralized government. The Fairbanks borough has power over zoning and land use downtown, while the city is responsible for day-to-day services like police and snow removal. “Right now, we are back at square one, advocating that the city delivers the services that taxpayers pay for, the absence of which give downtown an appearance of neglect,” he says. “Last
year we had more than eighty days with no snow removal, so we can’t even talk about revitalizing downtown until the city delivers core services.” While there is no plan in place, there are some bright spots when it comes to improving the area. “Downtown Fairbanks has lots of vacant commercial space, so the entry point for the private sector is compelling,” says Van Den Berg. “There has also been a fairly significant program of rebuilding the roadways in downtown; approximately $50 million in state and federal money has been spent on a compact area of downtown for utilities, road surfacing, changes to circulation, and pedestrian facilities.” In order to make progress, Van Den Berg believes that the city, borough, and other interested parties, including the Downtown Association of Fairbanks and Explore Fairbanks, need to work toward the same goal. He believes this could happen as a result of the Polaris property, an abandoned
The International Gallery of Contemporary Art created a sidewalk chalk interactive gallery for the 2019 Summer Solstice. © Matthew Waliszek | Anchorage Downtown Partnership
22 | March 2020
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
MEETINGS PAY IN ANCHORAGE Jim Raymond THE MEETING: 2020 Committee of Presidents Meeting National Association of Letter Carriers April 3-6, 2020 200+ delegates Estimated Economic Impact: $178,316
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im Raymond knows his community is the complete package – so, as president of the local branch of the National Association of Letter Carriers, he put together a proposal to bring the union’s Committee of Presidents Meeting to Anchorage for the first time this spring. The pitch received his organization’s stamp of approval, and NALC leaders from around the country made plans to visit Anchorage, delivering citywide economic benefits and another chance to share the good news about everything Anchorage has to offer.
ARE YOU A MEMBER OF AN ASSOCIATION? CONTACT VISIT ANCHORAGE TO BRING YOUR GROUP TO TOWN: MEETINGS@ANCHORAGE.NET | 907.257.2343
building that has been vacant for a decade that is now owned by the city. “We ran a private sector fundraiser and gave money to the city to buy the building,” says Van Den Berg. “To get a grant to abate the building might drive everyone to get with the same program because federal grants or appropriations may want to know what’s coming next before providing funds; demolition dollars may be a part of successor use. “Explore Fairbanks is leading the charge to study a visitor center/ performing arts center there, and the borough is responsible for the zoning for construction of these facilities,” he adds. “In the absence of a plan, however, there are no formal incentives or deferrals of property taxes; nothing is codified. Everything is pure market response; Fairbanks is guided by the ‘invisible hand.’”
What Does the Future Hold?
2018 New Year's Eve celebration downtown. © Matthew Waliszek | Anchorage Downtown Partnership
24 | March 2020
As more people realize the importance of a thriving downtown area, numerous ideas are being brought to the table to improve the core of the city. “Revitalization isn’t always uprooting or demolition; there is a lot of flat acreage in downtown Anchorage, including parking lots and vacant lots, and there are obsolete buildings that could be candidates for improvement if the owners are interested in upgrading,” says Popp. “There are a lot of ideas percolating that are very interesting in their degree of focus. But it’s still early days.” Current discussions not only include downtown revitalization but also improvements to the UMed District, which is considered a key resource for job creation, and the Chester Creek Greenbelt, an important outdoor asset. “We’re still in initial conversations with partnering organizations looking for common ground on all of these different aspects,” Popp says. “It’s starting to bear fruit, though we are not at the point to announce significant alignments yet. “This isn’t something that will happen in weeks or months; it’s based on a ten-year view,” he adds. “But we are making efforts this year to develop that framework in greater detail.” Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
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OIL & GAS
Materials, Soil, and Chemical Testing In a lab or in the field, the right data keeps the oil & gas industry on track By Isaac Stone Simonelli
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he oil and gas industry is a powerful force in the Last Frontier’s economy—and decisions made by the industry, from choosing materials for construction to understanding the quality of oil and how to extract it, are often derived from testing conducted in Alaska labs or in the field. Charles Homestead, the environment, health and safety general manager for the Alaska division of SGS, explains that the needs of the oil and gas industry have changed since the company formerly known as Chemical and Geological Laboratories of Alaska was founded in 1964. The organization, which was absorbed by the multinational SGS, started supporting the oil and gas industry in Alaska early in its history, providing geological testing for the Swanson River gas field.
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“In that stage, there was a lot of core testing to determine the PMP [porosity and permeability] of the material,” Homestead says, noting that before fracking was commonplace the PMP of the substrate around an oil or gas site determined its potential for development. “There was a lot of testing to identify how we could move fluids and gasses through the formation to get them to wells.”
“You match the lab test procedure to the field procedure, so it's a verification that means and methods are going to perform.” Corey Roche, Senior Structural Engineer PND Engineers
Another test that the industry relied on—and continues to rely on—is the American Petroleum Institute (API) gravity test. This lab test measures how light or heavy the petroleum is compared to water. “We would do the initial testing on those crude oils for identifying how low the viscosity was and how high API gravity was,” Homestead says. “So they could start modeling how much they can extract out of the formations, and that's what maybe would determine if they would put another well and in that area.” The composition of the crude oil is also tested at early stages of development to determine its British Thermal Unit (BTU) value, which allows companies to determine how valuable the oil is, Homestead explains. At the early stages of some wells, lighter oil can easily be pumped out. However, as a site matures, it becomes more and more difficult to extract oil, requiring additional steps—and more lab work. Often, after a site has been pumped, it’s flushed with gas deposits to push the oil into the wells. 28 | March 2020
“Even further into production, they’ll start pumping water down there to push new oil. Using water, that involves a lot more chemistry,” Homestead says. “Once you start taking water from a different source and pumping it down into the well around it and start mixing it in there, you can have chemical reactions that can start to happen.” It’s essential that the water being pumped into the site is tested along with moisture native to the site to ensure that when they mix they won’t create precipitates that can plug the formation. “There was some testing that had to be there to make sure that they weren't going to create a problem for themselves and close off production,” Homestead says. “There is a lot of very interesting chemistry that happens with the oil field waters, and it's all pressure-related and temperature-related and what anions and cations are present in the fluids.” Some of the testing being done by SGS—and companies offering similar services—must be done onsite. “We used to go on to these drill rigs to do onsite testing because some of these parameters are fleeting. You take them out of the well and depressurize the samples and the chemistry starts changing—you do not know the chemistry as it is in the formation.” Though labs play an essential role in understanding the potential of a site, as well as the best ways to tap into it, the roles they play in the industry are much broader.
Materials Testing PND Engineers Senior Structural Engineer Corey Roche focuses on a different type of material testing for the oil and gas industry. “In my world, it's still materials testing, but it's just in a structural sense,” Roche says. “So, it’s steel materials, concrete materials—especially testing to do with the Arctic, such as fracture initiation due to cold temperatures on steel. And there’s some fancy testing that can be done in the lab to verify material that is meant to be used on the North Slope can perform well in the conditions.” The extreme Arctic cold puts additional stress on building materials used for vertical structures, roads, and everything in between. An example of structural lab testing done on steel is a Charpy v-notch test.
This measures the amount of energy absorbed across a fracture. Essentially, it’s measuring a material’s resistance to tensile cracking, Roche explains. “It's a physical destructive test. So you have to cut samples from the material and send it to a lab, and they do a destructive test,” Roche says, noting that the failure-point depends on the type of steel, temperature, load application, and various other attributes of the material and situation being tested. Not only does the steel being used on the North Slope need to be tested, but the welding materials and welding procedures also need to be lab-tested to ensure that they won’t fail in the field. For concrete, which is a relatively brittle matrix even outside of Arctic conditions, the PND Engineers team tests for the air content of the general mix design.
“There is a lot of very interesting chemistry that happens with the oil field waters, and it's all pressure-related and temperature-related and what anions and cations are present in the fluids.” Charles Homestead Environment, Health, and Safety General Manager SGS–Alaska
“If you have some control-level air inside the actual concrete structure, it performs a little bit better in terms of cyclic loading in terms of temperatures,” Roche says. “It’s just a little bit more durable in the freeze-thaw cycles.” Roche notes that there are several ways to test concrete for air content inclusion, including in freshly mixed concrete and hardened concrete. Another option is to test the material’s performance and resistance to the freeze-thaw cycle.
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“We used to go on to these drill rigs to do onsite testing because some of these parameters are fleeting. You take them out of the well and depressurize the samples and the chemistry starts changing—you do not know the chemistry as it is in the formation.” Charles Homestead Environment, Health, and Safety General Manager SGS–Alaska
“What you’re doing with the lab test is you're truthing out the procedure and materials that they're using. You're making sure that the procedures that they plan to use will actually work,” Roche says. “You match the lab test procedure to the field procedure, so it's a verification that means and methods are going to perform.” Despite the rigorous material testing done in the labs, there are still failures out in the field. This is often caused by anomalies in the materials, Roche explains. Labs will only test a certain percentage of all materials, "you're not going to find everything prior to going out to the field.
Soil Testing Torsten Mayrberger, principal and geotechnical engineer at PND Engineers, also conducts lab testing to support the oil and gas industry. However, much of the focus of his work is soil testing. “We do a lot of soil testing—we have a lab here for that—a lot of that has to do 30 | March 2020
with the identification of materials that we use for roads and pads,” Mayrberger says. Part of this work is discovering gravel sources. Once a source has been identified, the team will test and characterize the gravel to see if it’s usable. “We’ll check for fines [silts and soils] content because we don’t want to have a lot of fines,” Mayrberger explains, noting that the team attempts to identify sites close to where the road or pad is being constructed for economic reasons. The mineral makeup of the rock is examined and identified as part of the testing process. However, Mayrberger points out that with few gravel options on the North Slope, they often don’t have the luxury of options. “Beggars can't be choosers, so to speak,” Mayrberger says. “We also do strength testing on soils, including frozen soils.” Soils, which arrive at the lab as cylinder core samples, are strength tested to establish their load-bearing abilities, which are impacted by the type of materials they are comprised of, including ice. “We test them for first strength in their frozen state. And then, we also test how much settlement we'll get from a certain type of soil,” Mayrberger says. Understanding the settlement properties of soils are especially important in the Arctic due to the freezethaw cycle. The amount of settlement due to ice in the soil has significant impacts on road-building efforts. For non-frozen soil, density is strongly correlated to strength, but that’s not necessarily the case with frozen soils, Mayrberger notes. When it comes to frozen soils, factors impacting soil strength include how cold the ice in the soil matrix is and the salinity level. “Soils in the Arctic may have salinity within the soil matrix and the salinity actually weakens the soil mass,” Mayrberger says. “So we do test for salinity, and then we have to change our design parameters to account for that.” One of the biggest challenges facing Mayrberger and others examining frozen soils is the lack of significant empirical data when compared to the sort of data sets available to geoengineers in the Lower 48.
Specifically, very little research has been done in the West on salinity and the effects of salinity on strength, Mayrberger says. “A lot of that work that we've done for projects where we're in the saline soils is based on our experience and our own research and development,” Mayrberger says. It can also be challenging to keep samples frozen while being transported to a lab that can test the materials while they are still frozen, Mayrberger adds.
Ongoing Data Collection While significant amounts of lab testing must be done ahead of construction for oil and gas industry infrastructure, there is also a plethora of environmental testing that must take place on materials after oil has been extracted from a site. “When you step away from the production side—the upstream side— there is the environmental testing itself,” Homestead explains. Among the various environmental tests done, one set examines exploration byproducts, such as drilling fluids and drilling cuttings. These materials need to be well-characterized so companies know how to dispose of them safely. “These materials are tested for heavy metals, as well as oils,” Homestead says. “Depending on those results, the materials have to be handled differently. Whether the oil has to be separated out or if it has to be encapsulated because of the heavy metals depends on these results.” Homestead says the logistics of operating in Alaska present difficulties that similar companies don’t face in the Lower 48. Mayrberger concurs. “It's very expensive to do exploration up on the Slope because we've got to do it in the winter. The remoteness makes it very difficult—just getting personnel out to the drill site and then back to camp every day,” Mayrberger says. “And then, you know, once we get it back to the lab, things have to remain frozen.” Despite the additional difficulties of operating in the Last Frontier, the need for the raw data derived from lab tests is crucial for engineers working for oil and gas companies to determine the best approach to continue to extract resources from Alaska and keep the state’s economic engine running.
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A L A S K A N AT I V E
Building Business Alaska Native construction subsidiaries provide shareholder jobs, financial benefits By Amy Newman
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In its early days, UIC Construction worked on roads, utilities, and other projects of that nature in Utqiagvik (then-Barrow).
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nvesting in and operating construction subsidiary businesses helps Native village and regional corporations meet their dual mandate to make money to benefit shareholders and provide for their cultural, educational, and social wellbeing. The income generated from these businesses provides both immediate and long-term benefits to the corporations and their shareholders. “There are two real key factors that go back to CIRI’s overall premise for the investments we make,” says Sophie Minich, president and CEO of CIRI. “We rely upon the cash that’s generated by our investments to pay our dividends and to continue to grow CIRI with additional investments in a variety of ways.” And while traditional Native values and a desire to support individual regions are the driving force behind the work of every Native corporation and its subsidiaries,
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on a large scale they operate similarly to parent-subsidiary arrangements in the private sector. “It’s certainly different, but it’s not all that different,” says Clayton Arterburn, senior vice president of Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation (UIC) Commercial Services.
The Road to Construction Like any business endeavor, the singular goal of every Native corporation’s construction subsidiary is to provide income to support its overall mission. But the “how” and “why” behind the decision to form a construction subsidiary varies. For some corporations, the decision was driven by shareholder preference or is a natural expansion of work shareholders were already engaged in. Ahtna, for example, started its first construction subsidiary shortly
after ANCSA was signed based on shareholder input. “One of the first things the corporation did [when we organized] was send out a questionnaire asking our shareholders about their interests,” says Roy Tansy Jr., COO of Ahtna Netiye’, holding company for Ahtna’s sixteen subsidiaries. “One of the things brought forth was that there was interest in starting a construction company. Many of our shareholders had experience doing construction, even before statehood; there was a lot of interest to keep that going.” UIC Construction capitalized on its experience working in remote villages during harsh weather conditions and created a niche for itself working in these small Alaska communities. “UIC initially started in Barrow doing work on roads, utilities, things of that nature,” Arterburn explains. “We took our skills that we developed with logistics,
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“One of the first things the corporation did [when we organized] was send out a questionnaire asking our shareholders about their interests. One of the things brought forth was that there was interest in starting a construction company. Many of our shareholders had experience doing construction, even before statehood; there was a lot of interest to keep that going.” Roy Tansy Jr., COO, Ahtna Netiye’
with working in remote locations, with dealing with the Arctic and Northern Alaska or rural Alaskan type climates, and we expanded that to other locations as we went along.” Other corporations seized on existing opportunities. Bering Straits Native Corporation’s segue into construction, for example, was in direct response to the growing needs of its existing clients, says Senior Vice President Dan Graham. “We didn’t do an acquisition, we didn’t buy a bunch of equipment, which is a little unique,” he explains. “We have grown a construction group organically in response to locations where we have ongoing operations and noticed that need for our customers. When our customers had needs, we were there to kind of expand our business lines.” When a homegrown approach doesn’t work, acquisition of an existing construction company is another option. That’s the tactic CIRI took when it decided to expand its construction portfolio beyond the “dirt construction type work” it historically performed to include federal contract work, Minich says. “When CIRI made the decision to really launch its efforts in providing construction services to the federal government and other entities, we sought to find an entity that had that experience and could have the opportunity to grow,” she says. That led to the acquisition of North Wind, a small, Northwest-based entity with experience with federal contracts and, a short time later, Weldin Construction, which CIRI rolled under the singular umbrella North Wind Group. From there, Minich says, North Wind has “grown into the behemoth that it is today” and provides a www.akbizmag.com
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Ahtna, headquartered in Glennallen, developed construction subsidiaries based on the feedback of its shareholders, many of which had construction experience.
variety of services to federal government agencies beyond construction.
Native Business, Native Priorities One constant among subsidiaries is a commitment to upholding the parent corporation’s values and mission. It’s one of the few things, Arterburn says, that sets Native-owned subsidiaries apart from those in the private sector. “We operate pretty heavily under the core values of our Native tribe,” he says. “They’ve got core values for their people, and we kind of operate under that. I’m sure there are private corporations that have similar values, though I think all of the Native corporations, in general, operate
under a more traditional set of values.” One of the core values Native corporations share is supporting their shareholders. Like private sector corporations, Alaska Native corporations distribute dividends to their shareholders. But for Native corporations, shareholder support extends beyond just dividend distributions. “The biggest benefit we can provide [shareholders] is the benefit of a job,” Tansy says. “That’s been a big priority, to get our people working, get them trained for opportunities.” Construction subsidiaries help achieve those goals by creating good-paying jobs, often in remote Alaska areas with high unemployment rates, and making
them available to shareholders. “We do have a shareholder hire preference policy at UIC,” Arterburn says. “If there are two applicants that fit the skill set that we need, we’ll hire the shareholder.” Bering Straits’ construction subsidiaries work primarily with federal clients, doing little commercial work, except for projects in its region. That’s partly by design. “We’re very happy about being able to do that not only to support infrastructure improvements in the Bering Straits region but also because they offer a great opportunity for shareholder hire,” Graham says. Another aspect that sets Alaska Native corporations apart from their private
“Volume-wise most of our work is done in Alaska, because even after all these years UIC Construction is still our marquee construction company. For the most part, 99 percent of their work has been in the state of Alaska.” Clayton Arterburn, Senior Vice President, UIC Commercial Services
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“We have grown a construction group organically in response to locations where we have ongoing operations and noticed that need for our customers. When our customers had needs, we were there to kind of expand our business lines.” Dan Graham, Senior Vice President, Bering Straits Native Corporation
sector counterparts is the open lines of communication between the subsidiary and community leaders, particularly if it’s another Alaska Native village. “When we’re operating in some of these Alaska locations where there are other Native tribes, sometimes there can be some interaction between the leadership of the tribes if there are issues, problems, or concerns,” Arterburn says. “Some of those discussions will take place amongst their leadership, almost on a Native to Native level.” Ensuring that Native corporation values remain an essential part of the subsidiary’s culture can be challenging for projects in the Lower 48 and requires constant education to make sure those values aren’t lost. “What’s been challenging in all of this is making sure that we don’t lose our identity on who we represent as far as an Alaska Native corporationowned company in the Lower 48,” says North Wind Group President and CEO Chris Leichtweis. “A lot of people simply don’t know or haven’t heard about Alaska Native corporations, so that education is paramount with employees and customers.”
Diversified Portfolios Construction subsidiaries have diversified portfolios, both in terms of the type of work performed and the clients served. Clients include public and private sector businesses and entities located throughout Alaska and across the country. Some construction subsidiaries act as general contractors, while others carve out a specific niche, focusing on horizontal and vertical construction, www.akbizmag.com
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Approximately 95 percent of CIRI subsidiary North Wind Group’s work is federal contracts that generate funds that, in part, support shareholders in the corporation’s region, which includes Ninilchik (pictured), Chickaloon, Eklutna, Knik, Salamatof, Seldovia, and Tyonek.
pipeline maintenance, civil construction, engineering, environmental construction, commercial buildings, or sustainment, restoration, and modernization (SRM). “The bulk of the work that we do is SRM, and that is just really broad,” says Tim Gould, president of Ahtna Engineering Services and Ahtna Solutions. “It’s everything from building a facility or building out the exterior of a facility or changing the use of a facility. It’s a block and tackle kind of construction, real varied.” UIC Construction operates as a general contractor and focuses on commercial-type buildings, such as schools and medical clinics, two buildings commonly found in rural villages, Arterburn says. But they’ve
also done work on water tanks, water and wastewater treatment plants, and similar commercial buildings needed in rural villages. “Volume-wise most of our work is done in Alaska, because even after all these years UIC Construction is still our marquee construction company,” he says. “For the most part, 99 percent of their work has been in the state of Alaska.” But the realities of living and working in Alaska mean corporations often have to expand the services offered by their construction subsidiaries or expand their client base to fulfill their mission. “Alaska’s a big state, but it’s also a small state,” Arterburn says. “There’s only so much construction going on.” UIC, for example, has other
subsidiaries that focus on out-of-state government contracts, and another that focuses on 8(a) work in Alaska, which are government contracts set aside for small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged entities. CIRI’s construction subsidiaries provide a wide array of services but focus almost entirely on a single client base. “We do about 95 percent federal business,” Leichtweis says. “We’ve expanded in the federal sector to forty different agencies and subagencies, so we’re a very diversified/ non-diversified company. We’re not diversified because we’re all predominantly federal contractors, but we’re diversified in the federal
“The bulk of the work that we do is SRM… It’s everything from building a facility or building out the exterior of a facility or changing the use of a facility. It’s a block and tackle kind of construction.” Tim Gould, President, Ahtna Engineering Services and Ahtna Solutions
38 | March 2020
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Nome-headquartered Bering Straits Native Corporation’s construction subsidiaries work primarily on federal contracts; however, they also do work in their region to build it up and provide jobs for shareholders locally.
space because we have different areas of focus.”
An Interdependent Relationship The interplay between parent and subsidiary varies in part based on the size of the parent corporation. Some subsidiaries, like CIRI’s, have individual boards who report to the main corporate board, Minich says, but “for all intents and purposes they are a standalone, fully functional organization.” Smaller corporations, like UIC, have only a single board that governs parent and subsidiary operations or have shared services with the parent corporation’s human resources or IT departments, like Ahtna. All subsidiaries use
the parent corporation’s bonding capacity when applying for contracts or, for those who are federal contractors, their status as an Alaska Native corporation to obtain 8(a) government contracts. Construction subsidiaries are responsible for creating budgets and strategic plans, which are subject to approval by the parent corporation’s board. The parent corporation invests capital to acquire or form a new venture or may provide additional financial backing so the subsidiary can acquire equipment or fulfill some other need to help win a contract, which the subsidiary repays in the form of dividends to the corporation. But on a day-to-day operational level,
subsidiaries operate autonomously, provided their work aligns with the parent corporation’s overall values, mission, and strategy. “We get assistance with strategies from our holding companies, but really subsidiary presidents are out there deciding what business we should be chasing,” Gould says. And like any other business, subsidiaries must be profitable to survive. “We’re a for-profit business, so if we’re in a business line that we can’t make money in, it’s not going to be around for long,” Arterburn says. “Each one of the operations does need to earn their keep, be profitable, be successful, and contribute to the corporation.”
“We took our skills that we developed with logistics, with working in remote locations, with dealing with the Arctic and Northern Alaska or rural Alaskan type climates, and we expanded that to other locations as we went along.” Clayton Arterburn, Senior Vice President, UIC Commercial Services
40 | March 2020
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Thinking
at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport elements.envato
Constructing new facilities to improve the world-class airport By Tasha Anderson Research by Kayla Matthews 42 | March 2020
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
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Alaska Business
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T
he Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is the number two airport in the United States for landed weight of cargo aircraft (Memphis, Tennessee is number one) and is one of the top five airports in the world for cargo throughput. In addition to its massive cargo operations, the airport serves more than 5 million passengers a year and is the world’s largest and busiest floatplane base.
Additional Warehouse and Cargo Transfer Space So there’s a lot going on at the airport, with no plans to slow down. In fact, several projects are underway or being planned at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport that will allow for increased cargo activity. The state published a public notice in November of a fifty-five-year lease agreement proposal from UPS for 1.35 million square feet of space. Authorized uses for the land include development, construction, operation, and maintenance of a flight operations building; warehousing and sorting 44 | March 2020
operations; the build-up and breakdown of freight; air cargo transfer; aircraft parking and maintenance for UPS’ growing 747-8 fleet; ground handling and support maintenance; associated equipment storage and maintenance; aircraft de-icing; vehicle parking; and office support. The value of the lease over the fifty-five-year period is approximately $110 million. A UPS spokesman stated the proposed lease agreement would support future growth and efficiency for the transportation company, though no plans had been finalized as of early February. Competitor FedEx is also looking at land options at the airport. In August airport officials announced FedEx is interested in leasing approximately 1 million square feet south of its current warehouse to build a 98,000-squarefoot domestic operations center that would house administrative offices and allow for additional truck and aircraft parking. This project has an estimated cost of $57 million, and as of publication a timeline for that project had not been released.
Additionally, 6A-XL Aviation Alaska has proposed two cargo transfer facilities at the airport: one is a 500,000-square-foot quick transfer air cargo warehouse facility on the west side of the north-south runway and the other is a 300,000-squarefoot building on the north end of the airport near Point Woronzof. Each building has an estimated cost of $170 million.
Cold Storage It is always exciting for Alaska businesses to have access to additional services and options, so many are looking forward to the Alaska Cargo & Cold Storage project, which Airport Manager Jim Szczesniak says “will benefit the Alaska perishables industry.” It’s a $200 million project to build a 700,000-square-foot cold cargo warehouse. “This project will allow for efficient distribution of seafood, flowers, and other agricultural products to markets all over the globe,” Szczesniak says. For instance, the peony industry in Alaska has seen significant growth in
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regions do not have the accessible transportation links that Alaska has—the third largest air cargo
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when transporting a perishable product.” Patricia Holloway, Horticulturist Researcher, UAF
the last couple years. UAF horticulturist researcher Patricia Holloway stated in an article by Jan Jacob Mekes published in Floral Daily, “There are 136 growers in Alaska shipping peonies mostly as domestic exports to other states but also to Canada, and trial shipments to Vietnam, Taiwan, Singapore, et cetera.” Many of those growers, located across the state from the Interior to the Kenai Peninsula, are members of the Alaska Peony Growers Association, which helps members “promote their farms in the world marketplace and highlight the unique growing conditions found here.” According to the association, Alaska’s cool growing seasons and soils produce flowers with large buds and vibrant colors that are in high demand. In addition, peonies flower in Alaska during a time of year when they aren’t flowering anywhere else in the world. “Our bloom period of late June through August and into September makes it possible to supply these highly desirable flowers to market when there is little direct competition. www.akbizmag.com
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Alaska’s position as a hub for cargo transfer allows our fresh flowers to be air freighted to US, European, and Asian markets,” the association states.
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globe.” Jim Szczesniak, Manager Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
Holland reinforced the value of Alaska as an international cargo hub. “No grower here assumes we have a monopoly on this late season. However, many of the northern regions do not have the accessible transportation links that Alaska has— the third largest air cargo hub in the world. That makes a big difference when transporting a perishable product,” she said in Floral Daily. Peonies aren’t the only flower that blooms late in the year with potential as an Alaska export—others include lily-of-the-valley, lilacs, and spiraea shrubs, according to Holland—so there is literally a ton of potential for the industry in Alaska. Developments at the airport support this burgeoning industry, which will likely in turn bolster airport operations, a favorable cycle for the industry, the airport, and the state’s economy in general. The Alaska Cargo & Cold Storage project will also benefit Alaskans on the import side. “The airport also sees an opportunity to import fresher perishables into the Alaska market,” Szczesniak says. “I’d love for my raspberries to last more than a day after getting them from the store. ANC has multiple flights per day transporting
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perishables from the Americas to Asia. This facility would allow Alaska to siphon off some of those products and have extremely fresh fruits.”
Combined Results Altogether, these projects represent approximately $707 million in expansion efforts, all funded privately. “No state or local funds are being used,” Szczesniak says. Construction of the various planned facilities is estimated to provide 1,000 construction, engineering, and design jobs. For ongoing operations, “The industry estimate for full-time employment, once the projects are complete, is 0.5 to 1 [full-time employees] per 1,000 square feet of warehouse space, so that would translate to around 750 to 1,500 jobs,” he says. The Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport already
“The airport also sees an opportunity to import fresher perishables into the
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Alaska market… ANC has multiple flights per day transporting perishables from the Americas to Asia. This facility would allow Alaska to siphon off some of those products and have extremely fresh fruits.” Jim Szczesniak, Manager Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
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“Our bloom period of late June through August and into September makes it possible to supply these highly desirable flowers to market when there is little direct competition. Alaska’s position as a hub for cargo transfer allows our fresh flowers to be air freighted to US, European, and Asian markets.” Alaska Peony Growers Association
provides more than 15,000 airport and community jobs—roughly one out ten jobs in Anchorage—with a combined payroll of more than $1 billion. Timelines for the projects vary, but they are all slated for completion in the next two to three years. Szczesniak says construction for the Alaska Cargo & Cold Storage facility will get underway this year.
Why This Airport? More than a year ago in October the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport issued a Request for Expression of Interest (EOI) to gather feedback about public interest and support for a quick cargo and cold storage facility. “The EOI was a clear message to developers and the industry,” Szczesniak says. “[But] before we could proceed with the formal Request for Quotes and Request for Proposals process, new developers and existing leaseholders were submitting new applications to lease land at applications to lease land at [the airport]," he continues. Alaska’s value as a cargo airport is well known. One factor is the unbeatable location: Anchorage is less than a nine-hour flight away from 95 percent of major global markets. According to Greg Wolf, executive 48 | March 2020
director of the World Trade Center Anchorage, 80 percent of all cargo flights operating across the Pacific make a technical stop at Anchorage to refuel, change crews, and/or transfer cargo. Thanks to the late-Senator Ted Stevens, the eponymous airport is uniquely proficient at facilitating the transfer of international cargos. “The Alaska International Airport System has the most liberalized air cargo transfer rights in the United States,” according to the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities. “As of January 2004, a new law permits air cargo to or from a foreign country to be transferred to another airline in Alaska without being considered to have broken its international journey,” the department continues. The expanded cargo rights have benefited companies at the airport by lowering operating costs, occasionally eliminating beyondairport flights, increasing market penetration, increasing aircraft utilization, and utilizing code-share agreements to test market conditions without committing aircraft. But the airport can work even better for its users, and Szczesniak says he’d like to see those transfer rights maximized. One method of doing so is creating the facilities that allow
cargo airlines and freight forwarders to perform cargo hub-and-spoke operations. Those rely on sufficient, short-term warehousing space that is convenient and quick to access. Prior to the currently proposed warehouse space, the nearest warehouse facility was 3.5 miles away from the airport, which can make sense for items being stored for weeks but not for those that just need to land somewhere safe for a few hours before being placed on another plane. The added benefit of cold storage increases the quality and diversity of items that can be shipped out, shipped in, or transferred. For example, Alaska’s seafood industry exports primarily frozen items, but cold storage creates opportunities for more high-value, fresh products to leave the state. All said, private investment in these facilities at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport benefits all of Alaska. Whether it’s providing an expanded export market for local manufacturers, driving down the cost of importing goods for retailers, generating additional opportunities for Alaska’s major industries, or providing jobs for Alaskans, the entire state will reap the benefits of development over the next few years.
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The Sterling Highway MP 45-60 project addresses congestion and increases safety By Brad Joyal
F
or nearly four decades, there have been conversations about upgrading the Sterling Highway between Sunrise Inn and the eastern entrance to Skilak Lake Road near Cooper Landing. Those upgrades are now underway as a part of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) Sterling Highway MP 45-60 project, a development with an estimated cost of $375 million and a projected completion date of 2025. “It’s hard to pin down the actual date, but I’ve heard 1982, or even maybe before, is when the first go at this environmental impact study started,” says DOT&PF Project Manager Sean Holland. “We were finally able to get a record of decision in May 2018 that’s letting us move forward with the Juneau Creek Alternative.” DOT&PF considered five alternatives— 50 | March 2020
four build alternatives and a No Build option. In the end, the Juneau Creek Alternative was chosen and will include a new alignment section that will start at MP 46.2 and end at MP 56. A part of the project’s new alignment section will be the construction of the Juneau Creek Bridge, which as planned will be the longest single-span bridge in Alaska. “It’s going to be a bridge that, depending on geology, will have a clear span of 450 to 825 feet,” says Holland.
What the Project Will Solve This project will address three problems with the Sterling Highway MP 45-60. It will reduce congestion; meet current highway design standards; and increase safety measures along the roadway. Holland notes that traffic jumps from about 1,000 vehicles
traveling the highway per day in the winter to about 8,000 during the peak of dipnetting season in August. He estimates the new bypass will redirect the bulk of traffic and reduce congestion. “It should have a design speed of 60 miles per hour and a posted minimum of 55,” Holland says. “Right now, we’re slowing people down to 35. It’s not uncommon—that occurs in other parts of the state— but it’s not really a compatible use to have a highway go through a small community like that. This bypass is going to be able to redirect an estimated 70 percent of the traffic that goes through Cooper Landing now to the Juneau Creek Alignment.” In order to meet current highway design standards, Holland and DOT&PF are focused on creating 12-foot-wide
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Building Alaska’s Longest Single-Span Bridge
the health of the wildlife and also to reduce the probability of wildlife collisions on the highway. We’ve hired A.P. Clevenger—who actually wrote the guide through the [Federal Highway Administration]—to help us design and build those wildlife crossings.” Sean Holland, Project Manager, DOT&PF
lanes and 8-foot-wide shoulders. “The highway is classified as a rural highway—there are no shoulders there,” says Holland. “A rural highway has a minimum of a 6-foot shoulder and preferably an 8-foot shoulder. Fifty percent of the curves during that stretch, from [mile post] 45 to 60, are too sharp. They don’t meet current design standards.” Holland says the third need the project is addressing—safety— requires a mix of decreasing highway congestion and meeting current highway design standards. “The crash rate is about double what we see on average on a rural highway,” he says. “Along with that, both the major injuries and the fatality crashes are above the statewide average rate.” Cooper Landing’s existing safety path will be replaced along the east end of the project, though a new separated pathway, estimated to be 10 feet wide and nearly 2 miles long, will be constructed on the south side of the highway between Quartz Creek Road and the intersection of the “old” highway. In addition to addressing that section of highway’s three primary needs, the Juneau Creek Alternative was also selected in part because it will have the least environmental impact— while remaining practical—of the five alternatives. “Out of all of the alternatives we looked at, this has the least amount of damage for the environment,” Holland says. “A higher weight was put on the safety of the Kenai River because it is a really important resource for the state from a recreational, commercial, and historical use. This alternative goes furthest away from the river and reduces www.akbizmag.com
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“We’re trying to keep wildlife off the highway for two reasons: to protect
DOT&PF
CONSTRUCTION SPECIAL SECTION the probability of a tanker truck driving into the river or something like that.”
The Timeline Throughout the summer of 2019, field crews began working on the corridors of the highway before work was halted in August due to the Swan Lake Fire. That field work included surveyors collecting detailed information from ground surveys and drones and geologists using drill rigs—both on and off the roadway— to extract cores from the ground to provide information on soil and rock conditions. Scientists have continued the wildlife and cultural resources monitoring that began in preparation of the Environmental Impact Statement. The first design phase focuses on the east and west ends of the highway that will lead to the new alignment. HDR is contracted to provide environmental and public involvement support while designing the west end, MP 56-58. Working as a subcontractor to HDR is R&M Consultants, which is tasked with the design of the east end, MP 4547. “HDR has the longest history with the project and they have the most knowledge,” Holland says. Holland notes the west end is classified as Phase 1A, which will comprise the reconstruction of the existing alignment segments and construction of pioneer roads within right-of-way to access th.e bridge site. The same work will be done on the east end (Phase 1B). Phase 1A design is expected to be completed this fall, with the design of Phase 1B anticipated to be completed in early 52 | March 2020
2021. Construction on the two ends is slated to begin during the summer/fall of 2021 and take and take one-and-a-half construction seasons to complete.
“[On the Seward Highway MP 45-60] the crash rate is about double what we see on average on a rural highway. Along with that, both the major injuries and the fatality crashes are above the statewide average rate.” Sean Holland, Project Manager, DOT&PF
Phase 2 of the project is the bridge, which Holland describes as the hardest part of the project. DOT&PF plans to design the bridge in house, though it will employ a firm to oversee the design before construction begins. “We’re going to hire a firm from Outside that has more experience with a bridge of that type to provide a design check,” says Holland. “We have really capable
people; it’s not a bridge that we design on a regular basis, but I’m confident that they have the ability to do it. We just want someone who has done them before to take a look at the design, as is required by code.” Part of what makes the bridge complicated is that it travels over Juneau Creek Canyon, in which no work can take place. “We can’t even have temporary work inside the canyon to minimize the impact of the wildlife that travels through there,” Holland says. “There’s a lot of challenges with the entire project, but a lot of it is work that we do every single day. The bridge that we’re building is really uncommon for us.” DOWL has been contracted to design Phases 3-5, the middle section comprised of MP 47-58, with Jacobs Engineering serving as a subcontractor that will also complete some highway design. Holland says the DOWL-Jacobs contract provides DOT&PF with seven design squads in all. A high-profile designer was tapped to help design the multiple wildlife crossings that will need to be built. “We have five wildlife crossings that we have to build to get wildlife safely across the routes they use today,” Holland says. “We’re trying to keep wildlife off the highway for two reasons: to protect the health of the wildlife and also to reduce the probability of wildlife collisions on the highway. We’ve hired A.P. Clevenger— who actually wrote the guide through the [Federal Highway Administration]— to help us design and build those wildlife crossings.”
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DOT&PF
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The project is expected to be complete in 2025.
Early Contractor Gets the Bid To maintain the proposed schedule, DOT&PF is already in negotiations with Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. about constructing the project. “It’s new to the Central Region DOT&PF, a new contracting method called construction manager/general contractor,” says Holland. “The idea is that we’ll get the contractor on board early.” He says DOT&PF typically completes project design and then releases it for bid before starting construction. However, the Sterling Highway Project is taking a different path for a few reasons. “One of them being the schedule: we want to have the contractor on board during pre-construction during our design phases so they can help us come up with a more cost-effective design,” says Holland. “Then we’ll try to negotiate that work with the contractor that we have onboard during preconstruction. Using our traditional method of design/bid/build, we probably wouldn’t be able to meet our build-out schedule of 2025.” Although Holland notes that, at the time of publication, the contract with Kiewit isn’t complete—“We’ve issued our intent to negotiate and we’re hopeful that we can sign a contract soon,” he says—he remains enthusiastic about the help Kiewit will bring once it joins the project. “If we have the contractor that’s going to do the work onboard, it streamlines a lot of things,” says Holland. “It streamlines permitting, communication with the public. Another thing we’ll be able to do is identify pieces of the work that we can go in and start on early. We might be able to go through and identify what foundations we’re going to need for the bridge so that we can 54 | March 2020
get started on the foundation and not have to wait until we have the design.”
Staying on Target As project manager, it’s Holland’s
“There’s a lot of challenges with the entire project, but a lot of it is work that we do every single day. The bridge that we’re building is really uncommon for us.” Sean Holland, Project Manager, DOT&PF
responsibility to ensure the project meets its deadlines and stays on track for the scheduled 2025 completion date. “I have a detailed schedule that I think we kind of live and die by,” says Holland. “We review it at least once a week and we keep a list of tasks and keep track of what our urgent tasks are.” He says he’s relied on HDR and the project’s other consultants to help recognize various pieces of the project that are looming on the schedule, which was shuffled after August’s fires. “One of the big things that we were delayed on by the fire is that we’re going through a really rich archaeological district,” says Holland. “A historical district, too—there are some mining sites there—but there’s been a lot of interest from the local tribes. We’re
going to impact some of the sites in the archaeological district, so there’s a lot of work that we have to do out front of construction. Part of that is writing a paper about the archaeological district and submitting it to the Alaska State Library and then whatever artifacts there are will go to the state museum. All of that stuff takes time, so we have to get out there and get that done ahead of construction.” Among the project’s most pressing matters is a clearing contract Holland says DOT&PF will begin advertising in the first quarter of 2020. “We’re going to try advertising for a clearing contract that will clear a 200-foot path through the off-alignment piece and allow us to get up to the bridge and start getting information about the geology up there,” says Holland. “That way we can choose the bridge type and start designing it.” He also notes that Phase 1A probably won’t be ready for bid until August 2020, with Phase 1B being on a similar track, though it could be a little slower because there is property that still needs to be purchased and utilities that need to be relocated. Holland says he feels fortunate to serve as the project manager and appreciates the impact HDR and DOWL are bringing to the project. “I feel lucky to have this opportunity,” he says. “A lot of people go through their whole career and don’t get to build a project like this. My favorite part of it is being able to involve the whole community, all those consultants and the department, too. Some of the positives about being able to hire an HDR or DOWL is that they have resources down in the states that we can tap into, people that have done work like this in other parts of the country. We have that knowledge that we can tap into, but I like the fact that we’re all Alaskans trying to build everything together.”
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Small Contractors Make a Big Impact Building partnerships and specializing in niche contracts
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By Joy Choquette
56 | March 2020
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
“You have to have knowledge and subcontractors that know how to manage work, that can give you a quote and help you be competitive.” Matt Ketchum, Managing Member, K&H Civil Constructors
Opportunity Knocks Skip Myers, owner of Blueprint North, says that business for his firm is flourishing. The company, which employs three full-time staff in the offseason and up to eighteen during the summer months, has found its niche. It completes mostly residential work with some commercial thrown in for variety, Myers says, but sets itself apart by taking on repeat, referral-based projects. “Most of my marketing is referral,” Myers says. Working with a condominium association management company and acting as its “go-to” contractor provides Blueprint North with ongoing work. The company has also partnered with The Home Depot; team members there recommend Blueprint North to customers looking for help with their home improvement projects. Myers is happy to oblige. These two referral streams alone keep Myers and his team busy in all seasons. Myers says the size of his company has its benefits. “I’m able to respond easier and quicker [to requests] since I don’t have such a full schedule,” Myers notes, adding another skillset his company brings to every job is attention to detail. “I’m a veteran, and [attention to detail] was big time in the military and goes into this. I don’t cut corners or give a subpar project. If I have to do the same job twice or if something’s not right, I’ll do it again or make it right.” Myers says small general contractors often have less overhead, which can be an advantage. For example, firms with fewer employees don’t use as much material or require as many vehicles, keeping expenses lower. “I’m at a comfortable spot right now,” Myers says. “And it’s been my experience that any time I try to go up in volume or size, I’m forced back down because of the expensive overhead.”
Construction Challenges
are contending with a competitive labor market. It’s the flip side of a great economy, Myers says, and he finds that employees are harder and harder to
come by. “Wages are going up,” Myers notes, “so it’s harder to hire someone at $20 an hour.” That’s a challenge that Tyler Loken,
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C
onsumers are frequently bombarded with the idea that “bigger is better.” But does being largest always equate to being best? Contractors in Alaska come in all shapes and sizes. And while the large name firms offer great benefits to customers, there are also advantages to selecting a smaller firm.
sphraner | iStock
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owner and general manager of 360 General in Anchorage, is also familiar with. Loken says the company—which is the third arm of a construction group that also includes Loken Construction and Loken Crane—also struggles with a myriad of building regulations, which are an ongoing challenge. “We have more regulations here with building code than anywhere else in the nation,” Loken says. Many of Alaska’s building regulations are meant to address its severe weather or multitude of earthquakes, for example. However well intentioned, the sheer number of regulations is a challenge, especially for a small construction firm. “It takes a long time to get anything through the permit process,” Loken states. Arthur Stevens, CEO of Native Construction Management in Anchorage, who has thirteen years of construction management experience, says, “It’s a very competitive market and there are a lot of contractors out here that are bidding and seeking the same work.” He says that managing cash flow and winning enough contracts to provide steady work for the company are also high on the list of challenges facing construction companies.
Competing for Contracts While Native Construction Management is a young firm, Stevens embraces that status and looks for the opportunity in it. “I’m out there bidding against companies that have been in this business thirty or forty years, going toe-to-toe with them,” says Stevens. “It’s inspiring to see these new guys [bidding] with contractors who’ve had the corner on this project market for a long time,” says Stevens. He says competing with larger or more well-established construction firms is educational. No matter the market or industry, there are ways for small businesses to participate, and one is specialization. “We’re definitely in a niche spot,” Loken says, which means 360 General has fewer competitors for certain contracts. “We can focus our dollars and efforts into specializing, and ultimately that means simplifying,” he states. Specializing in a type of work while diversifying the contracts and clients can be a strong strategy. Loken 58 | March 2020
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
“We’re definitely in a niche spot… We can focus our dollars and efforts into specializing, and ultimately that means simplifying.” Tyler Loken, Owner/General Manager, 360 General
firms typically won’t be interested in. “If a bigger construction firm maybe has more resources, they won’t even look at some of the smaller stuff that we
look at,” Ketchum notes. “You can compete with them,” he says, “but you have to have knowledge and subcontractors that know how
Native Construction Management
At the peak of the season, K&H Civil Constructors employs up to thirty seasonal workers, but the rest of the year's numbers are smaller and projects are less frequent. Still, Ketchum believes that keeping an open mind about projects contractors bid on—no matter their size—is a solid business practice. K&H Civil Constructors frequently works as a subcontractor, taking on portions of a larger project. Carefully analyzing the risk and scope of the work is an important part of the pre-bidding process, Ketchum says, particularly for small contractors. Additionally, it’s beneficial for small firms to look at the unique projects and niches they can serve that larger www.akbizmag.com
Alaska Business
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notes that both Loken Construction and Loken Crane work most frequently as sub-contractors on larger projects, a benefit to the company and to its clients. “They can focus on the different components of the job and not have to focus on getting the structure up and enclosed,” Loken says. Contractors can also edge out the competition through networking and developing personal connections with their clients. That’s what Matt Ketchum, managing member of Mat-Su Valley-based K&H Civil Constructors, believes. Ketchum and business partner Scott Hessinger helm K&H Civil Constructors, which provides construction services and runs an aggregate site. He adds that a perk of working with any small business is that clients often have a direct line to the company’s managers and leaders. “Ninety percent of the time [customers] are speaking with the owners, so they’re getting the answers right from the top rather than the runaround,” says Ketchum.
“We’ve got some competitors in Southcentral Alaska that won’t bid DOT work. Our experience with all of the public agencies—municipal, boroughs, and state—is that most of the time there’s federal funds involved, so there’s a lot more ‘I’s to dot and ‘T’s to cross in that type of work. That doesn’t deter us, but it definitely does some of our competitors.” Matt Ketchum, Managing Member K&H Civil Constructors
How to Stand Out Stevens says small firms can find opportunities to be noticed in the form of preferences. Native Construction Management, for example, can be 60 | March 2020
given preference for contracts based on its small business and Nativeowned status. Also, Stevens believes that simply being newer benefits the company under certain circumstances. “A lot of time, companies look for new businesses to work with,” he says. That’s because new firms are motivated and other businesses believe they’ll work hard to build their reputation. “Sometimes clients will seek out new businesses for that reason.” Having a good website, a presence on social media, and a nicely designed logo are other areas in which a small contractor can set themselves up for success and convey a level of professionalism, no matter its age or size. Giving back to the community also builds connections that can lead to more work, as it instills a sense of goodwill and sets a firm apart from the crowd. Native Construction Management, for instance, donates a percentage of its earnings to rural community development projects like installing mobile greenhouses near mobile housing developments. The firm also donates time to local churches—eight hours on a Saturday a couple of times a year—to help with whatever projects it needs done at no charge. “We want to make a living, but we also want to help other people along the way,” says Stevens. Ketchum believes that being open to Department of Transportation (DOT) work helps set K&H Civil Constructors apart. “We’ve got some competitors in Southcentral Alaska that won’t bid DOT work,” he says. “Our experience with all of the public agencies— municipal, boroughs, and state—is that most of the time there’s federal funds involved, so there’s a lot more ‘I’s to dot and ‘T’s to cross in that type of work. That doesn’t deter us,” says Ketchum, “but it definitely does some of our competitors.” “Obviously, we come with a lower price tag,” says Loken. That and the relationship the firm can build with customers are what he believes shed a favorable light on 360 General and other small contractors and makes them appealing to work with. A lot of clients become great friends, too, Loken says. For Myers, learning how to set
Blueprint North
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to manage work, that can give you a quote and help you be competitive.” Paying subcontractors on time, being reliable, and hiring qualified people are all key elements to success in the business, Ketchum says. His firm has done $500 projects and $1.6 million projects, but careful analysis, he notes, is required to make any project worthwhile.
Blueprint North apart has been key to a well-diversified business. “What you try to do is gain a marketing advantage by finding where you excel and mining those avenues,” he says. “Once I find those pockets that I can go after—private people, or The Home Depot’s referral program, or dealing with the condo management firm— as long as I do good work for them, I don’t think that the big guys can cut into that. They don’t want the smaller markets like that.”
A Bright Future While the economy is always in flux, there will also always be a need for new buildings, renovations, and other projects that require contractors, no matter the size. Stevens offers these words of wisdom specifically to other small contractors: “Take the lessons learned on each project and anticipate on future projects. You’ll be forced to grow.”
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
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The Midtown Mall’s Momentous Makeover New anchor tenants set up the mall for the new decade
62 | March 2020
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
Midtown Mall
By Arie Henry
www.akbizmag.com
COMMITTED TO SERVING ALASKA FOR OVER 70 YEARS
O L E S .CO M
We all have a job to do to keep Alaska’s economy strong. Our clients are the ones improving state transportation infrastructure, expanding military facilities and building new commercial and residential buildings. As a law firm, our job is simple – help our clients find solutions to legal issues that arise at all stages of the construction process so the job can get done and our state can thrive. ALASK A
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D
espite losing two key retail anchors, it’s full sail ahead for Anchorage’s Midtown Mall (formerly and not-so-formerly known as the Mall at Sears, but more on that later). When Carrs Safeway closed its mall location in 2015, followed by the departure of namesake Sears in 2018, Anchorage shoppers collectively winced and pondered the future of the retail hub that, according to a 2014 report from the August Group, drew the highest concentration of shoppers per 1,000 square feet compared to Anchorage’s other large malls: the Dimond Center and 5th Avenue Mall. Meanwhile, economists contemplated the future of the city's retail sector amidst the state’s economic recession. After the mall eclipsed its fiftieth anniversary in 2018, however, things began to look different—quite literally. It started in January 2019 as recreation outfitter REI moved from a little more than a mile down the road into the mall’s 50,000-squarefoot western end that once housed Carrs. Shortly after, the eastern end that formerly housed Sears welcomed two new tenants and a familiar neighbor. National-brand music store Guitar Center set up shop, and Planet Fitness moved in west of Guitar Center and Nordstrom Rack (which opened its doors in 2015). Then Carrs made its return (reopening after a four-year absence) in the mall’s southeast anchor space. As of publication, the most recent big brand addition is Providence Express Care, a health clinic that provides same-day appointments. Seritage Property Growth, the New York-based firm that purchased Sears’ holdings, owns the eastern end of the mall that houses Carrs, Guitar Center, Providence Express, Planet Fitness, and Nordstrom Rack; the remainder of the mall is owned by Carr-Gottstein Properties. Even after saying goodbye to two big brands in a span of four years, the Midtown Mall ended the decade with a total of five significant additions: three national brands, a prominent healthcare provider, and a grocery chain that has long been a household name in Alaska. And all this activity came with a major facelift.
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LEADING PROVIDER OF REMOTE ALASKA INFRASTRUCTURE CONSTRUCTION & MAINTENANCE SERVICES SINCE 1995
Western Anchor Having opened in 1968, the Midtown Mall is Anchorage’s oldest shopping center. It boasts a prime location, situated between two of the city’s main east-west arteries and is a quick turn off the Seward Highway. The mall’s curb appeal makes a world of difference when it comes to attracting mallgoers. And its new anchor tenants took full advantage of that curb appeal by investing heavily to make sure their exteriors reflect their remodeled interiors. REI, the first to finish remodeling its space, now has a storefront façade with a design that is distinctly more modern, as well as refreshed landscaping. Architecture and design firm ECI provided schematics for the remodel, and Bauer Construction headed up construction of REI’s new space. According to Bauer, it “provided full general contracting services… overseeing design-build processes for mechanical, electrical, sprinkler, and many other trades.” To ensure construction was completed on the project’s fast-tracked schedule, Bauer worked closely with ECI’s architects and engineers throughout the permitting process. The result is an open-floor layout from end to end, with an interior aesthetic that references a ski chateau while remaining a practical space for an outdoor recreation retailer. As was the case with the previous tenant, REI’s eastern wall opens into the Midtown Mall’s main corridor—but what’s new is a row of wall-mounted bicycle racks, ideal for REI’s (literally) on-the-go customer base.
Eastern Anchors
301 W. Northern Lights Blvd., Suite 300 Anchorage, AK 99503
907-278-6600 Conamco.com 64 | March 2020
The mall’s highway-facing anchor businesses also addressed curb appeal, with Guitar Center and Carrs finishing their interior and exterior remodels late last year. Neeser Construction executed the brightly lit storefronts designed by RIM Architects. Additionally, the parking lot’s layout and condition were improved, and trees and greenery were planted around the lot. The new Carrs space features a bright, modern exterior and 65,650-square-foot interior, which now includes a Kaladi Brothers coffee shop. The remodel
accommodates all the usual Carrs amenities including a butchery, seafood, deli, pharmacy, and Oaken Keg liquor store. Designers took advantage of the grocer’s location in the mall to include sit-down dining at the deli that extends outside the store and into a section connecting it to the rest of the mall.
Even with saying goodbye to two big brands in a span of four years, the Midtown Mall ended the decade with a total of five significant additions: three national brands, a prominent healthcare provider, and a grocery chain that has long been a household name in Alaska. A short walk from the dining area and across the mall’s corridor gives patrons access to the 16,800-square-foot Guitar Center, which has been a popular hit with music fans since it opened in summer 2019. Built within the store are multiple practice rooms for individual music lessons—and, of course, for practice—as well as a soundproof drum room and a room specifically humidified for acoustic guitars. Just behind Guitar Center and Nordstrom Rack is a 14,850-squarefoot Planet Fitness. Though it lacks the indoor mall access that Carrs and Guitar Center have, it’s a simple stroll to one of the mall’s outdoor entrances. There’s a lesser known second level
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
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Late '60s photo of the early years at the Mall at Sears. This was taken outside of Carrs' former location in the mall's western anchor. Ward W. Wells
of leasing space available on this side of the mall, which Sears used for departments such as optical and mattresses. The second level comprises a total of 31,000 square feet. One of the more notable construction undertakings on the eastern side is a hallway that provides easier access between Carrs, Guitar Center, and the mall’s main corridor. The mall’s designers sacrificed retail space for the sake of navigability, but based on her interactions with customers and mall tenants, Amber Musso, marketing director at the Midtown Mall, says the trade-off makes for a more positive customer experience. “I think in the beginning Seritage was just kind of doing their own thing and that's when they opened Nordstrom Rack,” Musso says. “And then with the whole negative feedback from all the customers not being able to access it, we started working with [Seritage] and decided to do the hallway for easier access and it’s been mutually beneficial.” New access and walkability require another understated but nonetheless crucial element: a means of wayfinding. “We never had mall directories before because we’re a small mall,” says Musso. “But now that we have the hallway that leads to Carrs, I've gotten people in the hallway, they're like, ‘How www.akbizmag.com
“We try to make it easy for people to come in and do new business ideas. They can come in and start in a kiosk and sometimes hopefully the goal is that they evolve into a full-time tenant.” Amber Musso, Marketing Director, Midtown Mall
do I get to Carrs?’ So we added the mall directories just to make it a little bit easier for people.” Musso believes that as the mall continues to generate returning visitors and increased foot traffic, maneuvering through the mall will become simpler. She also has her fingers crossed that the new Alaska Business
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chapter in the mall’s history of resiliency. Alaskans will remember that in the early 2010s, the then-Mall at Sears welcomed tenants like Burger-Fi and local coffee favorite SteamDot into space constructed for them. As it enters this new decade with a trajectory toward more things modern and a fondness for its past, Musso believes that the future looks bright. “I feel like I've been through the whole range of things that you can Digital rendering of Midtown Mall’s new signage, highlighting a shift in branding from the old moniker, the Mall at Sears. Midtown Mall
branding—Midtown Mall—will catch on with shoppers, though she understands it may take a while. “People are like, ‘I don't care what you say. I'm calling it the Sears Mall,’” she laughs. “And I'm like, you know what, I'm glad that you love us that much! It is so ingrained in you that you want to call it the Sears Mall? Go ahead. I don't care.”
What Comes Next? Musso says that operating a mall is difficult without anchor stores. Big names are the main draw for shoppers, generating foot traffic that translates to potential customers for smaller stores scattered throughout the rest of the mall. In the case of Midtown Mall, the anchors also drive traffic from one end to the other. With all the anchor spaces filled, the focus is now on filling the rest of the corridor. Out of the twenty-seven total spaces in the mall, Musso says just eight are still available, including the former food court and large retail spaces between 3,000 and 5,000 square feet where national brands such as Famous Footwear and Payless ShoeSource used to operate. Along with the handful of open retail leasing spaces, a lingering question mark hovers over the future of the former food court space, which cleared out last year. According to Musso, there have been discussions about possibly replacing it with a single new restaurant rather than bringing someone in to manage another food court. Talks are preliminary. While it’s true the Midtown Mall relies on national brand anchor tenants to help draw consumers in, it is also important 66 | March 2020
to the mall to support local businesses, either through leasing storefronts to them or providing opportunities to rent kiosk space. “We try to make it easy for people to come in and do new business ideas,” says Musso. “They can come in and start in a kiosk and sometimes hopefully the goal is that they evolve into a full-time tenant.” She cites Brow Chica as an example; the eyebrow salon started as what the mall calls a “temp tenant,” a kiosk location in the mall’s corridor. After its initial success as a temp tenant, Brow Chica moved into a long-term leasing unit in the mall and did so well that it eventually expanded to a second location in south Anchorage. “We've always been kind of a hometown mall,” Musso notes. “We still have those local small business owners and we like having that good mix. It's nice for them to have more nationals come in because more foot traffic is good for everybody.” That kind of activity is also a positive sign for the local economy at large. In its most recent 3-Year Economic Outlook report, Anchorage Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) notes that the construction and renovation of Midtown Mall's anchors will be helpful in offsetting job losses in the city’s retail sector. A combined total of $30 million was spent on the west and east anchors— approximately $10 million on the REI project and more than $20 million from Seritage on the Carrs/Guitar Center/Planet Fitness side. Those numbers translate to a long-term investment in the mall’s future. The 2018-2019 construction activity at the Midtown Mall is just another
Operating a mall is difficult without anchor stores. Their big names are the main draw for shoppers, generating foot traffic that translates to potential customers for smaller stores throughout the rest of the mall. go through, because before it was just a steady mall; you’ve got Sears, you’ve got Carrs, you’ve got stores in between. You just do your day to day work. And then we go from losing so many tenants, the anchors, and you know, fighting to survive. And then all this new flurry of activity and all these new stores start opening. So I feel like I've been through the hardest time that we're going to have, and so it's all up from here.” Before the end of 2019, when the mall’s anchor tenants finished their renovations and got down to business, vacant leasing spaces served as a solemn reminder of a declining retail sector. Now it’s easy to see them in a different light: a sign of positive momentum and good things to come in Anchorage.
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
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Construction Directory C
onstruction in Alaska is a key indicator of the state’s overall economic health. When economic times are good and Alaskans are feeling bullish, construction projects (and therefore jobs) increase and when they aren’t so good, the opposite occurs. Still, the construction industry has been a “relatively steady source of 23,000 to 24,000 annual jobs over the past decade,” according to The Economic Benefits of Alaska’s Construction Industry and 2020 Construction Spending Forecast compiled by McDowell Group and presented by the Construction Industry Progress Fund and Associated General Contractors of Alaska. In 2020, construction spending in Alaska is projected to be $6.7 billion, down slightly from 2019, including $4.4 billion in private sector spending (roughly equal to 2019 forecasts) and $2.3 billion in government spending, according to the report. Meanwhile, Alaska’s construction industry paid an average monthly wage of $6,585 in 2018, 43 percent above the economy-wide monthly average of $4,595. Each March Alaska Business compiles a list of our own from surveys completed by the construction companies operating throughout the state. From infrastructure and public facilities to homes and offices, each of the companies published in the Alaska Business Construction Directory helps build the roads and bridges we drive on, the offices we work in, and the houses we call home. If you’d like to see your company included in the directory, make sure to get on the list to receive the survey by sending an email to surveys@akbizmag.com. Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete this year’s round to help us build this big, beautiful construction directory!
COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIERS ABC SUSAN ELLISON, PRES. 401 Driveway St. Fairbanks, AK 99701 akabc.com info@akabc.com 907-457-2221 General contractor specializing in energy efficient remodeling and product sales. Seamless siding and gutters, windows, doors, all remodeling. Material sales include commercial doors, windows, store front, metal siding, metal flashing, door hardware, window wells. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1995/1995 | 14/14
ACCUPOINT 7125 Old Seward Hwy., Ste. 100 Anchorage, AK 99518-2282 Accupoint.com Info@accupoint.com 907-522-1600 Sales, service, rent; Trimble GPS equipment and drones, authorized dealer and repair. Construction, heavy highway, machine control, construction technology solutions. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1986/1986 | 14/14
ALASKA CONCRETE CASTING DAVE HANNA, MNG. MEMBER 5761 Concrete Way Juneau, AK 99801 alaskaconcretecasting@gci.net 907-780-4225 Precast concrete supplier, furnishing utility, traffic, and retaining wall products as well as custom casting, building panels, and foundation systems. Rebar fabrication and supply house stocking 20’ and 40’ bar. Detailing, bending, and cage tying services. Custom rubber form liner fabrication. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2004/2004 | 7/7
ALASKA DREAMS MEINI HUSER, PRES. 2081 Van Horn Rd., Ste. 2 Fairbanks, AK 99701 alaskadreamsinc.com sales@alaskadreamsinc.com 907-455-7712 Design, sales, and construction of fabric covered steel building and pre-engineered metal buildings. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1994/1994 | 20/20
ALASKA MATERIALS PO Box 92688 Anchorage, AK 99509 alaskamaterials.com john@alaskamaterials.com 907-290-8031 Alaska Materials is a “direct ship” wholesale construction materials supply company. We serve all industries including oil, power, LNG, mining, marine, seafood, federal, state, tribal, and village projects. We specialize in full truckloads, freight logistics, and are recognized as a low-cost supplier. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2017/2017 | 8/3
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Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
2051 Foundry Way Wasilla, AK 99654 akroteq.com info@akroteq.com 907-376-0550 Machine shop work, pump repairs, valve repairs, welding, and coatings. Distributor for numerous pump and valve companies, Flowserve mechanical seals, and Ingersoll Rand air compressors. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1993/1993 | 25/25
ALASKA RUBBER & RIGGING SUPPLY JANEECE HIGGINS, CEO 5811 Old Seward Hwy. Anchorage, AK 99518-1479 alaskarubber.com info@alaskaruber.com 907-562-2200 Alaska’s largest supplier of hydraulic and industrial hose assemblies and associated products; specialize in fabrication/testing of wire rope, chain, and synthetic slings for overhead lifting and rigging; supply and service fueling, lubrication and pressure washing equip, hydraulic pumps, motors, and cylinders and valves.
ANCHORAGE TRUE VALUE HARDWARE SHANNON BERRY, OWNER 9001 Jewel Lake Rd., #5 Anchorage, AK 99502 anchoragetruevalue.com anchoragehardware@truevalue.net 907-248-9211 Traditional retail hardware store with core departments: tools, hardware, plumbing, electrical, paint, and seasonal products. Niche departments for barbeques and kitchen gadgets and accessories. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1949/1949 | 24/24
APHCO-AARON PLUMBING & HEATING COMPANY TOM FISHER, PRES./GM
2143 Standard Ave. Fairbanks, AK 99701 aaronak.com Office@aaronak.com 907-452-3463 Mechanical contractor providing mechanical systems for the vertical construction industry within Alaska. Also specialize in the provision of utilities, fuel systems, and rural Alaska scope and DoD projects. Commercial and industrial, design build and bid build projects. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1982/1982 | 40/40
ARCHITECTURAL SUPPLY CO. JENNIFER MATTINGLY, AHC/PRES. 3699 Springer St. Anchorage, AK 99503 907-561-1919
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1981/1981 | 110/60
ALASKA TEXTILES CLIF BURNETTE, PRES. 620 W. Fireweed Ln. Anchorage, AK 99503 korbana.com 907-265-4880 We are the number one supplier of FRC apparel, to include our very own Korbana Protective Apparel, in Alaska, North Dakota, and around the world. With a highly trained sales staff we make customer service and quality control our priorities. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1978/1978 | 24/24
ALTROL HEATING, COOLING & PLUMBING DAVID BRIDGES, PRES./GM 2295 Van Horn Rd. Fairbanks, AK 99701 altrolinc.com dave@altrolinc.com 907-452-8680 Heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing, sheet metal, and refrigeration contracting and service company. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1982/1982 | 15/15
ANCHORAGE SAND & GRAVEL CHRIS TAYLOR, PRES. 1040 O’Malley Rd. Anchorage, AK 99515 anchsand.com 907-349-3333 Anchorage Sand & Gravel has been supplying building materials to Alaska since 1938. We specialize in building materials relating to concrete and aggregates, including landscaping products, rebar, block, and precast. Our showroom off of Klatt Road in South Anchorage is open to the public. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1938/1938 | 120/120
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Alaska Business
March 2020 | 69
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ALASKA ROTEQ KEVIN LAURIN, PRES.
CONSTRUCTION SPECIAL SECTION
Supplier of division 8 and 10-commercial doors, frames, hardware, toilet partitions, and toilet accessories.
recommendations. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1985/1985 | 2/2
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1977/1977 | 5/5
ARCTIC CONTROLS SCOTT STEWART, PRES. 1120 E. Fifth Ave. Anchorage, AK 99501 arcticcontrols.com SStewart@arcticcontrols.com 907-277-7555 Arctic Controls is Alaska’s leading expert in valves, flow meters, actuators, instrumentation, and process controls for commercial oil, gas, and water management. Providing professional expertise for all commercial applications and can assist you with estimates and
ARCTIC INSULATION & MANUFACTURING ROBERT ULRICH, VP SALES/MARKETING PO Box 520050 Big Lake, AK 99652 arcticinsulation.net aim@arcticinsulation.net 907-677-9540 Pre-insulated pipe and pipe fittings. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1995/1995 | 35/35
ARCTIC SOLAR VENTURES JACKIE SAVINA, PRES. 2000 W. International Airport Rd., Ste. B3
Anchorage, AK 99502 arcticsolarventures.com company@arcticsolarventures.com 907-268-4188 Arctic Solar Ventures is Alaska’s premium solar provider, specializing in grid-direct solar photovoltaic systems and solidstate battery storage. Whether for home, business, or utility-scale, ASV designs and engineers projects to exacting specifications to last more than thirty years. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2015/2015 | 8/8
BERING SHAI ROCK & GRAVEL DIANE SHAISHNIKOFF, OWNER/MGR. PO Box 196 Unalaska, AK 99685 beringshairock@gmail.com 907-581-1409 Native-owned and -operated business specializing in the production and placement of high-quality rock materials, as well as providing heavy equipment rentals and services for any type of small or large construction project, including airports, boat harbors, and road building projects. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2004/2004 | 6/6
C & R PIPE AND STEEL DENNIS WILFER, PRES.
THE REPORT IS HERE!
401 E. Van Horn Rd. Fairbanks, AK 99701 crpipeandsteel.com sales@crpipe.net 907-456-8386 We offer new and used pipe (1/2”-60”), structural pipe, pilings, well casing pipe, bollards, steel posts, culverts, and more. C & R Pipe and Steel in Fairbanks is the largest pipe distributor in Alaska. When you choose us, you gain access to more than 7,500 tons of steel pipe in our inventory. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1992/1992 | 45/45
Learn more about Alaska’s:
Construction Industry Jobs and Income Impacts Construction Funding Sources and Trends Construction Jobs and Income Trends 2020 Construction Spending Forecast
Download the study at www.agcak.org or scan the QR code with your smart phone.
CABINET FEVER KURT ECHOLS, PRES. 8220 Petersburg St., Ste. 1 Anchorage, AK 99507 cabinetfever.net kurt@cabinetfever.net 907-349-4871 Commercial and residential custom cabinet shop producing high-end custom kitchen cabinets, counter tops, and installation as well as custom furniture, entertainment centers, reception desks, medical, dental and retail casework, store fixtures. Also carry two lines of manufactured residential cabinets. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1999/1999 | 6/6
CARBERRY ASSOCIATES TOM CARBERRY, OWNER
The Associated General Contractors of Alaska ANCHORAGE 8005 Schoon Street Anchorage, AK 99518 P. (907) 561-5354 Web. www.agcak.org 70 | March 2020
FAIRBANKS 3750 Bonita Street Fairbanks, AK 99701 P. (907) 452-1809 fax: (907) 562-6118
PO Box 242563 Anchorage, AK 99524 carberryassociateis@acsalaska.net 907-227-1598 Manufacturer’s representative for specialty, commercial building products. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1994/1994 | 1/1
CENTRAL PLUMBING & HEATING DEBORAH COOPER, GM 212 E. International Airport Rd. Anchorage, AK 99518
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
All your Demolition & Environmental Needs
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1959/1959 | 25/25
DELTA LEASING RUDI VON IMHOF, PRES. 8101 Dimond Hook Dr. Anchorage, AK 99507 deltaleasing.com 907-771-1300 Specialized leasing of fleet trucks, SUVs, vans, and shuttle buses, as well as construction and mining equipment, oil and gas equipment. GM, Dodge, and international warranty repair center. Alaskan-owned. Deadline driven. Results oriented. Anchorage/Kenai/Prudhoe Bay/ Fairbanks/Remote Alaska.
– Total structural removal – Selective interior demolition – Dismantlement and salvage – Hazardous material removal – Recycling, material handling & disposal – Landfill management
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
Residential Commercial Industrial – We do it all.
2002/2002 | 65/65
DENALI MATERIALS NANCY ANDREW, CEO 840 K St., Ste. 200 Anchorage, AK 99501 stmnc.net/Denali-Materials shayden@stmnc.net 907-302-1866 We manufacture polymer-modified asphalt and asphalt emulsions.
907-274-3366 I alaskademolition.com
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2004/2004 | 8/8
DIBBLE CREEK ROCK CAP SHAFER, PRES. 34481 North Fork Rd. Anchor Point, AK 99556 dibblecreekrock.com office@dibblecreekrock.com 907-235-7126 We own a portable crushing plant and crush material in the Bush. At our home plant on the Kenai Peninsula in Anchor Point, besides crushing gravel, we also operate a wash plant and produce washed gravel products and also own a batch plant and furnish ready mix. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1984/1984 | 28/28
DOOR SYSTEMS OF ALASKA BETH BERGH, OWNER 18727 Old Glenn Hwy. Chugiak, AK 99567 doorsystemsak.com 907-688-3367 Commercial/industrial/architectural doors. Modernfold Flat wall partitions and accordion partitions, Skyfold vertical partitions. Rolling doors, grilles, shutters. Fire-rated rolling doors. McGuire dock equipment. EPD/Renlita hangar doors and blast-resistant doors. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2000/2000 | 12/12
DXP | ALASKA PUMP & SUPPLY DAVID LITTLE, CEO
General | Commercial | Design Build | Construction Management 6591 A Street, Suite 300 | Anchorage, Alaska 99518 907.562.2336 | davisconstructors.com
8400 Sandlewood Pl. www.akbizmag.com
Alaska Business
March 2020 | 71
CONSTRUCTION SPECIAL SECTION
thewarmguys.com info@thewarmguys.com 907-562-2511 Central Plumbing & Heating is an Alaskan family-owned and operated company since 1959. Visit our kitchen and bath showroom, our fireplace and heating showroom, our DIY parts counter, or schedule an appointment with our service department. We can help you with “Everything AND the kitchen sink.”
CONSTRUCTION SPECIAL SECTION
Anchorage, AK 99507 alaskapump.com sales@alaskapump.com 907-563-3424 Serving industrial, municipal, and commercial customers, DXP | Alaska Pump & Supply is at the leading edge of technology providing the best rotating equipment, bearing and PT, MROP, safety products, expert service, and engineered solutions from skids to complete modules. Field services are available. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1908/1978 | 4,000/22
ESI ALASKA (EQUIPMENT SOURCES INC.) NICK FERREE, VP
2000/2000 | 30/30
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1987/1987 | 10/10
HAYDEN ELECTRIC MOTORS ROGER SAUNDERS, PRES. 4191 Old Seward Hwy. Anchorage, AK 99503 Hayden-ak.com roger@hayden-ak.com 907-561-1073 Sales, service, and rewinding of electric motors and generators and associated equipment. On-site service calls. Recertification of explosion-proof motors. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1959/1959 | 10/10
1919 Van Horn Rd. Fairbanks, AK 99701 esialaska.com FAI-Sales@esialaska.com 907-458-9049 ESI designs, develops, and builds quality, innovative worksite products for the oil, mining, construction, and agriculture industries. All of our products are built Arctic tough, designed to last, and tested in challenging environments. Alaska Kubota and JCB dealer. Sales/service/parts/rentals. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
907-835-5418 Equipment rentals and sales.
K&H CIVIL CONSTRUCTORS MATTHEW KETCHUM, OWNER/MNG. MEMBER PO Box 877037 Wasilla, AK 99687 khcivil.com matt@khcivil.com 907-373-4133 Public works civil general contractor (MatSu Borough) and construction aggregate supplier within the city limits of Wasilla (commercial and retail sales). Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
HALTNESS EQUIPMENT ERIK HALTNESS, MGR. 205 Meals Ave. Valdez, AK 99686 haltness.com sales@haltness.com
2016/2016 | 25/25
KASSBOHRER ALL TERRAIN VEHICLES DENNIS MCGIBONEY, VP SALES/MKTG. 18460 SW 126th Pl. Tualatin, OR 97062
pistenbullyusa.com contact@pistenbullyusa.com 503-783-1935 PistenBully tracked utility vehicles and PowerBully tracked carriers. Up to 520 horsepower; 17-ton payload. Ice road construction, snow removal, transport equipment, pull heavy sleds, personnel cabins, special use. Support branches throughout North America. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1969/1985 | 400/1
LIFEWATER ENGINEERING COMPANY BOB TSIGONIS, PRES. 1963 Donald Ave. Fairbanks, AK 99701 LifewaterEngineering.com Info@lifewaterengineering.com 907-458-7024 Custom fabrication of welded plastic tanks, boats, and other products including sewage treatment plants for man camps, homes, and lodges in the most extreme climates and remote places. For Rough Duty Boats, visit www. Class5Boatworks.com. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1998/1998 | 10/10
MAGIC METALS JOAN TOLSTRUP 530 E. Steel Lp. Palmer, AK 99645 magicmetalsinc.com magicmetals@mtaonline.net 907-746-7800 Magic Metals manufactures a variety of
Engineering Results for Alaskan Communities Since 1979 Energy Efficiency Regulatory Compliance Support Industrial Hygiene Certified Inspection Services Engineering Design HSE Program Development Environmental Remediation Contingency Planning Hazardous Materials Management Tank Inspections
FAIRBANKS ANCHORAGE JUNEAU JUNEAU FAIRBANKS ANCHORAGE 907-452-5688 907-222-2445 907-222-2445 907-586-6813 907-452-5688 907-586-6813
NORTECH has acquired ARCTOS Alaska. Learn more at www.nortechengr.com 72 | March 2020
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
and material handling.
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
6450 Arctic Blvd. Anchorage, AK 99518 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.
1981/1981 | 7/7
MATHESON TRI-GAS SCOTT KALLMAN, PRES./CEO 6350 Arctic Blvd. Anchorage, AK 99518 mathesongas.com 907-563-6644 Matheson Tri-Gas is a single source provider of industrial and specialty cylinder gases, gas handling and welding equipment, high performance purification systems, and related hardgoods and safety equipment. The company also provides support services and system management services. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1927/2016 | 9,000/20
MODULAR TRANSPORTABLE HOUSING STACY STOLTENOW, VP
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1970/2010 | 7,550/10
N C MACHINERY JOHN HARNISH, CEO
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1926/1926 | 1,025/225
NENANA HEATING SERVICES DAVID SHAW, PRES.
PO Box 9 Nenana, AK 99760 nhsi@alaska.net 800-478-5447 Offering a range of heating services, including home delivery service of oil and gasoline. Our service area includes Cantwell, Denali Park, Healy, Anderson and Nenana, and Kantishna. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1972/1972 | 23/23
NORTHLAND WOOD PRODUCTS JASON KNOLES, PRES. 4000 S. Cushman St. Fairbanks, AK 99701 northlandwood.com northlandwood@acsalaska.net
PROJECT MANAGEMENT • FABRICATION • CONSTRUCTION COMMISSIONING • MAINTENANCE
3116 Commercial Dr. Anchorage, AK 99501 mthousing.net office@mthousing.net 877-929-9902 Mining/logging camps, construction camps, construction offices, jobsite engineering units, industrial facilities, laboratories, field offices, dormitory buildings, office buildings, urban housing, shower and locker room facilities, medical buildings, exercise buildings, classrooms, survival units. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1995/2005 | 100/10
MOTION & FLOW CONTROL PRODUCTS ROSS SURROT, CEO 1716 N. Post Rd. Anchorage, AK 99501 mfcp.com 907-277-1406 Serving Alaska for forty-seven years, we offer products and services to the mining, petroleum, and construction industries in Fairbanks and Anchorage. MFCP provides Parker Hannifin fluid power components and all other types of industrial and hydraulic hoses, fittings, and accessories.
C O N S T R U C T O R S
Investing in Alaska’s Future
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1969/1969 | 375/20
MOTION INDUSTRIES NICK MORGAN, ANCH. BRANCH MGR. 611 E. International Airport Rd. Anchorage, AK 99518 MotionIndustries.com ak80orders@MotionIndustries.com 907-563-5565 A leading distributor of industrial maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) replacement parts (more than 7.6 million parts), including bearings, power transmission, hydraulic/ pneumatic components, linear, hydraulic/industrial hose, industrial and safety supplies, process pumps, seals, www.akbizmag.com
351 East 104th Ave, Anchorage, Alaska (907) 771-5800 DELTA CON STRUCTORS.NET Alaska Business
March 2020 | 73
CONSTRUCTION SPECIAL SECTION
roofing and architectural metal products as well as custom trim and accessories. We are open to retail and wholesale customers and offer great customer service and quick turnaround. Perforation on panels and trim is available.
CONSTRUCTION SPECIAL SECTION
907-452-4000 Building supplier. Produces WWPA-graded surfaced lumber, rough lumber, large timbers, and house logs. Stocks materials to fulfill all building needs. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1965/1965 | 30/30
NORTHSTAR SUPPLY RICHELL CARMICHAEL, OWNER PO Box 3637 Palmer, AK 99645 nssalaska.com info@nssalaska.com 907-357-1147 We are Alaska’s premier supplier of industrial and civil construction materials specializing in geotextiles, erosion control, dust and ice control, and asphalt maintenance products. Conveniently located in Palmer with a large inventory and the ability to deliver anywhere in the state. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2017/2017 | 4/4
PACIFIC ALASKA LUMBER COMPANY VINT JONES, PRES. 421 W. First Ave., Ste. 245 Anchorage, AK 99501 pacaklumber.com sales@pacaklumber.com 907-341-3500 Wholesale suppliers of construction and specialty materials. Serving all industries in Alaska. All grades and species of lumber/ timber/ply/panels, treatment, EWP, GLB, metal, SIP, GEO, rigid foam, GWB, helical piers, millwork, and hardware. We
stock mats in Alaska. Rig, crane, access traditional/composite. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2007/2007 | 4/0
PCE PACIFIC SCOTT DAVIS, VP SALES
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
4730 Business Park Blvd. Anchorage, AK 99503 PCEpacific.com 907-243-3833 EMERSON-DeltaV Control System, SIS systems and SIL instrumentation, Fisher Valves, Anderson Greenwood and Crosby safety relief valves, Rosemount instrumentation, MicroMotion flow meters, wireless devices and systems, rotating equipment monitoring systems, wide range of field services. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1982/1983 | 140/7
PUGET SOUND PIPE & SUPPLY CO. SCOTT ENGLISH, AK DIV. MGR. 2120 Spar Ave. Anchorage, AK 99501 pugetpipe.com senglish@pspipe.com 907-277-7473 Alaska’s largest supplier of pipe, valves, and fittings to Alaska’s oil and gas markets. Two locations in Alaska: Anchorage and Kenai. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1917/1984 | 175/35
RAIN FOR RENT JOHN LAKE, CEO 53325 Henley Ave. Kenai, AK 99611
rainforrent.com rharris@rainforrent.com 907-283-4487 Pump, tank, pipe, filtration solutions for environmental, construction, and oilfield operations. 1934/2002 | 1,800/6
RIVERS WOOD PRODUCTS DOUG SCHERZER, GM 1780 Richardson Hwy. North Pole, AK 99705 riverswoodproducts.com doug@riverswoodproducts.com 907-488-0888 Specialty siding, decking, and railing lumberyard. We supply contractors with stainless steel braided wire rope that we make in our facility that puts Alaskans to work. We sell Alaska cedar and Western Red Cedar for siding. We have the largest stock in Alaska for vinyl siding and composite decking. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1984/1984 | 5/5
SPECIALTY PRODUCTS MIKE BRUNKE, AK MGR. 1425 Spar Ave. Anchorage, AK 99501 specialty-products.com mikeb@specialty-products.com 907-276-7932 Manufacturer and distributor of polyurethane spray and pour foams, polyurea elastomer coatings, and application equipment. Solutions for oil and gas, mining, wastewater, building insulation, marine, and
At NANA, we advance responsible resource development and economic opportunity to improve the lives of our people. Our Iñupiaq values of hard work, cooperation and commitment guide our partnerships and principles, informing our business operations at every level, every day.
Together, let’s develop Alaska’s potential.
nana.com
74 | March 2020
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1974/1974 | 33/3
SPILL SHIELD LARK CHRISTENSEN, OPS MGR. 2000 W. International Airport Rd., #D-1 Anchorage, AK 99502 spillshield.com lark@spillshield.com 907-561-6033 Supplier for Smart Ash, Oil Away, Drug Terminator, and MediBurn incinerators. Absorbents, water scrubbers, oil spill response kits, Super Sacks, harbor boom, nitrile gloves, MicroBlaze, absorbent pads, rolls, boom, sock, duck ponds, spill kits, and related oil spill cleanup and prevention products. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
YUKON FIRE PROTECTION SERVICES MATT ATKINS, GM/VP 5601 Silverado Way Anchorage, AK 99518 yukonfire.com matkins@yukonfire.com 907-563-3608 Fire and gas detection and suppression system design, supply, installation, and service. Alaska’s only representative of Detector Electronics. Kidde Fire Systems, Marioff Hi-Fog, Ansul, Tyco Fire Protection Products, CWSI wireless fire alarm, foam suppression, marine systems, compliance inspections.
341 E. 56th Ave. Anchorage, AK 99518 alaska.swagelok.com info@alaska.swagelok.com 907-563-5630 Swagelok Alaska is your source for the highest quality fluid system products, solutions, and training in Alaska. Our end-to-end quality system helps to guarantee consistent quality, each and every time.
2000 W. International Airport Rd., Ste. B3 Anchorage, AK 99502 arcticsolarventures.com company@arcticsolarventures.com 907-268-4188 Arctic Solar Ventures is Alaska’s Premium Solar Provider, specializing in grid-direct solar photovoltaic systems and solidstate battery storage. Whether for home, business, or utility-scale, ASV designs and engineers projects to exacting specifications to last more than thirty years.
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1978/1978 | 49/37
2015/2015 | 8/8
ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS
1992/1992 | 3/1
SWAGELOK ALASKA TAREK SHEIRA, BRANCH MGR. AK OPS
ARCTIC SOLAR VENTURES JACKIE SAVINA, PRES.
ARCTIC ENERGY GREG PORTER, PRES. PO Box 220110 Anchorage, AK 99522 arcticenergyalaska.com gporter@arcticenergyalaska.com 907-382-7772 Founded in 2012, Arctic Energy provides combined heat and power energy solutions and distributed generation throughout Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and extreme locations, such as Greenland and Antarctica.
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1965/1965 | 10,000/10
2012/2012 | 5/3
DELTA CONSTRUCTORS ED GOHR, CEO 351 E. 104th Ave. Anchorage, AK 99515 deltaconstructors.net 907-771-5800 Delta Constructors specializes in construction management (estimating, planning, scheduling, and project execution) and direct hire construction for structural, piping, mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation disciplines in support of up-and mid-stream oil and gas development. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2007/2007 | 850/250
LITTLE SUSITNA CONSTRUCTION CO. DOMINIC LEE, OWNER
Specializing in: • Bridges • Roads • Site Work • Environmental Cleanup
Where Engineering Meets the Environment. (907) 357-2238 www.tutkallc.com SBA Certified HUBZone & DBE www.akbizmag.com
Alaska Business
March 2020 | 75
CONSTRUCTION SPECIAL SECTION
many other industries. Year-round 24/7 tech support; classroom and offsite training.
CONSTRUCTION SPECIAL SECTION
821 N St., Ste. 207 Anchorage, AK 99501 littlesu@ak.net 907-274-7571 A general, mechanical and electrical contractor. Architects, civil, mechanical, and electrical engineers, licensed in twelve states. Construction project management. Importer, exporter, and global project consultation.
ABC SUSAN ELLISON, PRES.
include communications, security, wireless, and audio visual in government, commercial, healthcare, education, and industrial markets. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2017/2017 | 33/33
SIEMENS INDUSTRY LEVERETTE HOOVER, GM AK/HI/ PACIFIC RIM
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1980/1980 | 20/20
5333 Fairbanks St., Unit B Anchorage, AK 99518 siemens.com leverette.hoover@siemens.com 907-563-2242 Energy services company and system integrator, including automation/energy management control systems, fire alarm, HVAC mechanical systems, security (card access, CCTV, intrusion, etc.), audio, video solutions, mass notification systems, and electrical distribution.
NEW HORIZONS TELECOM LEIGHTON LEE, CEO 901 Cope Industrial Way Palmer, AK 99645 nhtiusa.com 907-761-6000 Telecommunications design and construction. In-house engineering, installation, and project management services for urban and remote communications facilities, RF, OSP, and ISP cabling, and equipment installation and integration, as well as commercial electrical and data design and construction.
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1849/1982 | 351,000/90
GENERAL CONTRACTORS
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1978/1978 | 75/75
SHERMAN TECHNOLOGIES RANDY SHERMAN, MEMBER
110 W. 38th Ave., Ste. 200B Anchorage, AK 99503 aeiak.com 907-644-0760 Specializes in the execution of timesensitive, complex, and multifaceted environmental, engineering, construction, and professional services projects for government and commercial clients.
AHTNA GLOBAL TIM FINNIGAN, PRES. 110 W. 38th Ave., Ste. 200J Anchorage, AK 99503 ahtnaglobal.com 907-569-8250 AGL is an 8(a) and HUBZone subsidiary
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2015/2015 | 2/2
AND CONVEYOR SYSTEMS INC. ANCHORAGE
AHTNA ENVIRONMENTAL TIM FINNIGAN, PRES.
2010/2010 | 189/66
5400 Eielson St. Anchorage, AK 99518 360general.com tyler@360general.com 907-868-8880 General contractor.
MATERIAL FLOW
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1995/1995 | 14/14
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
360 GENERAL TYLER LOKEN
PO Box 876476 Wasilla, AK 99687 shermantechnologies.com info@shermantechnologies.com 907-313-8100 Sherman Technologies is an Alaska Native owned low voltage contractor servicing the State of Alaska. Our areas of expertise
401 Driveway St. Fairbanks, AK 99701 akabc.com info@akabc.com 907-457-2221 General contractor specializing in energy efficient remodeling and product sales. Seamless siding and gutters, windows, doors, all remodeling. Material sales include commercial doors, windows, store front, metal siding, metal flashing, door hardware, window wells.
HOME • SHOP • BUSINESS • WAREHOUSE PALLET JACKS
PLASTIC BINS
Toll Free 877-868-3569 Close Out Pricing Phone 907-868-4725 Fax 907-868-4726
6112 Petersburg St. Anchorage, AK 99507 Visit Our Website: www.akflow.com
CASTERS
100S IN-STOCK
100’S IN-STOCK
• Standard • Stainless • Galvanized Manual or Electric
SPECIAL PRICING
CANTILEVER RACKS
PROFESSIONAL GRADE HAND TRUCKS • CARTS
LOCKERS
HEAVY DUTY H.D. DOLLIES
Used and New
CONVEYORS
PLATFORM TRUCKS
TEARDROP PALLET RACKS
SELF DUMP HOPPERS
Thousands of Frames and Beams IN-STOCK 100 Models in 39,000 Sizes IN-STOCK Shipped in Midwest Warehouse 24 Hours • Power • Used • Gravity Conveyor • Rollers Available
IN-STOCK WOOD • STEEL NURSERIES
GARAGE • HOME BUSINESS
E-Z RECT AVAILABLE
1-877-868-3569
PACKAGING SUPPLIES
Stretch Film F.O.B. Anchorage Torque • Hand Grade • Machine Grade
SNAP TOGETHER SHELVING
BLOWOUT PRICING
USED ROLLER CONVEYORS 76 | March 2020
GENERAL DUTY TO HEAVY DUTY
Steel Banding Many Sizes
Clear and Tan Tape
36”W x 12”D x 84”H w/ 5 Shelves
And Much More...
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2016/2016 | 50/43
ALASKA DREAMS MEINI HUSER, PRES. 2081 Van Horn Rd., Ste. 2 Fairbanks, AK 99701 alaskadreamsinc.com sales@alaskadreamsinc.com 907-455-7712 Design, sales, and construction of fabric covered steel building and pre-engineered metal buildings. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1994/1994 | 20/20
ALASKA QUALITY BUILDERS KARROL JOHNSON, PRES. PO Box 674 Willow, AK 99688 alaskaqualitybuilders.com akqualitybuilders@outlook.com 907-495-6200 Residential and commercial construction: home building, warehouses and shops (any size), additions, remodels, garages, decks, docks, and, of course, custom homes. “We Build Dreams.” Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1994/1994 | 5-10/5-10
ALBORN CONSTRUCTION ADAM ALBORN, PRES. 118 E. International Airport Rd.
site mapping and fabrication.
Anchorage, AK 99518 Albornconstruction.com info@albornconstruction.com 907-276-4400 Full service commercial and residential general contracting. Specializing in tenant improvements, building modifications, home additions, and renovations.
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1982/1982 | 45/45
BLUEPRINT NORTH SKIP MYERS, PRES./CEO
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2001/2001 | 10/10
APHCO-AARON PLUMBING & HEATING COMPANY TOM FISHER, PRES./GM 2143 Standard Ave. Fairbanks, AK 99701 aaronak.com Office@aaronak.com 907-452-3463 Mechanical contractor providing mechanical systems for the vertical construction industry within Alaska. Also specialize in the provision of utilities, fuel systems, and rural Alaska scope and DoD projects. Commercial and industrial; design build and bid build projects. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1982/1982 | 40/40
2825 Rose St., #202 Anchorage, AK 99507 blueprintnorth.com skip@blueprintnorth.com | kewlbizman1@yahoo.com 907-268-0073 We are a general contractor dealing with rough and finished carpentry/ framing, trim work, doors/windows, insulation, interior and exterior painting, drywall repair and installation, and plumbing. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2016/2016 | 13/7
BRANDSAFWAY KEVIN ROGINA, CONSTRUCTION MGR. 7808 Hartzell Rd. Anchorage, AK 99507 907-349-3720 Scaffold labor, rental, sales, mechanical insulation labor, rental, sales. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1936/2003 | 30,000/120
BC EXCAVATING NATHAN HAINES, PRES. 2251 Cinnabar Lp. Anchorage, AK 99507 bcxllc.net 907-344-4492 Complete hauling and excavation services, environmental, water, sewer and storm utilities, site work, hydro excavation, GPS
BRICE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES CORP. CRAIG JONES, PRES. 3800 Centerpoint Dr., Ste. 400 Anchorage, AK 99503 briceenvironmental.com 907-275-2896 Brice is an ANC 8(a) and proud Calista
Safe and responsible construction services in Alaska for over 40 years • Road construction • Site reclamation • Airport construction • Underground utilities • Site development • Erosion protection • Riverbank restoration
2975 Van Horn Road, Fairbanks (907) 452-5617 • (800) 440-8924
www.grtnw.com www.akbizmag.com
Alaska Business
Locally Owned & Operated
March 2020 | 77
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specializing in the execution of timesensitive, complex, and multifaceted environmental, construction, engineering, and professional services projects for government and commercial clients.
CONSTRUCTION SPECIAL SECTION
subsidiary with a long history of performing environmental remediation/ consulting, design-build, engineering, and construction in Alaska, nationwide, and the Pacific. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1991/1991 | 75/60
BRICE EQUIPMENT TOGI LETULIGASENOA, GM PO Box 70908 Fairbanks, AK 99707 briceequipment.com 907-457-1132 Equipment rental: heaters, loaders, excavators, articulated haul units, generators, light plants, service trucks, office trailers, bathrooms/envirovacs. Services: pipeline maintenance services, maintenance pigging, on-site mechanic services, drilling support. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2006/2006 | 75/75
CHEMTRACK ALASKA CARRIE JOKIEL, PRES. 11711 S. Gambell St. Anchorage, AK 99515 chemtrack.net info@chemtrack.net 907-349-2511 Please check out our Statement of Qualifications at chemtrack.net/about_ us.htm. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1973/1973 | 35/35
COLALASKA JON FUGLESTAD, PRES.
4000 Old Seward Hwy., Ste. 101 Anchorage, AK 99503 colaska.com info@colaska.com 907-273-1000 Colaska is part of the Colas Group, a worldwide leader in transportation infrastructure construction and maintenance. Colaska’s operating companies cover the entire state of Alaska and include QAP, Secon, Southeast Roadbuilders, Exclusive Paving, AGGPRO, University RediMix, and Emulsion Products Co. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1999/1999 | 815/815
CONAM CONSTRUCTION DALE KISSEE, PRES. 301 W. Northern Lights Blvd., Ste. 300 Anchorage, AK 99503 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/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1984/1984 | 300/300
CORNERSTONE GENERAL CONTRACTORS JOE JOLLEY, PRES. 4040 B St., Ste. 200 Anchorage, AK 99503 cornerstoneak.com ppantaleone@cornerstoneak.com 907-561-1993
General contracting utilizing collaborative project delivery methods for new commercial construction and the precision renovation of existing facilities for Alaska leading academic, civic, industrial, medical, nonprofit, oil and gas, and private development organizations. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1993/1993 | 53/53
CRUZ COMPANIES ALASKA DAVE CRUZ, PRES. 7000 E. Palmer Wasilla Hwy. Palmer, AK 99645 907-746-3144 Experts in resource development and heavy civil construction. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1981/1981 | 218/218
DAVIS CONSTRUCTORS & ENGINEERS LUKE BLOMFIELD, PRES./CEO 6591 A St., Ste. 300 Anchorage, AK 99518 davisconstructors.com admin@davisconstructors.com 907-562-2336 In Davis Constructors’ forty-plus year Alaska history, we have completed more than 300 projects totaling almost $2.25 billion throughout Alaska. We are currently performing work in Bethel, Clear AFS, Fairbanks, Anchorage, Eielson AFB, Seward, and Kodiak. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1976/1976 | 129/129
DELTA CONSTRUCTORS ED GOHR, CEO
Central Environmental Inc. The Solutions Company - When experience meets ingenuity • Safe, cost effective solutions to the most challenging projects • From the Arctic to the Gulf Coast • Full facility removal, asbestos, remediation, waste management, demolition and site work
CEI I The Solutions Company
Locations: Anchorage I Fairbanks I Las Vegas I Los Angeles 888-876-0125 I www.cei-alaska.com I #centralenvironmentalinc 78 | March 2020
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2007/2007 | 850/250
DOOR SYSTEMS OF ALASKA BETH BERGH, OWNER 18727 Old Glenn Hwy. Chugiak, AK 99567 doorsystemsak.com 907-688-3367 Commercial/industrial/architectural doors. Modernfold Flat wall partitions and accordion partitions, Skyfold vertical partitions. Rolling doors, grilles, shutters. Fire-rated rolling doors. McGuire dock equipment. EPD/Renlita hangar doors and blast-resistant doors. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2000/2000 | 12/12
DOYON ASSOCIATED WARREN CHRISTIAN, PRES. 615 Bidwell Ave., Ste. 100 Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-374-9130 Doyon Associated (DAL) specializes in arctic pipeline construction and associated infrastructure. DAL has an established presence in Alaska with offices in Fairbanks and Anchorage and shop/yard facilities in
Fairbanks and Deadhorse. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2006/2006 | 200/200
EKLUTNA CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE RICHARD WELDIN, MNG. MEMBER 10950 Mausel St., B1 Eagle River, AK 99577 eklutnainc.com 907-696-3838 Eklutna Construction & Maintenance (ECM) is an SBA 8(a) Certified Federal Government contracting firm. Additional subsidiaries of Eklutna, Inc.: Eklutna Services, Eklutna Sand & Gravel, and Eklutna Real Estate Services. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1972/1972 | 47/47
FLUOR ALASKA WYCHE FORD, AK GM 4300 B St., Ste. 210 Anchorage, AK 99503 fluor.com Fluor.Alaska@fluor.com 907-865-2000 Fluor provides engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance, and project management services. For more than fifty years, we have served Alaska clients by providing our comprehensive services delivering capital efficiency and project certainty. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1912/1954 | 53,000/2
GOLDEN HEART CONSTRUCTION CRAIG ROBINSON, PRES. PO Box 72728
Fairbanks, AK 99707-2728 goldenheatconstruction.net craig@goldenheartconstruction.net 907-458-9193 Commercial and residential remodel and maintenance. To include bathrooms, kitchens, decks, patios, door and window replacement. Residential and light commercial additions. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1982/1982 | 6/6
GRANITE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY DEREK BETTS, VP/REG. MGR. 11471 Lang St. Anchorage, AK 99515 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/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1922/1974 | 7,200/350
GREAT NORTHWEST JOHN MINDER, CEO/PRES. PO Box 74646 Fairbanks, AK 99707 grtnw.com info@grtnw.com 907-452-5617 Heavy highway civil construction, utilities, paving, landscaping. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1976/1976 | 250/250
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CONSTRUCTION SPECIAL SECTION
351 E. 104th Ave. Anchorage, AK 99515 deltaconstructors.net 907-771-5800 Delta Constructors specializes in construction management (estimating, planning, scheduling, and project execution) and direct hire construction for structural, piping, mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation disciplines in support of upand mid-stream oil and gas development.
9300 Old Seward Hwy. Anchorage, AK 99515 k-winteriors.com knwinteriors@alaska.net 907-344-3080 K&W Interiors is a family owned business, providing Alaskans with fine quality interior finishes for more than thirty years. K&W was selected as one of the top 500 Remodelers in the nation by Qualified Remodeler magazine. From design to installation your satisfaction is our guarantee. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1985/1985 | 20/20
K&H CIVIL CONSTRUCTORS MATTHEW KETCHUM, OWNER/MNG. MEMBER
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
KIEWIT INFRASTRUCTURE WEST CO. PAT HARRISON, EXEC. AREA MGR. 2000 W. International Airport Rd., #C6 Anchorage, AK 99502 907-222-9350
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1884/1947 | 22,500/75
KNIK CONSTRUCTION DAN HALL, PRES.
5400 Eielson Anchorage, AK 99518 lokenconstructionak.com tyler@lokenconstructionak.com 907-868-8880 Framing, steel, solar, and siding contractor. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
6520 Kulis Dr. Anchorage, AK 99502 lynden.com/knik knikinformation@lynden.com 907-245-1865 Knik Construction specializes in complex, logistically challenging projects in hard-toreach places. We’ve been building highways, roads, bridges, airstrips, breakwaters, and more for more than 45 years. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1974/1974 | 192/190
PO Box 877037 Wasilla, AK 99687 khcivil.com matt@khcivil.com 907-373-4133 Public works civil general contractor (MatSu Borough) and construction aggregate supplier within the city limits of Wasilla (commercial and retail sales). 2016/2016 | 25/25
Heavy civil construction including transportation, marine, dams, and resource development.
LITTLE SUSITNA CONSTRUCTION CO. DOMINIC LEE, OWNER 821 N St., Ste. 207 Anchorage, AK 99501 littlesu@ak.net 907-274-7571 A general, mechanical and electrical contractor. Architects, civil, mechanical and electrical engineers, licensed in twelve states. Construction project management. Importer, exporter, and global project consultation. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1980/1980 | 20/20
LOKEN CONSTRUCTION TYLER LOKEN
2003/2003 | 28/28
LONG BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES CHRIS BRACKEN, AK BRANCH MGR. 5660 B St. Anchorage, AK 99518 long.com alaskadispatch@long.com 907-561-3044 Designs, installs, and services HVAC systems/controls and energy and facility management systems, including security, CCTV, and card access systems. Energy audits, metering, and monitoring, building analytics; recommissioning and energy efficiency programs. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1975/1976 | 450/28
LOUNSBURY & ASSOCIATES TOM ADAMS, PRES. 5300 A St. Anchorage, AK 99518 lounsburyinc.com info@lounsburyinc.com 907-272-5451 Civil engineering, land surveying, planning, construction management. Servicing local and state government, oil and gas industry, and private development. Offices
Building Alaska’s Future with Alaskan Products ND AND GR A A S
O., INC. LC VE
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ANCHORA G
CONSTRUCTION SPECIAL SECTION
K&W INTERIORS DALE KAERCHER, PRES.
1040 O’Malley Road Anchorage, AK 99515 (888) 349-3133 (907) 349-3333
find us on
www.anchsand.com 80 | March 2020
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1949/1949 | 45/42
MASS EXCAVATION LUKE BLOMFIELD, PRES./CEO PO Box 241093 Anchorage, AK 99524 massexcavation.com admin@massexcavation.com 907-771-9272 Mass Excavation was born out of a need for a responsive civil contractor capable of meeting the diverse range of services from large project development to more intricate building site improvement details. Mass X provides residential, commercial, and industrial site development. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2004/2004 | 43/43
NATIVE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT, INC. ARTHUR STEVENS, FOUNDER/CEO 141 Patterson St., #113 Anchorage, AK 99504 nativeconstructionak.com Arthur@nativeconstructionak.com 907-885-4270 Commercial general contractor providing services to help make your construction project reality. Our experience and commitment to delivering successfully completed projects is due to a highly disciplined implementation of services that include design/build, new construction, remodels, and consulting. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2017/2017 | 6/6
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NEW HORIZONS TELECOM LEIGHTON LEE, CEO 901 Cope Industrial Way Palmer, AK 99645 nhtiusa.com 907-761-6000 Telecommunications design and construction. In-house engineering, installation, and project management services for urban and remote communications facilities, RF, OSP, and ISP cabling, and equipment installation and integration, as well as commercial electrical and data design and construction. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1978/1978 | 75/75
NORTH COUNTRY BUILDERS OF ALASKA THOMAS SMITH, PRES. 3435 N. Daisy Petal Cir. Wasilla, AK 99654 northcountrybuilders.com tsmith@northcountrybuilders.com 907-373-7060 Commercial and residential general contractor for new, remodel, and all phases of construction. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1998/1998 | 4/4
NORTHERN DAME CONSTRUCTION STACEY COY, PRES. 1600 W. Edlund Rd. Wasilla, AK 99654 northerndame.com stacey@northerndame.com
Alaska Business
907-376-9607 Traffic control, traffic maintenance, flagging, training, and traffic control plans. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1992/1992 | 20/19
OLGOONIK CONSTRUCTION SERVICES DAVE SMITH, GM 3201 C St., Ste. 700 Anchorage, AK 99503 907-375-4726 Full-service contractor: well P&A, general contracting, design/build, site preparation, demolition and waste management, personnel camp logistics, remodel and renovation, regulatory compliance, logistics and deployment, North Slope heavy equipment fleet. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2014/2014 | 35/35
OLHAUSEN CONSTRUCTION AND MANAGEMENT 541 W. 41st Ave., Unit B Anchorage, AK 99503 olhausenconstruction@gmail.com 907-830-1774 General contracting and subcontracts, construction management, carpentry, and labor. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2016/2016 | 7/7
ONE OF A KIND DESIGN TOBY VENTURA, DESIGNER 1601 Abbott Rd., Ste. 100 Anchorage, AK 99507
March 2020 | 81
CONSTRUCTION SPECIAL SECTION
in Anchorage, Wasilla, Fairbanks, and Kuparuk.
CONSTRUCTION SPECIAL SECTION
oneofakinddesignak.com toby@oneofakinddesignak.com 907-522-7350 We specialize in creating fabulous, functional kitchens and baths. From timeless traditional designs to sleek contemporary spaces, every innovative interior we construct is customized to fit your space, lifestyle, and budget. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2012/2012 | 2/2
ORION MARINE GROUP DAVID BANKE, DIR. OPS 740 Bonanza Ave. Anchorage, AK 99518 orionmarinegroup.com dbanke@orionmarinegroup.com 907-561-9811 Marine infrastructure and heavy civil and hydro dam construction, dredging, quarry operations, and mining. Pile driving, breakwater construction. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1994/2012 | 400/25
PACIFIC PILE & MARINE WIL CLARK, CEO 4753 W. 80th Ave. Anchorage, AK 99502 pacificpile.com info@pacificpile.com 206-331-3873 Pacific Pile & Marine is a heavy civil marine contractor. Our portfolio includes waterfront structures such as marinas and breakwaters; dredging and capping; sheet pile shoring; cofferdams; rock sockets and anchors; drilling; marine demolition; driven and drilled pile; and a host of other services. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2008/2009 | 150/20
PRICE GREGORY INTERNATIONAL ROBERT STINSON, SR. VP AK DIV. 301 W. Northern Lights Blvd., Ste. 300 Anchorage, AK 99503 pricegregory.com 907-278-4400 Pipeline, power, heavy industrial construction, EPC, and consulting services. Infrastructure construction services provider. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1974/1974 | 3,000/300
PRUHS CONSTRUCTION DANA PRUHS, CEO 2193 Viking Dr. Anchorage, AK 99501 907-279-1020 Heavy civil contractor, roads, airports, site work, underground utilities, industrial. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1958/1958 | 120/120
RH DEVELOPMENT RICHARD HARRIS, MNG. MEMBER PO Box 32403 Juneau, AK 99803 rhdalaska.net RHDevelopment@gci.net 907-790-4146 Residential and light commercial construction. Real estate development. All aspects of construction, land acquisition, and development. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1992/1992 | 12/12
82 | March 2020
REDPATH USA CORPORATION GEORGE FLUMERFELT, PRES./CEO 16345 Lena Loop Rd. Juneau, AK 99801 redpathmining.com 907-789-3752 Underground mining contractor. Mine development, construction, and production mining. Hydroelectric tunneling and penstocks, tunnel repair and rehabilitation. Alaska Projects: Pogo Mine, Kensington Mine, Allison Lake— Copper Valley, Chugach Lake-Chugach Electric, Sitka Blue Lake, AEL&P Lake Dorothy. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1962/1991 | 3,000/30
ROGER HICKEL CONTRACTING MIKE SHAW, PRES. 11001 Calaska Cir. Anchorage, AK 99515 rogerhickelcontracting.com awright@rhcak.com 907-279-1400 General contractor; commercial construction vertical and civil work. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1995/1995 | 50/50
SMNC PROPERTIES LARRY BARSUKOFF, GM 840 K St., Ste. 200 Anchorage, AK 99501 stmnc.net smp_estimating@stmnc.net 907-302-0750 SMNC Properties provides an array of services including general contracting, construction and project management, facilities maintenance support, environmental remediation, and dust control solutions. We are 8(a) and HUBZone certified.
Anchorage, AK 99507 turnagain.build business@turnagain.build 907-261-8960 Turnagain Marine specializes in complex heavy marine construction projects, including large diameter socketing, rock anchors, offshore mooring and heavy lift requirements. Over the last decade, its management team has delivered more than 50 design-build and hard bid projects from Ketchikan to Nome. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2014/2014 | 41/41
TUTKA AMIE SOMMER, MEMBER 2485 E. Zak Cir., Ste. A Wasilla, AK 99654 tutkallc.com amie@tutkallc.com 907-357-2238 Heavy civil general contractor (roads, bridges, culverts, site work), environmental cleanup and consulting. WBE/DBE, WOSB, HUBZone. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1999/1999 | 30/30
UIC CONSTRUCTION JUSTIN JONES, GM 6700 Arctic Spur Rd. Anchorage, AK 99518 uicalaska.com 907-762-0123 Commercial building and civil general contractor focusing primarily on Arctic construction through hard-dollar bid, design/build turn-key, and construction management. Services include preconstruction and planning, cost estimating, remote logistics, scheduling, and bestvalue engineering.
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2009/2009 | 21/9
1978/1978 | 175/175
SPINELL HOMES CHARLES SPINELLI, PRES. 1900 W. Northern Lights Blvd., Ste. 200 Anchorage, AK 99517 spinellhomes.com spinell@spinellhomes.com 907-344-5678 General contractor: residential and light commercial construction. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1987/1987 | 26/26
TAYLORED BUSINESS SOLUTIONS TAMIE TAYLOR, MNG. MEMBER 6925 Big Mountain Dr. Anchorage, AK 99516 tbsak.com ttaylor@tbsak.com 907-223-3098 Providing excellent project management, contract administration, project control, change organizational management needed to get projects started efficiently and effectively. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2013/2013 | 1/1
TURNAGAIN MARINE CONSTRUCTION JASON DAVIS, PRES. 8241 Dimond Hook Dr., Unit A
UNIT COMPANY MICHAEL FALL, PRES. 620 E. Whitney Rd. Anchorage, AK 99501 unitcompany.com info@unitcompany.com 907-349-6666 Commercial general contractor involved in all types of building construction including design-build, construction management, and design-assist. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1977/1977 | 55/55
WATTERSON CONSTRUCTION CO. JIM WATTERSON, PRES. 6500 Interstate Cir. Anchorage, AK 99518 wattersonconstruction.com info@wccak.com 907-563-7441 Watterson Construction Co. is a commercial and light industrial general contractor. Based in Anchorage and working exclusively in Alaska, Watterson specializes in pre-construction services and alternate delivery methods including design/build, CM@Risk, and best value projectS. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1981/1981 | 105/105
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CONSTRUCTION SPECIAL SECTION
WORLEY JEFF DOYLE, VP OPS ARCTIC 949 E. 36th Ave., Ste. 500 Anchorage, AK 99508 worley.com 907-275-5100 Our integrated offerings cover full asset management services including, engineering, procurement, fabrication, construction, maintenance, modification, operations, wells and fluids, equipment and fleet services and camp services, in support of greenfield and brownfield assets. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1962/1962 | 60,000/1,000
HEAVY EQUIPMENT DEALERS
Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1954/1954 | 59/59
ESI ALASKA (EQUIPMENT SOURCES INC.) NICK FERREE, VP 1919 Van Horn Rd. Fairbanks, AK 99701 esialaska.com FAI-Sales@esialaska.com 907-458-9049 ESI designs, develops, and builds quality, innovative worksite products for the oil, mining, construction, and agriculture industries. All of our products are built Arctic tough, designed to last, and tested in challenging environments. Alaska Kubota and JCB dealer. Sales/service/ parts/rentals. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
AIRPORT EQUIPMENT RENTALS JERRY SADLER, OWNER/PRES. 1285 Van Horn Rd. Fairbanks, AK 99707 airportequipmentrentals.com aerinc4@alaska.net 907-456-2000 Largest industrial/construction heavy equipment rental company in Alaska. Providing rentals, sales, and service for the construction and oil and gas industries. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1986/1986 | 105/105
BRICE EQUIPMENT TOGI LETULIGASENOA, GM PO Box 70908 Fairbanks, AK 99707 briceequipment.com 907-457-1132 Equipment rental: heaters, loaders, excavators, articulated haul units, generators, light plants, service trucks, office trailers, bathrooms/ envirovacs. Services: pipeline maintenance services, maintenance pigging, on-site mechanic services, drilling support. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2006/2006 | 75/75
CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY INDUSTRIAL KEN GERONDALE, PRES./CEO 5400 Homer Dr. Anchorage, AK 99518 cmiak.com 907-563-3822 Construction and mining equipment sales, rentals, service, and parts. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1985/1985 | 105/105
CRAIG TAYLOR EQUIPMENT CHRIS DEVINE, PRES./CEO 733 E. Whitney Rd. Anchorage, AK 99501 craigtaylorequipment.com info@craigtaylorequipment.com 907-276-5050 Factory authorized dealer for Doosan large excavators, loaders, and articulated trucks; Bobcat mini-loaders and excavators; Dynapac compaction rollers; Fecom land clearing attachments and carriers. Providing sales, rentals, parts, and service. Alaskan-owned and -operated for more than sixty years. 84 | March 2020
2000/2000 | 30/30
HALTNESS EQUIPMENT ERIK HALTNESS, MGR. 205 Meals Ave. Valdez, AK 99686 haltness.com sales@haltness.com 907-835-5418 Equipment rentals and sales. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1987/1987 | 10/10
LOKEN CRANE, RIGGING & TRANSPORT TYLER LOKEN 5400 Eielson St. Anchorage, AK 99518 lokencrane.com tloken@lokencrane.com 907-868-8880 Full service mobile crane, rigging, and transport operations. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2014/2014 | 5/5
N C MACHINERY JOHN HARNISH, CEO 6450 Arctic Blvd. Anchorage, AK 99518 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/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1926/1926 | 1,025/225
NORTH STAR EQUIPMENT SERVICES JEFF BENTZ, PRES. 790 Ocean Dock Rd. Anchorage, AK 99501 northstarak.com sales@northstarak.com 907-272-7537 We provide operated crane services and equipment solutions. We have state of the art ABI Mobilram machines, to drive pile, large diameter drilling, with vibratory and diesel impact hammer attachments. We have eight offices spread throughout Alaska. Five offer marine logistics support and stevedoring. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
SMS EQUIPMENT STEVE MORICO, OPS/SALES MGR. 8895 King St. Anchorage, AK 99515 smsequipment.com 907-275-3300 SMS Equipment is a leading dealership for the construction, forestry, mining, and utility industries, selling and servicing world-renowned equipment brands including Komatsu. We are committed to providing solutions that increase efficiency and profitability for your job. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
2008/2018 | 2,500/5
TRAILERCRAFT | FREIGHTLINER OF ALASKA LEE MCKENZIE, PRES. 222 W. 92nd Ave., Anchorage, AK 99515 trailercraft.com vyctoriah@trailercraft.com 907-563-3238 Parts, sales, and service for trucks, tractors, trailers, sprinters, transport equipment, snowplows, and sanders. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1969/1969 | 55/55
WASHINGTON CRANE & HOIST MIKE CURRIE, PRES. 940 Orca St. Anchorage, AK 99501 washingtoncrane.com sdick@washingtoncrane.com 907-336-6661 Crane builders, crane design, new crane sales, new hoist sales, lifting equipment design and sales. Material handling solutions for industry, hoists, job cranes, workstations, chain falls, lever hoists, crane upgrades, crane maintenance, crane inspection, crane repair, hoist repair, and crane parts. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1975/2008 | 40/9
WEST-MARK SERVICE CENTERFAIRBANKS SCOTT VINCENT, CEO 3050 Van Horn Rd. Fairbanks, AK 99709 907-451-8265 Liquid transportation tank trailer repair. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1967/2009 | 200/13
YUKON EQUIPMENT CHARLES KLEVER, PRES. 2020 E. Third Ave. Anchorage, AK 99501 yukoneq.com Info@yukoneq.com 907-277-1541 Sales, service, parts, rental and lease equipment, including Case, Trail King, Elgin, Vactor, Oshkosh, Etnyre, Monroe, Trackless, and Snow Dragon. Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Wasilla locations. A subsidiary of Calista Corp. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees:
1945/1945 | 38/38
1950/1950 | 25-75/25-75
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
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86 | March 2020
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
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Higher Quality, Lower Costs The Pacific Health Coalition brings together healthcare providers and self-insured businesses for a healthier Alaska By Tasha Anderson
www.akbizmag.com
he Affordable Care Act has specific requirements for many businesses to provide some sort of healthcare benefit to their employees. In general, businesses with more than fifty full-time employees are considered “applicable large employers” and are subject to employer shared responsibility provisions, meaning they must provide affordable healthcare coverage with “minimum value” to employees and their dependents. If these employers choose not to provide this benefit, they may be required to pay an employer shared responsibility payment to the IRS. Smaller businesses with fewer than fifty employees may not be required to provide benefits, but both in Alaska and across the country businesses are competing for qualified workers in a shrinking workforce. Increasingly, employees want to work for companies that offer more than just competitive wages, and a commitment to a healthy work-life balance and generous benefits can tip the favor to one company over another. Bottom line: every business with even one employee needs to at least consider if or how to provide healthcare benefits. That holds true in Alaska, which has the distinction of being an unfortunate “number one” when it comes to healthcare: worldwide, the cost of healthcare is highest in the United States, and among the states, healthcare is highest in Alaska. Alaskans and Alaska companies contend with the highest healthcare costs in the world. So how a company pursues providing health insurance options to its employees is an important decision. Many businesses choose to partner with an insurance broker or directly with a healthcare insurance provider, while others find self-insurance a viable option. According to HealthCare.gov, a self-insurance plan is “usually present in larger companies where the employer itself collects premiums from enrollees and takes on the responsibility of paying employees’ and dependents’ medical claims. These employers can contract for insurance services such as enrollment, claims processing, and provider networks with a third party administrator, or they can be self-administered.” The clear advantage of self-insurance is the amount of control and autonomy Alaska Business
a company has. The business can set rates for its employees, control administrative practices if it chooses, and determine the level of coverage (as long as it meets minimum federal requirements); however, the cost of healthcare services is of course determined by healthcare providers. Insurance companies such as Premera Blue Cross and Moda Health help reduce
“Both of our organizations are invested in quality care and reasonable costs. We are both committed to Alaska and see opportunities to grow our economy through efficient healthcare delivery.” Julie Taylor, CEO, Alaska Regional
costs for their customers by negotiating the cost of services with healthcare providers. Insurance providers leverage their number of customers to their advantage by creating networks of preferred healthcare providers: healthcare providers reduce their costs but see a higher influx of patients backed by insurance in return. But Premera Blue Cross serves more than 2 million people; even a large company with 5,000-plus employees doesn’t have nearly the same negotiating power when it comes to reducing healthcare costs for itself and its employees. So how can self-insuring organizations provide a high level of access to quality care while keeping costs manageable? That’s where organizations like the Pacific Health Coalition can make a difference. March 2020 | 87
Pacific Health Coalition Overview “This Coalition was created in 1994,” says Pacific Health Coalition Executive Director Fred Brown. “Originally the idea was if they [iron workers, laborers, electric workers, and teamsters] could aggregate their purchasing power, without sacrificing their autonomy, they could not only get better pricing in the marketplace but also have some influence over ensuring quality outcome.” In the mid-90s the organization’s name was the Healthcare Cost Management Corporation of Alaska, but by 2009 it had grown to represent fourteen different employee groups— about 45,000 people—and was growing into the Pacific Northwest. The Alaskagrown Pacific Health Coalition, as it’s called today, represents more than 250,000 people, the majority of whom are in the Pacific Northwest, including members in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Colorado, Montana, California, and Nevada, in addition to Alaska. The Pacific Health Coalition negotiates discounts with hospitals, physicians, and physician groups
as well as vision, hearing, disease management, and prescription drug service providers. The employees ultimately represented by the Coalition work at organizations ranging from nonprofits and unions to government entities or large corporations. Member organizations range from 100 to more than 7,000 employees. Because of this variety in size and organization type and goals, it’s important for every member of the Pacific Health Coalition to have flexibility and to retain a personal connection to their healthcare. “We have a menu of options; there are more than thirty programs, and none of our plans buy everything. [Members] pick and choose,” says Greg Loudon, principal and benefits practice leader at Parker, Smith & Feek and healthcare consultant for the Coalition, which he’s been working with since 1996. “You might choose them all, you might choose one or two, you might just use our health fairs, or you might just use our clinics—we’re not trying to merge everybody together,” Brown says. The Pacific Health Coalition is a nonprofit organization funded by member fees. There’s a one-time, per-
employee fee to join the Coalition, after which members pay small administrative fees, depending on which programs they choose to participate in. The Coalition functions like a rental network, according to Loudon. In a rental network, an employer looking to save costs reaches out to a vendor that negotiates lower healthcare costs. Then the employer pays the vendor a percentage of the money saved. “Our access fees are 1.5 percent of the gross discounted charges,” Loudon says. “If you’re saving 60 percent, for example [‘And that’s not a ridiculous number,’ Brown interjects], you’re going to pay a 1.5 percent access fee on the discounted 40 percent charge, and that’s how we fund the organization.” From time to time, fees for specific programs are waived or returned. “Over time trustees or the board of directors have decided to waive access fees if we didn’t need it on a particular product or we have met goals. We have had events where we’ve returned some money back to participating health plans, because our goal is not to build a huge entity—our goal is to save
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money for our members,” Loudon explains. The Coalition also provides additional perks for free, such as health fairs every fall across the state that are open and available to its members. The fairs provide access to preventative care services and low-cost screenings including flu shots, blood screening, prostate-specific antigen testing, and thyroid testing.
Innovations In many ways the Coalition operates similarly to like-organizations around the country. But the Pacific Health Coalition has also been a forerunner in developing innovative ways to meet its goals of saving money and increasing access to care. “One of the concepts that we had maybe ten or twelve years ago was onsite clinics, which are really popular,” Loudon says. The clinics, or Coalition Health Centers, are an alternative to a traditional doctor office visit. Currently there are two year-round clinics, one on the Alaska Regional Hospital campus in Anchorage and the other in the Riverview Business Park in Fairbanks.
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The clinics provide primary and preventative care, chronic and acute illness prevention and management, and urgent care to Coalition member health plan participants. There are also
x-ray, laboratory, EKG, and prescription medication services. The Pacific Health Coalition owns the clinics, which are staffed and operated by Beacon Occupational Health & Safety
“In the late '90s the Coalition contracted with Alaska Regional, and the deal was that we would send our people there or give them incentives to go there and, in exchange, we wanted arrangements on pricing and the opportunity to talk about quality if there were ever any issues. To this day, we still have regular meetings with them to talk about whatever issues may come up.” Fred Brown, Executive Director, Pacific Health Coalition
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“Over time trustees or the board of directors have decided to waive access fees if we didn’t need it on a particular product or we have met goals. We have had events where we’ve returned some money back to participating health plans, because our goal is not to build a huge entity— our goal is to save money for our members." Greg Loudon, Principal/Benefits Practice Leader, Parker, Smith & Feek
Services, a specialist in onsite and rural healthcare and safety services. The cost of primary care services has been cut by approximately 50 percent at the clinics, Loudon says. “There’s more competition,” Brown adds. The organization is looking at how to make these clinics available to even
more people. “There are some outlying communities [such as Dillingham and King Salmon] that operate really heavily during the fishing or crabbing season where there’s either a single [healthcare] provider or no provider. So we’ve been trying to see what kind of interest there is from fishing
companies,” Loudon says. The difficulty is that fishing in many communities is so seasonal that it’s hard to make even a small or specialized clinic pencil out. But with Beacon’s expertise in rural Alaska and the Coalition’s ability to target a specific audience, a seasonal clinic may be a good option. “It could be a way that our Coalition could provide value to those employers that don’t have any resources to start a clinic and run it on their own,” Loudon says. Another way the Pacific Health Coalition is addressing healthcare issues is finding ways to include a wider range of businesses. The Coalition is partnering with Aetna in Southcentral to give smaller employers access to its rates through the Anchorage Mat-Su Community Plan. “We’re trying to be responsive to legislators and others who are saying, ‘It’s great what you do for your plans, your large employers or your union group, but what about small mom-and-pop, small businesses? They’re getting drowned in the cost of healthcare, they’re not able to afford providing it for their employees
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anymore. What can you do to help them?" Brown explains. “So being responsive to that, and certainly aware of political sensitivities, we established this program with Aetna where we are making our direct contracts available… using Aetna, for regulatory reasons, as the conduit,” he says. At present, businesses with as few as fifty employees can access Pacific Health Coalition rates through Aetna, but the goal is that companies with five or even fewer employees will have the same opportunity. “There are some regulatory hoops to get approved by the state to do that, but we’re actively moving in that direction,” Brown says. The extremely high cost of healthcare in Alaska, combined with the state’s well-known obstacles like severe climate, lack of infrastructure, and expensive and often limited transportation, have driven the Coalition to find solutions through innovative initiatives and programs. But although that innovation was born in Alaska, it can have applications elsewhere, and the Pacific Health
Coalition’s programs here and in the Pacific Northwest have gotten attention on a national level.
National Ties In 1996 the Coalition joined with similar groups from around the country and formed the National Labor Alliance of Healthcare Coalitions (NLAHCC). As of October, Brown is the president of the executive committee that guides the NLAHCC. He was elected after running on a platform of “providing better service to coalition members, increasing strategic engagement in national healthcare policy and efficiencies leading to better care and more savings.” Brown has been the executive director of the Pacific Health Coalition since 2009, and in that time its membership and revenue have grown more than fourfold. “The executive director of the NLAHCC [Louis Malzone] said, ‘We want to do what you do in Alaska. You’re innovative, you’ve shown a lot of growth, so here’s your reward—you’re president, tell us what to do,’” Brown laughs. As an example, the Pacific Health
“Our collaboration with the Pacific Health Coalition is all about decreasing the cost of care and improving healthcare quality in Alaska.” Julie Taylor, CEO, Alaska Regional
Coalition partnered with Bridge Health, which has a business model in which it contracts with healthcare “centers of excellence” across the United States. A center of excellence is a healthcare provider with health outcomes that place it in the top 20 to 25 percent of healthcare providers in the country. Bridge Health then
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“We're going to try to replicate what we do with our coalition across the country. And I think that some of the other coalitions are pretty excited about what we're doing—our growth and level of influence speaks for itself. We think we do have ideas, and concepts, and policies that could be applicable across the country, and so we're excited to be given the opportunity to take a leadership role in that effort.” Fred Brown, Executive Director Pacific Health Coalition
develops contracts with those centers that reduce costs in return for bringing patients from across the United States to the centers. “The NLAHCC has already incorporated our contract [with Bridge Health] and they offer it to members across the United States,” Brown explains. The national organization has also contracted with a telehealth provider that the Pacific Health 92 | March 2020
Coalition helped pioneer. A benefit of the NLAHCC implementing contracts is that the negotiating power behind them is no longer regional but on a national scale, with twenty-two member coalitions and more than 6 million individuals represented. “Some of [the coalitions] have focused on different things,” Loudon explains. “One that’s based out of Wisconsin focuses on prescription drugs. So they hired their own pharmacists and auditors and staff people, and we use them to monitor our pharmacy benefit managers and our drug plans, and that’s all they do.” As a group, the twenty-two coalitions have many opportunities to share both lessons learned and success stories to improve the affordability of—and access to—care.
Healthcare Providers Without healthcare service providers that are also invested in quality outcomes and affordable costs, the whole system would fall apart. The Pacific Health Coalition’s longestrunning partner in Alaska is Alaska Regional Hospital. “In the late '90s the Coalition contracted with Alaska Regional, and the deal was that we would send our people there or give them incentives to go there and, in exchange, we wanted arrangements on pricing and the opportunity to talk about quality if there were ever any issues. To this day, we still have regular meetings with them to talk about whatever issues may come up,” Brown says. “Our collaboration with the Pacific Health Coalition is all about decreasing the cost of care and improving healthcare quality in Alaska,” Alaska Regional CEO Julie Taylor explains. “We work together to provide valueadded services, such as annual health fairs, to ensure minor illnesses don’t become major ones that are more difficult and expensive to treat.” And the partnership has been working for both organizations. In its first year under contract with Alaska Regional, the Pacific Health Coalition saved millions of dollars, and the contract with Alaska Regional is one of the reasons the State of Alaska
joined the Coalition several years ago. While each of the organizations have their individual goals, they often overlap. “We agree on many policies and issues that protect patients… Both of our organizations are invested in quality care and reasonable costs. We are both committed to Alaska and see opportunities to grow our economy through efficient healthcare delivery,” Taylor states. “Both of us serve a variety of Alaskans, including healthcare workers, office workers, law enforcement officers, teachers, and people in the building trades.” One of the newest healthcare providers to enter an agreement with the Coalition is the Anchorage Fracture & Orthopedic Clinic, which has locations in Anchorage and Eagle River. “We see the Pacific Health Coalition as an organization that takes care of the people who build Alaska, who teach our kids, and keep our towns running. Being in a PPO [Preferred Provider Organization] agreement with the Coalition just deepens our involvement with the community as a whole,” said Brandon Ousley, Anchorage Fracture & Orthopedic’s CEO, in an announcement about the partnership. Brown says Anchorage Fracture & Orthopedic was one of a few orthopedic groups that submitted proposals, but it rose to the top, and the final contract has “drastic savings” for Coalition members. The healthcare industry in Alaska is one of its bright spots, providing a large number of well-paying jobs. But the cost to patients and businesses for healthcare services or insurance is the other side of Alaska’s healthcare coin, and it’s an ongoing effort to find solutions in the state and beyond. “It starts with being the best we can be with patients in mind,” Taylor says. Brown says, “We're going to try to replicate what we do with our coalition across the country. And I think that some of the other coalitions are pretty excited about what we're doing—our growth and level of influence speaks for itself. We think we do have ideas, and concepts, and policies that could be applicable across the country, and so we're excited to be given the opportunity to take a leadership role in that effort.”
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PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Thinking of the Unthinkable Plan your estate transition or it will be planned without you
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94 | March 2020
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R
egardless of net worth, everyone should have a plan for how they want the money, property, and other assets in their estate to be transferred after—or even before—they die. Estate planning is especially vital for business owners, whose untimely death, incapacity, or illness can threaten the legacy they intended to leave behind. Estate planning provides business owners with the best means of continuing their legacy when they no longer can, says Laura Bruce of Alaska Permanent Capital Management (APCM). “If you don't make a plan, one will be made for you at your death, and it will likely be different than the one you imagined for your loved ones or legacy,” she says. All businesses will transition at the death of the owner either by the state or by their heirs. Sometimes this transition will result in a viable enterprise shuttering. In that scenario, long-time employees who could have otherwise continued the business may not have any options. A well-executed estate plan for business can provide a framework for the next owners. “If done well in coordination with a tax advisor, attorney, and financial advisor, the owner who invested so much personal capital can be rewarded financially and emotionally in seeing the transition or knowing that the plans are in place for a smooth transition,” Bruce says. It’s an interesting time of transition for businesses in Alaska, Bruce says. Numerous firms started in the ‘80s with Alaska’s growth in oil and gas. Accordingly, many of those business owners are now at the age where they might want or need to transfer those entities to the next generation. Those business owners were often so busy growing the business and creating wealth that they didn't have the time or energy to do the detailed planning needed for successful succession and distribution of the business’ equity and other assets. “The key is to make the time to make a plan and recognize that plans can be changed and amended if needed,” she says. “Alaska has excellent estate planners with creative solutions available to business owners.” Indeed, Alaska—which is known for its favorable asset protection laws— has a variety of professional resources
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that can assist business owners with estate planning. APCM, for example, helps clients facilitate different facets of the estate planning and eventual settlement process by assisting with the selection and coordination of the client’s advisory team, typically consisting of a tax advisor, attorney, and investment expert. Likewise, Wells Fargo has a wealth planning and business transition planning group that partners with lawyers, accountants, and other professionals who can help guide the decision-making process. Peak Trust Company administers or manages estate plans after they have been finalized, picking up where a company like Wells Fargo leaves off. And the law firm of Foley, Foley & Pearson works with clients in various areas of estate planning, estate administration, and business succession planning.
“If you don't make a plan, one will be made for you at your death, and it will likely be different than the one you imagined for your loved ones or legacy.” Laura Bruce Alaska Permanent Capital Management
A Blueprint for Businesses Most people view an estate plan as a tool that isn’t activated until after they die. But nothing could be further from the truth, says Bob Petix, a Wyomingbased senior wealth planning strategist for Wells Fargo who works closely with clients in Alaska. In fact, the best results can be achieved with planning if people consider making transfers or other kinds of asset arrangements before their death. Very often they can transfer ownership and not transfer control. Or they can transfer control and still Alaska Business
March 2020 | 95
maintain ownership. A proper estate plan can provide a blueprint for businesses if something unexpected happens to the owner(s). It can also help people carefully think through the ownership and control of the business now as well as once they’re no longer around. An estate plan is designed to help business owners achieve their critical goals while accounting for a variety of additional factors, including taxes. “The art of estate planning and transition planning is to balance those two interests: to take into account the client’s goals and to balance tax efficiency,” Petix says.
“The art of estate planning and transition planning is to balance those two interests: to take into account the client’s goals and to balance tax efficiency.” Bob Petix, Senior Wealth Planner, Wells Fargo
Estate planning is equally important for small businesses, which are typically owned or managed by one or two people. An unexpected illness, incapacity, or death of a key manager or employee can fundamentally alter the course of the business, says William Pearson, managing shareholder of Anchorage-based Foley, Foley & Pearson. Take, for instance, a limited liability company with one member or owner. “If something happens to that member, the question is: Who assumes the continuity and management of the company?” Pearson says. “At a minimum, the manager should have a power of attorney in place to allow their agent the ability to operate the entity.” In the event an owner dies without proper planning, the recourse is a probate proceeding. And this can be timely, expensive, and ultimately leave the business without a strong succession 96 | March 2020
plan. Worse, without an updated will or a trust-based estate plan, there can be a delay or confusion in administration. “In business, a delay impacts the bottom line,” Pearson says. “None of us can do anything about the possibility of death or disability; the key is to recognize that good and updated planning can help to mitigate the delay and uncertainty. I would say that the first takeaway for a business owner is to have your affairs in order, to plan, and to be prepared.” The next question is: In the event of incapacity or death, who is put in charge to run the business? The most common options are a spouse, a child, and/or a business partner. Sometimes a client will name an independent third party such as a trusted advisor or a trust company. “This choice will have substantial ramifications to your business and its ongoing success,” Pearson says. “The second key take away is naming the person that will be best suited to assume the role of management and to do it efficiently. Finally, make sure they are prepared to run the business.”
Steps to Estate Planning Navigating the intricacies of estate planning will vary from individual to individual. But in general, financial experts advise people to start with an introspective process. The first step for business owners is to conceptualize what they want to have happen, says Matt Blattmachr, president and CEO of Peak Trust Company. Then they will need to work with an advisor or legal counsel to draft the necessary documents, whether it’s ownership agreements for the business or wills and trusts for the business owner. Essentially, they will need to ensure the appropriate people are in place to carry out the estate and business succession plans they thought of during the conceptual phase. “When they’re organizing this and thinking it through, they should make sure they answer the questions of ownership, management, and control,” Blattmachr says. Similarly, Bruce says, the conversation about estate planning needs to start with the owner’s vision for the future. Planning can be initialized with any professional advisor, who will then bring in the rest of the team. When APCM sits down with business owners, it helps to visualize how the planning
will impact clients. They explore longevity and lifestyle issues as well as legacy ideas. “For example, we might need to help them with liquidity from the business to fund their vision of retirement,” Bruce explains. “We then assist the client in finding experts who can help with other aspects of the plan, such as the valuation of the company, marketing the company, drawing up documents for the proper transition, or whatever is necessary to realize their vision for the future.” With Wells Fargo, the initial step with planning involves pinpointing the client’s specific estate planning goals. In his role as an advisor, Petix often educates clients about different estate planning techniques that might result from an analysis of their goals. Then they determine which strategies would be employed in a given situation. This requires working with other colleagues at Wells Fargo or an outside professional partner such as an attorney, who can provide documents that reflect the decisions that have been made. Having well-drafted documents tailored to the situation is extremely beneficial to the client, Petix says. Once the documents are signed and finalized, then assets must be retitled to ensure they work with the new documents. Very often, an asset that is owned by an individual in his or her own name can be subject to probate at death, and provisions for this issue should be made on the front end. Petix explains: “For example, if you have an Alaskan who owns a house in his name in Arizona and he dies, he would have to go through ancillary probate in Arizona. If you transfer the title of that property into a trust that is owned in Alaska, you do not have to go through that ancillary probate process. That simple act will mean that you’ve now avoided an out-of-state proceeding at death.” Foley, Foley & Pearson is systematic in how it goes about helping clients with planning. It offers an estate planning workshop twice a month to give prospective clients a general overview of the estate planning process. Then new clients attend an intake appointment with a paralegal, who collects their asset information and schedules a “design” appointment with an attorney. During the design appointment, many clients bring their business records, such
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as corporate by-laws or limited liability company (LLC) operating agreement, so the paralegal can compile the information, including a summary of their assets. “That way, before I meet with the client for the first time, I am able to review the file and have a much better picture of their estate planning needs,” Pearson says. “We have found this process to be extremely efficient because when the client sits down with the attorney, we can hit the ground running instead of spending what is potentially a lot of superfluous, billable time on information gathering.”
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and updated planning can help to mitigate the delay and uncertainty. I would say that the first takeaway for a business owner is to have your affairs in order, to plan, and to be prepared.” William Pearson Managing Shareholder, Foley, Foley & Pearson
Business Succession/ Transition Planning Estate planning is a critical component of any business succession plan, particularly for a closely-held entity such as an S-corporation or LLC. In Alaska, business succession planning is particularly relevant. “In a young www.akbizmag.com
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state like Alaska, we have many first- or second-generation family businesses that need to address succession planning,” Pearson says. There are three main steps to developing a successful business transition plan, according to Pearson. The first step is to identify who the business owner’s successor
“In a young state like Alaska, we have many first- or secondgeneration family businesses that need to address succession planning.” William Pearson, Managing Shareholder Foley, Foley & Pearson
will be, whether it’s an employee, partner, family member, or thirdparty buyer. Business owners should have an honest conversation with their spouse and children about potential future successors. “ While the business may be your dream and passion, it may not be theirs,” he says. “Do they have the talent, capacity, energy, and desire to run the business if something happens to you? If the answer is yes, think about a transfer to your family. If the answer is no, look to your partners or key employees, or look for a potential buyer. If you are not able to identify a potential buyer, who can? Usually this is a business broker. However you go about it the goal is to capture the value of the business.” Once a successor has been identified, the second step is to determine the nature of the transaction and how it will take place. There are manifold possible options, and this is where the input of counsel and the accountant is critical. “One of the largest hurdles when working through these transactions is establishing value,” Pearson says. “Once value has been determined, the
focus can shift to the nature of the transaction. Will it be a sale transaction or some combination of a sale and gifting or a gift? If it is a sale to a thirdparty buyer, that involves a purchase and sale agreement. If there is a buy-sell agreement, you must identify the time horizon and trigger events.” One of the biggest challenges people have is finding a way to monetize the business so that it’s a product someone wants to purchase instead of just a job, Pearson says. This can take years of planning but is well worth the effort. He explains: “I have been told that if you can walk away from your business for three months and it still makes money, you have created something of value that you can sell. I understand that for most business owners that is easier said than done, but that is key to establishing a real value for the entity.” For Blattmachr, the development of a successful ownership transition plan starts with good documentation at the company level. Then the plan needs to be shared with whomever the successor(s) will be so that their apprenticeship can begin early. “If you
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know today that person A is going to take over, then put that plan in place,” he says. “This is especially important the more you’ve got an owneroperator who’s made that business successful. Alaskans in general are pretty good about planning. However, they may not be good about talking about the plan that’s in place—until it’s implemented.” During the business succession planning process, three categories should be clearly defined: ownership, control, and management. And these elements can be vastly different. “The owner needs to define how that will flow,” Blattmachr says. “Sometimes it’s all the same, but many times it’s not.” From Bruce’s perspective, devising a successful business succession plan should begin with determining the vision for the company’s future—if the owner weren't there—and determining today’s needs. She suggests creating a financial plan that considers cash flow, inflation, and sequencing of return risk. Then the owner should gather a team of professional advisors for design and implementation. This can include tax advisors/CPAs that are experienced
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in business valuation and transition; attorneys to advise on the legal issues and draft the transition documents; and possibly insurance agents to help fund the insurable aspects of the transition. She emphasizes: “Make sure you complete your plan and put the proper documents in place, even if the likelihood of future changes is high. Recognize that no plan is perfect, but having a plan is better than no plan at all.” The approach to creating a viable ownership transition plan will depend largely on how the owner will transition the business or specifics of the business, Petix says. For example, the steps involved with establishing an Employee Stock Ownership Plan would be very different than handing the business down to the next generation. “In all cases, we focus on the goals and fact patterns and build a plan from there,” he says.
Begin Planning Now Financial experts advise business owners to be proactive about their estate and business succession planning. Petix, for instance, cautions
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people to not get overwhelmed by the complexity of estate planning. Instead, simply enlist professional help to contemplate complex issues. He says: “Don’t procrastinate. Not making a decision is making a decision. If you don’t decide consciously what steps to take, default rules will come into plan. And it’s almost certain those rules will not be agreeable with you.” Blattmachr’s general advice is for business owners to initiate the successor’s apprenticeship sooner than later. “It’s best to plan when financial waters are calm, when we don’t have any perceived deadlines for why things have to be done.” However, Bruce says, many business owners become paralyzed because they don't know how or where to start. So she advises owners to initiate a conversation about what they want to see happen and let professionals help them sort out all the details. “The first hour of discovery conversation is free with us [APCM] as we look to give business owners the encouragement they need to get the ball rolling,” she says.
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MINING
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100 | March 2020
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Aggregate is sorted and stored. Anchorage Sand & Gravel
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“It's in everything as far as the building goes... aggregate is in everything,” explains Ryan Zins of Anchorage Sand & Gravel. “So we mine it, we process it, and we sell it as a construction material for homes, for parking lots, for roads. It’s used in ready-mix concrete for sidewalks, foundations, parking garages... it's extremely important. The state would be kind of at a standstill if you didn't have aggregates.” Aggregates is a sweeping term in the construction and mining industries that describes any sand- and gravelbased product. Though aggregate is found on every construction site in Alaska, the biggest buyers are the Department of Transportation and municipalities, says Zins. “However, it depends where you’re at. Anchorage has a lot of peat and marginal soils, so a lot of the land is not suitable for building here,” Zins says. “Unless you have good foundation— [and] you build on top of peat or a bog—it’s gonna sink or not settle uniformly. So your second floor may
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become your first.” In 2001, the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys identified 125 companies producing aggregate in the state. Though Anchorage Sand & Gravel was not listed among them, the company has been operating in the Last Frontier for more than eighty-two years. “We originally had operations down on First Avenue and mines all throughout the Anchorage bowl,” Zins says. “Most of the time you’re just looking for good aggregate.” Quality aggregate will often be a harder, quartz-heavy rock with nice gradations with a limited amount of clay or organics in the mix, explains City and Borough of Juneau Lands and Resources Manager Greg Chaney, noting that the City and Borough of Juneau has a couple of rock sources. “Sand and gravel has to be well sorted. It can’t have contaminants—the contaminants can either primarily be silt or clay,” Chaney says. “That kind of stuff makes it frost susceptible: water can soak in and it freezes and then it expands.” Well-sorted sand and gravel, however,
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tends to drain more naturally, making it less susceptible to frost heaving. “The other big component is the hardness of the material. Usually, waterworn rock, especially [like what we have] here where we have good hard rock sources—is a very durable material and we're fortunate to have that available in large quantities,” Chaney says, noting that hard rock is a different category of aggregate than gravel. Most of Anchorage Sand & Gravel’s pay runs are alluvial gravel sources, meaning the material came from glacial till or riverbeds, Zins says. Though the company has been successful at identifying various economically viable aggregate resources throughout the MatanuskaSusitna Valley, such deposits are harder to come by on the North Slope.
Arctic Aggregate Finding aggregate near North Slope projects actually starts at a desktop far from the Arctic cold. “The geologist will try to interpret events in history that would indicate high-energy transport events, which
Alaska Business
“Aggregate is in everything… It’s used in ready-mix concrete for sidewalks, foundations, parking garages… it's extremely important. The state would be kind of at a standstill if you didn't have aggregates.” Ryan Zins, General Manager Anchorage Sand & Gravel
March 2020 | 103
“Sand and gravel has to be well sorted. It can’t have contaminants—the contaminants can either primarily be silt or clay. That kind of stuff makes it frost susceptible: water can soak in, and it freezes and then it expands.” Greg Chaney, Lands and Resources Manager, City and Borough of Juneau
would cause a movement of coarser materials or terrain features where those coarser materials, as they are being transported, get trapped
in terrain traps and get deposited,” says Torsten Mayrberger, principal and geotechnical engineer at PND Engineers, which establishes aggregate
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mines for road-building projects in the far north. Often the next step in identifying these quarries is using satellite imagery and filters to define different types of vegetation, as certain vegetation is associated with areas with highdrainage soils, Mayrberger says. “So you bring all this desktop work together and then you go out—typically in helicopters—and you start looking for clues usually found in exposures or outcrops,” Mayrberger says. “Once a general area has been defined as having promise for gravel deposits, as well as being close to construction, we start subsurface exploration with geotechnical drilling equipment until we discover gravel.” In some cases, the gravel layers are too thin, making them economically unviable. In other cases, there is too much overburden—usually silts and clays that have been accumulating on top of the gravel since the Ice Age. “You don't want too much overburden; you don't want the gravel to be too deep [underground]. Otherwise, it's not economically feasible,” Mayrberger says. “Typically, you're looking for about a 70-foot deep pit, which works out pretty well up on the Slope. And so that ends up being like three benches, one overburden lift followed by two yield layers. “Once it's discovered, then, of course, it goes through a fairly lengthy environmental impact review,” Mayrberger continues. “Also, a part of the design is the mitigation or remediation of that mine when it’s finished.” Often the overburden is used in the remediation process, backfilling the affected area at slopes graded to threeto-one in general, but five-to-one in areas that need to accommodate caribou access, Mayrberger says. “Or it’s used to create little islands for bird habitat,” he says.
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
A moose wanders through an Anchorage Sand & Gravel quarry.
Rock in Southeast Down in Juneau, it’s not as hard to access rock resources—though before the quarries were established in the area, aggregate was brought by barge from Canada. The city now owns a couple of different rock sources on the island. “The thing that makes Juneau perhaps unique is that we have so much highquality rock available locally, whereas some other communities just don't have it and they have to import it,” Chaney says. “Or, if they have rock, it's not suitable for surfacing material, for example, so they're always going to have to import material. In that respect, we're really lucky here.” Aggregate in Juneau comes from Stabler Point Quarry, which yields high-quality hard rock, suitable for a variety of construction needs, including road surfacing. Though the City and Borough of Juneau is the owner of the quarry, it does not mine the aggregate. “We have private companies come in and do the quarrying, and then they make some of their products available to the public through their operations,” Chaney says. “So, it's a little bit of a hybrid between private sector and public sector.” The blocks of rock—still in the ground—are sold to the companies, who then come in and blast them free and process them. “We have general management oversight, and we also do all the permitting/planning for the future and that sort of thing,” Chaney says.
The Right Product Unlike the operation in Juneau, Anchorage Sand & Gravel is a vertically designed company. “We're extremely vertically integrated because we take the product from the ground and make it into a finished product,” Zins explains. These finished products include aggregate materials (such as pit run/ borrow A gravel, landscaping rocks, and sand products), ready-mix concrete, precast concrete, and a variety of masonry products. Building aggregates, such as pit run, are in consistent demand, Zins says. “Even pit run requires processing www.akbizmag.com
Anchorage Sand & Gravel
MISSION POSSIBLE: AFFORDABLE ENERGY, CLEANER AIR
Employees at Fairbanks’ Aurora Energy power plant work to produce affordable energy in a safe, reliable and clean manner. The plant relies on clean-burning coal from Usibelli Coal Mine. Residual heat from electric power generation is then captured and provides warmth to homes and businesses in Fairbanks. Using recycled energy helps air quality by preventing the need to burn millions of gallons of fuel oil. Our quality of life depends on using energy that is both affordable and clean - and with coal, it’s “mission possible.”
USIBELLI.COM Alaska Business
March 2020 | 105
An Anchorage Sand & Gravel dredge.
“The thing that makes
Anchorage Sand & Gravel
Juneau perhaps unique is that we have so much high-quality rock available locally, whereas some other communities just don't have it and they have to import it.” Greg Chaney, Lands and Resources Manager City and Borough of Juneau
to meet specifications. It takes a lot of effort to provide a high quality product to our customers to ensure success on the jobsite,” Zins says, noting that they do gradations to ensure that the pit run is not mostly comprised of just large or small rocks but a good mix of the two. Pit run is used as the foundation for most construction from roads and parking lots to buildings. “The reason you want to do that is you want to get good compaction and a good platform so that when you put a building on it or a road or whatever, you don't get a lot of rising or settling,” Zins says. Though the brown, rounded stones typically found in alluvial plains and other areas targeted by gravel mining companies in Alaska provided good drainage, there are many aggregate products that require fractured edges. “When you’re looking for compaction for D1 or any hot mix asphalt product, you want that fracture so that they kind of lock into each other as you run weights over the top of it and compact,” Zins says. To create the fracturing, mined rock is run through one of several types of crushers depending on the desired product. “Basically, you take a big rock, you smash it into smaller rock. And, as you're doing that, you're creating other 106 | March 2020
products or smaller products,” Zins says. "There are certain products where you may need a fracture on at least two sides and you may need that on 98 percent of your overall product.” This is where the company’s quality control department comes into play. The department conducts daily sampling of products as they come through the screens and onto the belts or as it's being processed, Zins says. “They make sure that we’re adjusting our processes so that we stay within those specifications,” Zins says. “We don't get out of whack when our product comes out. It's a product that needs to be within those bands for whatever application somebody is using it for.”
Costs and Concerns However, one of the largest expenses in the sand and gravel sector is not the processing or quality control—it’s the transportation. “One of the big issues with rock is how far you have to haul it,” Chaney says. “There's a lot of friction in terms of sending a rock over the roads. It costs a lot for trucks and fuel and drivers and all that.” Chaney points out that there is an almost gravitational field around a quarry pulling development closer to it because those projects that are closer to the rock source are more
economically viable. However, people rarely want to live near gravel quarries. “Rock quarries are notoriously loud. They're dusty. Even if dust management is well-managed, they tend to be a dusty operation. Neighborhoods don't like them in general,” Chaney says. “Another big factor is water quality, as there is generally a lot of sediment created. If you manage the quarry correctly, there’s a lot of ways to get that sediment out of the runoff.” Limiting sediment being released into the watershed using settling ponds at the quarries is essential due to the detrimental impacts it can have on anadromous fish streams. “You have to be careful how you design your quarry so you’re not putting lots of sediment into salmon streams,” Chaney says, noting that constant sediment trap monitoring is important to prevent overflow. With quarry operators following best practices, they continue to attempt to minimize their impact on the environment while providing a resource that is fundamental in today’s world. While gold will always appear more glamorous and hold a special place in Alaska’s legacy, it’s the hard rock and gravel that will significantly impact every Alaskan’s life every day of the year for the foreseeable future.
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
COMMUNITY EVENTS up in Kelly green to run and walk, starting at Bear Tooth Theatrepub at 8 a.m. skinnyraven.com
ANCHORAGE MARCH 7
Iditarod Start
MARCH 26
Symphony of Wines
“The Last Great Race” has its official start 10 a.m. at 4th Avenue and D Street in Downtown Anchorage. The Re-start takes place the following day (March 8) at 10 a.m. on the lake at the Willow Community Center in Willow, and the awards banquet takes place at the Nome Recreation Center on March 22. iditarod.com MARCH 14
Empty Bowl This is the annual spring fundraiser for Bean’s Café, a nonprofit organization with a mission to feed the hungry and shelter the homeless, which takes place at the Dena’ina Center. Purchasing a ticket allows attendees to select one locally made and donated bowl to take home, as
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well as enjoy soup and cornbread. beanscafe.org
Join the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra at the Hotel Captain Cook at 7 p.m. for the Annual Symphony of Wines, an event that features appetizers, oneof-a-kind silent auction items, and sampling of more than 150 wines—favorites can be ordered at a discount from Anchorage Wine House. All proceeds benefit the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra. anchoragesymphony.org
MARCH 14
MARCH 27- APRIL 19
Shamrock Shuffle
5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche
Organized by Skinny Raven, the Shamrock Shuffle gets better every year thanks to participants and their fellow leprechauns. Racers dress
In this comedy, it’s 1956 and The Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein are having
their annual quiche breakfast. As the assembled “widows” await the announcement of the society's prize-winning quiche, the atomic bomb sirens sound. Has the Communist threat come to pass? How will the widows respond as their idyllic town and lifestyle face attacks? cyranos.org MARCH 28
Alaska Aviation Hall of Fame Gala The annual Alaska Aviation Hall of Fame Gala will be held at the Downtown Marriott in Anchorage and is a celebration of the men and women who shaped Alaska's aviation history. The Hall of Fame also serves as the primary fundraiser for the museum, providing support for the museum's exhibits, educational programs, and public programs. alaskaairmuseum.org
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
FAIRBANKS MARCH 1
Farthest North Jewish Film Festival
MARCH 12
MARCH 28
Tanana Lakes Winter Festival
Mush for Kids
No matter the weather, there's something for everyone—ice skate on the one-half mile trail or rink, ski on one of the many groomed trails, enjoy a warm fire with s'mores, participate in the annual Winter Try-Athlon (running, ice skating, and skiing), ice fish at pre-drilled holes, or create art with special snow paint at the Tanana Lakes Recreation Area. fairbanksak.myrec.com
Five Jewish films are presented during a weeklong festival sponsored by the Congregation Or HaTzafon at the Alaska Coffee Roasting Company in West Valley Plaza. orhatzafon.org MARCH 1
Interior Wedding Showcase This bridal show helps couples plan their special day, bringing together jewelers, caterers, photographers, venue representatives, DJs, florists, and more, all at the Westmark Fairbanks Hotel. webcenter11.com/ interiorweddingshowcase
HOMER
Shamrock Skate Wear green and receive a free skate rental at Big Dipper Ice Arena. Green punch and shamrock goodies are also available. fairbanksak.myrec.com MARCH 19-21
Festival of Native Arts
Tired Iron
The Festival of Native Arts provides cultural education and sharing through traditional Native dance, music, and arts and is hosted at UAF. fna.community.uaf.edu
Sleds of yesteryear race today, with the vintage snowmachine show-n-shine, racing, and fun. fairbankstirediron.org
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Winter King Salmon Tournament
Tailgate Alaska began in a single tent on Thompson Pass with a handful of professional athletes, media veterans, six cases of beer, and a few dedicated recreational riders. It began a new model to market snowboarding—one which puts inclusion, experience, and participation above everything else. Simply put, everyone who attends Tailgate Alaska is a participant—nobody comes to watch. tailgateak.com
Mat-Su Outdoorsman Show The first outdoor show in Alaska in 2020 includes a gun show, a free archery range for kids, a laser shooting range for all ages, more than 100 booths, seminars, demonstrations, and book signings, all at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center. matsuevents.com
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MARCH 27-29
The Annual Winter King Salmon Tournament is sponsored by the Homer Chamber of Commerce and takes place from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Kachemak Bay. The one-day tournament awards tens of thousands of dollars in prize money for the largest kings caught. homerwinterking.com
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BUSINESS EVENTS MARCH MARCH 5-6
SWAMC Annual Conference Hotel Captain Cook, Anchorage: The Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference provides economic development and advocacy for Southwest Alaska. swamc.org
scientific research and promoting fisheries professionals’ professional development. afs-alaska.org
for 2020 is “Healthcare’s a Beach: You Can’t Stop the Waves but You Can Learn How to Surf.” akmgma.org
MARCH 24-26
APRIL 2-4
MAY 4-7
Alaska Tribal Transportation Symposium
Western Alaska Interdisciplinary Science Conference and Forum
AWWMA Annual Statewide Conference
MAY
Baranof Hotel, Juneau: The Alaska Forest Association’s goal is “maintaining healthy forests for today and tomorrow” and its members hold in common general business interests in the timber industry of Alaska. akforest.org
Embassy Suites Hotel, Anchorage: The annual symposium is designed for tribal leaders, managers, and administrators and transportation staff; transportation and infrastructure professionals; federal and state representatives; and all those seeking to learn more about tribal transportation and transportation challenges in remote Alaska communities. attwg.org
MARCH 13-15
MARCH 26-28
Alaska Academy of Family Physicians Winter Update
ComFish Alaska
MARCH 12-13
Alaska Forest Association Spring Meeting
Hotel Alyeska, Girdwood: The Winter Update is an opportunity to earn CME credit and learn about a range of topics that interest Alaska’s family physicians. alaskaafp.org/2019-winter-update
Kodiak: ComFish is the largest commercial fishing show in Alaska and the longest running fisheries trade show in the state; this year’s theme is “Sea What Matters in 2020.” kodiakchamber.org/comfish APRIL
MARCH 20
APRIL 2-3
Meet Alaska Conference
AKHIMA Annual Meeting
Anchorage Marriott: Hosted by the Alliance, this is the largest one-day energy conference in Alaska and includes educational forums and a tradeshow. alaskaalliance.com
The Alaska Health Information Management Association (AKHIMA) is a state organization affiliated with the national organization American Health Information Management Association, an association of health information management professionals worldwide. akhima.org
MARCH 23-26
American Fisheries Society Annual Chapter Meeting Westmark Fairbanks: Sessions will address the Alaska Chapter of the American Fisheries Society’s mission to improve conservation and sustainability of fishery resources and aquatic ecosystems by advancing 110 | March 2020
modalities to network with the largest audience of their peers in Alaska. aksrt.com
Dillingham: The theme of the 2020 conference is “Visions for the Future”; the conference will focus on future threats and opportunities in the face of a changing climate. seagrant.uaf.edu/events/waisc/2020/
Hotel Captain Cook, Anchorage: This is a venue to bring information, technology, expertise, curiosity, hunger, and thirst (for refreshment and knowledge) to the Water and Wastewater industry professionals in Alaska. awwma.org
APRIL 7-8
MAY 7
Governor’s Safety and Health Conference
ACP Alaska Chapter Meeting
Dena’ina Center, Anchorage: The Alaska Safety Advisory Council works with organizations to promote safety so that resources can be marshaled and used to reduce accidental death and injury. akgshc.com
Sheraton Hotel & Spa, Anchorage: ACP is the American College of Physicians, and the annual chapter meeting is an opportunity for CME credits and MOC points. acponline.org MAY 14-15
APRIL 21-24
Kodiak Area Marine Science Symposium Kodiak Harbor Convention Center: The symposium offers an opportunity for stakeholders to engage and understand how Kodiak’s marine environment and resources function, change, and affect our lives and livelihoods. In addition, it offers opportunities for researchers to form a plan for integrated, cooperative, and community-inspired marine research. alaskaseagrant.org
Anchorage Hilton: The 2020 Conference theme is “Power of the Past, Force of the Future.” alaska.shrm.org/conference MAY 14-16
ACUL Annual Meeting Girdwood: The Alaska Credit Union League’s annual meeting is an opportunity to gather, network, and learn. alaskacreditunions.org/events.html MAY 28
APRIL 24-25
AKMGMA Annual Conference
AKSRT Annual Meeting and Educational Conference
Alyeska Resort, Girdwood: This is the annual conference for the Medical Group Management Association Alaska, and the theme
Alyeska Resort, Girdwood: This annual event offers a single location for companies as well as imaging specialists from all
APRIL 2-4
Alaska State HR Conference
Alaska Oil & Gas Association Dena’ina Center, Anchorage: AOGA hosts a one-day conference focused on industry trends, legal and scientific issues surrounding development, and national and state-level energy policies and politics. aoga.org
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
INSIDE ALASKA BUSINESS Alaska LNG In a December 23 filing, the Alaska LNG team submitted an additional 2,000 pages of charts, data, maps, and explanations to answer questions from federal regulators for the Alaska LNG final EIS, which has a scheduled publication date this month. If there are no delays in the process, FERC commissioners could vote on the project application as early as June 4. alaska-lng.com
Railbelt Utilities All six Railbelt utilities (Chugach Electric Association, Golden Valley Electric Association, Homer Electric Association, Matanuska Electric Association, Municipal Light & Power, and Seward Electric) have signed a MOU to move forward with the Railbelt Reliability Council, which will define and enforce electric reliability standards; coordinate joint planning through an integrated resource planning process; and ensure consistent interconnection protocols for utilities, independent power producers, and others who would like to use the grid. The utilities plan to file the executed MOU with the Regulatory Commission of Alaska by the end of the year. alaskapower.org/rrc/
Ahtna, Incorporated Ahtna Netiye’ subsidiary Ahtna Petrochemicals Products acquired 23 acres of North Slope pad space to support operational and logistical needs of the oil and gas industry. The pad (previously owned by AIDEA and available for leasing) is located less than five miles from the Deadhorse airport with fifteen acres of gravel. ahtna.com
60Hertz Impact investor Factor[e] Ventures closed a deal with 60Hertz, the first maintenance management software designed specifically for people 112 | March 2020
managing remote energy assets such as microgrids, in December. The Alaska-based startup, which launched in 2017, has developed a cloud-based application to train and assist operators who maintain expensive, critical assets in isolated locations. The 60Hertz platform connects remote operators to a peer network, provides in-app trainings for “upskilling” on the job, and assists with change management. The platform first piloted in fifteen rural villages in Alaska in 2019 and now is commercially deployed in twentyeight locations across the state. 60hertzenergy.com
BBNC | DMV On January 13, in the village of New Stuyahok located in the Bristol Bay region, residents had the opportunity to test for their driver’s license and get their REAL ID, the first instance of a mobile DMV deployed in Alaska. The State of Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles and Bristol Bay Native Corporation spent a year coordinating to make the mobile DMV possible; with rural Alaska residents typically facing several obstacles to get their driver’s license, many people go without, limiting their eligibility for employment and training opportunities. bbnc.net | doa.alaska.gov/dmv/
The Wilson Agency The Wilson Agency and Albers & Company (both of which were acquired, along with ConnectHR, by Alera Group in 2018) have changed their name and branding to Wilson Albers, an Alera Group Company. As an Alera Group company, Wilson Albers offers the resources, technical expertise, and best practices of a national firm while maintaining its personalized services and local relationships. wilsonalbers.com
Alaska USA Alaska USA signed a definitive
agreement to acquire TCF Bank’s seven branches in the greater Phoenix, Arizona, market, along with deposits and certain related assets. As part of the agreement, Alaska USA will extend employment offers to all TCF Bank team members who work at the seven branches. TCF Bank branches add to the eight branches that Alaska USA currently operates in the Phoenix market, which will total fifteen branches following the acquisition. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter. alaskausa.org
Fred Meyer Fred Meyer of Palmer’s efforts to feature Alaska Grown products in creative displays and to promote Alaska Grown-labeled products has won it the “Golden Carrot” in the third annual Alaska Grown $5 Challenge campaign. The $5 Alaska Grown Challenge encourages Alaskans to spend $5 each week on Alaska Grown products, including vegetables, dairy products, meat, and grains during the five months when such products are in season and available. The $5 Challenge has succeeded in raising the visibility and sales of food raised in Alaska, by Alaskans, for Alaskans. Participating retailers included Carrs Safeway, Walmart, Fred Meyer, Three Bears, and Alaska Commercial Co. fredmeyer.com
South 32 | Trilogy Metals South32 has exercised its option to acquire a 50 percent interest in a joint venture with Trilogy Metals that will own the Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects (UKMP) located in northwest Alaska. Trilogy Metals will contribute all its assets associated with the UKMP and South32 will contribute $145 million to the joint venture. Establishment of the joint venture follows an initial exploration partnership between South32 and Trilogy Metals over three field seasons to advance both parties' geological understanding of the UKMP. south32.net | trilogymetals.com
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
RIGHT MOVES Coffman Engineers
Cook Inlet Tribal Council
Coffman Engineers welcomes Jason Moncrieff as Senior Project Manager to the Anchorage project Moncrieff management group. He holds a bachelor’s in civil engineering from the University of Washington and a master’s in project management from George Washington University. Moncrieff is experienced managing both large- and small-scale multidiscipline projects for multiple client markets. Projects have included large scale drill site remediation, pipeline replacement, generator controls upgrades, erosion control, plant design, and road design. Moncrieff is a licensed civil engineer in Alaska and a project management professional. Coffman Engineers is also pleased to announce that Zack Wright obtained American Petroleum Institute (API) 653 Wright Aboveground Storage Tank Inspector certification. Wright holds a master’s and bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from UAF and is a NACE certified CP Technician. The addition of his API 653 certification supplements Coffman’s ability to provide integrity solutions to clients. The API 653 certification allows Wright to perform and oversee tank inspection activities, including repair recommendations, oversight of nondestructive testing per applicable codes, and prepare inspection reports for clients.
Cook Inlet Tribal Council appointed Hans Roeterink as its new Chief Technology Innovation Officer. Roeterink Roeterink will be instrumental for CITC’s leadership in launching future strategies for technology and innovative new service capacity, helping to design a future in which Alaska Native people thrive. Roeterink has worked internationally, consulting with organizations on how to use IT to drive growth and enter new businesses. Roeterink previously lived in Anchorage for more than thirteen years while working with an Alaska Native organization and working to start, finance, and grow businesses, including his own startup.
PND Engineers PND Engineers announced the following new hires. Kristoff Nystrom, EIT, relocated from Fairbanks to Anchorage this past Nystrom fall after two-and-a-half years with UAF Division of Design and Construction, performing project management and design. Nystrom hails from Washington State and is a 2016 graduate of UAF with a focus on civil and structural engineering. Initially, Nystrom will assist with site planning and road design. Conrad Smith, EIT, recently returned to Alaska, where he was raised. Smith graduated with a bachelor of science
degree in civil engineering from Brigham Young University and worked most recently for Albert A. Webb Associates in Riverside, Smith California, on site drainage, master plans, and storm water modeling projects. His long-term interest is in structures, and he is currently working in the Palmer office assisting with structural design.
Altman, Rogers & Co. Ryan T. Johns has become Altman, Rogers & Co.’s seventh shareholder. Prior to his promotion, Johns was the firm’s senior tax manager in its Anchorage office Johns since 2016. Johns is an accomplished tax accountant with expertise in many areas of taxation. He received his master’s degree in professional accounting from Western Washington University. Johns’ focus will continue to be serving the needs of the firm’s tax clientele as well as to extend the firm’s service offerings across the state.
Tlingit & Haida Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska welcomes its new Tribal Child Support Attorney Brent Mulvaney. Mulvaney will represent the Tribal Child Support Unit in its interactions with tribal and state courts and work on the implementation
RIGHT MOVES IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY NORTHERN AIR CARGO
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Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
and development of law and policy that will best serve the interests of tribal children. Mulvaney received a juris doctor of law from Mulvaney Seattle University School of Law in 2019 and holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Washington and an associate of arts degree in philosophy from Edmonds Community College.
KTUU-TV Anchorage - based television stations K TUU and K YES announced the promotion of Yvette Morales into a senior management role. Morales moved to Morales Anchorage from Valdez in 201 1 to launch her career as an account executive at K TUU -T V. In 2019, Morales was recognized by parent company, Gray Media Group, which owns television stations in ninet y-three markets nationwide, for her work on a multi- platform campaign par tnering Microcom with the Alaska Depar tment of Fish and Game for a t welve -week series featuring a weekly fishing repor t.
group. The work includes studies, design, and construction support services for runways, taxiways, aprons, signage, lighting systems, hangar facilities, and landside improvements at large and small airports. She has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from UA A and is a professional civil engineer licensed in Alaska. Corissa Lickingteller joined R&M Consultants as a Senior Marketing Coordinator in the firm’s marketing group. Lickingteller will be responsible for supporting Lickingteller the firm’s marketing and communication initiatives. She is a creative communicator with a vast range of marketing and business development experience. She has a proven record for proposal writing, producing relevant and winning proposals for government and private clients. Lickingteller is also experienced in crafting promotional material, reports, presentations, and business communications. Lickingteller has a bachelor’s in professional and technical communications from Montana Technical University.
KeyBank R&M Consultants Carla Baxley has been promoted to Group Manager of Airport Engineering at R&M Consultants. Baxley Baxley has eighteen years of Alaska engineering experience, with twelve of those years at DOT&PF. As group manager, Baxley is responsible for managing R&M’s airport engineering
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Megan Watson has been promoted to Relationship Officer with KeyBank’s Commercial Banking Division, where she supports two of the division’s highest-producing Watson relationship managers in the Alaska market, providing top-tier service in addressing client needs. Previously she served as a KeyBank relationship manager, where she was named as the top performer in her market
Alaska Business
during her first quarter. Watson has also held roles as an assistant branch manager for Northrim Bank and funding liaison for Honor Finance.
Chugach Government Solutions Chugach Government Solutions promoted Kathleen Grimes to Senior Vice President of Operations Support. In this role, Grimes will serve as chief of staff over general Grimes and administrative support service functions and will foster and develop a cohesive and strategic work team. She will prioritize customer service through innovative approaches that support Chugach’s tactical initiatives and growth strategies unique to its industries. Grimes holds a master of business administration from Alaska Pacific University and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from UAA.
The Superior Group The Superior Group board of directors announced the promotion of Dave McAllen, currently COO, to the office of President, effective April 1. McAllen joined The Superior Group in January 2012 as the general manager of Haakenson McAllen Electric. He brings thirtyfour years of experience in the local construction industry, performing a variety of tasks from journeyman electrician to his current position as COO and corporate secretary.
March 2020 | 115
ALASKA TRENDS
T
he Economic Benefits of Alaska’s Construction Industry and 2020 Construction Spending Forecast was prepared by McDowell Group for the Associated General Contractors of Alaska/Construction Industry Progress Fund and published in January. This comprehensive look at how the construction industry impacts Alaska considers employment and wage data (direct impacts) as well as multiplier effects (indirect or induced impacts) on the economy. To gather this data, the McDowell Group team gathered data from multiple sources including the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the US Bureau of Economic Analysis, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the US Census Bureau. “To measure multiplier effects (secondary economic impacts) associated with construction industry spending with Alaska businesses and the wages paid to Alaska residents, the study team used the IMPLAN (Impact Analysis for PLANning) input-output modeling system to build economic models for Alaska,” the report states. Additional information was requested from, and interviews were conducted with, construction companies to gather spending data for the modeling and to refine modeling assumptions. For the forecast, ten years of state and federal spending data were gathered, and the team reviewed articles, press releases, and other published materials about current and future projects. “More than 125 private and public organizations were contacted to request information, much of it confidential, about 2019 and 2020 spending,” the report says. We have highlighted many insights from this in-depth report over the next several pages, though even with a special expanded Alaska Trends, we are not nearly able to cover all the exceptional information published therein. For those interested in learning even more, the report can be found at agcak.org.
CONSTRUCTION MONEY IN ALASKA'S ECONOMY
TOP AREAS OF CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYMENT
CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES
ALASKA VENDORS
23,600 ALASKAN EMPLOYEES
Total Total Employers Wages
Anchorage
882 $613,505,713
Fairbanks
332 $243,212,809
Mat-Su
431 $146,909,551
Kenai Peninsula 247 $48,977,278 Juneau
17,700 INDIRECT EMPLOYEES
$3.3 BILLION IN LABOR INCOME
123 $42,508,816
Ketchikan
66 $20,320,901
Valdez-Cordova
35 $19,847,625
Kodiak Island
40 $11,611,613
Sitka
40 $10,903,995
Haines
18 $10,786,566
ALASKA TRENDS IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY AMERICAN MARINE/PENCO
AMERICAN MARINE • Marine Construction/Dredging • Subsea Cable Installation & Maintenance • Commercial Diving • Platform & Pipeline Construction, Installation, Repair & Decommissioning
ANCHORAGE OFFICE (907) 562-5420
• Underwater Certified Welding • Marine Salvage
DEADHORSE OFFICE (907) 659-9010
www.amarinecorp.com 116 | March 2020
• NDT Services
Alas ka I C alifornia I Hawaii
• ROV Services • Vessel Support Services
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
ANS Crude Oil Production 01/30/2020
01/01/2014 05/01/2011
50%
THERE ARE 12,500+
CONSTRUCTION JOBS AT ANY POINT IN THE YEAR BUT
SUMMER
HIGHER
EMPLOYMENT IS
09/01/2008 01/01/2006
ANS Production barrel per day 519,183 Jan. 30, 2020
05/01/2003 09/01/2000
0
400,000
800,000
1,200,000
SOURCE: Alaska Department of Revenue Tax Division
ANS West Coast Crude Oil Prices 01/30/2020
JOBS BY CATEGORY BUILDING CONSTRUCTION 4,503 Jobs
28%
HEAVY CONSTRUCTION 4,069 Jobs
26%
SPECIALTY CONTRACTORS 7,249 Jobs
46%
09/01/2012
SPECIALTY TRADE CONTRACTORS Building Finishing 1,117 Building Equipment 3,533 Foundation, Structure, Exterior 1,074 Other Trade 1,525 HEAVY CONSTRUCTION Highway, Street, Bridge Land Subdivision Utility System Other Civil Engineering
1,779 47 1,905 338
09/01/2008
ANS West Coast $ per barrel $60.43 Jan. 30, 2020
09/01/2004
09/01/2000 $0
$20
$40
$60
$80 $100 $120 $140 $160
SOURCE: Alaska Department of Revenue Tax Division
Statewide Employment Figures 01/1976-12/2019 BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Seasonally Adjusted Nonresidential 2,823 12/01/2019 Residential 1,680
HEAVY CONSTRUCTION $424.1 Million
34%
Labor Force 347,109 Dec. 2019 Employment 325,923 Dec. 2019 Unemployment 6.1% Dec. 2019
01/01/2010 05/01/2004 09/01/1998
SPECIALTY CONTRACTORS $499.1 Million
WAGES BY CATEGORY
40%
BUILDING CONSTRUCTION $327.2 Million
01/01/1993 05/01/1987 09/01/1981 01/01/1976 0
26%
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
SOURCE: Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Research & Analysis Section
PENCO • Environmental Response, Containment • Site Support Technicians, Maintenance • Waste Management, Environmental Monitoring • Tank Cleaning, Inspection • Petroleum Facility Maintenance & Repair • Logistics Support • 24-Hour Response www.akbizmag.com
ANCHORAGE OFFICE (907) 562-5420 DEADHORSE OFFICE (907) 659-9010
A la ska I Ca lifornia I Hawaii Alaska Business
www.penco.org
www.penco.org March 2020 | 117
$79,020 AVERAGE ANNUAL CONSTRUCTION WORKER WAGE
ALASKA CONSTRUCTION
SPENDING FORECAST SUMMARY (MILLION) PRIVATE CONSTRUCTION SPENDING PETROLEUM $2,900 RESIDENTIAL $350 HOSPITALS/HEALTHCARE $300 PUBLIC CONSTRUCTION SPENDING HIGHWAYS AND ROADS $600 NATIONAL DEFENSE $500 AIRPORTS, PORTS, AND HARBORS $350 EDUCATION $200 EARTHQUAKE RECOVERY $100
43% MORE
THAN THE OVERALL AVERAGE
STATEWIDE WAGE
Leisure and Hospitality
Retail
$55,140
Average
Government
Healthcare
Professional and Business Services
Transportation and Warehousing
$79,020
Construction
Utilities
Mining
Oil & Gas
$147,660
AVERAGE WAGE BY INDUSTRY
82%
OF PEOPLE WORKING IN CONSTRUCTION
ARE ALASKAN
2.5% GROWTH
ANTICIPATED between 2016 and 2026
in construction trades Needed: Construction Laborers (404 annually), Operating Engineers (324 annually), Electricians (220 annually), Carpenters (217 annually), and Plumbers, Pipe/Steamfitters (153 annually) 118 | March 2020
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS FILED IN FY18
US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS ALASKA DISTRICT
HAS 3 PRIMARY PROGRAMS
SINGLE FAMILY
73%
WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION
ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP/ RESTORATION ACTIVITIES
MULTI FAMILY
27%
Only Hawaii has
HIGHER
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION costs than Alaska
Number of jobs in Alaska’s economy that were in the construction sector
US FEDERAL CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS IN ALASKA $MILLIONS, FY2011-2019
HEALTHCARE CONSTRUCTION IS
DRIVEN 472 '11
409 '12
266 '13
www.akbizmag.com
467 '14
232 '15
232 '16
476 '17
655 '18
524 '19
Alaska Business
by Alaska’s population
and technology advancements March 2020 | 119
AT A GLANCE What book is currently on your nightstand? The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg. The research, especially related to consumer behavior, is fascinating. What movie do you recommend to everyone you know? Togo. It makes me so proud to be an Alaskan, and I’m glad Togo is finally getting the recognition he deserves. What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long day at work? Play with our two yellow labs and cook dinner. Cooking forces me to slow down, detach from my phone and email, and decompress.
120 | March 2020
Images ©Kerry Tasker
If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be? Definitely a sloth. They seem relaxed and low maintenance. I could benefit from that type of influence in my life. Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
OFF THE CUFF
Alicia Siira A
licia Siira is the Executive Director of Associated General Contractors (AGC) of
Alaska, a role she took on in September 2018. Previously, Siira spent nearly six years as a deputy director for the Alaska Miners Association. She
AB: What’s your greatest extravagance? Siira: Aside from spoiling my dogs, spending money on fly fishing and hunting gear. There always seems to be a new and improved product or gadget, and I don’t think you should skimp on comfort, safety, or durability. AB: What are you superstitious about? Siira: I’m not superstitious, but I cringe every time someone shakes a champagne bottle and then opens it indoors. I work in a high safety culture industry—wear PPE if you are going to do it!
received an undergraduate degree from the University of Idaho, followed by her MBA from UAA in 2014. Siira has a unique and profound understanding of Alaska’s industrial endeavors from growing up in Alaska in a placer mining family. Alaska Business: What do you do in your free time? Alicia Siira: I enjoy spending time with my husband, Daniel. He coaches high school hockey and plays in a men’s league, so we spend a lot of time at the rink. We love weekends with our family in the outdoors of Big Lake and Petersville, fly fishing and camping with friends. AB: Is there a skill you’re currently developing or have always wanted to learn? Siira: I have a personal goal to improve my golf game in 2020. I would also love to master one, solid go-to karaoke song.
AB: What’s your best attribute and worst attribute? Siira: My friends and colleagues say that I am driven. I have tenacity, feel a strong sense of responsibility, and care about details. I think I can be direct in my communication and sometimes lack subtlety when I’m in my driver mode. My husband jokes that persistence is both my best and worst attribute.
AB: What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done? Siira: Probably skydiving on my 18th birthday. Some of my hunting experiences have been pretty extreme as well. Alaska is still a very wild and dangerous place that will test your physical and mental fortitude. AB: What’s your go-to comfort food? Siira: Tacos. AB: What’s your favorite way to exercise? Siira: Group fitness classes. I am making decisions and critically thinking all day long, so it’s one aspect of my life I just show up for and don’t have to plan. AB: Dead or alive, who would you like to see perform live in concert? Siira: Chris Stapleton and Justin Timberlake together in concert. www.akbizmag.com
Alaska Business
March 2020 | 121
ADVERTISERS INDEX Aaron Plumbing & Heating Company......45
Crowley Alaska Inc................................... 57
Odyssey Logistics & Technology Corp..... 49
aaronak.com
crowley.com
odysseylogistics.com
Afognak Leasing LLC................................69
Cruz Companies.....................................103
Oles Morrison Rinker & Baker LLP...........63
alutiiq.com
cruzconstruct.com
oles.com
Alaska529..................................................93
Davis Constructors & Engineers Inc........ 71
Oxford Assaying & Refining Inc..............101
alaska529plan.com
davisconstructors.com
oxfordmetal.com
Airport Equipment Rentals.....................123
Delta Constructors................................... 73
Pacific Alaska Lumber..............................47
airportequipmentrentals.com
deltaconstructors.net
pacaklumber.com
Alaska Demolition..................................... 71
Delta Mining Services LLC........................61
alaskademolition.com
deltaindustrial.com
Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters...................................................... 46
Alaska Miners Association..................... 104
Doyon Limited..........................................35
alaskaminers.org
doyon.com
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.....124
First National Bank Alaska (FNBA).............. 5
anthc.org
fnbalaska.com
Alaska Railroad........................................101
Foley & Pearson........................................97
alaskarailroad.com
foleypearson.com
Alaska Railroad Real Estate Division.........19
Fountainhead Hotels................................91
alaskarailroad.com/real-estate
fountainheadhotels.com
Alaska School Activities Association (ASAA)................................... 51
Great Northwest Inc................................. 77
asaa.org
Alaska Traffic Company............................65 alaskatraffic.com
Altman Rogers & Co.................................97 altrogco.com
Alyeska Resort...........................................89 alyeskaresort.com
American Heart Association..................102 heart.org
American Marine / PENCO............ 116, 117 amarinecorp.com
Anchorage Chrysler Dodge...................108 anchoragechryslercenter.com
Anchorage Concert Association................ 3 anchorageconcerts.org
Anchorage Sand & Gravel........................80 anchsand.com
Arctic IT..................................................... 31 arcticit.com
Associated General Contractors (AGC).... 70
nwcarpenters.org
Pacific Pile & Marine...............................113
grtnw.com
Holmes Weddle & Barcott........................19 hwb-law.com
pacificpile.com
Parker Smith & Feek..................................85 psfinc.com
Personnel Plus.......................................... 15 perplus.com
PND Engineers Inc....................................33 pndengineers.com
Port of Alaska............................................25 portofalaska.com
RISQ Consulting.......................................59
Hotel Captain Cook..................................88 captaincook.com
Island Air Express....................................109 islandairx.com
risqconsulting.com
Samson Tug & Barge................................ 17 samsontug.com
Seatac Marine Service..............................47
JEFFCO Inc.................................................9 jeffcogrounds.com
Jim Meinel CPA P.C..................................46 meinelcpa.com
Leonardo DRS...........................................29 LeonardoDRS.com
LONG Building Technologies...................81 long.com
seatacmarine.com
Shoreside Petroleum................................99 shoresidepetroleum.com
Span Alaska Transportation LLC...............98 spanalaska.com
Stallone's.................................................109 stallonesmenswear.com
Superior Group.........................................45
Lounsbury & Associates...........................27 lounsbury.com
Lynden Inc................................................83 lynden.com
superiorpnh.com
Technipress............................................... 21 tpress.net
The Plans Room.......................................63
Material Flow & Conveyor Systems Inc...............................................76
theplansroom.com
Tikigaq/CONAM LLC................................64
agcak.org
materialflow.com
tikigaq.com
BSI Commercial Real Estate.....................79
Matson Inc................................................55
TOTE Maritime Alaska...............................41
bsialaska.com
matson.com
totemaritime.com
C & R Pipe and Steel Inc........................... 27
Microcom.................................................. 21
Tutka LLC.................................................. 75
crpipeandsteel.com
microcom.tv
tutkallc.com
Calista Corp..............................................58
NANA (Nana Regional Corp.)...................74
United States Census Bureau...................39
calistacorp.com
nana.com
census.gov
Carlile Transportation Systems.............. 111
NCB...........................................................33
Usibelli Coal Mine...................................105
carlile.biz
ncb.coop
usibelli.com
Central Environmental Inc. (CEI)..............78
Nenana Heating Services Inc...................81
Valdez Convention & Visitors Bureau......95
cei-alaska.com
nenanahaetingservices.net
valdezalaska.org
CN Aquatrain..........................................107
New Horizons Telecom Inc...................... 11
Visit Anchorage.........................................23
cn.ca/aquatrain
nhtiusa.com
anchorage.net
Conrad-Houston Insurance Agency.......89
Nortech Environmental & Engineering....72
Westmark Hotels - HAP Alaska..................9
chialaska.com
nortechengr.com
westmarkhotels.com
Construction Machinery Industrial (CMI)....2
Northern Air Cargo.........................114, 115
Wilson Albers............................................ 37
cmiak.com
nac.aero
wilsonalbers.com
Craig Taylor Equipment............................53
Northrim Bank.......................................... 13
Yukon Equipment Inc...............................67
northrim.com
yukoneq.com
craigtaylorequipment.com
122 | March 2020
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
907.456.2000
airportequipmentrentals.com
ANTHC IN OUR COMMUNITIES
Engineering and construction for the health of the community Building, operating and maintaining public health infrastructure is an important part of overall community health. ANTHC’s health services include planning, design, construction and operations support for public facilities and utilities throughout Alaska. Construction highlights from the past year include a community water project in Eek, building homes to relocate Newtok to Mertarvik and helping remote maintenance workers in rural locations keep the water flowing in their communities.
Healthy homes and communities are the foundation for improving Alaska Native health.
Learn more about ANTHC’s work at anthc.org/annual-report-2019.