laska Business launched the Corporate 100 list in 1993, but the early iteration was an unranked list of companies selected by an Alaska Business editorial board for their overall contributions to the Alaska economy, including considerations such as size of their workforce, community engagement, revenue, and economic activities. While the list was significant, it was also subjective.

In 2016, the Corporate 100 saw an overhaul: we added a ranking system based on the number of Alaskan employees and defined criteria for qualification (an Alaska business license and address; no government entities). That year, NANA Regional Corporation took the top spot on the list with 5,000 Alaskan employees, approximately one-third of its worldwide workforce of 15,000.

Providence Alaska, ranked #1 this year, has always been in the top five in the decade since we switched to a ranked list, and it has ranked #1 for seven consecutive years, demonstrating the healthcare provider’s massive influence on Alaska, even beyond providing healthcare services.

Our original method of selecting the Corporate 100 had its merits, but switching to a ranked system allows us to document and share concrete data about the importance of these companies in the daily lives of Alaskans.

In this edition of Alaska Trends, we have pulled together even more facts and trends about the Corporate 100 that highlight the importance of their work in Alaska.