February 2022 | Volume 38 | Number 2 | AKBIZMAG.COM

Contents

Features

Spreading the Wealth

Helping minority- and women-owned businesses thrive
By Tracy Barbour

Silver Linings

Businesses thrive despite—and because of—COVID-19
By Amy Newman

Fishing for an Economy

Coastal Villages Region Fund leverages its quota to build Western Alaska
By Tasha Anderson

The Ups and Downs of Oil

Global markets continue to jostle Alaska’s oil prices
By Isaac Stone Simonelli

Internal Sustainability Programs

Good for the environment and the bottom line
By Vanessa Orr

Ballet in the Sky

Aurora borealis attracts international tourists
By Isaac Stone Simonelli
Aurora Bear Photography
Tourism: Ballet in the Sky

Warmer Is Cooler

Building a heat pump community in Juneau
By Molly Rettig
Andy Romanoff | Alaska Heat Smart
Energy: Warmer Is Cooler

Warmer Is Cooler

Building a heat pump community in Juneau
By Molly Rettig
Andy Romanoff | Alaska Heat Smart

Spreading the Wealth

Helping minority- and women-owned businesses thrive
By Tracy Barbour

Silver Linings

Businesses thrive despite—and because of—COVID-19
By Amy Newman

Fishing for an Economy

Coastal Villages Region Fund leverages its quota to build Western Alaska
By Tasha Anderson

The Ups and Downs of Oil

Global markets continue to jostle Alaska’s oil prices
By Isaac Stone Simonelli

Internal Sustainability Programs

Good for the environment and the bottom line
By Vanessa Orr

Ballet in the Sky

Aurora borealis attracts international tourists
By Isaac Stone Simonelli
Aurora Bear Photography
Tourism: Ballet in the Sky
Special Section: Architecture & Engineering

A new vision for an old building

By Scott Rhode
Carter Damaska | Alaska Business Publishing

About The Cover

At the corner of Fifth Avenue and F Street in downtown Anchorage, the old KeyBank building was never much to look at. That’s about to change thanks to a major renovation, the subject of this month’s cover article, “Downtown Glacier.” Elsewhere in this month’s Architecture & Engineering special section, the renovation is one example of how those distinct yet similar professions are stronger together, in “It Takes Two.”

Outside of the section, engineers also contribute to “Internal Sustainability Programs” as surely as they plan “Before Disaster Strikes.” Likewise, “Warmer Is Cooler” about heat pumps in Juneau echoes some of the mechanical engineering detailed in “Cannabis Cool.” Don’t confuse indoor marijuana cultivation with “Bringing in the Green,” which is about biophilic design that, independently, some small businesses have discovered as a COVID-19 niche, as reported in “Silver Linings.” Whether flashy or unseen, the designed environment is all around.

Photo by Carter Damaska | Alaska Business Publishing
Downtown Glacier

A new vision for an old building

By Scott Rhode
Carter Damaska | Alaska Business Publishing

About The Cover

At the corner of Fifth Avenue and F Street in downtown Anchorage, the old KeyBank building was never much to look at. That’s about to change thanks to a major renovation, the subject of this month’s cover article, “Downtown Glacier.” Elsewhere in this month’s Architecture & Engineering special section, the renovation is one example of how those distinct yet similar professions are stronger together, in “It Takes Two.”

Outside of the section, engineers also contribute to “Internal Sustainability Programs” as surely as they plan “Before Disaster Strikes.” Likewise, “Warmer Is Cooler” about heat pumps in Juneau echoes some of the mechanical engineering detailed in “Cannabis Cool.” Don’t confuse indoor marijuana cultivation with “Bringing in the Green,” which is about biophilic design that, independently, some small businesses have discovered as a COVID-19 niche, as reported in “Silver Linings.” Whether flashy or unseen, the designed environment is all around.

Photo by Carter Damaska | Alaska Business Publishing
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. © 2022 Alaska Business Publishing Co. All rights reserved. No part of this publication June be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Alaska Business accepts no responsibility for unsolicited materials; they will not be returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self addressed envelope. One-year subscription is $39.95 and includes twelve issues (print + digital) and the annual Power List. Single issues of the Power List are $15 each. Single issues of Alaska Business are $4.99 each; $5.99 for the July & October issues. Send subscription orders and address changes to circulation@akbizmag.com.
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From the Editor

I’ve been thinking about holidays and events in February and my brain latched onto Groundhog Day as something with potential: notions of repetition, cycles, the drudgery and difficulty of recognizing something is wrong and fighting against the universe to somehow set it right. The pandemic has felt like a cosmic Groundhog Day, as every year we wake up hoping it’s “the year it’s over” and thus far we keep being surprised by another surge in cases.

But that’s not actually what the holiday is about. It’s a pretty simple celebration of spring and the end of winter. The movie Groundhog Day, while certainly not the first story to set an unfortunate protagonist in an endless cycle of repetition, is a Western cultural touchstone of that idea. It has far outgrown its eponymous holiday in its influence.

It’s always fascinating what works and what doesn’t in catching the interest of any given group, to see how ideas grow beyond their intended space. Alaska Business Publishing Co. is a member of the media, so naturally our success is connected to our ability to reach an audience, whether that’s our readers, our sources, or our advertisers. How one grabs attention is a big question in today’s media landscape, and it’s one that we discuss internally on a regular basis.

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Volume 38, #1
Editorial Staff
Managing Editor
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Editor/Staff Writer
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Finance
Spreading the Wealth
Helping minority- and women-owned businesses thrive
By Tracy Barbour
Elaine Parry at her business, Purrfect Purr Cat Hotel
Sharon Carter | Elegant Light Studio
Spreading the Wealth
Helping minority- and women-owned businesses thrive
By Tracy Barbour
F

or thirteen years, Purrfect Purr Cat Hotel has offered pet sitting and boarding services for felines in Anchorage. Guest pets can indulge in a variety of activities, including socializing with other fur babies in a stimulating and safe environment. The facility provides the cats with constant observation, high-quality food, plenty of space to lounge and play, and even a trip to the vet if they get sick. “We provide everything; you just drop the cat off,” says owner Elaine Parry, a Navy veteran and former air traffic controller.

For Parry—who has always loved cats—operating Purrfect Purr Cat Hotel is a labor of love. But in 2020, the successful enterprise was threatened when the COVID-19 pandemic forced non-essential businesses to temporarily close. Purrfect Purr Cat Hotel was shuttered for two months, and it nearly devastated the business. To stay afloat, Parry applied for a loan from a local credit union, which proved to be extremely problematic. The problem wasn’t a lack of creditworthiness on her part, according to Parry. She owned her own home, had ample retirement income, and even offered to collateralize the requested $45,000 loan with her rental property, a condominium worth $98,000 and owned free and clear. But her loan request with the credit union was unfruitful. “They really treated me poorly,” says Parry, a thirty-year Alaska resident. “They didn’t refuse the loan; they just drug it out, dropped me, and wouldn’t respond anymore… I had to file a complaint against them.”

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Help employees upskill, finish their degree, and boost morale
Why Partner with UAF eCampus?

We prepare Alaskans for Alaska’s Jobs – Online

Quality – Leader in online education for over 30 years
Variety – Over 45 online degrees and 650 courses
Affordable – Online tuition is always at the in-state rate PLUS business partners get package pricing
Convenient – Finish your degree online, on your time
Individualized Student Support – Student success is our goal

Get the edge

Connect with UAF eCampus about our world-class online degrees. . .
that are truly at your fingertips.

UAF eCampus is that edge

907-455-2090

UA is an AA/EO employer and educational institution and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual. http://www.alaska.edu/nondiscrimination
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Small Business
Rachael Kvapil | Frosty Feet Running Company
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Silver Linings
Businesses thrive despite—and because of—COVID-19
By Amy Newman
T

he COVID-19 pandemic has been less than kind to small businesses.

The Alaska Small Business Development Center’s 2020 Annual Report, which surveyed 550 small business owners across the state, found that 60 percent of businesses experienced decreased revenue in 2020, between 25 percent and 95 percent lower compared to previous years. Fifty percent of businesses surveyed said adapting to COVID was the biggest challenge they faced in 2020.

Despite those challenges, business license applications soared during the pandemic. According to the Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, the state issued 25,309 businesses licenses in FY2021, a 79.8 percent increase from the 14,072 licenses it issued in FY2020.

Fisheries
Coastal Villages Region Fund
Fishing for an Economy
Coastal Villages Region Fund leverages its quota to build Western Alaska
By Tasha Anderson
I

n 2020, Coastal Villages Region Fund (CVRF) generated $91.6 million in gross revenue. Because CVRF is a nonprofit, it doesn’t qualify for Alaska Business’ Top 49ers list, but if it did, it would have placed in the mid-thirties on the list, between Usibelli Coal Mine and Watterson Construction.

While CVRF is a nonprofit organization, it does not accept any charitable donations. All of the organization’s revenue is generated through fisheries investment. “We operate a seafood company and all of the revenue comes in through the catching, processing, and sale of Alaska seafood,” says CVRF’s CEO Eric Deakin. It is one of six Western Alaska Community Development Quota (CDQ) Program groups.

According to NOAA Fisheries: “The Community Development Quota Program was established (i) to provide eligible western Alaska villages with the opportunity to participate and invest in fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area; (ii) to support economic development in western Alaska; (iii) to alleviate poverty and provide economic and social benefits for residents of western Alaska; and (iv) to achieve sustainable and diversified local economies in western Alaska.” Today, 10 percent of Alaska’s fisheries are set aside for CDQ groups.

Tourism
Ballet in the Sky
Aurora borealis attracts international tourists
By Isaac Stone Simonelli
Aurora Bear Photography
T

he dazzling dance of the aurora borealis draws thousands of tourists from out of state to Fairbanks and the Far North every year. While the pandemic has stifled the strategic development of international markets for the winter season in Alaska, there has been a surge in tourists from the Lower 48 seeking the exotic winter phenomenon while remaining in the United States.

“By far and away our greatest selling point that has enabled us to be so successful in our winter tourism has been the northern lights,” says Scott McCrea, the president and CEO of Explore Fairbanks.

Oil & Gas
The Ups and Downs of Oil
Global markets continue to jostle Alaska’s oil prices
By Isaac Stone Simonelli
O

il price responsiveness to the fundamental economic principles of supply and demand remains on full display as the pandemic drags on with new variants and subsequent market scares.

“At the onset of the pandemic, when governments around the world started implementing shutdowns and stay-at-home orders, the demand for petroleum products just bottomed out,” says Nick Szymoniak, venture development lead for Alaska Gasline Development Corporation and a former consultant for the McKinley Research Group.

People stopped driving. People stopped flying. There was an unprecedented plummet in demand for petroleum.

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Elite-VB, LLC
Back in Alaska with new carrier options
Pamela A. Whitfield
W

ith a corporate office in Kailua, Hawaii and new satellite location in Anchorage, Pamela Whitfield is no stranger to Alaska. Whitfield, the owner of Elite-VB, is a twenty-five-year voluntary benefits veteran who spent eight years establishing accounts with her team at a Midtown office. Previous clients include Native corporations, oil and gas companies, nonprofits, and government entities. Under her agency’s leadership, more than 25,000 new policies were written between 2013 and 2020 in more than 150 new Alaska accounts (for disability, accident, critical illness, life, and other employee-paid options). “Enrollments were always designed for high participation, utilizing custom websites, videos, and more, taking the burden off of HR,” Whitfield says. “Best of all, as a broker, our services are at no cost to your organization.”

Architecture & Engineering
Architecture & Engineering: ‘Reimagining the Possible’
A

t Alaska Business Publishing Co., we like architects and engineers. On a certain level it’s selfish: whenever we reach out to architecture and engineering firms and specialists in Alaska to be sources for our articles, there are always a handful who respond in a timely and organized way. Once we get them into an interview, they are happy to provide details about projects, explain terms and concepts, and share their expertise—and their super cool concept art.

And on another level… it’s also selfish, as they design the world around us, from the computers we work on to the office buildings and homes we live in and the bridges we drive over to get back and forth between the two. Sometimes the projects we report on seem far away—and certainly, 800 miles is nothing to sneeze at—but even those far-off pipelines and ice pads directly affect our lives through the economy they support.

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Architecture & Engineering
Engineer of the Year Nominees
Wael M. Hassan
Dr. Wael M. Hassan headshot
D

r. Wael M. Hassan is an associate professor of structural earthquake engineering at UAA. He obtained his PhD, MA, and post-doctorate at University of California, Berkeley, and structural engineering BS/MS at Cairo University. He is a California-licensed Professional Civil/Structural Engineer. His research interests are simulation and large-scale testing of structures, seismic assessment of existing construction, and performance-based seismic design (PBSD). His PhD was a part of a National Science Foundation project that led Los Angeles to issue a new law to enforce retrofitting its 1,500 non-ductile buildings. Hassan’s seismic assessment research and models were adopted as national standards.

He served as an invited lecturer at top schools, including University of Southern California, University of Tokyo, and University of British Columbia. He authored more than fifty peer-reviewed papers and supervised numerous theses in earthquake engineering. Hassan taught a wide variety of courses at Berkeley, UC Irvine, UAA, Santa Clara University, and the American University in Cairo.

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Architecture & Engineering
Project of the Year Nominees
Ahtna Engineering Services
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Source and Incidental Contaminate CON/HTRW Remedial Action, Davis AFB Cantonment Area
A

htna Engineering Services successfully completed a Containerized Hazardous, Toxic, or Radioactive Waste removal action (RmA) and limited site investigation at Davis Air Force Base Cantonment Area FUDS during the 2019 and 2020 field seasons. The project was located on the remote western side of Adak Island within the Alaska Maritime Wildlife Refuge, and access was limited to only helicopters and boats. Boat access was constrained to roughly 30 feet of usable beach influenced by strong winds and rip tides. On-site conditions were very poor, with no available roads and extremely soft soil that would not support wheeled vehicles of any type.

ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING
Perkins&Will
Downtown Glacier
A new vision for an old building
By Scott Rhode
T

he KeyBank Plaza in downtown Anchorage is no more. The magnitude 7.1 earthquake on November 30, 2018, killed it.

Oh, the nine-story building still stands at the corner of Fifth Avenue and F Street, but earthquake damage left it uninhabitable, so KeyBank has vacated as anchor tenant. Now the building is known by its address as 601 W. Fifth. Along with the new name, the building is getting a new look.

“The 601 building takes the precedent of the old structure and tries to retrofit it… inspired loosely by Alaska glaciers,” says Derrick Chang, general manager of 601 5th Avenue LLC. Based on that inspiration, the Seattle-based architecture firm Perkins&Will drew a design that strips the skin off the building, reinforces the skeleton, and puts a glazed covering on 33,000 square feet of new rentable space.

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ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING
Big Green Investment
The value of planning and maintaining landscaping
By Peter Briggs
A

building will never again look as good as it did at the ribbon cutting. In comparison, the ribbon cutting for a landscape marks the start of another five years or more to give it time to grow in and begin to mature. Then, depending on the maintenance it receives, a landscape will continue to evolve forever. As the adage goes, “The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second-best time is now.”

Landscapes are a long-term investment, and as such they can have high installation costs. They also aren’t always optional. Many jurisdictions in Alaska have specific landscape requirements for undeveloped and previously developed properties, including the Municipality of Anchorage, Fairbanks North Star Borough, City of Palmer, and City of Wasilla. These codes mandate the type and extent of landscape that needs to be installed, although they often leave it open (to various degrees) to how those requirements are met. A stipulation within these codes is that the landscapes are maintained in compliance with their permitted conditions, and some of these jurisdictions require bonds to guarantee that plants establish successfully.

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It Takes Two
How architects and engineers blend their talents
By Rachael Kvapil
A

rchitects and engineers are two related professions that frequently get lumped together. How many casual conversations have declared a building, roadway, transportation, or utility system an “architectural” or “engineering” feat, interchangeably? To some degree, both deserve credit; an architect and engineer likely worked together on any given project. However, these two fields approach a project from different perspectives and tackle specific problems to deliver a finished product with both style and substance.

The Professions Defined
“Architects usually begin a project knowing they will have to take steps backward toward the middle ground,” says Bruce Hopper, senior structural engineer for Stantec in Anchorage. “Engineers begin knowing they will have to take steps forward toward that same middle ground.”

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Finding the right solution to the right problem.

Anchorage | Fairbanks | Palmer | Homer | Juneau

Finding the right solution to the right problem.

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ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING

Before
Disaster
Strikes

How engineers prepare
for the unknown
By Brad Joyal
Shannon & Wilson
E

arthquakes, floods, volcanoes, tsunamis, wildfires, and landslides: Alaskans endure a volatile landscape of natural disasters. Whenever these catastrophic events occur, engineers have already prepared for the worst. Whether it’s a dam, a road, an office building, or a hospital, all of the state’s infrastructure is designed to anticipate 10-year, 50-year, or even 100-year disasters in addition to human-caused damage that may occur during its lifetime.

Planning for the Long Term
Beyond the minimum standards for any type of project, engineers implement more vigilant requirements and practices depending on a structure’s location and function.
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Architecture & Engineering
Bringing In the Green
Biophilic design struggles to take root in the Last Frontier
By Isaac Stone Simonelli
R

enowned for its majestic wilderness and awe-inspiring landscapes, Alaska faces extraordinary hurdles when it comes to bringing green spaces into its commercial buildings. Despite these barriers, biophilic elements are important for Alaska buildings.

“Plants or biophilic elements certainly have their place in every building type,” says Dana Nunn, the director of interior design at Bettisworth North. “How you implement those biophilic elements certainly depends on… climates, daylight, budget, ability to maintain something that’s going to be good versus an eyesore that suddenly starts to undo the good of the biophilic imagery.”

Biophilic design originates from the work of psychoanalyst Erich Fromm, who defined biophilia as the “passionate love of life and of all that is alive.” The theory in design has evolved to focus on increasing building occupants’ direct and indirect connections to the natural environment.

The biophilic touches designed into a building’s interior or exterior can play an important role in the health and well-being of those who use the spaces, Nunn explains.

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HR MATTERS
Pick Up the Darn Phone
Stephanie Haydn, Director Business Development People AK
W

ith all of the disruption and changes to how we communicate, it is more challenging than ever for teams to pick up the phone. The pandemic certainly put us on a fast track to remote work, cloud migration, chatting, and emailing. However, there is still and always will be a need for conversations. Time and time again, I have asked a team member if they’ve responded to a client, and too often the answer is, “I emailed them last week.” I respond with, “So, have we confirmed a resolution or decision?” “I am not sure; they did not answer.” PICK UP THE DARN PHONE!

Technology has glitches, emails get buried, and people infer tone and meaning in chats. Simply calling a client, a prospective employer, or a sales lead is polite and develops a deeper relationship.

Architecture & Engineering
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Cannabis Cool
HVAC needs for growing, processing, and selling marijuana
By Alexandra Kay
W

hen Alaskans voted to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in 2014, opponents of the ballot initiative relied on several lines of argument. They warned of trouble hiring employees who could pass drug tests, of intoxicated driving, of use by children, and of disappointing tax revenues. What nobody talked about, pro or con, was the smell.

As the cannabis industry has grown, the distinct skunky odor (primarily caused by the chemical myrcene) has become a familiar scent, even to Alaskans who’ve never been in the same room as a marijuana product. Blame careless consumers allowing their private use to escape into the public space; the industry itself is subject to state and local regulations which, unlike the 2014 campaign, do take odor into consideration.

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Energy
Warmer Is Cooler
Building a heat pump community in Juneau
By Molly Rettig
themanofsteela | iStock
C

athy Muse doesn’t like using Craiglist that much, but there was something she really wanted to get rid of: her oil tank and all the oil inside it. So she went online and posted it.

“It’s half price if you can pump it!”

Thanks to her new air source heat pump, she didn’t need it anymore. Ditching her oil tank and Toyo stove was a long-awaited milestone for Muse, a Juneau resident who raised four kids in Alaska’s capital city and now has grandchildren there.

Environmental
Internal Sustainability Programs
Good for the environment and the bottom line
By Vanessa Orr
A

s companies look for ways to become better environmental stewards, many consider developing internal sustainability programs that allow them to set sustainability goals, create a plan of action, and measure the success of their efforts. With buy-in from employees and a willingness to create partnerships and recruit outside expertise when needed, it is possible to not only improve an organization’s environmental footprint but its bottom line as well.

“If your shareholders and stakeholders aren’t winning and you can’t make a profit, then that’s not sustainable,” says Lisa Peterson, owner of Aftan Engineering, a Pennsylvania-based consulting firm.

Alaska Airlines
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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
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Central Environmental Inc.
The Curiosity Factor
Janis Plume, Sr. Account Manager

By Janis Plume
Senior Account Manager

I

firmly believe that the readers of Alaska Business have what I call the “Curiosity Factor.” Our readers—regular and occasional—are drawn to our magazine with both broad and specific interests. We deliver compelling and engaging stories about Alaska as a whole and about targeted industries and people, because the reality is that “business reporting” is both a specific angle and touches on almost every aspect of daily, modern life.. Every issue has something for every reader to pull readers into our pages. Curiosity takes over.

Curiosity is a significant factor for our April issue when we publish the Alaska Corporate 100, ranking businesses based on the number of Alaskans they employ. Often our readers are surprised by the ranked list, both by employers that have more and those that have fewer workers than they anticipated. From year to year, they want to know who the pack leaders are who’s moving up the list.? The Corporate 100 annual rankings give our readers a unique look at employment in Alaska that, as of today, isn’t available anywhere else.

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Inside Alaska Business
ConocoPhillips Alaska

The Greater Mooses Tooth #2 drill site in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska achieved first oil on December 12, according to ConocoPhillips. The milestone arrives three years after first oil from Greater Mooses Tooth #1, eight miles to the northeast. Peak production is estimated at approximately 30,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, for a development cost of about $1.4 billion.
alaska.conocophillips.com

Oil Search | Santos

A pair of Southern Hemisphere oil companies with interests in the Far North are joining forces. Shareholders of Papua New Guinea-based Oil Search approved a merger with Australian firm Santos. The $6.1 billion deal gives Santos 61.5 percent control of the combined company. Oil Search acquired the Pikka project on the North Slope in 2018 and has since taken up residence in the former BP headquarters in Midtown Anchorage. Oil Search expects to begin producing from Pikka in 2025, and Santos has previously expressed support for the project.
oilsearch.com | santos.com

Economic Indicators

ANS Crude Oil Production

511,846 barrels
2% change from previous month

1/2/22
Source: Alaska Department of Natural Resources

ANS West Coast Crude Oil Prices

$80.13 per barrel
13% change from previous month

12/31/21
Source: Alaska Department of Natural Resources
Statewide Employment

350,800 Labor Force
6% Unemployment

11/1/21. Adjusted seasonally.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics
Right Moves
TOTE Maritime Alaska
A headshot image of Alex Hofeling grinning (President at TOTE Maritime Alaska)
Hofeling

TOTE Maritime Alaska has a new President. The shipping company promoted Alex Hofeling from his previous position as vice president and general manager. Hofeling, a veteran of the US Coast Guard, holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Washington and a master’s in business administration from Seattle University. He joined TOTE Maritime Alaska in 2013 and became VP/GM in 2019. As TOTE Maritime Alaska president working out of the Tacoma office, Hofeling’s responsibilities encompass the entirety of commercial and operational activities for the Alaska market.

BSNC
A headshot image of Miriam Aarons smiling (Vice President of Corporate Communications at Bering Straits Native Corporation)
Aarons

The new face of Bering Straits Native Corporation (BSNC) is Miriam Aarons, promoted from senior director of media and marketing to Vice President of Corporate Communications. In her new role, Aarons will continue to lead and grow BSNC’s communications and marketing initiatives. Aarons is Inupiaq and an enrolled tribal member of the Native Village of Unalakleet and a BSNC shareholder. She started working for the corporation in 2012. Aarons earned a bachelor’s degree in political science with a concentration in international relations from Columbia University.

Alaska Trends

A

drug notorious for making its users lazy and idle has been busy, busy, busy building a new industry in Alaska. In less than a decade since voters legalized recreational use of marijuana, cannabis has grown into the state’s most valuable cash crop. Per capita, Alaska has the most retail shops of any state where the drug is legal. Pretty impressive for a market that was entirely the domain of illicit dealers before 2016.

Alaska’s libertarian streak gets the credit for passing the legalization initiative in a politically conservative electorate, and that same tendency could also explain the proliferation of marijuana businesses. Cutting red tape and streamlining government regulation works for other industries, so cannabis benefits from the same light touch.

Which is not to say that cannabis isn’t strictly regulated. This month’s article “Cannabis Cool” explains how the air quality regulations alone require the support of HVAC engineers and installers, extending the ripples of the blazing industry to other economic sectors. Anyone willing to play by the rules—and navigate the financial complications of dealing in a federally banned substance—can claim a share of the marijuana profits.

At a Glance

What book is currently on your nightstand?

Code Name: Lise: The True Story of the Woman Who Became WWII’s Most Highly Decorated Spy by Larry Loftis and My Early Life by Winston Churchill.

What’s the last movie you watched on an airplane?

[The HBO crime series] Mare of Easttown.

What’s your favorite local restaurant?

Denali Brewpub. That is a restaurant we frequently visit when we’re in Talkeetna, and we just enjoy the ambiance and the food.

Dead or alive, who would you like to see perform live in concert?

I would’ve liked to have seen Frank Sinatra. I think that would’ve been a wonderful concert.

Have you ever had a supernatural experience?

I believe in it, but I can’t say that I’ve ever really had one.

Sandra Blinstrubas holding skis

At a Glance

What book is currently on your nightstand?

Code Name: Lise: The True Story of the Woman Who Became WWII’s Most Highly Decorated Spy by Larry Loftis and My Early Life by Winston Churchill.

What’s the last movie you watched on an airplane?

[The HBO crime series] Mare of Easttown.

What’s your favorite local restaurant?

Denali Brewpub. That is a restaurant we frequently visit when we’re in Talkeetna, and we just enjoy the ambiance and the food.

Dead or alive, who would you like to see perform live in concert?

I would’ve liked to have seen Frank Sinatra. I think that would’ve been a wonderful concert.

Have you ever had a supernatural experience?

I believe in it, but I can’t say that I’ve ever really had one.

Image © Kerry Tasker

Off the Cuff

Sandra Blinstrubas
S

kiers on Anchorage’s cross-country trails might unknowingly cross paths with a telecommunications pioneer. Sandra Blinstrubas has been President of Microcom since the mid-‘80s, when the oil price crash ended her career as a state contractor and she met Chuck Schumann, who founded the company in 1984. At that time, hundreds of villages lacked local phone service, long-distance calling was an ordeal, and network TV was recorded in Seattle and the tapes were flown north for delayed broadcast. Microcom brought satellite links to the Last Frontier—and linked Blinstrubas and Schumann as a married couple. Their son now also works at Microcom, managing its broadband business.

DIGITAL EDITION ADVERTISERS INDEX
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Airport Equipment Rental truck with mountains in the background
Airport Equipment Rental machines in blue
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Airport Equimpent Rentals muddy equipment in use
Airport Equipment Rentals bulldozer in use
Airport Equipment Rental truck with mountains in the background
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Airport Equimpent Rentals muddy equipment in use
Airport Equipment Rentals bulldozer in use
Anchorage
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The largest and most diverse equipment fleet across Alaska. text
The Rental Zone
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Delta Junction
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Fairbanks
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Prudhoe Bay
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Kenai
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The largest and most diverse equipment fleet across Alaska. text
Anchorage
907.522.6466

The Rental Zone
907.474.2000

Delta Junction
907.895.9898

Fairbanks
907.456.2000

Prudhoe Bay
907.659.2000

Kenai
907.335.5466

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Thanks for reading our February 2022 issue!