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February 2025 | Volume 41 | Number 2 | AKBIZMAG.COM

Contents

Features

Doing Good in Underserved Communities
The economic and social impact of CDFIs

By Tracy Barbour

The Road to Red Dog’s Future
Extending the life of the world’s largest zinc mine

By Tasha Anderson

Antique Autos Take Flight
New location, combined mission for Fairbanks aviation and automobile museums

By Terri Marshall

Number One Element
Geologic hydrogen could rock Alaska’s energy world

By Rachael Kvapil

Driving Innovation
Alyeska Tire’s new high-tech Soldotna location

By Tracy Barbour

Vehicles Moving Vehicles
The niche service of transporting cars and trucks

By Alexandra Kay

Anchorage’s Aspirations
Project 80s buildings, then and now

By Scott Rhode
Ken Graham Photography

Staying Afloat
Quality and sustainability guide small processors

By Dimitra Lavrakas
David Little | Camtu’s Alaska Wild Seafoods

Doing Good in Underserved Communities
The economic and social impact of CDFIs

By Tracy Barbour

Anchorage’s Aspirations
Project 80s buildings, then and now

By Scott Rhode
Ken Graham Photography
the view west along Fifth Avenue circa 1983, when the Egan Center was under construction

The Road to Red Dog’s Future
Extending the life of the world’s largest zinc mine

By Tasha Anderson

Antique Autos Take Flight
New location, combined mission for Fairbanks aviation and automobile museums

By Terri Marshall

Number One Element
Geologic hydrogen could rock Alaska’s energy world

By Rachael Kvapil

Driving Innovation
Alyeska Tire’s new high-tech Soldotna location

By Tracy Barbour

Vehicles Moving Vehicles
The niche service of transporting cars and trucks

By Alexandra Kay

Staying Afloat
Quality and sustainability guide small processors

By Dimitra Lavrakas
David Little | Camtu’s Alaska Wild Seafoods
F/V Camtu sits in Cordova Harbor under northern lights
Special Section: Architecture & Engineering

About The Cover

Look up at Loussac Library and notice the texture of the ceiling in the bridge connecting its fortress-like turrets. Loussac Library, designed by Environmental Concerns, Inc. of Spokane, Washington, is the second building to carry the name of that former Anchorage mayor. The first, funded by Z.J. Loussac’s philanthropic efforts, was built in the ‘50s in a prime position in Downtown Anchorage along Fifth Avenue.

In the ‘70s, the city grew (and merged with its surrounding borough), and another mayor pushed for public investments worthy of the burgeoning metropolis. George M. Sullivan was the driving force behind Project 80s, a slate of state-funded construction projects. Those buildings included the new Loussac Library, the Egan Civic & Convention Center on the site of the previous library, the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts across the street, and the multipurpose arena named in Sullivan’s honor.

On the occasion of this magazine’s 40th anniversary, this month’s article “Anchorage’s Aspirations” checks in with those physical manifestations of that decade’s civic spirit.

Cover by Monica Sterchi-Lowman

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. © 2025 Alaska Business Publishing Co. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Alaska Business accepts no responsibility for unsolicited materials; they will not be returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self addressed envelope. One-year subscription is $39.95 and includes twelve issues (print + digital) and the annual Power List. Single issues of the Power List are $15 each. Single issues of Alaska Business are $4.99 each; $5.99 for the July & October issues. Send subscription orders and address changes to circulation@akbizmag.com. To order back issues ($9.99 each including postage) visit simplecirc.com/back_issues/alaska-business.

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Volume 41, #2

Editorial
Managing Editor
Tasha Anderson
907-257-2907
tanderson@akbizmag.com
Editor/Staff Writer
Scott Rhode
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Associate Editor
Rindi White
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Editorial Assistant
Emily Olsen
emily@akbizmag.com
PRODUCTION
Art Director
Monica Sterchi-Lowman
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Design & Art Production
Fulvia Caldei Lowe
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Web Manager
Patricia Morales
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SALES
VP Sales & Marketing
Charles Bell
907-257-2909
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Senior Account Manager
Janis J. Plume
907-257-2917
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Senior Account Manager
Christine Merki
907-257-2911
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Marketing Assistant
Tiffany Whited
907-257-2910
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BUSINESS
President
Billie Martin
VP & General Manager
Jason Martin
907-257-2905
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Accounting Manager
James Barnhill
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From the Editor

S

ome years ago, my father and I watched The Red Green Show perform at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts (PAC). It was a delightful show, largely because my father and I both enjoy Red Green’s humor, but I also remember how the audience members themselves added to the evening’s atmosphere. Dad and I noticed, as we sat in the auditorium waiting for the production to begin, that there were two types of attendees. About half of the audience wore a combination of flannel shirts and jeans; the other half sported suits and evening gowns. Did someone miss the memo on the dress code?

Absolutely not. One of the great joys of the PAC is its function as a community hub, and in Alaska, that community includes those who dress for comfort and those who are looking for an excuse to wear elbow-length gloves. I remember attendees chatting politely before the show began, no one paying much attention if their partner in conversation was sporting a tie or work boots.

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Finance
Doing Good in Underserved Communities
The economic and social impact of CDFIs
By Tracy Barbour
C

ommunity development financial institutions (CDFIs) share a distinct mission: to expand economic opportunities in communities traditionally overlooked by banking and investing services. There are approximately 1,000 certified CDFIs in the United States, and 8 of them operate in Alaska.

The CDFIs in Alaska are Alaska Growth Capital (AGC), Alaska Benteh Capital, Cook Inlet Lending Center (CILC), Haa Yaḵaawu Financial Corporation, NeighborWorks Alaska, HomeOwnership Center, Spruce Root, and Tongass Federal Credit Union (TFCU). These mission-driven, private-sector entities often work together to serve low- and middle-income individuals in urban and rural areas. They promote self-sufficiency, economic growth, and community redevelopment.

Anchorage’s Aspirations
Project 80s buildings, then and now
By Scott Rhode
P

izza toppings. Jay Leno reportedly compared the crazy-quilt pattern of the Atwood Concert Hall’s freshly installed carpet to Italian food in 1988 when he performed the venue’s inaugural show. Four decades later, the carpet is still there, a little worse for wear but holding up respectably.

The Atwood is the largest and most elegant of the three auditoriums in the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts (PAC). The city-owned structure is open to the public only a few hours per day, a few days per week, which cuts down on carpet-scuffing foot traffic.

“My team does an amazing job of taking care of this facility that we are so fortunate to have,” says Codie Costello, president and chief operating officer of Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, the nonprofit organization contracted by the Municipality of Anchorage to manage the PAC.

Carpeting inside the Egan Civic & Convention Center, across Fifth Avenue from the PAC, was replaced a few years ago, but some forty-year-old fixtures are still there. “The ficus trees that were original to the building were seven feet tall; they now fill up the space,” notes Steve Rader, general manager of Anchorage Convention Centers, the local branch of facility management firm ASM Global.

Ken Graham Photography
Built for Alaska typography
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Mining
The Road to Red Dog’s Future
Extending the life of the world’s largest zinc mine
By Tasha Anderson
NANA Regional Corporation
R

ed Dog mine began operations in 1989 and currently has a projected mine life until 2031; however, in late November 2024, the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced its decision to issue a permit that allows for the construction of a road to support Teck Resources Limited exploration activities that could further extend operations at the mine—and its contributions to local and statewide economies.

A Long Path
Red Dog operator Teck and landowner NANA regional corporation welcomed the permit approval. According to NANA Vice President of Natural Resources Lance Miller, “This was the last permit needed to construct the exploration road and advance the evaluation of the project. This milestone was reached after many, many hours of work by Kivalina, Teck, and NANA leadership.”
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Global Operations Local Impact
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Tourism
Antique Autos Take Flight
New location, combined mission for Fairbanks aviation and automobile museums
By Terri Marshall
Fountainhead Development | Fountainhead Museum Foundation
O

ne of the most popular attractions in Fairbanks is leaving the Wedgewood Resort. The Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum has wowed locals and visitors since opening in 2009. The renowned collection of antique cars and vintage fashions was voted by Alaska Business readers as one of the best museums in the state in 2024, alongside the Anchorage Museum and the Alaska Aviation Museum at Lake Hood. The museum has made its mark, and now it’s moving away from the nest of Fountainhead Development, the owners of the resort property in north Fairbanks.

In 2025, the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum is moving across Chena River into the former Kmart building on Airport Way, now partially occupied by an Amazon fulfillment center. The new location will expand on the story of Alaska transportation through a partnership with the Interior and Arctic Alaska Aeronautical Foundation, operator of the Pioneer Air Museum currently located in the Gold Dome at Pioneer Park, a few blocks away from the merged museums’ new home.

Come
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Your space for any occasion
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Events | Concerts | Conferences | Conventions | Banquets | Meetings | Trade Shows | Weddings | In-house Catering | Equipment Technology

Anchorage Convention Centers
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ASM Global is the world’s leading producer of entertainment experiences. It is the global leader in venue and event strategy and management – delivering locally tailored solutions and cutting-edge technologies to achieve maximum results for venue owners. The company’s elite venue network spans five continents, with a portfolio of more than 350 of the world’s most prestigious arenas, stadiums, convention, and exhibition centers, and performing arts venues.
Energy
Number One Element
Geologic hydrogen could rock Alaska’s energy world
by Rachael Kvapil
Eric Marshall | UAF Geophysical Institute
H

ydrocarbons are the backbone of Alaska’s energy wealth. Oil and natural gas, composed of carbon molecules studded with hydrogen atoms, continue to shape the state’s future. But the state’s rocks may also hold a simpler, cleaner resource.

More than 100 people gathered at UAF in October to discuss the potential of geologic hydrogen. This process, different from industrially produced hydrogen, is still in its infancy. However, this isn’t stopping key players from sharing information in hopes of discovering a breakthrough that will lead to a viable commercial product.

University of Alaska Fairbanks

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Support your employees as they enroll in one of UAF’s in-person degree or certificate programs, or a fully online program with UAF eCampus. Empower them to get one step closer to their career goals — on their schedule, wherever they are.

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UAF is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer, educational institution and provider and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual: www.alaska.edu/nondiscrimination/.01/2025

Architecture & Engineering
Architecture & Engineering typography
P

rojects in architecture and engineering, be they monumentally large like Project 80s buildings or tiny homes in Petersburg, are manifestations of the talent, teams, techniques, and tools that make them. For talent, look to the nominees for the Engineer of the Year awards for 2024. They bolster teams ranging from firms like Design Alaska to associations like the Society for Marketing Professional Services, a network of business development experts who connect firms to clients.

Techniques include the specialized knowledge that goes into fire protection engineering or interior design—knowledge that must stay up to date with the latest innovations. Those new tools might be 3D printers that squirt out concrete walls or AI-driven software that can amplify a small company’s reach.

But enough tease; let’s get to the Ts.

Architecture & Engineering
Outside Speaks to Inside
Beneath the surface of interior design
By Scott Rhode
Alaska Business
I

nterior design deserves to be taken seriously. Dana Nunn, interior design director at Bettisworth North, would like to see more respect for her profession.

“Public perception is largely that interior design is a luxury for the very elite who can afford it at home. Or it is picking paint colors and doing the surface things,” Nunn says.

Basic cable TV shows made some Alaskans look like heroes: crabbing crews, gold dredgers, ice road truckers. But interior designers had to endure the shame of Trading Spaces. Not every project involved a bale of straw glued to a living room wall, but more than zero did. That’s tough for a hard-working professional to live down.

Nunn says people only notice the surface of a designed space. “Everything else we do is behind that,” she says. “Finishes is less than 5 percent of what an interior designer does.”

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Architecture & Engineering
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Big Solutions in Small Packages
How Petersburg is tackling its housing shortage
By Katie Pesznecker
L

ittle Norway has a big problem with a tiny answer. The Petersburg Borough is facing mounting pressure to address a lack of affordable and available housing, a challenge that threatens local growth and stability.

Petersburg is known for its natural beauty, rich Norwegian heritage, and strong commercial fishing roots. The quintessential island community is a residential draw for people seeking small-town life amid stunning Southeast scenery. But the limited availability of homes has capped the population at about 3,000.

In 2023, the Petersburg Borough took a bold step by introducing the Permit-Ready Accessory Dwelling Unit (PRADU) program. This initiative provides pre-approved designs for tiny homes, offering a streamlined path for residents to create additional housing—and generate income—on their properties. The innovative program has the potential to positively alleviate the small town’s housing crunch, one tiny home at a time.

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Architecture & Engineering
Make It Rain
Fire prevention and protection for building safety
By Rachael Kvapil
JimmiLarsen | iStock
F

ire protection is one of the most critical, yet inconspicuous, parts of building design that occupants need but hope they never have to use. This essential safety feature is more than alarms and sprinklers. Depending on the type of building, it can exist in ways people wouldn’t recognize. When it comes to fire protection, engineers take a holistic approach to designing a system that ensures the longevity of the structure and occupants inside.

An Ounce of Prevention
Fire protection engineers begin the system design process with one vital question: how do we keep a fire from starting in the first place? This requires a thorough assessment of the project, what Nick Rodes, manager of engineering for NANA Worley, calls the “hierarchy of hazard controls.” This hierarchy is a systematic framework of five main components that all engineering disciplines use to increase safety. In the case of fire protection, these components—elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment—guide the risk assessment before initial systems design.
Architecture & Engineering
3D Printed Homes
Automated construction with advanced materials
By Vanessa Orr
I

n summer 2024, a prototype structure was built in Fairbanks using 3D printing to test whether this technology might work in Alaska. A second project, a 1,200-square-foot home, will be built this summer in Nome to incorporate lessons learned from the Fairbanks building while serving as a further testbed.

“While we’re in the research phase right now, we believe that 3D-printed houses could be cost-effective in the long run, particularly on construction projects in Alaska,” says Sven Bilén, co-founder of X-Hab 3D, a Pennsylvania-based firm that creates robotic additive concrete manufacturing systems, materials, and designs. “Using this technology could help with supply chain difficulties, a shortage of labor, and the short building season, all of which makes housing in Alaska two to three times more expensive than it is in the Lower 48.”

Bilén is part of a team of experts who are working together to study ways that 3D printing can help solve the state’s housing crisis. This team includes UAF, UAA, Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), the Cold Climate Housing Research Center, Xtreme Habitats Institute (XHI), X-Hab 3D, Fairbanks Block and Materials, the Alaska cement masons and plasterers union Local 528, the Innovative Readiness Training Unit of the US Department of Defense, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

X-Hab 3D

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Architecture & Engineering

2024 Anchorage Engineer of the Year Nominees

O

ne of the highlights of Engineers Week every year is learning more about Anchorage’s outstanding engineers. Nominees for the Engineer of the Year, which honors an exceptional, local engineer, are put forward by professional engineering societies. The criteria to select the Anchorage Engineer of the Year include significant engineering contributions, publications and patents, participation in engineering and other professional organizations, and community service and activities. Alaska Business is pleased to share the 2024 Engineer of the Year nominees; the winner will be announced at the Engineers Week Anchorage banquet, taking place February 22 at the Egan Convention Center in Anchorage.

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ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING
AI generated concept art of the outside of a building
Bettisworth North
Sparking Ideas, Delegating Details
AI is proving useful for small businesses
By Rindi White
T

he push and pull between adopting AI as a technology to make everyday tasks easier and putting too much stock in the information AI is providing is real. Case in point: Alaska Department of Education and Early Development staff used generative AI to draft a proposed policy on smartphone use in Alaska schools, and the document failed to disclose the department’s use of AI. What’s worse, some of the AI-generated content cited nonexistent scholarly articles.

But with appropriate oversight, AI is proving to be a valuable tool, particularly to small businesses where offloading mundane tasks frees human staff to focus on tasks that make better use of their skills.

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  • Interconnects Alaska’s primary marine, highway, rail, pipeline and air cargo systems
  • Handles half of all Alaska inbound fuel and freight – shipped by water, road or air
  • Half of port cargo distributed to final destinations outside of Anchorage – statewide
  • 90 percent of Alaska residents consume goods shipped across Anchorage docks
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ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING
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Winning the Work
Meet the Society for Marketing Professional Services
By Amy Newman
K

aty Kless has a passion for marketing.

“I have always had a more creative than analytical mind,” the marketing and communications manager for Ahtna Diversified Holdings, says. “I tell people all the time, ‘I do marketing, not math. I make data look good.’”

Her passion for marketing in the architecture, engineering, and construction (A/E/C) industry, though, happened by chance. In 2010, Kless was a client service and marketing support associate at a local investment firm when she was “lured” into a position with KPB Architects.

“I was enlisted to help often with production of proposals, and from that point forward I knew I had found my home,” she says. “There isn’t really anything quite like it.”

ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING
Blueprints for the Golden Heart
Multidisciplinary firm Design Alaska
By Vanessa Orr
Design Alaska
outdoor view of the Qavartarvik Customer Lodging building
W

hile Alaska creates a challenging environment in which to build, Design Alaska’s knowledgeable, experienced, and deliberate approach, especially on projects in the Interior and far north, ensures that the building envelope, foundation, and mechanical systems will function for at least forty to fifty years without major repairs or restoration.

According to Jeff Putnam, vice president of the Fairbanks-based firm, this level of expertise has enabled staff to work on a variety of unique projects. These include the new $30 million transit center for the Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB), which will provide storage, maintenance, and a fueling station for buses being converted from diesel to compressed natural gas, and the Qavartarvik Customer Lodge, a patient lodging facility in Bethel for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation (YKHC).“The customer lodge is such a neat and beautiful building, and it was a ton of fun for our staff to work on,” says Putnam. “Our architects and interior designers got to express their design creativity in pulling it all together.”

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PROVIDING A FULL CONTINUUM OF INNOVATIVE SERVICES FOR ALASKA’S INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS
Retail
Driving Innovation
Alyeska Tire’s new high-tech Soldotna location
By Tracy Barbour
EyeEm Mobile GmbH | iStock
four tires lined up side-to-side against a dark background
A

lyeska Tire, a prominent business in Alaska’s tire and wheel industry, is expanding its presence, vision, and impact with the construction of a state-of-the-art retail location in Soldotna. The 7,200-square-foot, ten-bay facility positions the company to start 2025 with enhanced product offerings and services.

The new facility sits strategically next to Alyeska Tire’s current site on the Kenai Spur Highway. Aside from a few “hiccups here and there,” construction has gone “rather smoothly,” according to co-owner Craig Wortham.

“Planning the right of way and getting approval was a little frustrating,” he says. “Otherwise, LittleKnife [construction company] has made the entire project relatively easy for us.”

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cheduling a Business Profile in Alaska Business magazine or a Spotlight Digital Profile on akbizmag.com offers businesses an excellent way to enhance their visibility and strengthen their credibility with decision-makers in Alaska.

These advertising formats effectively reach a targeted, professional audience while building lasting brand recognition.

Our print and digital platforms are trusted sources of information for decision-makers, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders across the state. By investing in a full-page Business Profile, your company can reach a highly relevant and engaged audience—one that is actively seeking solutions and interested in your business.

Transportation
Vehicles Moving Vehicles
The niche service of transporting cars and trucks
By Alexandra Kay
V

ehicles outnumber the Alaskans who drive them. According to the Division of Motor Vehicles, all registered vehicles in the state amounted to 808,874 in 2023 (the latest year with complete data). The state’s population, of course, has yet to exceed 800,000, pegged at about 733,000 during the last census.

Passenger cars and pickup trucks add up to 601,684, which is more than the number of driving-age Alaskans. How did they all get here? Either the owner drove into the state personally, or the car or truck was purchased from a dealer that had it shipped in. Or the third option: those wheels arrived thanks to a vehicle shipping company.

Fisheries
Staying Afloat
Quality and sustainability guide small processors
By Dimitra Lavrakas
Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute
T

urbulence in Alaska’s seafood processing industry made headlines in 2024. Trident Seafoods, the largest employer in the sector, retrenched by offloading properties in Kodiak, Ketchikan, Petersburg, and False Pass, and the company postponed construction of a new megafactory in Unalaska. Peter Pan Seafood Co., a venerable brand for more than a century, folded entirely, going into receivership. Meanwhile, Silver Bay Seafoods is swooping in to expand its Alaska presence.

Underneath the feet of these giants, smaller processors weathered the same turmoil in harvest numbers and market prices. They navigate the storm by a compass that points to quality, sustainability, and investment in coastal communities.

United is the way to create lasting change.
Through a statewide helpline, investment in education and housing programs, and much more, United Way is helping people in Anchorage and across Alaska.
Learn more at liveunitedanc.org
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The Safety Corner
Alaska’s Assigned Risk Pool
A backstop for workers’ compensation insurance
By Sean Dewalt
Vector digital illustration of a male dark bearded construction worker person figure in a dark navy blue outfit, orange hard hat, orange construction safety vest, and dark brown dress shoes falling backwards awkwardly in air in motion as he grabs his left ankle area yelling while he is over on top of a wet slippery circular shaped floor ground as beside him there is a yellow caution wet floor sign and two orange/white cones situated nearby the yellow caution wet floor sign
Kate3155 | iStock
W

orkers’ compensation is a no-fault insurance system that protects workers and employers from financial losses caused by on-the-job accidents and job-related illnesses. In Alaska, coverage is mandatory, not voluntary. Unlike other states, there are no “opt out” provisions under the Alaska Workers’ Compensation Act. This insurance provides employees with medical benefits and compensation for lost wages due to injury, occupational disease, or death arising from their employment.

Companies with more than one employee are required to carry workers’ comp insurance. Under Alaska Statutes Title 23, Chapter 30, an employee is generally defined as, “a person who is not an independent contractor as defined in AS 23.30.230 and who, under a contract of hire, express or implied, is employed by an employer.” Section 230 lists a few exceptions to the workers’ comp requirement (which can include but are not limited to): officers of a nonprofit corporation, part-time babysitters, non-commercial cleaners, sports officials for amateur events, contract entertainers, and commercial fishermen.

Inside Alaska Business
Silver Bay Seafoods
Peter Pan Seafood Co. processing plants in Dillingham and Port Moller are coming under the control of Silver Bay Seafoods. Although former Peter Pan co-owner Rodger May outbid Silver Bay at a receivership auction in September, May agreed in November to sell the facilities to Silver Bay, which operated them last season after Peter Pan’s financial collapse. Silver Bay previously bought Peter Pan’s Valdez plant and acquired Trident Seafoods’ plants in Ketchikan and False Pass.

silverbayseafoods.com

Hilcorp
Hilcorp acquired two near-offshore units developed by Italian energy company Eni SpA. The companies completed the $1 billion deal for Oooguruk and Nikaitchuq on November 4. The company says a polymer flooding technology that has enhanced oil recovery at the neighboring Milne Point unit could be applied to Eni’s two mature fields.

hilcorp.com

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Anchorage Alaskans working and connected
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This Alaska Business
The corner of the market for snowboard deck treads is in eastern Fairbanks. Skaters on streets, snow, and surf worldwide use black or yellow peel-and-stick tabs made by one of their own.

Joshua Poe manufactures Tundra Grip, sheets of polyurea plastic sprayed onto molds designed with conical knobs for optimal traction, in his scratch-built assembly line.

The material of choice for Poe’s shreddin’ brethren also improves the safety of stairs and steps at homes or industrial sites. “This grip tape is the perfect solution for skating the rawness of Alaska,” he says.

Part 27 of an ongoing video series.

Right Moves
Sheet Metal Inc.
Portrait headshot photograph of Robert Reid smiling
Reid
One of Alaska’s largest full-service mechanical contractors has a new General Manager. Sheet Metal Inc. promoted Robert Reid, who has been serving as business development manager. Reid has been with the company for more than six years, playing a pivotal role in expanding Sheet Metal Inc.’s market presence and fostering key client relationships. Reid brings more than eighteen years of experience in the commercial HVAC industry, making him an asset in driving the company’s growth in HVAC, plumbing, fabrication, and service focused solutions.

Alaska Trends

F

ire: man’s oldest foe. Insatiable. Remorseless. Unquenchable—except with firefighting apparatus, whether high-tech or as simple as a bucket of water.

Fire protection 101: snuff a flame by depriving it of heat, fuel, or oxygen. For advanced studies, this month’s article “Making It Rain” by Rachael Kvapil consults with engineers who know the best way to fight a fire is to prevent it from starting in the first place. In the Hierarchy of Hazard Controls, engineers first seek to eliminate potential fuel sources, or substitute less flammable materials. The next tool is designing the environment to minimize fire risk, such as physically separating heat sources from fuels. Administrative controls, such as safety rules and operational procedures, are next on the hierarchy, and the last resort is the most visible: personal protective equipment, including wall-mounted extinguishers. Astute scholars will notice that several steps in the hierarchy precede systems such as sprinklers, alarms, barriers, and detectors.

What book is currently on your nightstand?
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t by Jim Collins. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent and Lead by Brené Brown is another one.

Dead or alive, who would you like to see perform in concert?
George Strait.

If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?
A baby dragon.

What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long day at work?
Kiss my wife and give her a hug. And say hi to the kids.

What are you superstitious about?
Um… I’m trying to think about what I do superstitiously. [His wife, Megan, suggests: “You always sit with your back toward the wall, Louis L’Amour style.”] Well, I gotta be facing the entrance!

Portrait outdoor photograph close-up view of Shaun Debenham grinning as he jogging on a snowy ground while wearing a black Adidas long-sleeve shirt and black Adidas jogger pants with blue-colored fitness running shoes as he is situated nearby a frozen cold lake
What book is currently on your nightstand?
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t by Jim Collins. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent and Lead by Brené Brown is another one.

Dead or alive, who would you like to see perform in concert?
George Strait.

If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?
A baby dragon.

What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long day at work?
Kiss my wife and give her a hug. And say hi to the kids.

What are you superstitious about?
Um… I’m trying to think about what I do superstitiously. [His wife, Megan, suggests: “You always sit with your back toward the wall, Louis L’Amour style.”] Well, I gotta be facing the entrance!

Photos by Kerry Tasker

Off the Cuff

Shaun Debenham
F

orty years ago, the inaugural list of The New 49ers (as this magazine then called the highest-earning Alaskan-owned companies) included Debenham Electrical Supply at #27. Owning and operating its shops and warehouses paved the company’s transition from wholesaling into real estate. Now Shaun Debenham runs the sequel to his father’s company as a general contractor, property manager, and building developer.

“I definitely have a passion for structures and buildings, creating an environment that betters the city, betters the people and the landscape,” he says.

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Deere machinery being brought in on the back of a truck
Deere machinery lined up in the snow
Deere machinery laying down pipes
Deere machinery being brought in on the back of a truck
Deere machinery lined up in the snow
Deere machinery laying down pipes in the snow
The largest and most diverse equipment fleet across Alaska

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907.522.6466

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907.895.9898
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The largest and most diverse equipment fleet across Alaska

Anchorage
907.522.6466

The Rental Zone
907.474.2000

Fairbanks
907.456.2000

Kenai
907.335.5466

Delta Junction
907.895.9898

Prudhoe Bay
907.659.2000

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We Keep Alaska Moving
At Lynden, we know that what we carry is so much more than freight. We supply communities, keep projects on track, and help move the world’s most vital industries forward.

From mechanics and drivers, to customer service and support teams, we are proud of the people who do this hard work every day.

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For more information, call us at 1-888-596-3361 or visit our website at lynden.com.

For more information, call us at 1-888-596-3361 or visit our website at lynden.com.
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