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Contents
Features
Doing Good in Underserved Communities
The economic and social impact of CDFIs
The Road to Red Dog’s Future
Extending the life of the world’s largest zinc mine
Antique Autos Take Flight
New location, combined mission for Fairbanks aviation and automobile museums
Vehicles Moving Vehicles
The niche service of transporting cars and trucks
Staying Afloat
Quality and sustainability guide small processors
Doing Good in Underserved Communities
The economic and social impact of CDFIs
The Road to Red Dog’s Future
Extending the life of the world’s largest zinc mine
Antique Autos Take Flight
New location, combined mission for Fairbanks aviation and automobile museums
Vehicles Moving Vehicles
The niche service of transporting cars and trucks
Staying Afloat
Quality and sustainability guide small processors
Quick Reads
About The Cover
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.
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.

Volume 41, #2
Billie Martin
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From the Editor
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.

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.

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.
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.
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.
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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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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

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.
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.”


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.
Anchorage, AK 99507
www.materialflow.com
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.
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
2024 Anchorage Engineer of the Year Nominees
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.

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.


- 9.5 air hours from 90 percent of industrialized world
- Handles ¾ of fuel used at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
- U.S. Commercial Strategic Seaport that supports DoD missions around the world
- 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

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.”

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.”


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.”
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.
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.
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.


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.
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.


Alaska Trends
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.
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!

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!
Off the Cuff
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.
- 2 Mobius Technology Solutions, Inc
- 3-Tier Alaska
- Airport Equipment Rentals
- Alaska Dreams Inc
- Alaska International Business Center
- Alaska Mergers & Acquisitions, LLC
- Alaska Pacific University
- Alaska Railroad
- Anchorage Convention Centers
- Anchorage Sand & Gravel
- Arctic Encounter
- Bettisworth North
- Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot
- Chugach Alaska Corporation
- Coffman Engineers
- Conrad-Houston Insurance Agency
- Construction Machinery Industrial
- Cook Inlet Tug & Barge Inc
- Craig Taylor Equipment
- Design Alaska
- Equipment Source, Inc
- First National Bank Alaska
- Fountainhead Development
- Global Credit Union
- Hotel Captain Cook
- IMA Financial Group
- JAG Alaska
- Kinross Alaska
- Lennon Crane and Equipment Company
- Lynden
- Manley Brautigam Bankston P.C
- Material Flow & Conveyor Systems, Inc.
- Michael Baker International..
- Nana Regional Corporation..
- Nenana Heating Services, Inc
- Nortech Environmental & Engineering
- Northern Air Cargo
- Oxford Assaying & Refining Inc
- PeopleAK
- Personnel Plus Employment Agency
- PND Engineers Inc.
- Port of Alaska
- R & M Consultants Inc.
- RESPEC
- Society for Marketing Professional Services Alaska
- Stellar Designs Inc..
- Structured Communication Systems
- Systemcenter Alaska.
- T. Rowe Price
- Think Office
- TOTE Maritime Alaska LLC
- Tutka, LLC
- UAF College of Engineering
- UAF Corporate Enrollment
- United Way of Anchorage
- Visit Anchorage
- Westmark Fairbanks Hotel & Conference Center
- Yukon Equipment Inc







Anchorage
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