n 1987, Junior Achievement (JA) of Alaska began the Alaska Business Hall of Fame to honor outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to the Alaska business community. Selection for the Alaska Business Hall of Fame is based on support for Junior Achievement’s programs, demonstrated commitment to Alaska business, and direct impact toward furthering the success of business in Alaska.

Three laureates named for 2024 contributed to Alaska’s economy through their dedication and leadership, while a fourth honoree is being recognized with the prestigious Denali Award. While their paths differ, each offers words of wisdom to today’s young people and intriguing memories from their personal roads to success.

The induction ceremony is being held at the Marriott Anchorage Downtown on January 25, 2024. For tickets and more information visit alaskabusinesshalloffame.com.

laska is not alone in the workforce shortage. The US economy continues to experience the after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and growing global tensions. In the workplace, The Great Resignation has put an even greater strain on employers who were struggling to find qualified workers before the pandemic. The pandemic also exacerbated the existing “skills gap” many industries were already facing. Countless trained and experienced Baby Boomers retired during the pandemic.

Though it remains to be seen how the pandemic impacts the careers and finances of Generation Z and [school-aged and younger] Generation Alpha, some things can be done now to help them better manage the transition from school to work to life beyond in the coming years. Junior Achievement (JA) can help young Alaskans become better prepared adults and build a foundation for Alaska’s workforce.

he cybersecurity landscape, much like our collective digital ecosystem, is ever evolving and changes daily. Staying on top of threats and best practices is daunting, but ensuring that your organization maintains adequate cybersecurity has regulatory, financial, and reputational implications.

There are many reasons you should consider updating your cybersecurity approach, financial risk being key among them. We are seeing an increase in requests from clients to update their cybersecurity framework to meet new insurance and compliance audit requirements. Concurrently, an investment in cybersecurity can be beneficial for reputational preservation. Each instance involves meeting strict guidelines meant to help protect your data and instill confidence that you are doing well on behalf of your clients and their sensitive information. While this may seem like an exorbitant amount of effort on the front end, robust information security means less headache and cost savings in the event of an incident or attack. In the worst scenario, an unprepared company might be locked out of company data for weeks or months or may never recover from a cyber-attack.

orn fritters used to draw diners to Sourdough Mining Company, on the banks of Campbell Creek near Midtown Anchorage, until the restaurant closed in 2016. The cost of renovating the building, under the same owner as the neighboring Peanut Farm, was prohibitive.

“I used to jog by it on the trail every day, and I watched it get more run down over time,” says Sean McLaughlin.

The CEO of Alaska Gear Company and the owner of Craig Taylor Equipment saw the potential to add the building to his business holdings. “My first company [in Boston] was housed in a repurposed factory, so I was familiar with this level of renovation,” McLaughlin says.

After two years of work, the space was ready in December for a new tenant—but it’s not a restaurant.

ecades ago, contractors seeking work opportunities would visit office spaces known as plans rooms—rooms packed with bid materials, blueprints, and other paperwork that they would sort through and photocopy or sit and do a take-off when a project with potential caught their attention.

Technology has transformed and elevated this concept in today’s construction world, but the spirit of plans rooms remains the same: these virtual, online platforms compile and organize upcoming projects in searchable, sortable, and sensible fashion, creating a platform where would-be bidders can browse work prospects. Two private plans rooms operate in Alaska today. The Plans Room and the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Alaska’s Online Plans offer a full range of services for bid-seeking general contractors, builders, construction suppliers, and others.

he commercial cleaning industry is a dirty business.

It’s also expanding, spurred on by—no surprise—the COVID-19 pandemic, which drove home the importance of cleanliness and hygiene to protect the health and well-being of employees and customers.

“It’s a really vital industry, and I think COVID really showed building owners and property managers how important a clean and well-maintained facility is,” says Cynthia Mockbee, COO of Janco Commercial Cleaning, a family-owned and -operated commercial cleaning company in Anchorage whose niche is medical facilities and Class A office buildings. “It’s like a make it or break it, not just for the professional image but preserving the value of their investment.”

hough there are pros and cons in hiring a third-party provider to handle business processes, the sheer number of companies offering their expertise suggests that outsourcing is on trend. Technology, in part, has made outsourcing services like payroll and HR easier and more affordable. Likewise, third-party providers have expanded their services in these two areas, meaning business owners get more bang for their buck.

Airswift, an international provider with an office in Anchorage, has assisted employers mainly in technology and engineering sectors with workforce solutions for forty years. It started as a small computer-aided design company in 1979 and grew into a multifaceted consulting, management, and recruitment firm. Through a series of collaborations, mergers, private equity investors, and acquisitions, Air Energi and Swift Worldwide Resources officially merged into Airswift in 2016. Five years later, Airswift merged with its former competitor Competentia.

iving without running water and flushable toilets is a reality in many of Alaska’s remote communities, leading to increased health concerns for both children and adults. Fortunately, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) has received a grant from the Indian Health Service to build up sanitation infrastructure in these communities, and work is underway to kick off these much-needed projects.

ANTHC is a nonprofit tribal health organization with an ambitious vision statement: to make Alaska Native people the healthiest in the world. This vision serves as the guiding principle in all that ANTHC does.

“ANTHC was formed by an act of Congress through all of the regional tribal health organizations in the state coming together to create the only tribal health organization with a statewide focus,” says Shea Siegert, senior manager of external relations. “There are 229 federally recognized tribes in Alaska, and ANTHC’s board members represent all regions and tribes in the state.”

nmanned aircraft, often known as drones, have tremendous potential: scientific research, search and rescue, cargo delivery, and other applications. This technology can be used to save lives—especially in the 49th state, where general aviation accident rates are more than twice the national average.

Fortunately, the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft System Integration (ACUASI) is one of the top drone research programs in the country. Located at UAF, the program is developing and testing drones for use in Alaska and across the United States.

“If you can make the technology work here, you can make it work anywhere,” says Catherine F. Cahill, director of ACUASI within the UAF Geophysical Institute. “Alaska is a tough environment in which to fly; there aren’t good communications, the flying distances are long, and the weather is extreme. When it comes to testing drones, we are the final exam.”

unior Achievement of Alaska is a nonprofit that helps young people expand their horizons and realize their potential. Its programs can spark imagination and ignite young people’s passion for business and entrepreneurship.

When I was 11 years old, I participated in Junior Achievement. In our cohort, someone took the idea of “igniting our passion” a little too literally.

At the start of the project, our mentors gave us several concepts to select from. There was a car emergency kit, custom greeting cards, and embossed matchbooks.

What do you think a bunch of kids selected? Matchbooks, of course!

World Trade Center Anchorage has promoted overseas commerce for, effectively, the entire state, so the nonprofit is leaning into that larger identity with a new name. President and CEO Greg Wolf announced a rebranding in November, becoming the Alaska International Business Center, styled akIBC. Wolf says the name “is a better representation of our statewide membership and operations.”

To describe the full range of outdoor living and recreation products it makes, Airframes Alaska changed its name to Alaska Gear Company. Airframes Alaska started as a licensed maker of Super Cub fuselages at Birchwood Airport. The company acquired the Reeve Air Motive parts dealer at Merrill Field, and other acquisitions brought Alaska Tent & Tarp and Northern Sled Works under the same roof. “Our new brand gives us a chance to build an even bigger Alaskan manufacturing company,” says CEO and majority owner Sean McLaughlin.

airframesalaska.com