Contents
Features
By Danny Kreilkamp
By Isaac Stone Simonelli
By Vanessa Orr
By Tracy Barbour
By Isaac Stone Simonelli
Diverse Approaches to Economic Development
By Tracy Barbour
By Isaac Stone Simonelli
By Alexandra Kay
By Tracy Barbour
By Danny Kreilkamp
By Isaac Stone Simonelli
By Vanessa Orr
By Isaac Stone Simonelli
Diverse Approaches to Economic Development
By Tracy Barbour
By Isaac Stone Simonelli
By Alexandra Kay
Quick Reads
About The Cover
Alaska business owners haven’t experienced anything like the last sixteen to eighteen months. And somehow, the artist responsible for our annual Best of Alaska Business (BOAB) cover was able to capture this period and channel it into something positive through a smorgasbord of vibrant illustrations, each with their own story to tell.
You’ve likely seen his other work plastered across a Midnight Sun Brewing can or perhaps on one of the many Alaska State Park icons. Dan Miller’s work just loves to find its way onto covers —and we love having his on ours.
Having Miller produce this month’s cover of Alaska Business was an easy choice for editorial and art departments—and it’s obvious why.
Don’t forget to check out our extended interview with the talented artist at akbizmag.com/BOAB.
Cover illustration by Dan Miller Graphics
From the Editor
The response to this year’s reader survey was nothing short of astounding. You came out in droves to provide praise to the incredible individuals and businesses in our state who provided comfort and security over this past year, further confirming our notion that when we need it, we’re there for each other. Right now our business community needs to hear how much their efforts to keep us employed (and safe) during a very uncertain time means to us. And in this issue they get the praise they so rightly deserve.
Kerry Tasker
Billie Martin
press@akbizmag.com
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he COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Alaska’s education system in a massive and indelible way. In the past year, schools at all levels partnered with telecommunication companies to implement technology on an unprecedented scale. From rural to urban areas, K-12 and post-secondary schools have incorporated technology like never before to connect teachers and students remotely. Technology-savvy teachers have emerged as “superheroes” to facilitate the learning process through perhaps the most daunting year of their career. Ultimately, schools have been able to generate efficiencies in content delivery, enhance teaching and learning, and create other improvements that are expected to continue into the next school year and beyond.
Are you ready?
Are you ready?
Amanda Byrd | ACEP
Amanda Byrd | ACEP
ack in April, Alaska Business explored some exciting developments in the state’s geothermal industry. In “Heating Up,” we spoke with Gwen Holdmann, who is not only one of Alaska’s most respected thought leaders on geothermal but also the director of UAF’s Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP).
Our conversation ran the gamut from early versions of Organic Rankine cycle generators to the steps necessary for developing a national energy strategy.
At one point, Holdmann touched on a previous project at Pilgrim Hot Springs where her team at ACEP combined basic thermal imaging with a novel data processing technique that offered a more comprehensive look at the area’s geothermal resources.
Contaminants
ver the last two years, individuals and businesses have started to pay a lot more attention to keeping their spaces clean—something that, because of COVID-19, took on more importance than ever. And while it’s become commonplace to see cashiers wiping down grocery store conveyor belts and restaurant staff disinfecting seating areas, there are some industries that have always had to put cleanliness and sanitation first for the health of their employees and the general public.
To this end, companies in a variety of fields—from gas stations to energy companies to cruise lines to military bases to air cargo companies and more—hire HSE (health, safety, and environment) specialists or environmental services companies to keep their facilities clean. Not only is this work challenging—imagine the labor involved in cleaning a 24,000-gallon fuel tank—but it can also be dangerous.
“Our job is to find safe ways to perform work on unique jobs in hazardous conditions,” explains Brock Nelson, a field foreman for US Ecology, of the company’s many responsibilities that range from cleaning small or large fuel tanks to dealing with paints, PCBs, POL (petroleum, oil, and lubricant) contaminants, and hazardous waste.
“We also provide a safe and environmentally friendly way to dispose of and recycle waste streams with the least amount of impact on the environment and clean up spills to help restore the environment back to its original state,” adds US Ecology’s Operations Manager Zach Hamilton.
Contaminants
ver the last two years, individuals and businesses have started to pay a lot more attention to keeping their spaces clean—something that, because of COVID-19, took on more importance than ever. And while it’s become commonplace to see cashiers wiping down grocery store conveyor belts and restaurant staff disinfecting seating areas, there are some industries that have always had to put cleanliness and sanitation first for the health of their employees and the general public.
To this end, companies in a variety of fields—from gas stations to energy companies to cruise lines to military bases to air cargo companies and more—hire HSE (health, safety, and environment) specialists or environmental services companies to keep their facilities clean. Not only is this work challenging—imagine the labor involved in cleaning a 24,000-gallon fuel tank—but it can also be dangerous.
“Our job is to find safe ways to perform work on unique jobs in hazardous conditions,” explains Brock Nelson, a field foreman for US Ecology, of the company’s many responsibilities that range from cleaning small or large fuel tanks to dealing with paints, PCBs, POL (petroleum, oil, and lubricant) contaminants, and hazardous waste.
“We also provide a safe and environmentally friendly way to dispose of and recycle waste streams with the least amount of impact on the environment and clean up spills to help restore the environment back to its original state,” adds US Ecology’s Operations Manager Zach Hamilton.
Future
at APU
Business & Public Policy
Culture & Environment
Health & Wellness
Financial Aid & Scholarships available
efore Richard Nixon left the presidential offi ce in disgrace in 1974, his administration gave us a gift that keeps on giving to all Alaskans.
The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 allowed Alaska Natives to take ownership of their land, and in turn, earn money for their shareholders—and by no small measure—contribute to the overall health of Alaska’s economy for now 50 years.
Bradison Management Group
Bradison Management Group
Better Together.
The Art of People.
The Science of Management.
(907) 276-5707
(907) 276-5707
o business in Alaska is more reliant on large group gatherings than live venues, movie theaters, museums, and live performing arts organizations. Given the nature of their business model, social distancing and capacity mandates put in place to protect the public during the pandemic have hit them particularly hard.
Recognizing the unique needs of this group of businesses, the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program was established. It’s set to provide more than $16 billion in grants to qualifying applicants. Which businesses qualify for the grants depends on a number of factors. In general, the grants are designed to provide vital assistance to live venue operators or promoters, theatrical producers, live performing arts organizations, museums, movie theaters, and talent representatives.
Cut the Cost
Maintenance
More Cost-Effective,
Competitive Rates,
at one of the Best Equipped
Shipyards in Alaska.
+1.907.224.3198 | info@jagmarinegroup.com
Cut the Cost
More Cost-Effective,
Competitive Rates,
at one of the Best Equipped
Shipyards in Alaska.
- Our Doctors in Pediatrics are specialists, and parents.
- Same day appointments available – in person or telemed.
- Complimentary no charge pre-natal meeting so expectant parents can meet our doctors and staff to be sure we’re a good fit for the entire family.
- On-site lab and radiology diagnostics, same day results.
Desiree
Pediatrics
Dr. Laufer
Pediatrics
- Our Doctors in Pediatrics are specialists, and parents.
- Same day appointments available – in person or telemed.
- Complimentary no charge pre-natal meeting so expectant parents can meet our doctors and staff to be sure we’re a good fit for the entire family.
- On-site lab and radiology diagnostics, same day results.
Pediatrics
Pediatrics
elcome to the 2021 Best of Alaska Business awards! We ask our readers to give us their input on the best businesses that Alaska has to offer, ranging from flower boutiques to accounting firms. Throughout March, readers voted in record numbers, yet another indication after a trying year of how Alaskans take extra effort to support local businesses.
We’ve retained many of our categories this year, including reader favorites like Best Place to Work and Best Brewery, but we’re delighted to debut a few new categories: Best New Company in 2020 (welcome to the Alaska business community!), Best General Contractor, Best International Cuisine—and a few others, too.
Capture & Engage
to
COVID-19
isk assessment companies will tell any business owner that having a crisis plan in place is crucial. In Alaska that means being prepared for a lot of potentially disastrous scenarios—earthquakes, snow and ice, fires and smoke, even bears or moose. And now businesses have added pandemics their risk mitigation plans.
This year as part of the Best of Alaska Business awards surveying process, we asked you which businesses have been particularly impressive with their response to a whole new set of challenges presented by COVID-19.
While state and local leaders were scrambling to figure out how to best protect the public, companies small and large were carefully, quickly, and thoughtfully determining how to protect their employees and customers—not just from the virus, but from job losses and financial distress. As classrooms closed and students were sent home to learn, families had to adjust their work schedules to accommodate yet another significant change to their lives and companies had to figure out how to help them.
in Business
for Your Business Needs
Foundation
in Power
well-diversified portfolio is a cornerstone of success for Alaska Native corporations determined to fulfill their missions of providing meaningful benefits to their shareholders. Both Chugach Alaska Corporation and Koniag have found fertile ground for diversification within the energy service sector, even as big changes occur on the North Slope.
The energy service sector is a broad umbrella that covers everything from oil spill response and equipment fabrication to electrical work and security system design. Basically, it’s an assortment of businesses that fill the variety of needs of the oil and gas industry, as well as those in the renewable energy sector.
Alaska’s
Top-Tier Team
Our tugs are able to withstand all of Alaska’s extreme conditions. You can trust Cook Inlet Tug & Barge to provide excellent services that keep cargo moving & people safe.
(907) 248-0179 | www.cookinlettug.com
laska’s major regions—Southeast, Southcentral, Interior, Arctic, Northwest, and Southwest—all have their own economy. And where there is an economy, there is opportunity for economic development that can generate jobs and income for residents.
Each of the state’s regions have various entities that focus on spurring economic development. As a result, Alaska’s regional economic development projects run the gamut, from village projects to resource development to large-scale projects. “I think the big thing that a lot of the economic development organizations around the state are thinking about is infrastructure spending,” says Nolan Klouda, executive director of the University of Alaska Center for Economic Development (CED).
Industry and
Economic
Development
in Alaska
business with us year after year.
ith about 365,000 miles of river and thousands more miles of streams and other waterways—not to mention 6,640 miles of coastline—bridges are vital infrastructure for keeping Alaskans moving along the state’s roadways.
“You’ve got to understand the geography of Alaska: to get from point A to point B, there are rivers, streams, and creeks. Everything that is fish-bearing and things of that nature has to have a bridge over it,” says Bud Courtright, a senior project manager for Swalling General Contractors, which specializes in bridge building. “In the old days, they drove across them; I think we’ve finally grown out of that mindset.”
And while some smaller, fragile stream systems might have once been crossed without a bridge, there are many water crossings in Alaska where such attempts are unimaginable without a bridge—or a boat.
More than $80 million has been spent on bridge retrofits, repairs, and construction in the Last Frontier since 2019, explains Richard Pratt, chief bridge engineer for the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF).
oint Thomson, located on Alaska’s North Slope 60 miles east of Prudhoe Bay, has an estimated 8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 200 million barrels of natural gas condensate, approximately one-quarter of the total projected gas available on the North Slope. That gas has been “stranded” for more than forty years by the economic and physical realities of bringing it to market via either the construction of a pipeline hundreds of miles long or the need to ship it across arctic waters.
When crude oil is produced in Alaska, it is usually accompanied by gas, which is generally reinjected back into the ground. This is a benefit if a field needs additional pressurization.
asrcfederal.com
476,32 barrels -1% change from previous month6/3/21
Source: Alaska Department of Natural Resources
$70.58 per barrel 4% change from previous month6/3/21
Source: Alaska Department of Natural Resources
351,084 Labor Force 6.7% Unemployment 4/1/21. Adjusted seasonally.
Source: Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development
- Ryan Caldwell, SVP – Systems & Network Manager
- Douglas Frey, SVP – Security & Business Continuity Manager & Information Security Officer
- Josh King, SVP – Northrim Funding Services Division Manager
- Nate Olmstead, SVP – Data Analytics Manager
- Erick Stoeckle, SVP – Enterprise Architecture Manager
- Craig Tiihonen, SVP – Treasury Services Director
- Susan Stenstrom, VP – Corporate Secretary
Caldwell was hired at Northrim in 2016. He has more than nineteen years of experience managing enterprise services, databases, security infrastructure, and networks, along with more than sixteen years of IT project management and leadership experience. Caldwell holds a master’s in computer information systems/information assurance and has earned several relevant professional certifications.
Alaska Trends
Where would the people of Alaska be without bridges? Probably stuck or investing in a lot more boats. With its abundance of streams and rivers, bridges are they keystones of Alaska’s transportation infrastructure.
These feats of modern (and ancient) engineering have been getting Alaskans from A to B since the early 1900s—and in some style. If you happened to catch this month’s feature “About Bridges,” you know that bridges can be just as much art as they are science. Alaska is home to a variety of unique and stunning bridges, including one of the only diverging diamond interchanges in the nation. The Glenn Highway and Muldoon Road Interchange opened to traffic in 2017. The diverging diamond interchange (also referred to as a double crossover diamond) is an advanced design that improves traffic flow, capacity, and safety all at once. Cross over to this month’s installment of Alaska Trends for more bridge bits.
At a Glance
Open: The Progressive Case for Free Trade, Immigration, and Global Capital by Kimberly Clausing.
Public radio and anything to do with the environment.
Look around the house and start picking up stuff that I’ve messed up [he laughs].
Africa, Tanzania, or Nigeria.
Man, I don’t want to domesticate wild animals… but when my kids would ask me “What’s your favorite animal, dad?” I’d always say the pangolin.
At a Glance
Open: The Progressive Case for Free Trade, Immigration, and Global Capital by Kimberly Clausing.
Public radio and anything to do with the environment.
Look around the house and start picking up stuff that I’ve messed up [he laughs].
Africa, Tanzania, or Nigeria.
Man, I don’t want to domesticate wild animals… but when my kids would ask me “What’s your favorite animal, dad?” I’d always say the pangolin.
Off the Cuff
I always wanted to draw,” says Dan Miller; he’s spent decades providing illustrative and graphic design services in Alaska via his company Dan Miller Graphics. In fact, anyone who’s snagged a can or case from Midnight Sun Brewing has seen his work up close. “It’s fun working for them—and they have great beer,” Miller says.
He likes to build relationships with clients, and he’s happy for the opportunity to work for clients that he personally supports, such as local brewers or businesses in the tourism industry. “I like the freedom [of freelancing],” he says. “It’s not making me rich, but you know, it’s definitely not a bad lifestyle. I love doing graphic design, I really do.”
Please visit akbizmag.com/BOAB for an extended interview with Miller.
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907.522.6466
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