Undefeated for five years in a row, Altman, Rogers & Co. remains Alaska’s largest independent CPA firm and its favorite. Another repeat winner, BDO is part of a nationwide chain with more than seventy US locations. Joining the ranks is Fairbanks-based RJG, formed in 1987 when Gerry Richards and Jeff Johnson merged with the firm of Martin, Spink, and Granberry—hence the “G.” A team of thirty provides bookkeeping, payroll, tax, and charitable gaming services.

Last year’s favorites, Landye Bennett Blumstein and Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot, continue to provide top-class services ranging from estate planning to Alaska Native law. New to the category is Crowson Law Group, begun as a private practice in North Carolina before opening operations in Alaska in 2011, mainly representing personal injury plaintiffs. The firm boasts of being the only one of its type in Alaska that offers clients online access to their files.

MSI Communications returns to the rankings for the first time since 2018, after promoting Kris Miller to president last year. The firm provides public relations management, advertising, and web development for clients such as Alaska Airlines and the Alaska Railroad. The integrated team at Yuit Communications delivers results for clients such as the Alaska Native Heritage Center and CIRI. And Brilliant Media Strategies carries on the half-century legacy of its predecessor, Bradley Reid Communications.

For putting graphic designs on anything not paper—be it clothing, bottles, or knick knacks of any description—Stellar Designs and Alaska Serigraphics remain the top choices. Approaching branded apparel from the other angle, Alaska Textiles was founded in 1946 to supply linens and workwear. While still specializing in flame resistant clothing—from base layers to sub-zero parkas and a full wardrobe in between—stitching logos onto team uniforms grew into a full-service promotional items business.

Votes for the UA System include UAS, the UAF Community and Technical College, UAA Career & Technical Education programs, including Welding and Auto/Diesel Technology, and UAA generally. Like the university, Northern Industrial Training in Palmer has branches in Anchorage and Fairbanks, with courses in construction equipment, truck driving, safety, and professional skills. The newest and narrowest trainer, Lean Alaska, teaches the Lean Six Sigma management technique, originally to optimize manufacturing but applicable to many fields.

These contractors stay busy year-round, but last winter highlighted their Herculean plowing prowess. Glaciers Edge Maintenance, also known as GEM Services, has satisfied its customers in South Anchorage since 1999. Snow removal is just part of Peak Integrated Contracting’s offerings, in addition to home remodeling, deck construction, and repairs. And real estate developer Jennifer Schrage started Signature Land Services to fulfill her need for a contractor to handle everything from excavating to paving and maintenance.

A handyman ranks among some of the largest Alaskan-owned builders. Anthony Pickens used his electrical lineman experience to start Peak Integrated Contracting, an Anchorage company handling renovations, maintenance, and excavation. Watterson Construction and Cornerstone General Contractors are favorites from last year. Watterson just completed a $31.2 million child development center at Fort Wainwright, and Cornerstone finished the Kodiak Marketplace shopping center and won an award for a joint venture with ChemTrack that removed the Barter Island runway.

The only Alaska company (that isn’t a Native corporation) with $1 billion in gross revenue, Lynden edges past shipping rival Matson, whose $1 billion in net profit makes it the biggest company based in Hawai’i. Both logistics giants are essential links in Alaska’s supply chain. Seattle-based Alaska Airlines operates a freighter fleet capable of flying seafood, wild game, perishables, and critical packages.

Always the most competitive category, Credit Union 1 moves up in the ranking. The financial institution established in 1952 for Anchorage teachers is in the process of building its first branch in Wasilla. Fellow not-for-profit cooperative Global Credit Union, formerly Alaska USA, continues to enlarge, acquiring First Financial Northwest Bank in Washington. Yet the bank to beat is First National, never surpassed in the category thanks to its commitment to top-notch customer service.

Telephone, cable TV, and internet services scarcely resemble what existed when GCI started in a Bootleggers Cove apartment in 1979. The company has evolved, expending much effort recently to bring urban-speed connectivity to the remotest parts of Alaska. MTA has perhaps grown even more—from a local phone co-op in 1953 into a leading-edge tech solutions provider. And AT&T continues to serve the state as the owner of Alaska’s original telegraph-era long-distance provider, Alascom.

Outsourcing office overhead for small startups and independent contractors seems so obvious that it’s astonishing that coworking spaces didn’t exist before the ‘90s. The 1990s! The Boardroom fosters community at a former Anchorage railroad depot owned by 49th State Brewing Co. Cowork by RSD occupies a Downtown building renovated by Robin Brena’s RSD Properties. And Alaska Co:Work puts the erstwhile Gary King’s Sporting Goods store to work with cubicles and conference space.

Moore Heating and Circle Plumbing & Heating remain favorites for furnace repairs or water heater replacements, serving the Anchorage area for more than thirty and fifty years, respectively. Meanwhile, the extremity at Extreme Heating and Air refers to new heights of customer service. Shane Thom founded the company in Eagle River, and the team provides commercial and residential plumbing and ventilation services from Girdwood to Big Lake.

Family-owned shops continue to keep pace with a national chain. The Midtown location of Michael’s Jewelers takes its turn on top, while 5th Avenue Jewelers is a fixture of Downtown Anchorage, providing customers with lifelong service for birthdays, engagements, weddings, and anniversaries. Meanwhile, Fred Meyer Jewelers operate inside the Kroger-owned supermarkets in Anchorage, Eagle River, Wasilla, Soldotna, Fairbanks, and Juneau.

The fiercest fans of flesh filigree agree that Eagle River Tattoo is the place to be. Don and Debra Yarian are repeat winners in the second year of the category. Ultra Violence Tattoo in Anchorage makes a second appearance, too, while Body Piercing Unlimited & Tattoo is new this year, earning votes for artists working in Palmer, Midtown Anchorage, and its Downtown affiliate on Fifth Avenue, two doors down from 5th Avenue Jewelers.

Cherished by lovers of the printed page, Title Wave opened in 1991 and has traded used books, movies, and music from the thrift district at Northern Lights Boulevard and Spenard Road since 2002. The retail boom of the early ‘90s brought Barnes & Noble to Northern Lights in a former Longs Drugs location. And in Sitka, Old Harbor Books has developed a loyal following since it was established in 1976 by three book-loving local families.

Pre-owned merchandise is everywhere in Alaska, yet a national chain is the go-to spot for thrifters. Goodwill Industries Alaska has four locations in Anchorage and one in Wasilla, with proceeds supporting nonprofit job training programs. While Goodwill was started by a Methodist minister in Massachusetts, the Bishop’s Attic raises funds for the Catholic Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau. And Willow Rose Thrift Store attracts bargain hunters to Mile 69 of the Parks Highway.

From a Midtown Anchorage warehouse packed with items looking for new homes, Dan Newman has built Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals into an asset for anyone liquidating possessions or for nonprofits needing a showman to hype their fundraisers. Alaska Auction Company in South Anchorage can boast of being the largest in the state. And APEX Auctions is a family-owned small business dealing in clean-outs and business closures, hosting sales from Girdwood to Palmer.

Previously a winner in 2021 and 2022, Catalyst Cannabis returns to the rankings, earning favor with its vision of catalyzing societal change carried out at three Anchorage locations. Great Northern Cannabis also has three retail shops around town, distinguishing itself as “Alaska’s classiest joint.” Consolidated in one location on Raspberry Road that includes cultivation, manufacturing, and retail, Raspberry Roots aims to be a leading provider of cannabis products, as legalized sales enter their second decade.

With the number of car washes nationwide forecast to double by 2030, these competitors have given themselves a head start. The Splash & Dash flagship is in Wasilla, yet the company also owns Pink Elephant in South Anchorage and two Fairbanks washes. Sudzy Salmon caters to commuters in Wasilla, Palmer, and Eagle River, with one spot in South Anchorage and another coming to Midtown. And six Alaska Laser Wash locations pioneered the no-touch automatic experience.

The best bike shops tend to cluster in two parts of Anchorage. In Midtown, The Bicycle Shop on Northern Lights Boulevard is a seven-minute ride away from Trek Bicycle Store in the Metro Mall. In addition to a satellite The Bicycle Shop on West Dimond Boulevard, the company’s Paramount Cycles affiliate anchors the southside cycling district. Across Huffman Road, Chain Reaction Cycles is a family-owned shop that hosts the Frosty Bottom winter endurance race.

A one-stop exhibit of art and history, The Anchorage Museum is a repeat winner in the category’s second year. For something completely different, Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum houses more than 100 rare and vintage vehicles collected by Tim and Barb Cerny. This world-class collection awaits visitors in Fairbanks near the Wedgewood Resort. For another mode of travel, the Alaska Aviation Museum on the shore of Lake Hood explains the role of aircraft in state history.

Alaska’s favorite places to stay range from the huge to the humble. Hotel Captain Cook tops the category for a seventh year running, while the Copper Whale Inn hosts guests a couple blocks away in the historic house built for Dr. Howard Romig in 1939. And the Marriott portfolio includes its twenty-two-story building in Downtown Anchorage, the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel & Spa, and the SpringHill Suites, Fairfield Inn, Courtyard, and Aloft brands.

Hotel Captain Cook can’t be beat for overnight stays, according to voters, and it’s great for hosting events, too. Only the massive city-owned Dena’ina Center can compete as a go-to for conventions and trade shows. For a variety of event sizes—from office lunches and birthday parties to patio gatherings and stage shows—Healy-based 49th State Brewing has turned the former Elks lodge on Third Avenue into a hot destination.

A new category open to waterslides, trampolines, rock climbing, escape rooms, axe throwing, or bowling, the best turns out to be the biggest. The Dome fits a football field, running track, and fitness center under the largest balloon roof of its kind on the planet, all operated as a nonprofit. More modestly, the Anchorage Senior Activity Center hosts art classes, singing lessons, and board games. For little kids, Fresh Cup Playhouse offers a play space with coffee for caretakers.

For 2024 these providers have continued offering excellent services, and our readers have honored them again with their votes. In addition to its hospital, Providence Alaska has urgent, same-day care, and medical group locations around Southcentral and continues to extend its reach. Alaska Regional and the Alaska Native Medical Center both have extensive campuses providing a gamut of health and wellness services.

Convenience reigns supreme in this category, as our readers nominated those pharmacies that live alongside their other every day shopping needs. Category newcomer Carrs Pharmacy joins repeat winner Fred Meyer Pharmacy; both offer quality products and services just a few steps away from a range of grocery and household goods. Locally owned and operated Bernie’s Pharmacy, also nominated last year, keeps its competitive edge with the national chains through ensuring customers’ comfort and confidence.

VCA Animal Hospitals are “where world-class medicine meets hometown care,” and the organization’s several locations in Anchorage, Eagle River, and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. North Pole Veterinary Hospital made an impact on Alaska Business readers through just one North Pole location, though it serves many communities in the Fairbanks/North Pole area; similarly, Cornerstone Animal Hospital has a single location in Anchorage, at which it has been providing services for furry loved ones for more than fifteen years.

Alaska is blessed with a strong local brew community, and three exceptional companies have bubbled to the top. 49th State Brewing takes top honors for the eighth consecutive year in a row and is joined by another year-over-year favorite, King Street Brewing. Odd Man Rush Brewing is rejoining the top three in “bringing our community together through craft beer,” which it has been doing from Eagle River for more than fifteen years.

Black Cup started roasting specialty coffee in the Spenard neighborhood in 1975, and in 2011 it was acquired by Kaladi Brothers, which opened its first coffee cart in downtown Anchorage on the corner of 4th Avenue and F Street in 1984. “Grounded” in Eagle River, Jitters serves customers at its café and through home delivery. Recently founded Fresh Cup Playhouse is a play-café designed as a welcoming space for children age 6 and younger—and their parents.

For those looking for offerings off the hamburger or deep fried halibut path, Ray’s Place—again snagging the Denali spot this year—has been serving Alaskans its treasured Vietnamese cuisine since 1993. If Vietnamese won’t quite hit the spot, Bombay Deluxe has two Anchorage locations serving fine Indian cuisine, and Namaste Shangri-La offers authentic homemade recipes from the Himalayan region, a fusion of India, Nepal, Tibet, and Burma, from its newly refurbished restaurant in Anchorage.

Moose’s Tooth is again atop the pizzeria mountain, and it’s using that momentum to open a new location on Dimond Boulevard that will combine elements of Moose’s Tooth and the Bear Tooth Theaterpub. The Hungry Robot feeds the hungry folks of the Fairbanks area “wood fired pizza with unusual toppings,” using local ingredients as often as possible. And Uncle Joe’s Pizzeria serves handcrafted, stone-baked pizzas from its four Anchorage locations.

Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop baked right into the hearts of our readers through small batches of croissant, bread, muffins, and scones from two Anchorage locations, moving up to the Denali position this year. The Flying Dutchman Pastry Shop returns to the top three after a short hiatus, selling cakes, cheese cakes, and other European pastries. Snowy Berry is another reader favorite, a locally owned café and confections shop proffering marshmallows, chocolates, cookies, chocolate bombs, and tea and coffee.

Aptly named, Taco King tops this new 2024 category. Taco King has been operating in Alaska for more than twenty-five years and today has locations in Anchorage and Fairbanks. Serrano’s Mexican Grill launched in November 2008 in a “tiny place in the heart of Anchorage” but has since moved to a much larger location on Northern Lights Boulevard. Xalos Mexican Grill rounds out this new category, serving customers through its Glenn Square and Xalos Burrito Express locations.

Yeti Dogs took the lead in the Food Truck category for the second year, serving hot dogs from its “Yeti containment vehicle.” Dogs with standard toppings are on the menu, as are those unique as the company’s name, such as the Kenai jalapeno cheese dip. Mochileros Street Food is another repeat; the family-owned-and-operated food bus offers authentic Guatemalan inspired dishes. New this year, The Hungry Deckhand serves “massive sandwiches” for “monster appetites” in the Anchorage area.

This year’s cohort of caterers is the same as last, though in a revised order. Main Event Grill & Catering offers catering and bar services, as well as party and meeting room and equipment rentals. Billing itself as “your every occasion Alaska catering company,” Peppercini’s is a long-time BOAB favorite, delivering to more than 4,000 events every year and feeding more than 100,000 Alaskan guests. Our Town Catering calls Sitka home and is sure to serve up a menu faithful to authentic flavors using local ingredients.

Altman, Rogers & Co. continues to excel at employee satisfaction; the full service certified public accounting firm leads this category for the third year in a row. RIM Architects “represents resilience,” according to the architecture and design firm, which now has approximately 70 employees in five states and Guam. Christian treatment center Set Free Alaska says it works “hard to hire passion and talent and then walk with our team as they flourish.”

First National continues to dominate this category, winning for the ninth year. The bank says taking care of employees is an essential part of its mission. In 2019 ASRC Energy Services gained insight from its more than 1,000 employees to identify and articulate its purpose, values, and behaviors, and that engagement continues today. Credit Union 1 helps foster happy communities by “always putting people first,” which clearly includes its approximately 350 Alaskan employees.

Peak Integrated Contracting is “your one-stop shop for home remodels, maintenance, snow removal, and more,” and was founded by Anthony Pickens, a licensed, bonded, and insured general contractor and former lineman. Aurora Security is a “one-stop” locksmith and home security company founded by cousins Lance and Thomas Lacey. And Glow Events AK was launched last year by Julie Matsumiya, her sister-in-law Abby Medez, and Matsumiya’s sister Lucky Limtiaco, who all share a love for event planning.

In this new category, our readers selected some of Alaska’s incredible female influencers. According to those readers, Girl in Alaska “Showcases the best of Alaska in a relatable way,” has “wholesome content,” and features “Great stories.” Alaska Lizzie, they say, “Supports the community the best way she can,” as well as “keeping it local” while always being “kind and positive.” And Far North Fashion “Gives a real take on Alaska, motherhood, and fashion” while being “interesting, funny, [and] cool,” and exploring life “with a sense of humor.”