Pushing Boundaries

Heading into the pandemic, Chris Devine and the Craig Taylor Equipment team were expecting the worst. Brick and mortar retail is historically one of the harder-hit sectors during economic recession, and a 2020 study from Yelp estimates that nearly 100,000 businesses closed their doors permanently between May and August of 2020 alone. But this trend didn’t necessarily translate to the retail construction space—and in some cases, demand went up. “What seems to be happening is there’s a lot of money floating around, and folks are looking to spend it,” says the Craig Taylor Equipment President and CEO.

And spending it they are. To learn how, dig in to this month’s cover story: “Hardware Hangs In.”

Cover Photo by Kerry Tasker

hile the recent worldwide pandemic plays out as a major economic influence, keeping our employees engaged and productive is more important and challenging than ever. According to a Gallup survey* published during the third quarter of 2020, 33 percent of US workers are currently working remotely, with approximately two-thirds of those individuals communicating a desire to continue working from home post-pandemic. Interestingly of those surveyed, more than half of US workers are not concerned about the exposure of COVID-19 at work. What does this mean to our Alaskan business leaders? Something entrepreneurs have known for years, change is here to stay. How we navigate change will influence workforce engagement. As leaders our best course now is to seek out opportunity to move from (disaster) response to active change management.

he COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on state and local economies throughout the United States, and, at least temporarily, changed the landscape of commercial real estate in Alaska. The good news is that real estate experts say it’s only a matter of time before the market rebounds.

olatility in the global oil market, the recent decline in oil prices and extreme weather patterns in Alaska have made digital innovation in the oil and gas industry essential. To remain competitive in a rapidly changing marketplace, operators in the North Slope must find new ways to increase efficiency, reduce costs and improve safety for employees in the field.

ccording to the Associated General Contractors of Alaska’s (AGC) 2021 Construction Spending Forecast, construction spending this year is expected to total $4.3 billion, with 52 percent ($2.2 billion) of that money spent on private sector projects and 48 percent ($2.1 billion) spent on public sector projects. While a large part of the public sector funding includes national defense projects and highway and road construction and improvements, it also encompasses community-based projects that include school replacements and renovations, regional housing initiatives, behavioral health and other medical facilities, and spaces dedicated to the arts.

ir travel is a lifeline for Alaska, connecting major urban hubs to remote gravel landing strips and back.

The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF) oversees maintenance on more than 300 aviation facilities, including 237 airports. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit much of the state’s aviation industry hard, with a major rural carrier declaring bankruptcy and a drastic reduction in passenger travel curtailing flights and cancelling seasonal air schedules. But all of the disruption came with a silver lining: increased federal funding and a reminder of Alaska’s importance to global cargo routes.

he Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and the state’s ports and other vital gateways for long-haul tourism destinations are what most think of when it comes to tourism infrastructure. However, community visitor centers, roadside cabins, and robust trail systems are also essential parts of the infrastructure needed to support this multi-billion dollar sector in Alaska.

“We lack tourism infrastructure all over the state,” says Bonnie Quill, president and CEO of the Mat-Su Convention & Visitors Bureau. “What tourism infrastructure does is it increases the visitor experience, whether it’s a visitor center or a trailhead or the new ski lift at Hatcher Pass.”

ne of the main goals of Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs) is to earn money for their shareholders. And while many have been very successful in starting and running businesses within the state’s borders, there are even more opportunities to be found nationally and internationally. To this end, many regional and village corporations have expanded their business holdings far beyond the 49th State, not only to provide a new source of revenue for their parent companies but to service clients across the country and the world.

uke Blomfield joined Davis Constructors & Engineers in 2002; by 2012 he was a partner at the company. He’s been the general contractor’s president and CEO for a little more than two years, and today he’s also the president of Mass Excavation. Despite his upward movement and the more than two decades he’s spent in construction, what he loves about his job remains the same. “I still think the favorite part of my job is what brought me to it: when we’ve completed construction of a building, an infrastructure project, or any sort of development that’s going to be there long after I’m gone, it’s nice to drive around town or different places throughout the state and just say, ‘Our team had a hand in building that.’”