Inside Alaska Business
Contango Silver & Gold
A merger with Dolly Varden Silver plugs Contango Ore, with several Alaska exploration projects in development, into a direct shipping ore business model. Reconfigured as Contango Silver & Gold, the merged company will continue to work on the Manh Choh gold mine near Tok while developing prospects in Hatcher Pass and near Lake Clark. “We had a good five-year plan, and now we’ve got a good twenty-year business,” says Contango CEO Rick Van Nieuwenhuyse.
NANA
NANA Regional Corporation completed the acquisition of substantially all assets of Drake Construction, a Kotzebue-based general contractor. Founded in 1968, Drake Construction built a reputation for delivering high-quality projects in Western Alaska, including airports, roads, water and sewer systems, and marine infrastructure. NANA says the acquisition enhances the Kotzebue-based Alaska Native regional corporation’s ability to serve energy, commercial, natural resources, and federal markets.
Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation
Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation (UIC) acquired a majority interest in Northbank Civil and Marine, Inc., a Vancouver, Washington–based construction firm. “This acquisition is part of UIC’s strategy to provide one-stop services across three core areas: heavy civil construction, marine construction, and dredging services,” says UIC COO Jeevan Pokharel, who spearheaded the acquisition. Pokharel adds that the investment aligns with UIC’s expansion strategy in the Pacific Northwest, which has included ownership stakes in Johansen Construction, Highmark Concrete Contractors, and HME Construction.
Carlile
Seattle-based logistics conglomerate Saltchuk is folding Naniq Global Logistics into Carlile, giving the Alaska trucking company a beachhead in Hawai’i for the first time. The integrated operation includes warehousing in Kapolei on O’ahu and four air gateway locations across O’ahu, Kaua’i, and the Big Island. The combined Carlile organization now has around 870 employees, with 260 in Hawai’i and 480 in Alaska.
Common Ground Alaska
Sour cherry and honeyberry bushes sold at Common Ground Alaska farm in Big Lake had to be imported from Canada, but not anymore. The family farm obtained a license to propagate hybrids directly rather than distributing plants grown by the inventors at the University of Saskatchewan. Co-owner Tandy Hogate says she had been seeking a license for a while until someone noticed on social media that Common Ground Alaska was selling honeyberry (also known as haskap) and recruited the farm to propagate the hybrids.
Glacier Oil & Gas
The Alaska Department of Natural Resources authorized selling 1,400 million cubic feet of state-owned natural gas to Cook Inlet Energy, a subsidiary of Glacier Oil and Gas, to maintain oil operations at its Kustatan Production Facility. That oil goes to Marathon’s Kenai refinery, the only in-state producer of gasoline and the primary supplier of jet fuel to Anchorage. Without the one-year contract for “royalty in-kind gas,” state officials say refinery operations could be disrupted. Separately, Glacier Oil and Gas is partnering with Cook Inlet LNG, a subsidiary of Gardes Holdings, to bring a floating storage and regasification unit to the inlet, to be moored alongside the Osprey platform, about 5 miles offshore from the Kustatan facility.
ASRC Federal
A subsidiary of Arctic Slope Regional Corporation won a contract from the US Defense Logistics Agency to continue managing the supply chain for ChemPOL III, the chemicals and packaged petroleum oils and lubricants performance 3rd generation program. ASRC Federal, Facilities Logistics, has supported this program since its inception in 2007. The extension, valued at up to $2.3 billion, has a five-year base period with three-year and two-year option periods. ASRC Federal will service more than 5,000 US installations worldwide with approximately 17,000 delivery orders per month.
Domino’s Pizza
A “pizza theater” lets customers at the new Domino’s Pizza in North Pole watch the pie-making process. The newest franchise location opened December 20 on Santa Claus Lane. The nearest Domino’s Pizza locations had been two in Fairbanks; the North Pole restaurant is the thirteenth in Alaska. North Pole already has Pizza Hut and Great Alaska Pizza Company outlets. Franchise owner Bryan Dobb says, “We’re excited to bring even more cheer to the area, through the magic of pizza.”
Credit Union 1
After a year that saw Credit Union 1 (CU1) open three new branches in Kotzebue, Skagway, and Wasilla, 2026 begins with plans for its sixteenth full-service branch in Homer. The branch at 475 East Pioneer Avenue is scheduled to open in mid-summer. “CU1’s decision to open a branch in Homer was inspired by the city council’s 2045 Homer Comprehensive Plan and the community’s clear commitment to thoughtful growth, strong neighborhoods, and a thriving local economy,” says CU1 President and CEO Mark Burgess.
SWOOP
The top choice of investors at the 2025 Alaska Angel Conference, and the winner of a $100,000 prize, is apparel brand SWOOP. The designer of functional women’s underwear, stylish tunics, and playful fleece overalls outperformed high-tech contenders at the culmination of a twelve-week process that trained investors to identify companies with potential. “Winning the Alaska Angel Conference is both humbling and affirming,” says founder Virginia Lynn Peterson. “It gives us the ability to scale with intention while staying true to our Alaska roots.”