October 2018
October 2018
OCTOBER 2018 | VOLUME 34 | NUMBER 10 | AKBIZMAG.COM
Contents
Features
34 FINANCE

Leveraging Construction Financing

The ins and outs of finding the right loan
By Tracy Barbour
8 INSURANCE

The Exorbitant Cost of Healthcare in Alaska

Health insurance and the bottom line
By Tracy Barbour
14 HEALTHCARE

Electronic Health Records Improve One Step at a Time

Providers optimistic about future of health communication
By Vanessa Orr
18 TELECOM & TECH

No Road Necessary

E-commerce provides opportunity to conduct business statewide
By Isaac Stone Simonelli
26 TRANSPORTATION

No Port No Problem

Alaska’s plane and barge driven rural shipping industry
By Sam Friedman
38 OIL & GAS

Where Does All That Oil Go?

Looking downstream at Alaska’s oil
By Isaac Stone Simonelli
46 ALASKA NATIVE

Enterprising Entrepreneurs

Creative business in rural Alaska
By Julie Stricker
122 ENVIRONMENTAL

The Best Soil Remediation Tools Available

Prevention, awareness, andinnovation
By Judy Mottl
126 EDUCATION

Planning for the Future

What gets workers farther: traditional degrees or the school of life?
By Samantha Davenport
118 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Playing the Game

The benefits of corporate team building
By Vanessa Orr
TOP 49ERS SPECIAL SECTION
About the Cover
Annually in October we publish our list of Top 49ers, Alaskan-owned companies ranked by revenue. We change the theme from year to year primarily so we can celebrate the many attributes the Top 49ers embody that lead to success (and in part to keep editorial on their toes). With Alaska taking a deep breath and pulling itself out of a down economy, now more than ever we see the need to emphasize the value of teamwork, the importance of talent, and the sweet satisfaction of triumph.

Cover by David Geiger

104 FEATURED 49ER

Alaska Village Electric Cooperative

The nation’s largest electric utility retail cooperative
By Arie Henry
108 FEATURED 49ER

Anchorage Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram

Miles ahead of the pack
By Arie Henry
112 FEATURED 49ER

Koniag

Values first and poised for growth
By Tasha Anderson
116 FEATURED 49ER

Construction Machinery Industrial

Equipping Alaska’s industries
By Tasha Anderson
Departments
Volume 34, #10
Published by Alaska Business
Publishing Co. Anchorage, Alaska
Editorial Staff
Managing Editor
Kathryn Mackenzie
257-2907 editor@akbizmag.com
Associate Editor
Tasha Anderson
257-2902 tanderson@akbizmag.com
Digital and Social Media Specialist
Arie Henry
257-2906 ahenry@akbizmag.com
Art Director
David Geiger
257-2916 design@akbizmag.com
Art Production
Linda Shogren
257-2912 production@akbizmag.com
Photo Contributor
Judy Patrick
BUSINESS STAFF
President
Billie Martin
VP & General Manager
Jason Martin
257-2905 jason@akbizmag.com
VP Sales & Marketing
Charles Bell
257-2909 cbell@akbizmag.com
Senior Account Manager
Janis J. Plume
257-2917 janis@akbizmag.com
Advertising Account Manager
Christine Merki
257-2911 cmerki@akbizmag.com
Accounting Manager
Ana Lavagnino
257-2901 accounts@akbizmag.com
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257-2914 emily@akbizmag.com
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From the Editor
A Lighter, Brighter Alaska Business
W

elcome to the new Alaska Business magazine. The entire Alaska Business team is incredibly proud to present this lighter, brighter design. Take a moment to flip through the pages. Go ahead. It’s beautiful.

As you’ve seen, we’ve added breathing room within the text for a more comfortable reading experience. We also added space to make room for additional images of Alaska’s stunning vistas, the unique people who live and work here, and the industries that help support us all. Another exciting addition to the magazine is a new feature called “Off the Cuff,” which, in keeping with our theme of light and bright, offers a more personal, fun look at the lives of some of the state’s most prominent executives. If you’ve ever wondered what your company’s CEO does during his or her off time, you’ll love Off the Cuff.

Clearly, it’s been a very busy time for us at Alaska Business and we have no intention of slowing down. In recent months we launched the Alaska Business Monitor, our weekly newsletter featuring exclusive industry insight written by experts from Alaska’s most vital industries, as well as current news affecting the state’s business community (if you haven’t signed up yet, visit akbizmag.com/Sign-up-Alaska-Business-Monitor).

Kathryn Mackenzie
Managing Editor, Alaska Business
Insurance
The Exorbitant Cost of Healthcare in Alaska
Health insurance and the bottom line
By Tracy Barbour
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ver-evolving regulations, escalating costs, and other challenges can make it difficult for businesses to provide health insurance benefits for their employees. The situation is having an adverse effect on their bottom line, leading some employers to forgo offering insurance or to at least consider the possibility of dropping the benefit.

A primary factor impacting the cost of health insurance is the high cost of medical care. Alaska has some of the most exorbitant healthcare costs in the country—and world—and employers cover the bulk of that burden. In Alaska, the cost of many medical procedures is twice as high as in the Lower 48 on average, according to Jeff Roe, CEO of Premera, which operates in both Washington and Alaska.

“While the consumer price index is about 6 percent higher here, payments to doctors and hospitals in Alaska are 76 percent higher than nationwide averages, and, after accounting for cost of living, are increasing twice as fast as inflation,” Roe said in his July 2018 speech at the 3-Year Outlook Luncheon of the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation.

Healthcare
Electronic Health Records Improve One Step at a Time
Providers optimistic about future of health communication
By Vanessa Orr
Eleven Alaska hospitals are on board Collective Medical Technologies’ Emergency Department Information Exchange (EDIE), which is designed to reduce unnecessary emergency department visits while making sure that patients get the right care in the right place. Collective EDIE is at the core of the Collective platform; the colored hexagons across the middle represent the links between different branches of healthcare and how they work within the platform.
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t’s ironic that “on paper” the idea of electronic health records (EHRs), which provide an easy way for physicians, hospital systems, and patients to keep track of a person’s medical history, makes a lot of sense. In practice, however, the process of creating a database where these records are safely and efficiently available to everyone who should have access (and protected from those who should not) has not been without its share of problems.

The good news is that while there have been some difficulties, the majority of health providers in Alaska are moving toward a system that will enable more complete medical information to get into the hands of care providers more quickly while making it easier and more convenient for patients to see test results, pick up prescriptions, and travel around the state without having to carry their medical information with them.

“While we went live with our first EHRs in 1998 and still use the same vendor for our main facility, it doesn’t look anything like it did twenty years ago,” says Kirsten Kincaid, RN, manager of clinical applications at Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau. “We’ve gone through many upgrades to improve functionality.”

Telecom & Tech
Alaska-made products, such as Black Espresso Packaroons by Heather’s Choice, can often be easily packaged and shipped as part of an e-commerce business.

Heather’s Choice

No Road Necessary
E-commerce provides opportunity to conduct business statewide
By Isaac Stone Simonelli
T

he Last Frontier’s massive, transient population of military personnel, its rural geography, and its depth and breadth of artisan products makes it a prime location for the development of e-commerce businesses.

“Alaska and Alaska products—particularly quality artisanal products—have cache. This also holds true for cloud funding, tourism, and across other e-commerce platforms,” says Juliet Shepherd, who is currently looking at the scalability of businesses in the Interior as part of her job as the project manager of technology-led development and cold weather testing for the Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation (FEDC). “Everyone and their mother wants to engage with Alaska businesses. Alaska is very high profile right now—and particularly accessible for someone wanting to engage in e-commerce.”

The Enterprise Guide to Global Ecommerce anticipates about a 246 percent increase in worldwide e-commerce sales, from $1.3 trillion in 2014 to $4.5 trillion in 2021. Among the mammoths growing the e-commerce market are familiar names such as Amazon, eBay, Groupon, Etsy, and Shopify. But even on the podium of largest e-commerce platforms one finds a few lesser known names: Jingdong, a Chinese company with more than a quarter billion users, and Alibaba Group, which operates in more than 200 countries.

Transportation
A Ruby Marine barge at Ruby on the Yukon River in 2014.

Richard Murphy | Ruby Marine

No Port No Problem
Alaska’s plane and barge driven rural shipping industry
By Sam Friedman
T

he prices for fuel and food surprise many first time visitors to rural Alaska towns. In Fort Yukon, on the upper Yukon River 135 miles northeast of Fairbanks, a gallon of heating oil cost $6.35 this fall. A dozen eggs at Fort Yukon’s Alaska Commercial Company store cost $5.99.

But these prices seem less remarkable in light of all the work, fuel, and logistics it takes to transport these goods to remote Alaska towns and villages.

This time of year, the barges have finished their season traveling the Yukon River. Barge business Ruby Marine, the only major barge company on the Upper Yukon, serves Fort Yukon with three barge deliveries each summer in June, July, and August. By October, even if it’s been warm and the river is far from freezing, it’s not practical to operate large barges.

Black Fox Strategy
Designing Strategy to Manage Risk and Optimize Resilience
@Judy Patrick Photography
Erin Sedor, Owner of Black Fox Strategy
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ou might say Erin Sedor has a superpower: seeing what others cannot. As the owner of Black Fox Strategy, Sedor can effectively identify seemingly unrelated elements that either trigger or combine to undermine strategic business objectives. “Designing strategy to manage risk and optimize resilience requires an understanding of more than just figuring out where you want to go,” Sedor says. “You need to really understand what you are capable of doing.”

That’s where Sedor excels. As a board and CEO advisor specializing in the refinement of strategy design and execution, she helps clients properly assess interrelated issues to successfully achieve their goals. “The foundation of my practice is based on a balanced approach to strategy, risk, and resilience to ensure that organizations successfully achieve their mission while generating growth and ensuring survival through sound resilience and continuity practices,” Sedor says.

– PAID ADVERTISEMENT –
Finance
Bathroom of a home at Woodhaven Preserve subdivision, developed by Spinell Homes.

Spinell Homes

Leveraging Construction Financing
The ins and outs of finding the right loan
By Tracy Barbour
C

onstruction financing is extremely important to Spinell Homes. As Alaska’s largest home builder, the company has erected 3,200 homes through­out Southcentral Alaska since 1987. “Almost every house we build is financed through our favorite local bank, Northrim Bank, and the exceptions are built for people with either their own cash or are larger projects where the owners have their own financing,” says Andre Spinelli, vice president of design and development. “We also obtain loans for the development of subdivisions and commercial projects as well.”

Recently, Spinell Homes completed the thirteen-lot Woodhaven Preserve subdivision near O’Malley Road and Huffman Road and the 79th Street GarageTown facility at the corner of 79th and Petersburg. Both Anchorage projects were financed through Northrim by Spinell Homes or the subsidiary 79th Street GarageTown—although Woodhaven Preserve was done with minimal financing due to cash on hand at the time of development. Spinell Homes also just closed on a land purchase and development loan that was used to buy the land and build the roads of Phase 9 of The Terraces Subdivision. The company anticipated beginning construction in August.

Oil & Gas
Andeavor’s Kenai refinery produces gasoline, jet fuel, ultra-low sulfur diesel, propane, and asphalt.

Andeavor

Where Does All That Oil Go?
Looking downstream at Alaska’s oil
By Isaac Stone Simonelli
T

he Last Frontier is far more than a raw resource extraction point for North Slope crude oil, according to a manager of one of the three Alaska in-state oil refineries.

“Much of Alaska’s crude oil remains in state and is refined into commercial and residential product used across the state,” says Cameron Hunt, who is the vice president of and manages the Andeavor
Kenai Refinery. “The remaining crude oil can be shipped elsewhere, such as refineries and other sources along the West Coast of the United States and around the world.”

Alaska Native
Enterprising Entrepreneurs
Creative business in rural Alaska
By Julie Stricker
O

ne of the first things most people notice when they meet Holly Mititquq Nordlum are the distinctive tattoos on her chin. Nordlum, an Iñupiaq from Kotzebue, is a graphic designer and artist in Anchorage who is successfully melding traditional art with contemporary ideas.

Alaska Native
Enterprising Entrepreneurs
Creative business in rural Alaska
By Julie Stricker
O

ne of the first things most people notice when they meet Holly Mititquq Nordlum are the distinctive tattoos on her chin. Nordlum, an Iñupiaq from Kotzebue, is a graphic designer and artist in Anchorage who is successfully melding traditional art with contemporary ideas.

“I love Anchorage. It’s the biggest Native village in Alaska. Now, with the traditional tattooing that I do, and talking about it being part of who you are and your identity, I get to travel all over the state.”
—Holly Mititquq Nordlum, Owner, Naniq Design
Art and Tradition
Nordlum opened her graphic arts studio, Naniq Design, in 2004 and specializes in work for Alaska Native corporations and events. “It’s kind of great for me,” she says. “I love Anchorage. It’s the biggest Native village in Alaska. Now, with the traditional tattooing that I do, and talking about it being part of who you are and your identity, I get to travel all over the state.”

“It’s kind of awesome that it’s taking off so well,” Nordlum says. “We’re tattooing people every day.

TOP 49ers Special Section

2018 Top 49ers:

Teamwork, Talent, and Triumph

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ongratulations are in order for Alaska’s 2018 MVCs—Most Valuable Corporations. Every year Alaska Business scouts for contenders to vie for top ranking in the Top 49ers, which are at least 51 percent Alaskan-owned. These companies are home-grown heroes in Alaska’s economy, providing jobs, supporting communities, and making the plays that keep Alaskans on their feet.

It’s been widely speculated in the business community that 2018 signals the end of the slow bottoming out of Alaska’s economy, and there’s optimism around the state for new projects, new contracts, and new areas of exploration in 2019. Construction is building in the Interior, many eyes are taking a long look at the newly-opened ANWR, and the state has hit several mining milestones.

Alaskans are tough, and across the Last Frontier people have shown their grit and determination to make it work. And it is working.

Captaining those efforts are the Alaska Business Top 49ers, who through practice and intense training (maybe not always in a football field) prepared themselves to thrive; over the past few years many have managed to grow or maintain profit margins despite economic troubles, found solutions to keep as many people at their desks or in the field as possible, and set aside time and money to keep Alaska’s communities in the game.

Alaska Business is thrilled to be your biggest fan.

TOP 49ers Special Section

2018 Top 49ers:

Teamwork, Talent, and Triumph

C

ongratulations are in order for Alaska’s 2018 MVCs—Most Valuable Corporations. Every year Alaska Business scouts for contenders to vie for top ranking in the Top 49ers, which are at least 51 percent Alaskan-owned. These companies are home-grown heroes in Alaska’s economy, providing jobs, supporting communities, and making the plays that keep Alaskans on their feet.

It’s been widely speculated in the business community that 2018 signals the end of the slow bottoming out of Alaska’s economy, and there’s optimism around the state for new projects, new contracts, and new areas of exploration in 2019. Construction is building in the Interior, many eyes are taking a long look at the newly-opened ANWR, and the state has hit several mining milestones.

Alaskans are tough, and across the Last Frontier people have shown their grit and determination to make it work. And it is working.

Captaining those efforts are the Alaska Business Top 49ers, who through practice and intense training (maybe not always in a football field) prepared themselves to thrive; over the past few years many have managed to grow or maintain profit margins despite economic troubles, found solutions to keep as many people at their desks or in the field as possible, and set aside time and money to keep Alaska’s communities in the game.

Alaska Business is thrilled to be your biggest fan.

TOP 49ers Special Section | Q&A
How the Top 49ers Communicate and Collaborate
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he Top 49ers are ranked on gross revenue; while earning money is one obvious indication of success, it certainly isn’t the only one. And in meeting with and learning from our Top 49ers over the years, we know that they all measure success broadly to include happy employees, satisfied clients, and healthy communities. It’s not just about the money, though that is a vital component of operating any company and for the health of the economy as a whole. Put all the parts together and ultimately it’s about becoming a team.

And every successful team shares one trait: great teamwork. The Alaska Business Top 49ers have some of the best teams around, so for 2018 we asked them, “What initiatives or policies have been most effective at your business to improve communication and teamwork?”

This year’s Top 49ers share their secrets to successful synergy in the workplace.

TOP 49ers Special Section | AVEC
Alaska Village Electric Cooperative
The nation’s largest electric utility retail cooperative
By Arie Henry
AVEC’s automated power plant, bulk fuel tank farm, and four wind turbines in Chevak.

AVEC

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While the Alaska Village Electric Cooperative (AVEC) provides power to just more than 4 percent of Alaska’s population, its service map stretches over a remarkably large portion of the state—from as far northeast as Kivalina to as far southeast as Yakutat. So how does a small electric co-op, employing less than 160 full-time and part-time employees throughout the state, manage to thrive as the largest of its type in the nation? Part of the explanation can be found in the cooperative spirit that characterizes rural Alaska.

AVEC was first incorporated in 1967 and officially began operations in 1968. The first three member villages were Hooper Bay, Nulato, and Old Harbor.

Today, as AVEC celebrates its 50th anniversary, that membership has bloomed into fifty-eight villages consisting of a combined population of more than 33,000. As geographically, economically, and culturally diverse as this base is, the common thread tying them together is a close-knit sense of community.

TOP 49ers Special Section | Anchorage Chrysler
Anchorage Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram
Miles ahead of the pack
By Arie Henry
A

laska is a rugged place. Its landscape is rugged, its people are rugged, and it takes rugged tools to get the job—whatever job that may be—done. It comes as no surprise, then, that the state’s roads are dominated by large pickups, four-wheel drive SUVs, and hill-traversing Jeeps. Alaska terrain calls for vehicles built with power and maneuverability.

Enter Anchorage Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, which prides itself as “Ram Truck Territory and Alaska’s Jeep Headquarters.” As recently as 2014, the State of Alaska Department of Motor Vehicles records contained more registrations of Chrysler, Dodge, and Ram vehicles than any other automobile brand (compared to ownership of brands such as Ford, Chevrolet, or Toyota). According to Anchorage Chrysler President and General Manager Corey Meyers, there are very few states in a similar situation, perhaps only one other.

TOP 49ers Special Section | KONIAG
Koniag
Values first and poised for growth
By Tasha Anderson
Koniag shareholders in traditional regalia.

© Josh Corbett | Koniag

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his marks the fifth consecutive year of profitability for Koniag, a record of success that Senior Director of Shareholder Services Stacey Simmons attributes to the effort of Koniag’s Board of Directors and leadership team to work together to make informed decisions, weighing industry data and research with the input and opinions from the regional corporation’s shareholders.

“Koniag does a phenomenal job communicating with our shareholders, but we are always looking to do more,” Simmons says, an endeavor that she facilities through her role on a daily basis.

Video Sponsor: Alaska Airlines
TOP 49ers Special Section | CMI
Construction Machinery Industrial
Equipping Alaska’s industries
By Tasha Anderson
“O

ur number one priority is product support to the equipment that we sell and rent,” says Construction Machinery Industrial (CMI) President and CEO Ken Gerondale.

“Product support includes providing parts; it also includes the service, whether it’s the service for warranty or longer-­term maintenance; and then product support can also include having a large enough inventory of equipment in the state of Alaska to provide rental equipment or standby equipment in case a piece of equipment goes down.”

Ultimately CMI strives to be available with the right tools, the right people, and the right parts, anytime and anywhere in the state. On the company’s website there are phone numbers and email addresses listed for employees at each of CMI’s four branches, along with this simple reassurance: “Branch numbers answered 24/7.”

Professional Services
Corporate teams play one of Venture Up’s most popular games—DB Cooper: Who am I?

Venture Up

Playing the Game
The benefits of corporate team building
By Vanessa Orr
G

etting people to work together as a team can be a challenge, especially if those people have different learning styles or don’t process information the same way. Trying to find a way to teach employees how to respect each other’s differences while maximizing each team member’s individual strengths isn’t a game—but maybe it should be.

What many business owners have learned—and what team-building companies promote—is that learning should be fun. “When employees feel that something is an obligation, like a lecture or listening to a keynote speaker, they tend to zone out,” says Todd Rice, director of THEY improv. “But when something is more interactive, they open themselves up to it; they have fun, they are engaged, and their brains are working at peak efficiency.

ENVIRONMENTAL
Ariel view of the junkyard site at Wrangell taken August 19 that shows two-thirds of the stockpile of treated soil has been removed; the removed soil was transported to an Oregon landfill.

Shane O’Neill | NRC Alaska

The Best Soil Remediation Tools Available
Prevention, awareness, and innovation
By Judy Mottl
O

f about 7,600 contaminated sites in Alaska, some 70 percent have been cleaned up with 2,300 remaining that require additional remediation.

The bulk of those sites, about 73 percent, are contaminated by petroleum, the most common toxic matter in land-based spills statewide, according to Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) officials and remediation specialists.

“We are in a much better place [with regard to land-based spills] than we were back in March 1989,” says Graham Wood, program manager of the DEC’s Prevention Preparedness and Response Program, which was launched following the Valdez oil spill in 1989.

Education
The University of Alaska Anchorage’s College of Business and Public Policy is located inside Rasmuson Hall.

Eric Terry

Planning for the Future
What gets workers farther: traditional degrees or the school of life?
By Samantha Davenport
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here is an array of degrees training workers for Alaska’s business community. From business administration to human resources, each individual is an important piece of the whole.

Paula Bradison is the owner and managing director of staffing agency Alaska Executive Search. She obtained her associate’s degree in small business administration from the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) and is a fourth generation Alaskan business owner.

While the company recruits some potential employees from the Lower 48, the majority of individuals who use Alaska Executive Search’s services are from Alaska, ranging from Bethel to Nome to Kotzebue.

At a Glance
What book is currently on your nightstand? The last book I read was the autobiography of Tommy Franks [American Soldier by General Tommy Franks].

What movie do you recommend to everyone you know? Doctor Strangelove. It’s the best movie… ever. Peter Sellers is phenomenal.

If you could not live in Alaska, where would you live? I would explore the Southeast US States—the coastal area. I like the water. But my home is Alaska. I’m not going anywhere.

If could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be? A white Russian sable.

At a Glance
What book is currently on your nightstand? The last book I read was the autobiography of Tommy Franks [American Soldier by General Tommy Franks].

What movie do you recommend to everyone you know? Doctor Strangelove. It’s the best movie… ever. Peter Sellers is phenomenal.

If you could not live in Alaska, where would you live? I would explore the Southeast US States—the coastal area. I like the water. But my home is Alaska. I’m not going anywhere.

If could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be? A white Russian sable.

Off the Cuff
Aves Thompson
A

ves Thompson has served as Executive Director at the Alaska Trucking Association (ATA) for the past twelve years. Prior to joining ATA, Thompson served as chief and director of the State of Alaska Division of Measurement Standards. This year he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Conference on Weights and Measures.

Beer!
Beer!
Oktoberfest
T

he world’s biggest and oldest Oktoberfest runs for more than two weeks every year from late September to early October in Munich. Taking place annually since 1810, this beer festival and fair sees more than 6 million attendees.

Communities around the world have since initiated their own fall festivals that pay homage to Oktoberfest and celebrate food, fun, community, and (naturally) beer. As Alaska’s local brewing industry has sky-rocketed in the last few years, there’s never a short supply of new, local, and unique brewed options for Alaskans to sample and love throughout the fall across the state.

T

he world’s biggest and oldest Oktoberfest runs for more than two weeks every year from late September to early October in Munich. Taking place annually since 1810, this beer festival and fair sees more than 6 million attendees.

Communities around the world have since initiated their own fall festivals that pay homage to Oktoberfest and celebrate food, fun, community, and (naturally) beer. As Alaska’s local brewing industry has sky-rocketed in the last few years, there’s never a short supply of new, local, and unique brewed options for Alaskans to sample and love throughout the fall across the state.

Halloween Events
H

alloween in Alaska can be tricky, as end-of-October weather ranges from cold and dry to wet and slippery, and there’s no telling if one will be balancing on ice or trekking through several feet of snow. But Alaskans know these challenges, and there are events in every community that promote safe and fun (and sometimes warm) Halloween and fall activities.

Anchorage
Oct 27
Kid’s Halloween Train
Join the Alaska Railroad for the Halloween family fun: a ride on the rails complete with costumes, crafting, and tasty treats. The train travels 2.5 hours round-trip from Anchorage to Indian. Passengers enjoy monster-size fun, including a magician, crafts, balloon animals, Halloween-themed bingo, a raffle, and coloring contest. alaskarailroad.com
Oct 27
Trick or Treat Street
Trick or Treat Street is a free and fun event for families and children to trick or treat from business to business in downtown Anchorage in a safe and friendly environment from Noon to 4 p.m. anchoragedowntown.org
Juneau
Oct 20
MASK-erade Party
Fancy, silly, glitzy, or gruesome—put on a mask and join the Friends of the Alaska State Library, Archives, and Museum for a fun evening of food, music, and dance at the Alaska State Museum from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. foslam.org
Skagway
Oct 27
Halloween Carnival
The whole family is invited to fun and festivities at the Halloween Carnival, taking place at the Skagway Recreation Center from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. skagwayrecreation.org
Events Calendar
Events Calendar
Anchorage
Oct 5-7
Make It Alaskan Festival
In its thirtieth year, this festival features more than 120 booths showcasing arts, crafts, food products, jewelry, produce, and homegrown products from artisans ranging from Utqiaġvik to Ketchikan. Entry to the festival at Dena’ina Center is free to the public. makeitalaskanfestival.com
Oct 26-27
Kid’s Halloween Train
Join the Alaska Railroad for the Halloween family fun: a ride on the rails complete with costumes, crafting, and tasty treats. The train travels 2.5 hours round-trip from Anchorage to Indian. Passengers enjoy monster-size fun, including a magician, crafts, balloon animals, Halloween-themed bingo, a raffle, and coloring contest. alaskarailroad.com
Fairbanks
Oct 6-7
Go Winter! Expo
This event focuses on winter: how to get through it safely and sanely while having fun. This year will include the Interior Alaska Gun show, as well as indoor and outdoor activities, food, and information about winterization, home care, and travel ideas, all at the Carlson Center. fairbanksevents.com/go-winter-expo/
Juneau
Oct 13
Zero K Fun Non-Run
This event features live music from Fire on McGinnis and others, a pasta buffet for carb loading, a no-host bar, and non-alcoholic drinks. Participants will receive a race-day T-shirt and a 0.0 sticker to highlight their lack of achievement, all at the Hangar on the Wharf ballroom. jahc.org
Seward
Oct 5-7
Music & Arts Festival
The theme of this year’s festival is “Wilderness” and was inspired by the art of Rockwell Kent. This exciting conclusion to the busy summer season includes live music and dance performances along with local artisan craft and food vendors. The festival is held at the Dale R. Lindsey Alaska Railroad Intermodal Facility, which is heated and indoors. sewardfestival.com
Sitka
Oct 10-18
Alaska Day Festival
This festival commemorates the transfer of Alaska from Russia to the United States at Sitka in October 1867. This year’s theme is “Museums Preserving History.” The Alaska Day ball is on Tuesday, and other events include special lectures, exhibits, and displays; receptions, luncheons, and food sales; interpretive programs at museums and parks; and races and games. alaskadayfestival.org
Business Events
October
October 8-11
ATIA Annual Convention & Trade Show
Fairbanks: The Alaska Travel Industry Association is the leading nonprofit trade organization for the state’s tourism industry. The theme for this year’s conference is “The Great Escape.” alaskatia.org
October 8-12
AAHPA Annual Conference
Seward: This is the annual conference of the Alaska Association of Harbormasters & Port Administrators. alaskaharbors.org
October 11-14
All-Alaska Medical Conference
Alaska Native Heritage Center, Anchorage: A continuing medical education conference organized by the Alaska Academy of Physicians Assistants, providing up to twenty-five CMEs. akapa.org
October 18-20
Alaska Federation of Natives Annual Convention
Dena’ina Center, Anchorage: The Alaska Federation of Natives Convention is the largest representative annual gathering in the United States of any Native peoples. Delegates are elected on a population formula of one representative per twenty-five Native residents in the area, and delegate participation rates at the annual convention typically exceed 95 percent. nativefederation.org
October 23-25
Alaska Chamber Fall Forum
Westmark Fairbanks: Open to the public, the Alaska Chamber’s Annual Conference is the state’s premier business conference. The conference draws 200 to 225 attendees and features keynote speakers, panel discussions, and breakout sessions on issues of statewide concern to Alaska business. alaskachamber.com
Inside Alaska Business
Office of the Governor
Governor Bill Walker signed the following into law:
SB105—Improves medical transparency in Alaska, requiring healthcare providers to publicly post cost of services and provide good-faith estimates. It also improves billing for marital and family counseling.

HB267—Allows local governments to confirm that hunting and fishing activities subject to taxes within their jurisdictions are being accurately reported.

HB135—Gives Alaska school districts more time and flexibility to provide the local match required under the School Construction Grant Program, loosening the existing three-year deadline; it can now be extended by the Commissioner of the Department of Education and Early Development to a maximum of seven years.

HB212— Expands Alaska’s rural school construction fund so that major maintenance projects at existing schools can qualify for money, instead of funding only the construction of new schools.

Right Moves
Office of the Governor
The Anchorage Superior Court will welcome Una Gandbhir, Tom Matthews, and Josie Garton to the bench.

Gandbhir has practiced law in Alaska for twenty-four years, after law school at Northeastern and an internship with Alaska Legal Services.
Matthews has practiced law in Alaska for thirty-two years, after graduating from Lewis & Clark Law.
Garton has practiced law in Alaska for more than seventeen years. She graduated from Lewis & Clark Law before moving to Alaska to clerk for Chief Justice Warren Matthews.

The Bethel District Court also welcomes Will Montgomery to the bench.

Montgomery graduated from William Mitchell College of Law in 2010.

Alaska Trends
Top 49ers: Impact at Home and Beyond
Total Top 49ers Revenue more than $15.5 Billion
Alaska Native Corps $12,245,273,807
Construction & Engineering $352,588,287
Finance $273,965,024
Industrial Services $426,095,968
Mining $79,000,000
Retail/Wholesale $336,522,488
Transportation $1,155,800,000
Utility $635,538,932
Alaska Native Corps $12,245,273,807
Construction & Engineering $352,588,287
Finance $273,965,024
Industrial Services $426,095,968
Mining $79,000,000
Retail/Wholesale $336,522,488
Transportation $1,155,800,000
Utility $635,538,932
Alaska Native
Corporations
2017
Revenue
Change
from
2016
2018
Alaskan
Employees
Change
from
2017
2018
worldwide
Employees
Change
from
2017
Afognak Native
Corporation
$608,104,000 28.2% 158 4.6% 5,185 10.6%
Ahtna, Inc. $238,000,000 9.3% 309 -17.4% 1,380 -2.3%
Aleut Corporation $211,837,206 23.4% 184 -2.1% 929 -12.9%
Arctic Slope Regional
Corporation
$2,697,862,000 13.8% 3,715 0.8% 11,301 -0.1%
Bering Straits Native
Corporation
$357,900,000 9.8% 337 -36.9% 1,447 -7.6%
Bethel Native
Corporation
$99,197,518 38.2% 50 -16.7% 125 0.0%
Bristol Bay Native
Corporation
$1,659,345,000 8.8% 1,550 20.0% 3,860 -11.9%
Calista Corporation $480,200,000 -2.4% 800 1.5% 3,000 3.4%
Cape Fox Corporation $60,632,693 -4.6% 172 49.6% 748 30.1%
Chenega Corporation $876,000,000 -5.5% 219 -23.7% 5,600 -6.5%
Chugach Alaska
Corporation
$920,000,000 9.3% 1,000 25.0% 6,400 6.7%
Cook Inlet Region, Inc. $439,349,000 52.0% 284 0.4% 1,384 -1.4%
Doyon, Limited $290,548,000 -4.9% 591 10.1% 888 6.9%
Goldbelt, Incorporated $229,389,285 -3.1% 250 0.0% 1,500 0.0%
Koniag, Inc. $270,769,000 7.6% 59 7.3% 753 60.6%
NANA Regional
Corporation
$1,354,000,000 4.2% 4,796 -9.4% 12,251 -13.1%
Olgoonik Corporation $260,200,000 7.6% 114 12.9% 834 -16.7%
Sealaska $293,400,000 101.6% 50 -2.0% 300 13.6%
Sitnasuak Native
Corporation
$134,138,330 3.0% 91 -9.0% 871 -8.3%
Tanadgusix Corp. (TDX) $111,700,000 -8.6% 281 99.3% 639 11.7%
The Kuskokwim
Corporation
$104,276,146 17.5% 13 -13.3% 180 33.3%
Tyonek Native
Corporation
$78,000,000 -12.4% 37 729 84.1%
Ukpeagvik Inupiat
Corporation (UIC)
$470,425,629 10.9% 605 132.7% 4,450 78.0%
Alaska Native
Corporations total
$12,245,273,807 13.2% 15,665 10.1% 64,754 11.2%
Alaska Native Corporation: Afognak Native Corporation
2017 Revenue: $608,104,000
Change from 2016: 28.2%
2018 Alaskan Employees: 158
Change from 2017: 4.6%
2018 worldwide Employees: 5,185
Change from 2017: 10.6%
Alaska Native Corporation: Ahtna, Inc.
2017 Revenue: $238,000,000
Change from 2016: 9.3%
2018 Alaskan Employees: 309
Change from 2017: -17.4%
2018 worldwide Employees: 1,380
Change from 2017: -2.3%
Alaska Native Corporation: Aleut Corporation
2017 Revenue: $211,837,206
Change from 2016: 23.4%
2018 Alaskan Employees: 184
Change from 2017: -2.1%
2018 worldwide Employees: 929
Change from 2017: -12.9%
Alaska Native Corporation: Arctic Slope Regional Corporation
2017 Revenue: $2,697,862,000
Change from 2016: 13.8%
2018 Alaskan Employees: 3,715
Change from 2017: 0.8%
2018 worldwide Employees: 11,301
Change from 2017: -0.1%
Alaska Native Corporation: Bering Straits Native Corporation
2017 Revenue: $357,900,000
Change from 2016: 9.8%
2018 Alaskan Employees: 337
Change from 2017: -36.9%
2018 worldwide Employees: 1,447
Change from 2017: -7.6%
Alaska Native Corporation: Bethel Native Corporation
2017 Revenue: $99,197,518
Change from 2016: 38.2%
2018 Alaskan Employees: 50
Change from 2017: -16.7%
2018 worldwide Employees: 125
Change from 2017: 0.0%
Alaska Native Corporation: Bristol Bay Native Corporation
2017 Revenue: $1,659,345,000
Change from 2016: 8.8%
2018 Alaskan Employees: 1,550
Change from 2017: 20.0%
2018 worldwide Employees: 3,860
Change from 2017: -11.9%
Alaska Native Corporation: Calista Corporation
2017 Revenue: $480,200,000
Change from 2016: -2.4%
2018 Alaskan Employees: 800
Change from 2017: 1.5%
2018 worldwide Employees: 3,000
Change from 2017: 3.4%
Alaska Native Corporation: Cape Fox Corporation
2017 Revenue: $60,632,693
Change from 2016: -4.6%
2018 Alaskan Employees: 172
Change from 2017: 49.6%
2018 worldwide Employees: 748
Change from 2017: 30.1%
Alaska Native Corporation: Chenega Corporation
2017 Revenue: $876,000,000
Change from 2016: -5.5%
2018 Alaskan Employees: 219
Change from 2017: -23.7%
2018 worldwide Employees: 5,600
Change from 2017: -6.5%
Alaska Native Corporation: Chugach Alaska Corporation
2017 Revenue: $920,000,000
Change from 2016: 9.3%
2018 Alaskan Employees: 1,000
Change from 2017: 25.0%
2018 worldwide Employees: 6,400
Change from 2017: 6.7%
Alaska Native Corporation: Cook Inlet Region, Inc.
2017 Revenue: $439,349,000
Change from 2016: 52.0%
2018 Alaskan Employees: 284
Change from 2017: 0.4%
2018 worldwide Employees: 1,384
Change from 2017: -1.4%
Alaska Native Corporation: Doyon, Limited
2017 Revenue: $290,548,000
Change from 2016: -4.9%
2018 Alaskan Employees: 591
Change from 2017: 10.1%
2018 worldwide Employees: 888
Change from 2017: 6.9%
Alaska Native Corporation: Goldbelt, Incorporated
2017 Revenue: $229,389,285
Change from 2016: -3.1%
2018 Alaskan Employees: 250
Change from 2017: 0.0%
2018 worldwide Employees: 1,500
Change from 2017: 0.0%
Alaska Native Corporation: Koniag, Inc.
2017 Revenue: $270,769,000
Change from 2016: 7.6%
2018 Alaskan Employees: 59
Change from 2017: 7.3%
2018 worldwide Employees: 753
Change from 2017: 60.6%
Alaska Native Corporation: NANA Regional Corporation
2017 Revenue: $1,354,000,000
Change from 2016: 4.2%
2018 Alaskan Employees: 4,796
Change from 2017: -9.4%
2018 worldwide Employees: 12,251
Change from 2017: -13.1%
Alaska Native Corporation: Olgoonik Corporation
2017 Revenue: $260,200,000
Change from 2016: 7.6%
2018 Alaskan Employees: 114
Change from 2017: 12.9%
2018 worldwide Employees: 834
Change from 2017: -16.7%
Alaska Native Corporation: Sealaska
2017 Revenue: $293,400,000
Change from 2016: 101.6%
2018 Alaskan Employees: 50
Change from 2017: -2.0%
2018 worldwide Employees: 300
Change from 2017: 13.6%
Alaska Native Corporation: Sitnasuak Native Corporation
2017 Revenue: $134,138,330
Change from 2016: 3.0%
2018 Alaskan Employees: 91
Change from 2017: -9.0%
2018 worldwide Employees: 871
Change from 2017: -8.3%
Alaska Native Corporation: Tanadgusix Corp. (TDX)
2017 Revenue: $111,700,000
Change from 2016: -8.6%
2018 Alaskan Employees: 281
Change from 2017: 99.3%
2018 worldwide Employees: 639
Change from 2017: 11.7%
Alaska Native Corporation: The Kuskokwim Corporation
2017 Revenue: $104,276,146
Change from 2016: 17.5%
2018 Alaskan Employees: 13
Change from 2017: -13.3%
2018 worldwide Employees: 180
Change from 2017: 33.3%
Alaska Native Corporation: Tyonek Native Corporation
2017 Revenue: $78,000,000
Change from 2016: -12.4%
2018 Alaskan Employees: 37
Change from 2017:
2018 worldwide Employees: 729
Change from 2017: 84.1%
Alaska Native Corporation: Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corporation (UIC)
2017 Revenue: $470,425,629
Change from 2016: 10.9%
2018 Alaskan Employees: 605
Change from 2017: 132.7%
2018 worldwide Employees: 4,450
Change from 2017: 78.0%
Alaska Native Corporations total
2017 Revenue: $12,245,273,807
Change from 2016: 13.2%
2018 Alaskan Employees: 15,665
Change from 2017: 10.1%
2018 worldwide Employees: 64,754
Change from 2017: 11.2%
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