Top 49ers
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October 2022
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Step up to the best in class…
  • Best load capacities
  • Best attachment lengths
  • Best transportability
  • Best serviceability
  • Best accessibility with flat deck
  • Best distributor and factory support
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different Crane options
Kirk Currey
Kirk Currey, Anchorage
Sales Representative
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Anchorage, AK 99518
Toll Free: 1-800-478-3822
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October 2022 | VOLUME 38 | NUMBER 10 | AKBIZMAG.COM

Contents

Features

Service with a Smile

How banks distinguish themselves through customer experience
By Tracy Barbour

The Mission-Driven Economy

The crucial role nonprofits play in Alaska
By Vanessa Orr

Sourdough Lives

Alaska’s aged and tangy heritage
By Vanessa Orr

Full Throttle

The Alaska Railroad resumes a growth trajectory after pandemic disruptions
By Rachael Kvapil

To Catch a Z

An insider perspective on post-Millennial marketing
By Rachael Kvapil

Coding in 907

An open frontier for software developers
By Scott Rhode

The Other Shoe Is Dropping

Engineering solutions to over-sized carbon footprints
By Tracy Barbour

Local Suppliers Have the Right Supplies

Innovative materials for the North Slope
By Richard Perry

Why Worry?

The benefits of preparing for low-frequency, high-consequence events
By Daniel P. Hoffman

Who’s the Boss?

ESOPs turn employees into owners
By Scott Rhode
Alaskan Brewing Company

Who’s the Boss?

ESOPs turn employees into owners
By Scott Rhode
Alaskan Brewing Company
Who’s the Boss

Service with a Smile

How banks distinguish themselves through customer experience
By Tracy Barbour

The Mission-Driven Economy

The crucial role nonprofits play in Alaska
By Vanessa Orr

Sourdough Lives

Alaska’s aged and tangy heritage
By Vanessa Orr

Full Throttle

The Alaska Railroad resumes a growth trajectory after pandemic disruptions
By Rachael Kvapil

To Catch a Z

An insider perspective on post-Millennial marketing
By Rachael Kvapil

Coding in 907

An open frontier for software developers
By Scott Rhode

The Other Shoe Is Dropping

Engineering solutions to over-sized carbon footprints
By Tracy Barbour

Local Suppliers Have the Right Supplies

Innovative materials for the North Slope
By Richard Perry

Why Worry?

The benefits of preparing for low-frequency, high-consequence events
By Daniel P. Hoffman
Special Section: TOP 49ERS
Craig Taylor Equipment, Alaska USA, and Northrim join the 2022 list
By Katie Pesznecker
Bailey’s Furniture and Sourdough Express
By Alexandra Kay
How to capture and create a brand identity
By Kaylee Devine
Spawn Ideas
How to capture and create a brand identity
By Kaylee Devine
Spawn Ideas
Tell Your Story
Alaska Business - October Cover

About The Cover

You stand at the threshold of a great endeavor. Ahead stretch many paths, but truly the way forward is a single step: one courageous choice. You must decide which fork to take, braving unknown perils in search of hoped-for rewards.

You are not alone. These are the same paths that enterprising spirits have taken to become Alaska’s Top 49ers. Their bold choices have led to success in the fields of aviation, tourism, oil and gas, fishing, government contracting, and many more.

The creator of this month’s cover, Lucas Elliott, left silhouetted figures so that you can imagine yourself in the place of these intrepid adventurers. A professor of graphic design at UAA, Elliott is also the author of Battle Star, a comic about a warrior echinoderm, and he illustrated the graphic novel version of the 2015 local film Moose: The Movie. He could hardly have imagined these wild destinations before embarking on his journey of ink and paint. Such is life, and such is this magazine.

Treasures await you within. Stake your claim with a single step:

Illustration by Lucas Elliott
To proceed directly to the Top 49ers list, choose this article.

For the editor’s welcome to this special issue, choose this article.

Alaska Business (ISSN 8756-4092) is published monthly by Alaska Business Publishing Co., Inc. 501 W. Northern Lights Boulevard, Suite 100, Anchorage, Alaska 99503-2577; Telephone: (907) 276-4373. © 2022 Alaska Business Publishing Co. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Alaska Business accepts no responsibility for unsolicited materials; they will not be returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self addressed envelope. One-year subscription is $39.95 and includes twelve issues (print + digital) and the annual Power List. Single issues of the Power List are $15 each. Single issues of Alaska Business are $4.99 each; $5.99 for the July & October issues. Send subscription orders and address changes to circulation@akbizmag.com. To order back issues ($9.99 each including postage) visit simplecirc.com/back_issues/alaska-business.

From the Editor

We generally start planning for the Top 49ers in the spring, starting with the theme. For 2022, the process started even earlier. Last fall, Art Director Monica Sterchi-Lowman and I were conferring about the magazine and happily stumbled across a theme to which we were both immediately drawn: Choose Adventure. Inspired by the iconic “Choose Your Own Adventure” novels of the ‘80s and ‘90s, we saw incredible potential for the editorial and design—we liked the energy, the focus on opportunity, and the potential for monsters.

Separately, in meetings marked by a decidedly different tone, the Alaska Business editorial and ownership team made another determination: we decided to adjust the criteria for eligibility to be a Top 49er. Instead of requiring that an organization be at least 51 percent Alaskan-owned, we are admitting companies to the Top 49ers if they were established in Alaska and remain headquartered here—and, of course, their gross revenue is high enough to make the ranks.

Alaska Business logo
Volume 38, #9
Editorial Staff
Managing Editor
Tasha Anderson
907-257-2907
tanderson@akbizmag.com
Editor/Staff Writer
Scott Rhode
907-257-2902
srhode@akbizmag.com
Social Media
Carter Damaska
907-257-2910
enews@akbizmag.com
Editorial Assistant
Emily Olsen
907-257-2914
emily@akbizmag.com
PRODUCTION Staff
Art Director
Monica Sterchi-Lowman
907-257-2916
design@akbizmag.com
Design & Art Production
Fulvia Lowe
production@akbizmag.com
Website Manager
Taylor Sanders
webmanager@akbizmag.com
Photo Contributor
Kerry Tasker
BUSINESS STAFF
President
Billie Martin
VP & General Manager
Jason Martin
907-257-2905
jason@akbizmag.com
VP Sales & Marketing
Charles Bell
907-257-2909
cbell@akbizmag.com
Senior Account Manager
Janis J. Plume
907-257-2917
janis@akbizmag.com
Senior Account Manager
Christine Merki
907-257-2911
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Full-Charge Bookkeeper
James Barnhill
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CONTACT
Press releases:
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Postmaster:
Send address changes to
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Finance
Nuvision Credit Union
Service with a Smile
How banks distinguish themselves through customer experience
By Tracy Barbour
B

anking is pretty much the same all over, at its core. Banks and credit unions operate in a highly commoditized industry that leaves little room to compete on price, so creating a positive customer experience is especially critical.

Customer experience encompasses every interaction an individual has with a company and its brand: in-branch contact, email, call center, online banking system, online advertising, digital apps, and even social media. And it involves the customer’s senses, emotions, feelings, perceptions, evaluations, engagement, and even memories. A pleasant experience—one that is helpful, convenient, fast, and friendly—can make people feel seen, heard, and appreciated. Ultimately, favorable customer experiences help companies differentiate themselves and increase their competitive advantage, brand loyalty, customer retention, and revenue.

Nonprofit
Alaska Chadux Network
The Mission-Driven Economy
The crucial role nonprofits play in Alaska
By Vanessa Orr
T

he 5,620 nonprofits in Alaska range from sports leagues and outdoor recreation organizations to rural and urban hospitals, clinics, and community health centers. Nonprofits provide housing—for seniors, individuals with disabilities, or low-income populations—as well as childcare services, youth programs, and vocational training. Civic and social clubs count as nonprofits, and so do colleges, universities, labor unions, and volunteer associations.

According to Alaska’s Nonprofit Sector: Generating Economic Impact, a report released by The Foraker Group in December 2021, Alaska’s nonprofits not only provide essential services but also create jobs, directly employing more than 38,105 Alaskans. Those jobs, as well as the goods and services that nonprofits require, in turn sustain another 57,922 jobs in the state. Altogether, these jobs translate into $4.1 billion in direct, indirect, and induced wages generated by the nonprofit sector. Seven previous reports have reached similar conclusions.

Alaska Isn’t Just Any State.
USI Isn’t Just Any Broker.

The consultants in USI’s Anchorage & Sitka offices know Alaska like their own back yard because, well, it is.

With decades of presence & experience in the state, our Alaskan teams deliverinformed perspectives & customized brokerage & consulting solutions to aid Alaska-based businesses in addressing the specific & unique challenges they face.

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Call Anchorage: 907.272.0114
Sitka: 907.747.8625 or visit usi.com

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© 2022 USI Insurance Services. All rights reserved.

Professional Services
Alaskan Brewing Company
Who’s the Boss?
ESOPs turn employees into owners
By Scott Rhode
W

orkers have nothing to lose but their chains, said Karl Marx. But what if workers own the chains?
Rope, wire, hoses, tubes, and chains are the stock-in-trade at Alaska Rubber Group (ARG), an employee-owned business in Anchorage. Its former CEO, Janeece Higgins, retired at the end of 2020, but she’s still busy as a board member of The ESOP Association, a national nonprofit that promotes employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), a financial mechanism for returning the value of a company to its workers.

The association guided ARG through the ESOP transition in 2006. “We didn’t know what we didn’t know, and ESOPs are a very different animal that most of us had very little experience with,” Higgins says.

HR MATTERS
Executive Recruitment and Finding Unicorns
Stephanie Haydn Buchanan, Senior Consultant, Business Development
M

ore than ever before, the executive recruiting environment is changing. Attracting top talent is a topic many organizations are currently examining. Hiring trends and the lack of available workers make national headlines daily. According to the US Department of Labor, labor participation rates have not recovered to pre-pandemic numbers, with 69.2% of eligible men and 57.4% of eligible women contributing to the US workforce in 2019, an entire percentage point higher than current levels. So, where have all the workers gone?

Manufacturing
Sourdough
Lives
Alaska’s aged and tangy heritage
By Vanessa Orr
Everste | istock
Sourdough Lives
Alaska’s aged and tangy heritage
By Vanessa Orr
T

he first time a neighbor shared her generations-old sourdough starter with me, I felt like that scene in Disney’s The Lion King in which Rafiki holds newborn Simba up to a rising crescendo of “The Circle of Life.” The passing down of such a legacy left me humbled—and worried that I could live up to the awe-inspiring breakfasts she made. There was nothing quite like her Sunday morning spreads that included sourdough pancakes and waffles adorned with locally harvested berries and slathered with birch syrup.

Sourdough—a symbiotic colony of yeast and bacteria used for leavening—is as tied to Alaska lore as dog sleds, snow, and a pair of Sorel boots. Pioneers who wandered the territory carrying sourdough starter in their packs became known as “sourdoughs”—a term that is now used to label an Alaskan old timer.

Transportation
an Alaska Railroad train chugging up a hill in a forested area

Ken Edmier | Alaska Railroad Corporation

Full
Throttle
The Alaska Railroad
resumes a growth
trajectory after
pandemic disruptions

By Rachael Kvapil

C

oncluding its first century of existence, the Alaska Railroad Corporation (ARRC) has a lot to celebrate. After the pandemic disrupted an upward trajectory in 2019, the state-owned railroad is rebounding from a brutal downturn in 2020 and preparing for growth in the coming years. With increased revenue from freight, passenger, and real estate, ARRC is ready to undertake a significant tourism and cargo project in Seward that will have economic ripple effects to the end of its tracks.

The State of the Railroad
ARRC’s 2019 financials marked a great year for the corporation. The railroad’s biggest revenue sources saw profitability that year: $85.3 million (net of fuel surcharge revenue of $79.5 million) in freight operations, $39.6 million in passenger service, and $22.4 million in real estate leases and permits. Nothing in the financial forecast hinted at any reason why their upward trajectory should alter course. And then 2020 brought the pandemic and everything changed.
an Alaska Railroad train chugging up a hill in a forested area

Ken Edmier | Alaska Railroad Corporation

Full
Throttle

The Alaska Railroad
resumes a growth
trajectory after
pandemic disruptions

By Rachael Kvapil

C

oncluding its first century of existence, the Alaska Railroad Corporation (ARRC) has a lot to celebrate. After the pandemic disrupted an upward trajectory in 2019, the state-owned railroad is rebounding from a brutal downturn in 2020 and preparing for growth in the coming years. With increased revenue from freight, passenger, and real estate, ARRC is ready to undertake a significant tourism and cargo project in Seward that will have economic ripple effects to the end of its tracks.

The State of the Railroad
ARRC’s 2019 financials marked a great year for the corporation. The railroad’s biggest revenue sources saw profitability that year: $85.3 million (net of fuel surcharge revenue of $79.5 million) in freight operations, $39.6 million in passenger service, and $22.4 million in real estate leases and permits. Nothing in the financial forecast hinted at any reason why their upward trajectory should alter course. And then 2020 brought the pandemic and everything changed.
FUELED FOR THE FUTURE
TOTE logo
TOTEMARITIME.COM typography
Carlile
TRUST YOUR
SHIPPER.
We are industry leaders providing innovative solutions for over 40 years.
TRUST YOUR
SHIPPER.
We are industry leaders providing innovative solutions for over 40 years.
Carlile
TOP 49ers
Monster Illustration
Welcome Adventurers!
C

hoices lay before you, but before you embark, let us set the scene: It’s 2022, and for the last two years every business, not-for-profit, and nonprofit across the globe has been operating to the best of its ability under the demands of a worldwide pandemic.

Not every business made it: some saw an unanticipated and unavoidable drought, markets or customers drying up seemingly overnight, while others chose a downhill route that led over a steep cliff—an unfortunate end.

Other businesses worked their way through the labyrinth, emerging at the end with bumps and scrapes and a whole lot of lessons learned. They navigated plot twists that arose from working and living at home, social distancing, PPE shortages, logistics issues, and a growing demand for houseplants.

HC Contractors logo
PO BOX 80688 • Fairbanks, AK 99708
Phone: (907) 488-5983 • Fax: (907) 488-9830
Top 49ers 2021 and 2022 logos
HC Contractors’ mission is to provide services and improvements that benefit everyone
wise counsel
DORSEY ATTORNEYS HAVE SERVED AS TRUSTED COUNSEL TO ALASKA CLIENTS FOR OVER 20 YEARS
With over two decades of history in the Anchorage community, Dorsey & Whitney provides full-service legal counsel to clients in the Alaska market and beyond. Backed up by the resources of an international law firm with over 550 attorneys across 20 offices, we offer global reach, local resources, and productive relationships. All with a deep understanding of our clients’ businesses, the risks they face, and the goals that drive them. Making us a wise choice for smart businesses everywhere.
Top Ranked Law Firm in Alaska; Client Service A-Team
wise counsel
DORSEY ATTORNEYS HAVE SERVED AS TRUSTED COUNSEL TO ALASKA CLIENTS FOR OVER 20 YEARS
With over two decades of history in the Anchorage community, Dorsey & Whitney provides full-service legal counsel to clients in the Alaska market and beyond. Backed up by the resources of an international law firm with over 550 attorneys across 20 offices, we offer global reach, local resources, and productive relationships. All with a deep understanding of our clients’ businesses, the risks they face, and the goals that drive them. Making us a wise choice for smart businesses everywhere.
Top Ranked Law Firm in Alaska text box
Client Service A-Team box
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Our People. Our Strength.
We’ve grown over the last 50 years, but our goals have not changed – maintaining our traditional way of life and providing opportunities for our Shareholders.
Top 49ers 2022 logo
Calista Corporation logo
Equipment. Construction. Energy. Federal Contracting. Engineering. Natural Resources. Environmental. Transportation.
TOP 49ers
The Top 49ers Choose Growth
Question mark illustration
A

ll of the data for the Top 49ers is submitted through an annual survey. As part of our surveying process, each year we ask the responding companies to answer a question related to our theme, which this year is “Choose Adventure!”

The question we asked for 2022 is:

As your organization looks at the path forward, what opportunities are you excited about? What “adventure” is your business poised to embark on?

Alaska’s #1 Marine Transportation Company.
We take pride in
providing excellent
services in a very
unique and challenging
environment.
Image by John Gomes.
Phone: (907) 248-0179 | www.cookinlettug.com
TOP 49ers
A New Recruit and Old 49ers Friends
Craig Taylor Equipment, Alaska USA, and Northrim join the 2022 list
By Katie Pesznecker
T

he list of the Top 49ers is fairly consistent, though it never repeats itself exactly. Some companies don’t have the revenue year after year to make the list, others may opt to participate one year and not another. Every so often, a new company builds its revenue sufficiently to qualify for the first time, a feat we often recognize in our special section and annual luncheon presentation.

This year is unique as we welcome three “new” Top 49ers to the ranks. Craig Taylor Equipment fits our traditional sense of a new 49er, as 2022 is its first ever appearance on the list.

TOP 49ers
Future 49ers
Bailey’s Furniture and Sourdough Express
By Alexandra Kay

Kerry Tasker

I

f the politics of 1958 had played out slightly differently and Alaska statehood was delayed by six months or so, Hawaii would have laid claim to the 49th star on the US flag. As the fiftieth state, Alaska would ascribe special significance to that number instead, and thus our annual list of top companies by revenue would have room for one more entry.

But history played out as it did, so the ranks are closed at forty-nine. Inevitably, some businesses don’t make the list—including those that have easily landed on it previously, as the bottom line continues to climb year after year.

living room

SOPHIE STATION RENOVATES

A VIP experience for Fairbanks business and leisure travelers

The freshly remodeled Summit Suite at Sophie Station Suites affords guests an opportunity to indulge in a one-of-a-kind luxury experience in Fairbanks. The condostyle, 1,581-square-foot unit is complete with:

  • a full kitchen with Cosentino Dekton countertops, professional-grade appliances, a 10-foot island with seating for four, and an 11-foot walnut dining table that seats ten
  • a separate living room with custom-built furniture, an 85-inch smart television, surround sound, and dedicated internet service able to accommodate hybrid meetings
  • two bedrooms with king-size beds, custom-made furniture, 65-inch smart TVs, and a vanity/desk area
  • two bathrooms with spa-like features, including custom-fabricated floor tiles, 3-by-7-foot walk-in showers with dual shower heads, and LED-lit vanity mirrors
TOP 49ers
Tell Your Story
How to capture and create a brand identity
By Kaylee Devine
Spawn Ideas
T

hink of a handful of iconic Alaska businesses—those that have graced the pages of this magazine, those that have given back to our community, and those that employ our friends and neighbors. While their industries, teams, and cultures may be different, they undoubtedly have one thing in common: they have found a way to tell their story—and you should too.

A brand story is something every business should invest in. It’s a powerful tool for shaping any organization in all aspects of culture, service, operations, and more. And frankly, it’s just good business sense.

Toast of the Town

MARKETING

To Catch a Z

An insider perspective on post-Millennial marketing

By Rachael Kvapil

Carter Damaska

A

s a Gen Zer, Jordan Green knows how to market to younger generations. When he started Glacier Marketing Group last year, he wasn’t old enough to file for an LLC and had to co-sign with a tax attorney who fully transferred over the business when he turned eighteen a few months later. Green had already been developing content for social media prior to his decision to start an official marketing company, a process he went into thoughtfully. Green says he wanted to do more than just start a business. He wanted to build a brand with the potential to positively impact people.

“I really wanted something that reflects my values as an entrepreneur and as an Alaskan,” says Green. “Something that was more than just about making money.”

Telecom & Tech

Coding in 907

An open frontier for software developers

By Scott Rhode

G

arages were famously the birthplace of companies that dominate software development. Alaska has garages; therefore, nothing stands in the way of Alaska becoming the Silicon Slope. Nothing, that is, except that everywhere else has garages, too.

Undaunted, some Alaskans have grabbed at a slice of the silicon pie. MTA spun off its AlasConnect service as Ampersand, a tech solutions developer. Tech accelerator Launch Alaska is currently boosting startups like the Remora logistics app and Kartorium, an Anchorage company behind a 3D training tool. App shoppers can also find software tools for learning Alaska Native languages, designed and built in the state.

United Way employees having a discussion in an office setting
Unite to Thrive logo

United Way campaign season is here. Are you ready?

Ready to be part of the solution to our community’s toughest challenges? Ready to help our neighbors by removing barriers to opportunity? Ready to build a thriving, prosperous community that’s good for business and every other aspect of life in Anchorage?

Unite to Thrive is our theme and our method.
Join us and we’ll all be stronger.

To get started with a first-time campaign, call 907.263.3809.

Already running a campaign at your company? Please accept our heartfelt thanks on behalf of the thousands whose lives will be impacted by your generosity.
United Way of Anchorage logo
Engineering
The Other
Shoe Is
Dropping
Engineering solutions to over-sized carbon footprints
By Tracy Barbour
a man wearing a thermal jacket stands on the edge of a rocky beach with large pipes releasing into the water
Stantec
T

he carbon-emissions problem has far-reaching ramifications, and it requires everyone working together to address the issue. Earth’s climate has always fluctuated, often driven by changes in the atmosphere, but changes observed in recent decades are faster and more extreme than at any recorded time. Human burning of fossil fuels has led to atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations not seen for millions of years, says Francis Wiese, science director of climate solutions at Stantec in Anchorage.

Oil & Gas

Carter Damaska | Alaska Business

Local Suppliers Have the Right Supplies

Innovative materials for the North Slope
By Richard Perry
I

n Alaska there are wider temperature variations than almost anywhere in the United States: near Fairbanks, temperatures range from 80°F or 90°F in the summer to -70°F in the winter. As harsh as that is on people, those conditions are especially brutal on machines and materials.

Normal asphalt, for example, isn’t up to meeting those demands. That is where polymer-modified asphalt comes in. The polymer stiffens the asphalt and increases its resilience in high temperatures, resulting in reduced cracking and rutting. At low temperatures, polymer-modified asphalt resists thermal cracking.

We are the
PIPEFITTERS & WELDERS
of the UNITED ASSOCIATION
We are the PIPEFITTERS & WELDERS of the UNITED ASSOCIATION
Building Alaska’s
Pipelines for Over 40 Years
UA Local 375 Union Hall logo
UA Local 375 Union Hall
907-479-6221
local375@ualocal375.org
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N.S.C.A. logo
Joint Apprenticeship Training Program
907-456-5989
jatc@ualocal375.org
MCF Fairbanks logo
UA Local 375 Union Hall logo
UA Local 375 Union Hall
907-479-6221
local375@ualocal375.org
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Joint Apprenticeship Training Program
907-456-5989
jatc@ualocal375.org
UA Local 375 is in the top 5 apprenticeship programs in the nation.

APPRENTICESHIP INTERVIEWS YEAR AROUND

Resource Development
Why Worry?
The benefits of preparing for low-frequency, high-consequence events
By Daniel P. Hoffman
Industrial piping on fire
Nuvision Credit Union
C

risis management and contingency planning. Those five simple words can cause the most competent business executives to lose more than a few good nights’ sleep. Everyone is busy, and most managers and administrators tend to expend the majority of their focus and energies putting out the operational fires of the day (or week, month, quarter, et cetera). When asked to consider the dire consequences and ramifications of a potential event—especially for those that likely have a small chance of actually occurring—it’s often far too easy to place consideration for such matters on one’s to-do list, perhaps when things quiet down somewhat.

The problem, of course, is that things are never going to quiet down. A whole new set of problems and other “high-priority” issues invariably come to the fore, making it all too easy to push emergency management and contingency planning to the bottom of the pile. If a business or organization is lucky, there will be no real consequence realized from such inaction, as—by definition—the low-frequency event will likely never materialize. However, if such an event were to happen, the high consequence nature of such circumstances could derail an entire operation and perhaps even bankrupt one’s business. Given the high stakes involved, can you really afford to gamble when it comes to such planning?

“Content Marketing Conundrum”
Charles Bell headshot

By Charles Bell
Vice President of Sales

A

ccording to a research study by IPG Media Lab and Forbes, memory recall for sponsored content is twice as long as for traditional advertisements. Sponsored content also improves brand favorability and increases the likelihood of developing new business opportunities.

In the pages of Alaska Business, sponsored content appears in the form of Business Profiles or our HR Matters and Legal Speak features, all clearly marked as sponsored content.

BALANCED BOUNDARIES

Claiming Quiet
Balancing effort and ease at work

By Woodrie Burich

Pavel Sevryukov | iStock

W

e know the benefits of effort well.

The drive. The push. The excellence and outcomes that accompany it.

We know what it takes to push ourselves personally, and we’ve learned how to support our teams in learning this skill too. We know the motivational techniques, the key performance indicators, and the data we need to keep our teams and stakeholders pleased—and we drive our results towards these.

Media Whalestock | iStock
Safety Corner
Sure Footing
How to prevent winter slip-and-fall injuries
By Sean Dewalt
W

inter presents all sorts of fun activities to look forward to, but no one looks forward to slippery roads and sidewalks. From twelve-inch snowfalls to dreaded freezing rain, the risks of slip-and-fall injuries for visitors, tenants, and employees are a real concern for businesses. Since slips and falls can happen anywhere, injuries sustained in cases covered by premises liability insurance and workers’ compensation can be equally diverse and very costly.

The legal theory behind premises liability is that the owners and operators of a property need to exercise a reasonable amount of care to ensure that the property is safe for the people who use it. Tort allegations resulting from negligent care of a property can be very costly. The National Floor Safety Institute estimates that the average cost to defend against a slip-and-fall lawsuit is $50,000, and the average judgment awarded in cases that go to trial is $100,000.

Inside Alaska Business

Alaska USA Federal Credit Union

Alaska USA Federal Credit Union finalized a merger with Spokane-based Global Credit Union. The merger combines Alaska USA’s 700,000 members with Global’s 45,000 members. Global operates nine branches in Washington and Idaho and an additional three branches in Italy on US military installations. Alaska USA has sixty-seven branches in Alaska, Washington, California, and Arizona.
alaskausa.org

Ucore Rare Metals

An early evaluation of a process to separate rare earth elements puts Ucore Rare Metals on a faster track to commercial deployment near Ketchikan. The Canadian company is going ahead with a full-scale plant, rather than smaller increments, at a facility in Ontario. In 2023, Ucore aims to build its Strategic Metals Complex in Ketchikan, processing rare earths sourced from Saskatchewan before mining begins at its Bokan-Dotson Ridge deposit on Prince of Wales Island.
ucore.com
Economic Indicators
ANS Crude Oil Production

464,864 barrels
-3.6% change from previous month

8/30/2022
Source: Alaska Department of Natural Resources
ANS West Coast Crude Oil Prices

$101.36 per barrel
-6.8% change from previous month

8/31/2022
Source: Alaska Department of Natural Resources
Statewide Employment
362,000 labor force
4.5% unemployment
7/1/2022, Adjusted seasonally.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics
Right Moves
Providence Alaska
Ella Goss
Goss
The CEO of Providence hospital in Anchorage is now in charge of the nonprofit’s entire Alaska network. Ella Goss became Chief Executive of Providence Alaska in September upon the retirement of Preston Simmons, who had overseen hospitals in Anchorage, Seward, Valdez, and Kodiak for five years. Goss, originally from Canada, earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from Chamberlain University. She worked in emergency departments in Newfoundland and Kotzebue. In 1997, she came to Providence as a staff nurse in the Anchorage emergency department, and she worked her way up to management roles.

Alaska Trends

L

et’s not overstate the explosion of popularity that sourdough bread enjoyed in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yes, as Vanessa Orr’s “Sourdough Lives” reports, home baking experienced such a surge in March 2020 that stores ran short of baker’s yeast. Bakers improvised with wild yeast, which in symbiosis with acid-secreting bacteria gives sourdough its distinct flavor and texture.

However, an article from a month before the COVID-19 lockdown was already reporting that sourdough bread was on the rise (so to speak). And, as is not uncommon for such trend pieces, the same phenomenon was reported years earlier, a perennial novelty.

At a Glance

What book is currently on your nightstand?
Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith [a.k.a. J.K. Rowling].

What charity or cause are you passionate about?
I’m on the board of the Healing Hand Foundation. It’s a charity that supports Natives and veterans in Southeast Alaska to meet their copay requirements for the Indian Health Service arm down here.

What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long day at work?
I go straight to the gym. I work out after work. It’s the way I relieve stress.

What vacation spot is on your bucket list?
The Great Barrier Reef. I love to scuba dive.

If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?
None! [he laughs] I don’t want to clean up after a domesticated wild animal!

A portrait photograph of McHugh Pierre skiing down a slope hill of snow

At a Glance

What book is currently on your nightstand?
Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith [a.k.a. J.K. Rowling].

What charity or cause are you passionate about?
I’m on the board of the Healing Hand Foundation. It’s a charity that supports Natives and veterans in Southeast Alaska to meet their copay requirements for the Indian Health Service arm down here.

What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long day at work?
I go straight to the gym. I work out after work. It’s the way I relieve stress.

What vacation spot is on your bucket list?
The Great Barrier Reef. I love to scuba dive.

If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?
None! [he laughs] I don’t want to clean up after a domesticated wild animal!

© Sydney Akagi

Off the Cuff

McHugh Pierre
C

oming from Wasilla, the career of a professional surfer didn’t make sense to McHugh Pierre, much as he wished it could. Instead, he followed another dream. He studied journalism at UAA and worked in TV news. Covering public issues led to an interest in government, so he joined the communications office of then-Governor Frank Murkowski. After running his own public relations firm, Quantum Communications, Pierre was hired by the urban Native corporation for Juneau, Goldbelt, Inc., in 2015. Within five years he was elevated to CEO. Now he oversees 1,500 employees across various business sectors.

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Prudhoe Bay
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