arr-Gottstein Foods Co. was the first tippy-top Top 49er in 1985, when this magazine began ranking Alaska companies based on their gross revenue. The supermarket chain earned the #1 spot with $335 million in revenue, which equates to a bit more than $1 billion today; on the 2024 list, only five Top 49ers earned more.

The parent company of Carrs Quality Centers was unsurpassed every year except 1990, when Exxon Valdez oil spill cleanup boosted revenues of Veco, until it went out on top in 1992. A sale of public stock put majority ownership out of Alaskan hands, disqualifying the company as a Top 49er under the rules at the time. By 1999, the chain became a wholly owned subsidiary of Safeway, itself acquired in 2015 by Albertsons.

ntil recently, the best protection for anyone in a man-overboard situation in Alaska’s frigid ocean waters has been the Gumby suit. Made of thick neoprene fabric, cold-water immersion suits offer a high thermal value that helps prevent hypothermia. In a worst-case scenario, these suits have saved lives when rescue was hours away.

Now there’s a new option that promises not hours but days of warmth and safety for a person awaiting rescue. The Arctic 10+ survival suit, created and manufactured by White Glacier, is marketed as both a cold-water immersion suit and a personal life raft. Where the Gumby suit is temporary protection from hypothermia in cold water, the Arctic 10+ exceeds standards that no other survival suit has attained, says White Glacier CEO Diego Jacobson.

But is it a solution that will catch on in Alaska?

ockets are a common metaphor for startup businesses, even those far removed from the aerospace industry. A different analogy occurs to Margo Fliss, associate director of the University of Alaska Center for Economic Development (UA CED).

“It’s going to be a lot more like a roller coaster ride than a straight line,” she says.

In either case, the payload needs help to reach its zenith, whether that’s a chain lifting a coaster to the crest of its first hill or the boosters strapped to a spacecraft bound for orbit. And when their work is done, those accelerators hang back and watch the payload zoom away.

Business accelerators are a relatively small but rapidly growing part of Alaska’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, offering diverse assistance to startups in various fields.

uts. Bones. Heads and tails. An estimated 70 percent of a fish is leftover after filleting. Where some see trash, others see treasure: an opportunity to add value by turning waste into raw material.

Better than being dumped into harbors, rivers, or the ocean. “Environmental concerns associated with dumping of fish wastes into ocean waters include reduced oxygen levels in the seawaters at the ocean bottom; burial or smothering of living organisms; and introduction of disease or non-native and invasive species to the ecosystem of the sea floor,” according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Lauren Howard, policy coordinator for the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association and Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust, says the seafood industry is aware of the problem and is working on it.

rojects require permits, and when they have the potential to affect fish and wildlife, specific permits are required.

To obtain a permit, the activity’s impact on the environment must first be determined through a study. But what does that study entail? What data is gathered? How is it gathered? And how does that vary from project to project? As one might surmise, the answers to those questions depend on a range of factors.

“Depending on the type and location of the project, permitting can include fish and wildlife studies to identify if threatened or endangered species are present and, if they are, what type of impacts to the habitat may occur,” says Susan Childs, regulatory and nontechnical risk director for Fairweather, a support services firm owned by Doyon, Limited. “Biological assessments that describe the species that do occur in the project footprint are also conducted to determine what the impacts to the species may be.”

Specific studies can include essential fish habitat, bird and nest surveys, marine mammal surveys, and specific species studies—for example, a caribou survey.

wo wheels can get visitors pretty far in Alaska, under pedal power.

“Cycling vacations are pretty popular around the world, and Alaska has some unique attractions to offer,” explains Dustin Craney, owner of Sockeye Cycle, which operates in Haines and Skagway. “We have spectacular routes with unbeatable views, great riding roads, and a lot of mountain passes to climb and descend.”

Craney adds that more mountain biking trails are being developed, and the region has a solid scene for bike races and events, so Sockeye Cycle serves both tourists and local residents. “We have something for everybody, whether they prefer long, solo rides, getting into nature on a fat bike, or exploring different communities,” he says.

was ready for the flight. I had my boarding pass and a bottle of water. In my carry-on was my favorite magazine and noise-cancelling headphones. The agents boarded people in groups. I got settled in my seat, and the plane pushed back on time.

Everyone was excited to start the journey. The crew conducted their safety briefing, checked the cabin one last time, and took their seats. And then we waited. And waited.

Finally, the pilot came over the loudspeaker to let us know there was a holdup and we’d be delayed a little longer. So we waited.

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