March - 2012 - Alaska Business Monthly

MARCH 2012 $3.95

Deadhorse Aviation Center | Construction Contractor Directory

IcebreakersImportance in the ArcticThe Healy, the Rendaand Vitus MarinePage 96

Alaska’s Tenuous Rural Fuel DistributionTactical infrastructure improvements needed

Page 92

IN THE WORLDVolvo, the best in constructionequipment technology

IN YOUR CORNERThe Winning Team.

IN ALASKACMI, the best sales andproduct support lineup.

Anchorage, Alaska (907) 563-3822 (800) 478-3822 Fairbanks, Alaska (907) 455-9600

Juneau, Alaska (907) 780-4030 (888) 399-4030 Ketchikan, Alaska (907) 247-2228

VOLVO CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

LET’S WORK.

Volvo A40 truck and Volvo L220G loader at the Osborne Construction Job SiteAnchorage, Alaska

Volvo G940 graderMcKenna Brothers Job Site, Eagle River, Alaska

Kirk CurreyEquipment Sales Rep.

Anchorage Branch

John ColeEquipment Sales Rep.

Fairbanks Branch

OpeningDoorsin Alaska

If you are a lender or real estate professional, learn how Alaska Housing Finance Corporation can work with you to help your clients statewide purchase and refinance homes with low interest rates through programs that are tailored to their specific needs. Call our Mortgage Department today and ask how we can assist you in selling more houses, making Alaska a better place to call home.

Real Estate Professional Products & Services• FREE mortgage and financing classes • Daily interest rates (ahfc.us/loans/interest_rates.cfm)• HomeChoice™ homebuyer education• Mortgage guides• Special loan programs

Toll Free 1-800-478-2432 | 907-338-6100 | www.ahfc.us

From the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Inside Alaska Business . . . . . . . 10Right Moves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64Market Squares . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71Alaska This Month . . . . . . . . . . 106Events Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . 110Alaska Trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111Ad Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

D E PA R T M E N T S

M A R C H 2 0 1 2TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

R E G U L A R F E AT U R E S

ABOUT THE COVERThe Coast Guard Cutter Healy guides the Russian

tanker Renda closer to the fuel transfer mooring point Jan. 14 near Nome. Fuel transfer preparations

are in full swing as the vessels maneuver into fuel transfer position. (Story begins on page 96 about this historical event.) U.S. Coast Guard photo by

Petty Officer 2nd Class Charly Hengen.

View From the Top12 | Carla Hendrix, FounderAlaska Web Designs LLCBy Peg Stomierowski

HR Matters14 | Concerted Activities Trump ConfidentialityRevising employee policy for NLRB complianceBy Richard Birdsall

Regional Focus16 | Fairbanks North Star BoroughBy Tracy Barbour

A R T I C L E S

Environmental66 | Air and Water Quality TestingKeeping communities and companies safeBy Vanessa Orr

Financial Services72 | Commercial Lending in AlaskaBanks and credit unions eager to make loansBy Tracy Barbour

Telecom & Technology77 |Mobile Broadband is WirelessBy Kent Colby

Telecom & Technology78 | Field Testing Tech GadgetsFinding the best chargers, storage and signal extendersBy Kent Colby

Mining81 | Gold Projects ShineProducing and prospecting AuBy Tracy Kalytiak

Transportation86 | Rural LogisticsMultimodal cargo shipmentsBy Vanessa Orr

Oil & Gas92 | Alaska’s Tenuous Rural Fuel DistributionTactical infrastructure improvements neededBy Mike Bradner

Transportation96 | Icebreakers Importance in the ArcticThe Healy, the Renda and Vitus MarineBy Susan Harrington, Managing Editor

Health & Medicine104 | Stroke ScienceBy Jody Eliis-Knapp

16

(continued on page 6)

www.akbizmag.com • Alaska Business Monthly • March 20124

78

86

M A R C H 2 0 1 2TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

special section

BUILDING ALASKACORRECTIONS

Correction: ECI/Hyer Architects was incorrectly identified in a photo caption in the Notable Buildings Notable Artchitects article on page 50 of the February issue.

Correction & Clarification: Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority offi-cials say the cost for the Knik Arm Crossing will be approximately $1 billion, including the bridge and 19 miles of road. This figure is for both Phase I and Phase II of the project and is estimated in today’s dollars. The cost was incorrect in the Commuting Alaska article on page 71 of the January issue.


22 | Winter Construction in AlaskaWorking through weather challengesBy Paula Cottrell

28 | Yukon Gateway ProjectSkagway’s $80 million port planBy Dimitra Lavrakas

30 | 1% for Art Helps Drive EconomyPublic art program underwrites jobs, displays local history and cultureBy Gail West

32 | West Dowling Phase IIDecreasing congestion with road extensionBy Stephanie Jaeger

34 | NANA Partners with RurAL CAPEnergy Wise Program cultivates energy efficiencyBy Louise Freeman

42 | Deadhorse Aviation CenterProviding new infrastructure for North Coast activityBy Paula Cottrell

48 | 2012 Alaska Business Monthly Construction Contractor Directory

30

32

Volume 28, Number 3Published by

Alaska Business Publishing Co.Anchorage, Alaska

Vern C. McCorkle, Publisher1991~2009

EDITORIAL STAFF Managing Editor Susan Harrington Art Director Candy Johnson Art Production Linda Shogren Photo Consultant Chris Arend Contributing Photographers Judy Patrick Azimuth Adventure Photography

BUSINESS STAFF President Jim Martin Vice President Sales & Mktg. Charles Bell Account Mgr. Anne Campbell Account Mgr. Bill Morris Traffic Coordinator Ann Doss Accountant Mary Schreckenghost

501 W. Northern Lights Boulevard, Suite 100Anchorage, Alaska 99503

(907) 276-4373Outside Anchorage: 1-800-770-4373

Fax: (907) 279-2900www.akbizmag.com

Editorial e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected]

Pacific Northwest Advertising Sales1-800-770-4373

ALASKA BUSINESS PUBLISHING CO., INC.

ALASKA BUSINESS MONTHLY (ISSN 8756-4092) is published monthly by Alaska Business Publishing Co., Inc., PO Box 241288, Anchorage, Alaska 99524; Telephone: (907) 276-4373; Fax: (907) 279-2900, ©2012, Alaska Business Publishing Co. All rights reserved. Subscription Rates: $39.95 a year. Single issues of the Power List are $15 each. Single issues of Alaska Business Monthly are $3.95 each; $4.95 for October, and back issues are $5 each. Send sub-scription orders and address changes to the Circulation Department, Alaska Business Monthly, PO Box 241288, Anchorage, AK 99524. Please supply both old and new addresses and allow six weeks for change, or update online at www.akbizmag.com. Manuscripts: Send query letter to the Editor. Alaska Business Monthly is not responsible for unsolicited materials. Photocopies: Where necessary, permission is granted by the copyright owner for libraries and others registered with Copyright Clearance Center to photocopy any article herein for $1.35 per copy. Send payments to CCC, 27 Congress Street, Salem, MA 01970. Copying done for other than personal or internal reference use without the expressed permission of Alaska Business Publishing Co., Inc. is prohibited. Address requests for specific permission to Managing Editor, Alaska Business Publishing. Online: Alaska Business Monthly is available at www.akbizmag.com/archives, www.thefreelibrary.com/Alaska+Business+Monthly-p2643 and from Thomson Gale. Microfilm: Alaska Business Monthly is available on micro-film from University Microfilms International, 300 North Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48106.

Follow us on

and

FROM THE EDITOR

Missing breakfast doesn’t usually up-set me. I hardly ever make time for it,

except on weekends. However, I was dis-mayed to discover one morning last month that I’d completely forgotten to attend the early morning annual AGC/CIPF Construc-tion Spending Forecast presentation. I read about the $7.7 billion announcement online. I got the forecast in the mail the next week. I devoured it, reading about all the money that’s hitting the street this year.

Every year for the past nine years, the Construction Industry Progress Fund (CIPF) and the Associated General Contractors of Alaska (AGC) have teamed up to produce “Alaska’s Construction Spending Forecast,” an appraisal of expectations for the coming year. Economists Scott Goldsmith and Mary Killorin of the Institute of Social and Eco-nomic Research at the University of Alaska Anchorage compiled and wrote the $7.7 billion forecast of what is to be spent on construction in 2012. The new figure rep-resents a 3 percent increase of about $200 million over last year’s revised estimate. The forecast was underwritten by Northrim Bank.

The biggest spender is, of course, the oil and gas industry. Construction related work in Alaska’s oil patch, the North Slope and Cook Inlet, accounts for 41 percent—a hefty $3.2 billion. The authors cited “regula-tion, litigation and taxation issues” as fac-tors keeping Point Thomson, Alpine West, Liberty and offshore Chukchi and Beaufort seas projects out of the mix this year. The big three—BP, ConocoPhillips, Exxon—are sustaining, maintaining and developing what they’ve already got and spending less doing it. No exploratory work planned—again.

Drilling and feasibility work is planned by Eni, Pioneer, Linc, Anadarko, Brooks Range Petroleum, Savant, Great Bear, Repsol, the North Slope Borough, and possibly Shell. That’s all up north. In Cook Inlet, where spending is up, the list of companies with planned construction activity includes Furie (formerly Escopeta), Buccaneer, Linc, Nordaq and Apache.

The other $2 billion categorized under pri-vate spending is listed as utilities $794 million (up 29 percent), followed by residential $400 million, mining $340 million, health $325 mil-lion, other commercial $120 million, and rural other basic industry $10 million. It’s noted that some of the health and utilities projects are supported by public funds. Which brings me to the public side of this year’s spend-ing forecast, which, at $2.6 billion, is more than half a billion dollars less than forecast construction in the oil and gas sector alone, and only about half of all private spending.

Highways, at $585 million, top the forecast public spending list and while that may sound like a lot of money, it doesn’t build very many miles of roads. The rest of the public spending categories and amounts are: other state and local $474 million; national defense $460 million (down 17 percent); education $408 million; airports, ports and harbors (mostly airports) $375 million; other federal $207 mil-lion (down 27 percent); Alaska Railroad $55 million; and Denali Commission $20 million (down 67 percent). Ouch!

Goldsmith and Killorin attribute private investment (mostly petroleum and mining), federal spending (military, grants to state and local government, and nonprofits) and state capital spending (dependent on petro-leum) as the three main drivers of construc-tion spending. As for jobs, the authors stated there were 16,000 workers in 2011 with an average annual payroll of $70,000 per worker, an estimated 9,000 self-employed in the industry, plus “hidden” construction workers in other industries (i.e., oil and gas, mining, utilities and government).

It’s a really great forecast, and if you haven’t already read it you should. It’s a quick read and available online (iser.uaa.alaska.edu or agcak.org). That way you’ll know what’s going on when the heavy construction season commences. Don’t miss our Building Alaska Special Section this month—we’ve brought you details on a few projects that are already under construction.

—Susan Harrington, Managing Editor

$7.7 Billion Construction Forecast

www.akbizmag.com • Alaska Business Monthly • March 2012 7

Increased spending expected in 2012

GCI Opens New Storein Anchorage

General Communication Inc. opened its new store in Mountain

View earlier this year. The 1,000-square-foot store is at 4211 Mountain View Drive in Park Place Village. Cook In-let Housing Authority developed Park Place Village to offer retail space on the first floor with residential space on the second and third floors. GCI now operates 13 stores in Anchorage and 35 stores statewide. Anchorage Com-munity Land Trust also has participated in the Mountain View revitalization. GCI planned to open two other stores in early 2012.

Alaska Airlines Lands Industry Service Award

Alaska Airlines received Air Trans-port World magazine’s Joseph S.

Murphy Industry Service Award for outstanding public and community service. Alaska Airlines is the only North American carrier honored by the magazine this year and the first U.S. carrier to win the magazine’s industry service award.

“The Joseph S. Murphy Award honors an individual or organization that makes the airline industry a better place,” magazine chief editor Geoffrey Thomas said. “Alaska Airlines, through its numerous environmental and corpo-rative giving initiatives, has benefited the people and communities in which it serves, as well as has brought credit to the industry as a whole.”

ATW editors noted Alaska Airlines’ outstanding industry service record and leadership in technology and customer

innovations. These include the airline’s pioneering work on satellite-based navigation procedures that are part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s NextGen air traffic control system, and the carrier’s Airport of the Future, a more efficient check-in process than the traditional ticket counter for travelers and airline workers.

ASMI Seeks Cook-Off Chefs

The Alaska Seafood Marketing In-stitute is looking for chefs to par-

ticipate in the Great Alaska Seafood Cook-Off on May 14. Entries for the event, which will be held in Anchor-age, will be accepted until April 1. The winner will represent Alaska in August at the Great American Seafood Cook-Off in New Orleans. A panel of judges will choose the six winning chefs that will advance to the live competition in May. During the live competition, the contestants will have an hour to prepare and plate a dish highlighting Alaska seafood. A panel of past Great American Seafood Cook-Off contes-tants and culinary experts will judge the entries. For more information, visit greatalaskaseafoodcookoff.com.

Pacific Alaska Freightways Buys Kodiak Company

Pacific Alaska Freightways of Fife, Wash., acquired Southern Alaska

Forwarding of Kodiak. The acquisition was completed Jan. 1. The companies have worked together since 1979 when Alain Smith and Ron Sears established Southern Alaska Freightways. Sears, who had started Pacific Alaska Freight-ways 13 years earlier, saw an opportu-

nity to provide freight service to Kodiak Island. Southern Alaska Freightways later expanded service to include Kenai and Cordova. Pacific Alaska Freight-ways has retained many of the Kodiak employees. Pacific Alaska Freightways has been providing freight transporta-tion services to Alaska since 1961.

Hilcorp Alaska BuysCook Inlet Assets

Hilcorp Alaska LLC acquired the Cook Inlet oil and gas assets of

Chevron’s wholly owned indirect sub-sidiary, Union Oil Co. of California. Hilcorp Alaska, part of Hilcorp Energy Co., based in Houston, Texas, added more than 230 employees from the acquisition. The acquisition was com-pleted in January. Hilcorp officials plan to continue to develop and produce Cook Inlet resources. The company is a large independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company. It operates in the Texas/Louisiana Gulf Coast region, the Gulf of Mexico and the Rockies.

State Seeks Aquatic Farm Lease Applicants

The Division of Mining, Land and Water is accepting aquatic farm

lease applications for shellfish opera-tions in state waters through April 30. The applications are now offered an-nually, instead of previous openings every other year. Division officials aim to offer economic opportunities for ru-ral Alaskans. During the application period, existing farmers may apply for lease amendments.

An aquatic farm lease enables the

INSIDE ALASKA BUSINESS By Nancy Pounds


recipient to use state waters to com-mercially farm Pacific oysters, mus-sels, littleneck clams, geoduck clams or other shellfish.

Applications and information can be viewed and downloaded from the division’s Web site at dnr.alaska.gov.

SBA Offers Course for Native American Business Operators

The U.S. Small Business Admin-istration is offering a new online

course for Native American entrepre-neurs. Native American Small Busi-ness Primer: Strategies for Success is a free, self-paced online business course developed for Native American busi-ness owners. The course provides an overview of basic business principles and details programs and services avail-able from SBA. The course emphasizes business planning and market research as vital pre-opening steps and includes information on legal aspects of starting a business, including type of ownership and licensing. The course is available from the SBA’s Online Small Busi-ness Training Web page under Online Courses for Starting Your Business at sba.gov. Participants completing the course will receive a certificate. SBA also offers nearly 30 free tutorials on starting, managing and financing a busi-ness and contracting among others.

ASRC Subsidiary Buys Southeast Construction Firm

ASRC Construction Holding Co. has acquired McGraw Custom

Construction, a 30-year-old Southeast Alaska firm handling residential, in-dustrial and government construction.

ASRC Construction Holding Co. is a subsidiary of Arctic Slope Regional Corp. and provides oversight and sup-port for six construction companies. The Southeast company, now called ASRC McGraw Constructions, is based in Sitka and employs about 30 people. The acquisition will allow the ASRC company to handle projects in Southeast. Chuck McGraw formed Mc-Graw’s Custom Construction Inc. in 1978, a company responsible for many Southeast projects, including the con-struction of the Sitka Fire Hall, Craig High School and the renovation of Har-bor View Elementary School. McGraw and his sons are now employees of the new company.

Kodiak Fisheries Center Earns New Moniker

The University of Alaska Fairbanks has renamed its facility in Kodiak.

The former Fisheries Industrial Tech-nology Center will now be called the Kodiak Seafood and Marine Science Center. Center officials say the new name more accurately describes the work being done there. A task force conducted a program review last year and recommended the name change. The group included members of Kodiak and other coastal Alaska communities, statesmen, commercial fish processors, and faculty and staff members from Kodiak College and UAF.

The center was created in 1981 by the Alaska Legislature to provide re-search support for Alaska’s seafood in-dustry. The program was one of several grouped together to create the UAF School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences in 1987.

Olive Garden Debuts in Alaska

Alaska’s first Olive Garden Italian Restaurant opened Jan. 23 in An-

chorage. The 7,441-square-foot restau-rant, at 1186 N. Muldoon Road, can seat 246 diners. Company officials say a second Olive Garden location will open later this year in South Anchorage. The opening of the first eatery added 165 jobs, Olive Garden officials said. The restaurant is a division of Darden Restaurants Inc. of Orlando, Fla. Dawn Bellerose serves as general manager. Bel-lerose most recently served as general manager of Olive Garden in Worcester, Mass. Olive Garden operates more than 750 restaurants with more than 88,000 employees. The restaurant tallies more than $3 billion in annual sales.

Perkins Coie Ranked AmongTop Employers

Perkins Coie was included on FOR-TUNE magazine’s “The 100 Best

Places to Work For” list for the 10th consecutive year. The Seattle-based law firm, which has operated an Anchorage office for 35 years, was ranked 58th. The list was published in the Feb. 6 issue and is available online at www.fortune.com/bestcompanies.

To pick the “100 Best Companies to Work For,” FORTUNE partners with the Great Place to Work Institute to conduct employee surveys. This year’s survey garnered responses from 280 companies. The survey’s questions que-ried employees about management’s credibility, job satisfaction and cama-raderie. The list is open to companies in business at least seven years and em-ploying more than 1,000 U.S. citizens.

620B East Whitney Road I Anchorage, AK 99501

Pacific Pile & Marine, LP (PPM) is seasoned in projects containing complicated logistics,

specialized equipment, environmental constraints and long lead time materials.

Working in the Alaska market for over a decade, our team is dedicated to the preplanning

schedule control and logistical support required to deliver projects in this environment.

www.pacificpile.com I (907) 276-3878www.pacificpile.com I (907) 276-3873

INSIDE ALASKA BUSINESS


Exports Tally New Record

Alaska exports recorded a new top milestone in 2011, tallying $5 bil-

lion in exports from January to Novem-ber. The U.S. Census Bureau recorded the figures. Total state exports were $4.2 billion for 2010. China was the new top market for Alaska exports through No-vember 2011, according to state trade officials. The other top markets are Ja-pan, South Korea, Canada, Germany and Switzerland. Seafood exports posted the largest gain from 2010 during this period. Seafood exports climbed nearly 34 percent to $2.4 billion. Mineral ore exports rose 31.4 percent to $1.7 billion compared to the same period in 2010. Energy exports declined 6 percent to $348 million due to the closure of the Kenai liquefied natural gas plant.

Johnson’s Tire Renovates Store, Plans New Locale

Johnson’s Tire Service is renovating its Midtown Anchorage store and

opening a new location in South An-chorage later this year. Johnson’s Tire closed its Minnesota Drive shop when the lease expired and then relocated employees to the Midtown store on Denali Street. Renovations should be complete in April, company officials said. Upgrades will spruce up the ladies room and showroom, where customers can watch their cars being washed in the refurbished carwash. The renovated store will offer free lattes and Internet access via Apple iMacs.

The new South Anchorage store, at Old Seward Highway and O’Malley Road, is set to open in August. John-son’s also has stores in Eagle River,

Wasilla and Soldotna and provides tires and auto service for more than 100,000 vehicles annually.

Youth Group Grants Fund Health Projects

UnitedHealthcare presented $1,000 in grants to two Alaska groups.

The HEROES grants support youth-led projects aimed at addressing childhood obesity. The grants were awarded to Boys & Girls Clubs of Alaska Healthy Habits program in Anchorage. The Woodland Park Boys & Girls Club teens are conducting research on issues con-tributing to childhood obesity. The teens will plan and lead the Healthy Habits curriculum and physical activities.

UA Retains Washington DC Firm for Federal Relations Contract

The University of Alaska has secured the Washington, DC-based firm

Patton Boggs to assist with federal rela-tions, following the retirement of fed-eral relations director Martha Stewart the end of December.

Stewart, founder of the Arctic Sounder newspaper, a former nurse and legislative aide to former Sen. Al Adams of Kotzebue, served as UA’s federal relations director for more than 12 years. Her retirement provided the opportunity to reduce an executive position on the UA System staff and instead contract for the services.

The year-long contract with Pat-ton Boggs represents about the same annual expenditure as would hiring a full-time UA employee.

Due to the importance of the federal government to UA’s mission, Beam stressed that it’s critical to present a coordinated approach in Washington across a broad federal front. This al-lows the university not only to success-fully navigate the complexities of the federal government, but also to tap into new opportunities.

620B East Whitney Road I Anchorage, AK 99501

Pacific Pile & Marine, LP (PPM) is seasoned in projects containing complicated logistics,

specialized equipment, environmental constraints and long lead time materials.

Working in the Alaska market for over a decade, our team is dedicated to the preplanning,

schedule control and logistical support required to deliver projects in this environment.

www.pacificpile.com I (907) 276-3878www.pacificpile.com I (907) 276-3873

INSIDE ALASKA BUSINESS


Ceremony in Anchorage to Commission USS Anchorage

U.S. Navy officials will commis-sion the USS Anchorage during

a ceremony this fall in Anchorage. Members of the Alaska congressional delegation –Sen. Mark Begich, Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Don Young – wrote letters to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus pitching Anchorage as the lo-cale for the ceremony.

“This commissioning will give Alas-kans from across the state a chance to come out and show the pride and re-spect we feel for having a Navy vessel bear the name of Alaska’s largest city,” Begich said.

“Alaska has missed the Navy’s year-round presence since the closure of the Adak station almost 15 years ago, so we hope this is the first step in a more significant naval operation as the U.S. presence in the Arctic develops,” Murkowski said.

“Whether it’s the thousands of ac-tive-duty men and women that call our state home or the crucial role we play in defending this nation, Alaskans know and are proud of the unique bond we have with the military,” Young said. q

1043 ABM Syn Storage_PR.indd 1 4/20/11 4:08 PM


Alaska Web Designs LLCCarla Hendrix, Founder

View from the top Compiled By Peg Stomierowski

12

©2012 Chris Arend

A fter 20 years in a family-owned ceramics business, Carla Hendrix decided to further her education at the University of Alaska Anchorage. She worked toward a history degree and took additional pre-law studies at Yale. Then she took a web-design class for fun. That move proved fateful. Her first website, undertaken as a class project, became the UAA journalism department’s

web presence for several years. Her newfound passion refocused her study on graphic arts, digital media, programming and other computer-related courses. After graduating with honors, she chose web design over law, and Alaska Web Designs emerged.

Over 12 years, Carla’s underplanned startup grew into a thriving enterprise in which a work week extends well beyond 40 hours. She has worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Army, the State of Alaska, Black Elk Leather and Alaska Auction. Her

clients include governmental, military, nonprofit, Native and business organizations large and small.

TEMPLATES NOT! All of our clients can expect an attitude of respect and attention to detail. Whether the customer is a small business, large cor-poration or governmental agency, we provide customized work. We do not use templates or other cookie-cutter approaches to website design. And we do not consider a website done until it meets the client’s satisfaction. This has earned us the respect of most clients and the undying gratitude of some.

WEB 101: Web sites are a compilation of files that must be located on a web server to be accessed through the Internet. Hosting occurs when a domain name is set up on a server and associated with these files, as well as with e-mail addresses. For convenience, we provide hosting on our servers and domain registration for the majority of sites we design. This simplifies the process. For better reliability, our servers are located in a controlled environment out of state.

MANAGING CHANGE: Websites inevitably need their content changed. Depending on the frequency and complexity of the changes required, clients may choose to perform their own updates or to have us do the work for them on an hourly or a contractual basis. While they can update strictly informational sites with relative ease, some have databases or other programming that makes it more difficult.

KEEPING UP: Given the rate of technological change, we are forced to learn something new almost daily. Web design is a competitive field, with new companies continually emerging. We stay quite busy concentrating on effective design and customization.

PROMOTING ALASKA: Alaska scenery provides an excellent back-drop for most sites. Many of our sites are tourism related. Most provide a lot of information about our state with links to additional informational sources for visitors. Combined with the use of as many visuals as each design permits, this contributes to a great image of Alaska.

‘AH’ MOMENTS: My most memorable and enlightening job involved a trip to Gambell on St. Lawrence Island in 2002. I never dreamed my job would take me to such a remote location to meet a client. I actually could see Russia from there. The way of life in the village was amazing. Other than a sporadic Internet connection, and lots of four-wheeler traffic, it was like stepping back in time to a different world. Weather kept me there for several extra days, and I was able to spend time with the locals learning more about their way of life. q

Carla Hendrix

Managing a healthcare enterprise as diverse as ours in bush Alaska can be quite a challenge. Thanks to our team at Parker, Smith & Feek who provide exceptional expertise supportive of our unique business model.

“

“

Different by choice. Unique by tradition.

Coryee Hamons, Director of Risk Management Yukon-Kuskokwim Health CorporationBethel, Alaska

I N S U R A N C E • S U R E T Y • E M P L O Y E E B E N E F I T S

www.psfinc.com

2233 112th Ave. NE, Bellevue, WA 98004 425.709.3600 | 800.457.0220 4000 Old Seward Hwy., Suite 200, Anchorage, AK 99503907.562.2225

Parker, Smith & Feek combines a collaborative team approach to client service with 74 years of experience to create lasting value for businesses like Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation. That’s why over 96% of our clients retain our firm year after year.

Parker, Smith & Feek is proud to be National Underwriter’s Agency of the Year.


hr matters By Richard Birdsall

Concerted Activities Trump ConfidentialityRevising employee policy for NLRB compliance

Company Alpha, as do many companies, has annual per-formance reviews timed with

decisions regarding pay increases, if any. The amounts can vary depending upon each employee’s performance. Because the pay increases are tied to performance, Alpha likes to keep the salary and pay increase information confidential. Accordingly, Alpha has a policy requiring employee confiden-tiality with respect to their salary and benefit information.

Employee Bravo observes a number of coworker evaluations on his boss’s desk along with their respective pay increases. Bravo passes the informa-tion on to the affected coworkers but, of course, word leaks out. Alpha disci-plines employee Bravo for breaching its policy regarding pay and benefit confidentiality. Bravo cries “foul.” Is there a problem here?

An HR client, Patricia, posed this particular question citing the case of Brookshire Grocery versus National La-bor Relations Board, the generic facts of which you have just read.

My initial thoughts were that such limitations must be okay. After all, I have observed restrictions such as this in numerous employee handbooks. So many of us couldn’t be wrong —right? Furthermore, what do the National La-bor Relations Act and the NLRB have to do with non-union shops?

ConCerted ACtivitiesSection 7 of the NLRA (29 U.S.C § 157) guarantees employees the right to engage in “concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargain-ing or other mutual aid or protec-tion.” Section 8(a)(1) of this same act makes it an unfair labor practice for an employer to interfere with section 7 rights. “Concerted activities include matters of common concern (citations

omitted) which includes the right to discuss wages,” (Brookshire). There is little doubt this can be comfortably extended to discussions about work-ing conditions as well.

In translation, even though you may be a non-union employer, employees have protections to enable discussions that could lead to potential unioniza-tion. Wage-and-benefit discussions fall into this category. Therefore, an em-ployee handbook or manual that pro-hibits employees from discussing their personal wages and benefits with co-workers restricts “concerted activities” for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection. It could be construed as an unfair labor practice putting a chill on such discus-sions. So, if you have a provision such as this in your handbook or an unwrit-ten policy to the same effect, consider eliminating it. However, at a minimum, employees should not be disciplined for this type of activity because you may be inviting an action by the NLRB.

The NLRB discusses employee

rights on its website. It lists a “few” examples of “protected concerted activity,” which is when two or more employees take action for their mu-tual aid or protection regarding terms and conditions of employment. The examples given are:

“Two or more employees ad-dressing their employer about improving their pay.”“Two or more employees dis-cussing work-related issues beyond pay, such as safety concerns, with each other.”“An employee speaking to an employer on behalf of one or more coworkers about improv-ing workplace conditions.”

new issuesWhat constitutes “protected concerted activity” will undoubtedly be stretched with time and the presentation of new issues. In the case of Bowling Transpor-tation versus NLRB, (352 F.2d 274), protection was extended to employee complaints to third parties concern-ing wage issues. This raises interesting questions about employee complaints in social media applications such as Facebook. q

About the AuthorRichard Birdsall, B.A., J.D., is a senior consultant for The Growth Company. Birdsall uses his broad experience con-ducting training in legal compliance, investigation, risk assessment, team build-ing, mediation and alternative dispute resolution. He is particularly adept at ferreting out troublesome HR problems and then finding creative ways to solve them. If you have an HR question you would like addressed in a future column, send it in a pithy e-mail to Richard@the growth company.com.

Richard Birdsall

©2012 Chris Arend

n

n

n

www.carlile.biz l 1.800.478.1853ALASKA I HAWAII I UNITED STATES I CANADA

ROAD - RAIL - SEA - AIR

Logistics Manager Christen Van Treeck-Dwiggins

leads the oil-field industry in assists.

THE ULTIMATE TEAM PLAYERWhen others say “We can’t,” Carlile

asks “Why not?” Our logistics experts

lead the industry with custom shipping

solutions that exceed expectations.

When you need to ship it out, Team

Carlile is ready to assist.

solutions finder.


reg ional focus By Tracy Barbour

FAIRBANKS

Nestled in the heart of Alaska’s interior region, the Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB)

is the state’s second-largest borough. A local government unit similar to a county, the borough occupies an area slightly smaller than the state of New Jersey. Founded in 1964, FNSB features two incorporated cities: Fairbanks and North Pole.

FAirbAnks, the Golden heArt City

Fairbanks, called the “Golden Heart City,” was founded in 1901 by Cap-tain E.T. Barnette as a trading post on the Chena River, and was named after Sen. Charles Fairbanks. When gold was discovered in the hills just north of Fairbanks, the area was flooded by opportunists seeking to increase their fortunes.

One of few places in the world where there’s a sizeable concentration of peo-ple living at such an extreme northern latitude, Fairbanks residents experi-

ence extreme variations in weather, from winter lows colder than minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit to summer highs of more than 90 degrees F. The summer sun appears above the horizon 18 to 21 hours per day, which is partly why Fair-banks is one of Alaska’s most popular tourist destinations.

With its unpaved roads, mining camps and rustic style, Fairbanks has the feel of a small frontier town. Yet, it features an internationally acclaimed research university, numerous mu-seums and other modern amenities. According to Mayor Jerry Cleworth, Fairbanks has a fortuitous location on the river system that allows people to reach the great outdoors within minutes. The city’s proximity to the wilderness and the diversity of its people are, in part, why some people say Fairbanks is the “real” Alaska. “It’s such a composite of cultures and opportunities,” Cleworth said. “It’s centrally located, so you get a touch of everything.”

elsewhere in the borouGhNorth Pole is a unique town that capitalizes on its moniker to create a perpetual holiday atmosphere. The city’s Christmas-themed streets dis-play candy-cane shaped light posts and names such as St. Nicholas Drive, Santa Claus Lane and Chris Kringle Drive

North Pole is the entry to the Chena Lakes Recreational Area and features the Beaver Springs Slough Nature Trail, which runs right through the middle of the city. It also has dozens of restaurants featuring cuisine from around the world.

There are a number of unincorpo-rated communities in the Fairbanks area, including College (which includes UAF and Eielson Air Force Base), the U.S. Army’s Fort Wainwright, Chena Hot Springs, Ester, Fox, Harding-Birch Lakes, Moose Creek, Pleasant Valley, Salcha and Two Rivers. These communi-ties offer residents and visitors a quality of life they won’t find elsewhere, ac-cording to FNSB Mayor Luke Hopkins.

North Star Borough

Twilight view of Pioneer Park in downtown Fairbanks decorated for Christmas, Interior Alaska

©2012 Kevin G. Smith/AlaskaStock.com


C o l l e g e o f E n g i n e e r i n g a n d M i n e sPreparing tomorrow’s engineers today.

Ins t i tu te o f Nor ther n Eng ineer ingLearn more about our accredited engineering education and research programs at www.alaska.edu/cem/.

UAF is an AA/EOE and educational institution.

UAF photo by Todd Paris.

Photo by C. Hiemstra

Photo by Jesse Hoff

AKBizAd-2009.indd 1 6/25/2009 9:46:07 AM

Recreational and cultural events in-clude sled dog races, ice carving cham-pionships, arts festivals, conventions, conferences, and the Midnight Sun Game, where participants can play basketball at night in summer with-out lights. “We have so many choices of what to do on so many evenings in

the week,” Hopkins said. FNSB also represents a financially stable commu-nity with very low debt. “Our borough government is stable,” Hopkins said. “We’re ensuring that we’re spending money wisely and conservatively.”

Fnsb eConomy And trendsAccording to Alyssa Shanks, economist for the Alaska Department of Labor, the three components that make up the local economy are the military, the university, and what she calls “everything else.”

Shanks says: “I can’t think of another place in Alaska where these two pieces play such a large role,” University of Alaska Fairbanks employs more than 3,400 people and has nearly 5,700 stu-dents enrolled at its Fairbanks campus alone. The military installations and their members bring a great deal of money from Outside. “The military supports a lot of the economy,” Shanks said. “If you lump the military with federal government, it’s a big segment.”

Mayor Cleworth agrees that Fort Wainwright and Eielson are critical to the area. “The military has been a great sta-bilizer on the economy. Its importance

cannot be overstated,” Cleworth says.Additionally, the economic contribu-

tions of the travel and tourism industry are not to be overlooked. The Alaska Vital Statistics Program indicates that Fairbanks is the only Alaska destination that has increased market share since 1993-94. According to Deb Hickok, president and chief executive officer of the Fairbanks Convention and Visi-tors Bureau, Fairbanks area visitors are expressing a growing interest in seeing the Aurora Borealis and participating in winter activities. This year, FCVB is working to promote a number of major events in order to draw year-round visi-tors to the Golden Heart City.

Other significant economic drivers include oil and gas refining, health care, private education, leisure and hospitality.

Last year the primary economic trend for the FNSB was the continuation of slow employment growth. In 2011 Fair-banks experienced growth in the areas of education, health care, mining, trade, transportation and utilities. But job losses in construction—about 200 positions—equaled the gain in health care.

UAF had high enrollment and

Fairbanks Mayor Jerry Cleworth

Phot

o co

urte

sy o

f City

of F

airb

anks


employment, which bodes well for Fairbanks. And there’s good news for the leisure and hospitality industry: there’s supposed to be space for 50,000 additional cruise passengers, accord-ing to Shanks. “We won’t know if our expectations are true until all those cruise ships arrive,” she said. “Even though it’s not a huge number, it still looks a little bit better than last year, and last year wasn’t horrible.”

trAnsportAtionAs the transportation hub for Interior Alaska, Fairbanks has extensive road, rail and air connections to the rest of Alaska and Outside. Main transpor-tation conduits include an easily ac-cessible road system, the Fairbanks International Airport and the Alaska Railroad Corp. Most communities in the borough are easy to access via the road system, but air and rail provide necessary infrastructure and to keep FNSB operating smoothly.

Fairbanks International Airport has direct international passenger and cargo traffic, as well as a robust domestic market. Fairbanks is one

of the smallest U.S. markets with charter passenger service to Europe and Asia. Both Condor Airlines and Japan Airlines operate charter flights with international destinations.

The Alaska Railroad Corp. provides regular freight and passenger service between Fairbanks and Seward.

housinG, heAlth, And eduCAtionFairbanks has a stable housing mar-

ket. Most housing for sale in the area consists of single-family homes, with an increasing number of condomini-ums and townhouses. New construc-tion has increased in the past several years due to an influx of military members assigned to the area.

The city has a variety of housing options spread across a number of neighborhoods. Prices for commer-cial properties run anywhere from $100,000 to $3.5 million.

Standing at the crossroads of many remote communities, Fair-banks North Star Borough boasts a variety of clinics, hospitals and medi-cal services for a community of its size. Fairbanks Memorial Hospital

and Denali Center is a general medi-cal and surgical facility, which has served the community since 1972.

The Tanana Chiefs Conference’s (TCC) Chief Andrew Isaac Health Center is an ambulatory care cen-ter dedicated to providing quality health services to Alaska Natives and Native Americans with an empha-sis on health promotion, education and preventative care. A number of community health outreach programs are available through TCC, the tra-ditional tribal consortium of the 42 villages on Interior Alaska.

Tanana Valley Clinic has also pro-vided a variety of medical services to the Fairbanks community and Interior Alaska for 50 years. In addition to offering various medical services, the clininc maintains a 1st Care Center that offers immediate walk-in treat-ment of non-emergency illnesses and injuries seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Bassett Army Community Hospi-tal (BACH), a full-service medical center at Forth Wainwright, pro-vides services to active-duty military


©2012 Patrick Endres/AlaskaStock.com

members, military retirees and de-pendents at Forth Wainwright, Fort Greely and Eielson Air Force base and remote military sites. BACH also directs the medical activi-ties of Alaska’s other Army facilities, the Fort Richardson Troop medical Clinic and the Fort Greely Aid Station.

The FNSB School District oper-ates 35 schools, including a correspon-dence/ home school component called Fairbanks BEST. The 14,300 students in the FNSB School District tend to perform well on standardized tests: The average student in the district out-performs the average student in both the state and the nation on academic assessments such as the Alaska Stan-dards Based Assessments, Scholastic Aptitude Test, American College Test and Terra Nova.

The University of Alaska Fair-banks is the flagship campus of the University of Alaska system, which is headquartered in Fairbanks. Originally founded in 1917 as the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines, it has the distinc-

tion of being America’s northern-most Land, Sea, and Space Grant institution.

UAF encompasses the central campuses in Fairbanks as well as many others throughout the State. Fairbanks is also home of the UAF Center for Distance Education, an independent learning and distance delivery program.

UAF is the main research campus in the UA system, with at least 90 per-cent of the research funding in the UA system coming to UAF researchers, according to UAF Public Informa-tion Officer Marmian Grimes. Re-cently, UAF earned a gold rating in the Association for the advancement of Sustainability in Higher Educa-tion’s evaluation program. Officially called the Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment and Rating System, the program evaluates universities on a variety of criteria, including opera-tions and planning, and education and research.

The Tanana Chiefs Conference also provides numerous education pro-grams to help Alaska Natives pursue post-secondary vocational and pro-fessional opportunities and to secure employment. TCC also has an Adult Basic Education Program for students who are completing high school equiv-alency examinations or are seeking vocational training.

Wayland Baptist University is an-other educational asset to the FNSB. The university combines nontradi-tional and traditional credits to of-fer a variety of masters, bachelors, and associates degrees, providing resources and services at Fort Wain-wright and Eielson Air Force Base to any student over the age of 18.

Continued Growth There are a number of develop-ment projects on the horizon for the FNSB, including a new life sciences facility at UAF. The new facility will provide multi-use teaching and re-search labs, classrooms, and office space for life-science research and academic purposes. The building is on schedule to be completed by September 2013.

TCC is constructing a new facil-ity to replace Chief Andrew Isaac

Health Center. The $72-million project will allow the Alaska Native Health Center to expand its medical services, including limited radiol-ogy and physical therapy. Much of the cost to fund the project will be provided through the federal Indian Health Service and bonds. The new medical center is expected to be com-pleted in early 2013.

In the near future, North Pole residents will be receiving a new li-brary—completely debt-free, accord-ing to FNSB Mayor Hopkins. The expanded layout will allow more room for services, as well as public meeting spaces—which is something North Pole desperately needs. “It will serve the community for the estimated 20 to 25 years of popula-tion growth,” Hopkins said.

ARRC has a number of important improvement projects underway, including the Northern Rail Exten-sion (NRE) project, which includes building a bridge over the Tanana River in Salcha with an associated levee, and an enhancement of the freight intermodal area of Fair-banks rail yard. These projects are expected to boost local and state economies with millions of dollars spent on local equipment, materials, supplies and lodging. More than 200 construction jobs are projected dur-ing the summer months, and dozens year-round.

Doyon, along with several partners, also began conducting a 2D seismic program in the unexplored northern portion of the Nenana basin which may yield natural gas or oil.

The borough itself is also moving through a six-month project to study distribution models for natural gas. “We’re looking at a trucking proj-ect which would deliver (liquefied natural gas) from the North Slope down the Haul Road,” Mayor Hop-kins said.

There’s also a proposal to expand the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Com-plex, which would have a significant impact on Eielson Air Force Base. The environmental impact statement on the proposed project should be out the first quarter of 2012, Hopkins said. “It’s an opportunity for Alaska to be a stronger anchor for the military.” q


Fairbanks North Star Borough Demographics

People QuickFacts Fairbanks NSB AlaskaPopulation, 2010 97,581 710,231Population, percent change, 2000 to 2010 17.8% 13.3%Population, 2000 82,840 626,932Persons under 5 years, percent, 2010 8.1% 7.6%Persons under 18 years, percent, 2010 25.6% 26.4%Persons 65 years and over, percent, 2010 6.5% 7.7%Female persons, percent, 2010 47.2% 48.0%White persons, percent, 2010 (a) 77.0% 66.7%Black persons, percent, 2010 (a) 4.5% 3.3%American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2010 (a) 7.0% 14.8%Asian persons, percent, 2010 (a) 2.7% 5.4%Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, percent, 2010 (a) 0.4% 1.0%Persons reporting two or more races, percent, 2010 6.8% 7.3%Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2010 (b) 5.8% 5.5%White persons not Hispanic, percent, 2010 74.1% 64.1%Living in same house 1 year & over, 2005-2009 74.5% 77.9%Foreign born persons, percent, 2005-2009 5.0% 6.6%Language other than English spoken at home, pct age 5+, 2005-2009 10.7% 15.5%High school graduates, percent of persons age 25+, 2005-2009 93.6% 90.7%Bachelor’s degree or higher, pct of persons age 25+, 2005-2009 26.3% 26.5%Veterans, 2005-2009 12,037 72,494Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16+, 2005-2009 17.4 17.9Housing units, 2010 41,783 306,967Homeownership rate, 2005-2009 59.3% 63.8%Housing units in multi-unit structures, percent, 2005-2009 28.8% 26.4%Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2005-2009 $198,200 $221,300Households, 2005-2009 32,211 234,779Persons per household, 2005-2009 2.88 2.82Per capita money income in past 12 months (2009 dollars) 2005-2009 $28,373 $29,382Median household income, 2009 $64,691 $66,712Persons below poverty level, percent, 2009 7.9% 9.1%

Business QuickFacts Fairbanks NSB AlaskaPrivate nonfarm establishments, 2009 2,445 19,901Private nonfarm employment, 2009 26,479 252,882Private nonfarm employment, percent change 2000-2009 22.5% 23.4%Nonemployer establishments, 2009 5,147 51,137Total number of firms, 2007 6,481 68,728Black-owned firms, percent, 2007 2.0% 1.5%American Indian and Alaska Native owned firms, percent, 2007 3.8% 10.0%Asian-owned firms, percent, 2007 3.4% 3.1%Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander owned firms, percent, 2007 F 0.3%Hispanic-owned firms, percent, 2007 2.3% SWomen-owned firms, percent, 2007 32.5% 25.9%Manufacturers shipments, 2007 ($1000) D 8,204,030Merchant wholesaler sales, 2007 ($1000) D 4,563,605Retail sales, 2007 ($1000) 1,574,267 9,303,387Retail sales per capita, 2007 $16,072 $13,635Accommodation and food services sales, 2007 ($1000) 221,600 1,851,293Building permits, 2010 42 904Federal spending, 2009 1,644,275 11,922,341

Geography QuickFacts Fairbanks NSB AlaskaLand area in square miles, 2010 7,338.21 570,640.95Persons per square mile, 2010 13.3 1.2FIPS Code 090 02Metropolitan or Micropolitan Statistical Area Fairbanks, AK Metro Area

(a) Includes persons reporting only one race.(b) Hispanics may be of any race, so also are included in applicable race categories.

FN: Footnote on this item for this area in place of dataNA: Not availableD: Suppressed to avoid disclosure of confidential informationX: Not applicableS: Suppressed; does not meet publication standardsZ: Value greater than zero but less than half unit of measure shownF: Fewer than 100 firms

Source: US Census Bureau State & County QuickFacts


Working through weather challenges

By Paula Cottrell

Winter Construction in Alaska

special section BUILDING ALASKA

Historically, large scale construc-tion projects in Alaska would shut down during the winter

months. This trend changed in the early 1990s when the demand for new con-struction forced companies to rethink how to quickly, safely and effectively construct buildings that are not only de-signed to meet their clients’ needs, but could withstand every force Alaska’s sub-Arctic weather has to offer. Record cold temperatures and snow falls this winter have provided their challenges to many people working outdoors in Alaska, but it has not stopped construc-tion on several large scale commercial projects across the state.

Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center (ANHC) Strategic Initiatives Director Joan Fisher can hardly contain

her excitement over the progress of the new ANHC facility being constructed on C Street between International and Tudor roads. The ANHC is a clinic structured to serve all individuals with or without insurance. In addition to its sliding fee payment schedule, ANHC offers health care to the homeless and it is the largest HIV/AIDS practice in the state of Alaska.

As the former ANHC executive di-rector, Fisher resigned that position to work solely on the construction of the state-of-the-art building that will bring the Fairview clinic and the administra-tive offices to one single location.

“Transitioning into one location has been a long-time goal of the ANHC. I have been with the organization for 13 years and we have been working on

this project at least that long. There is a strong need in our community for more cost effective health care and we are here to provide it,” Fisher says.

By combining administrative offices with the clinic, ANHC will allow for a more efficient work flow and delivery system that will benefit staff and pa-tients alike.

One of the biggest challenges for ANHC was finding a location for its main facility, according to Fisher. The selected site had some challenges, starting with the land on which they wanted to build. Extremely marshy, Roger Hickel Contracting, the general contractor overseeing the project sur-charged the site with more than 55,000 tons of gravel. This two-step process was performed in 2009 and 2010 to

Criterion General, Inc. work crews battle record snowfalls in Thompson Pass to complete the rebuild of the Tsaina Lodge which broke ground Oct. 1, 2011, and is scheduled for completion a record six months later in March 2012.

Photo courtesy of Criterion General Inc.

Pinnacle Mechanical, Incorporated

B U S I N E S S P R O F I L E

Expect Perfection. Accept Excellence

P A I D A D V E R T I S E M E N T

For more information contactPinnacle Mechanical, IncorporatedDan and Janice Kittoe, Owners5821 Arctic Blvd., Unit D Anchorage, Alaska 99518Phone: (907) 336-HEAT (4328) Fax: (907) 336-4329www.pinnaclemechanicalinc.com

Pinnacle Mechanical Incorporated is a commercial plumbing, heat-ing and air conditioning business

that focuses on providing services in a knowledgeable, efficient and friendly manner. Hence the name “Pinnacle” and bold slogan: Expect perfection. Accept excellence. The slogan—adapted from a quote by legendary football coach Vince Lombardi—is more than a motto. It’s the way Pinnacle Mechanical does business. It all boils down to treating people the way you want to be treated, according to Co-Owner Dan Kittoe. He says: “It’s not rocket science. You go out and do your job. That’s what keeps us competitive.”

Established in 1999, Pinnacle Me-chanical has built a successful business by being responsive to its customers’ needs. The company’s employees strive to listen to clients’ problems, understand their needs and create timely solutions. “Our employees understand that they are a major part of the solution to our clients’ needs, and we provide them with the tools, information and materials to be successful in their daily routines,” says Owner Janice Kittoe, Dan’s wife.

For example, Pinnacle’s HVAC ser-vice, maintenance and plumbing de-partments are able to complete quick-turnaround projects. They also have the expertise to work on a wide range of heating, plumbing and air condition-ing equipment. “Whether it’s a gas or oil-fired burner that needs combustion analysis, an IT room that is overheating and requires AC cooling, or a bathroom needing to be upgraded to ADA compli-ance, we have the personnel and knowl-edge to provide the service,” Dan says.

Pinnacle provides services for a va-riety of clients. Recently, it worked on an AC cooling renovation project for Alaska Communication Systems’ East Wire Center, a new commercial office/retail building with a commer-cial kitchen for Arcticorp, and a 32-unit

boiler replacement project for Anchor-age Neighborhood Housing.

As a family-owned business, Pin-nacle Mechanical operates with a dis-tinctive mom-and-pop style. The com-pany has 25 permanent and seasonal employees, many of whom have been employed there for years—including the Kittoes’ daughter, Kari, and several in-laws. The low employee turnover rate has a positive impact on customers. “It establishes loyalty and trust with our clients when they recognize the same technicians and plumbers responding to their issues year in and year out,” Janice says.

Pinnacle’s technicians, plumbers, es-timating personnel and management are constantly enhancing their exper-tise to better serve customers’ current and future needs. In addition, the com-pany is always expanding its services. For example, it now offers temporary AC cooling systems that clients can rent while their existing mechanical systems are being renovated. Dan explains: “We can provide the contractor/owners with portable temporary cooling units,

from 3 to 15 tons, along with the install, set-up, service and demobilization of the units. We believe this could provide a substantial savings to the client by eliminating equipment shutdowns and scheduling conflicts.”

Whatever the situation, Pinnacle Mechanical is committed to operating with its clients’ best interests at heart. “We expect to be here for some time, and the only way that will happen is if we stay true to our customers by main-taining our honest, loyal and friendly service,” Janice says.

© 2

012

Chr

is A

rend

Pho

togr

aphy


prepare the site for construction in the early spring of 2011.

For the structure to be enclosed be-fore the winter months, construction had to begin early.

plAnninG vitAlRoger Hickel Contracting Senior Proj-ect Manager Thomas Ojala says plan-ning was the key. “We were able to get a two-month jump start on the foundation work by thawing the ground early,” he says. “We used ground thawers which thawed the ground about three to four inches each day. We needed to go at least eight feet down to set the founda-tion, so that project took some time.”

Ground thawers are not always the first choice for getting an early start on spring dirt work. At the new Chugach Electric power plant site, Roger Hickel Contracting crews used D9s to remove the frozen soil so foundation work could begin. This is the more traditional method for preparing ground work, according to Ojala. “Heavy equipment wasn’t an option on the ANHC job site,” he says. “The space we had to work in was not large enough to ac-commodate the necessary equipment. The ground thawers proved to be an ideal solution.”

Newer technologies such as fuel-ef-ficient heating systems have certainly played a part in winter construction advancements, but according to Roger Hickel Contracting Superintendent John Barnes, the single greatest jump in the advancement of construction projects was the fax machine. “The ability to com-municate quickly among contractors with drawings and plans was a big factor in increasing work efficiency,” Barnes says.

The Internet, smartphones and mo-bile communication technology has fur-thered the ability of contractors to work together and with their clients. “Current information is a critical resource when working on such large commercial proj-ects where everything must be cho-reographed and timed perfectly,” says Project Manager Sean Hickel.

weAther ChAllenGesCriterion General Inc. has been work-ing in Alaska’s winter conditions since 1992. Currently they have two large commercial winter projects—the new Alaska USA office building located


on B Street next to Tudor Road and a new hotel, restaurant and ski resort in Thompson Pass near Valdez. Both projects present their own challenges when it comes to winter construction, according to Criterion General Presi-dent Dave DeRoberts.

The Alaska USA building broke ground in August 2011. While this

was not early enough to get the facil-ity fully enclosed before winter, this has not stopped Criterion’s crews from forging ahead with construction. “For many reasons, projects don’t always start at the most opportune time, but with our experience, we are able to handle most any working situation,” DeRoberts says.

In addition to the late start, extreme weather has challenged the Criterion crews. “We plan for every condition pos-sible, but this winter has been harder than most,” DeRoberts says. “If it wasn’t high winds, it was incredible snow storms or frigid temperatures. Each day the crews came in ready to brave the elements, shovel snow and repair the temporary enclosure as needed.”

Private investors contracted Crite-rion General to do a complete rebuild of the Tsaina Lodge near Valdez. The new complex will provide first class accommodations, a fine dining restau-rant and heli-ski resort. The Thomp-son Pass project, however, has proven to test even the best of construction companies. Originally built in the 40’s and 50’s, this historic lodge needed a total retrofit to bring to life the vision of a high-end, 24-room boutique hotel. Breaking ground on Oct. 1 last year, Criterion had less than six months to complete the project to ensure the facil-ity would be ready for operations by the first week in March.

“With less than six months to com-plete this project, planning was crucial.

The new Alaska USA Building on B Street broke ground in August 2011 forcing Criterion General employees to battle cold temperatures, high

winds and record snowfalls while construction continued throughout the winter months in the unenclosed structure.

©20

12 E

dwar

d W

ilson

E n v i r o n m E n ta l S E r v i c E S

a p r o u d S u b S i d i a r y o fc a l i S t a c o r p o r a t i o n

★ calistacorp.com ★

Soil testing and treatment

Contaminant delineation, treatment and removal

Range reclamation services

briceenvironmental.com

An industry leAder in environmentAl

remediAtion


We had a lot of heavy equipment on hand to deal with the snowfall, but we had no idea we would be doing a fast paced construction project with the record snowfalls that Thompson Pass has seen this winter,” DeRoberts says.

Along with the weather concerns are the logistics needs for maintaining a crew of 50 employees in a remote site. Criterion crews are being housed in onsite cabins, yurts, local lodges and other private accommodations. Fuel costs are much higher in remote rural areas and the constant need to have the heavy machinery moving the seem-ingly constant snowfall can drive up the cost of any winter construction project.

DeRoberts attributes his company’s success to his experienced personnel. “It’s all about attitude and preparation,” he says. “Alaska construction workers know how to handle these working con-ditions better than anyone else in the country. They are tough and resilient. Without their positive attitudes and ex-perience, we couldn’t pull off the work that we do. “

Cold work ConsiderAtionsKristian Moistner, a Criterion employee working on the Alaska USA facility does not mind working out in the cold. “It sure beats how things were in the late 80’s when construction would shut down for the winter, Moistner says. “At least we can still work, even if it means battling some brutal weather. You just need warmer clothes and the ability to work at a safe pace.”

It is not just the elements that chal-lenge workers, but the risk factors as well. “It is definitely more dangerous to perform construction work in the winter,” Ojala says. “Reduced visibility due to the shorter winter days as well as the hazards that come with snow and ice on steel framework is something we deal with every day. There is the potential danger for slips and falls as well as frostbite and other cold related injuries. We believe in planning and safety and are proud to say we have had no loss time accidents or injuries on this project.”

Regardless of the weather condi-tions, demand for building drives the industry to continue working year-round. Three Cedars LLC tasked Roger Hickel Contracting with constructing a

1040 O’Malley Road Anchorage, AK 99515Toll-free: (888) 349-3133

AN

CH

OR

AG

E SAND AND GRAVEL CO

., INC

.

(907) 349-3333 • www.anchsand.com

Green Product

find us on Facebook

At

• Sand• Gravel• Concrete

• Landscape rock• Building materials• Precast concrete

• Block• Rebar

Your source for locally produced, high-quality LEED® certified products.

GREENwe are

all year long

Other products we offer

SERVING OWNERS, CONTRACTORS AND DESIGNERS IN THE ALASKA CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

· Project Development· SBA Section 8(a), HUBZone, DBE

· Procurement· Contract Review

· Claims & Negotiation· Dispute Resolution

Our Construction and Government Contracts lawyers advise public and private clients in all stages of construction including:

Celebrating 35 years in Anchorage

www.perkinscoie.com/construction Perkins Coie llp ATTORNEY ADVERTISING

Michael E. KregerPHONE: 907.263.6916 • www.perkinscoie.com/mkreger

Christine V. Williams PHONE: 907.263.6931 • www.perkinscoie.com/cwilliams

Thomas W. JantunenPHONE: 907.263.6932 • www.perkinscoie.com/tjantunen


Class A office building located at New Seward and Northern Lights Boulevard because of their experience working in Alaskan conditions, according to man-aging partner, Geraldine Estabrook. The Three Cedars building has three floors with 11,000 square feet of office space that are set above a heated park-ing garage structure.

“We have excellent floor plans with fabulous views of Anchorage,” Esta-brook says. “The ability of incoming tenants to work with our general con-tractor to customize their build outs during our final phase of construction is a huge bonus to any incoming tenants.”

It is this collaborative relationship that Roger Hickel Contracting has

developed with clients that makes winter construction projects, not just feasible, but often times, ideal. With an estimated completion date of late Summer 2012, the folks at ANHC will be able to transition into their new loca-tion. “The phased move will mean we can furnish our clinic and offices with state-of-the-art equipment while work crews finish our parking lot and land-scaping,” Fisher says. “Both projects should be completed around the same time for a seamless transition into the new facility. We couldn’t have done it without years of planning with our contractor and design team.”

This project has been Fisher’s swan song, and she plans to retire upon completion of the building and once everyone has moved in. “I have put a lot of time and effort into this project,” she says. “A lot of funding has come to-gether to make this clinic a reality, and the ability of Roger Hickel Contracting to plan and execute this undertaking will bring this project to completion at least a year earlier than it normally would have, benefiting a number of Alaskan residents.” q

©20

12 E

dwar

d W

ilson

Roger Hickel Contracting used ground heating technology in spring 2011 to ensure the new Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center could break ground as early as possible so it would be fully enclosed prior to the winter months,

allowing for an August 2012 completion date.

An AlAskA mining project committed to:

• LocaL Hire

• responsibLe DeveLopment

• environmentaL integrity

C o n s t r u C t i o n

A p r o u d s u b s i d i A r y o fC A l i s t A C o r p o r A t i o n

★ calistacorp.com ★

Rental and sales of new and used construction equipment

Equipment repairs, parts and service

In business since 1945

yukoneq.com

Our custOmer service and equipment never fall shOrt Of superb



By Dimitra lavrakas

Skagway’s $80 million port plan

Yukon Gateway Project

There is so much at stake, yet so much is up in the air. Tiny Skagway in Southeast is blessed

with a deep-water port that has served the shipping needs of Canada’s Yukon Territory for over a century. Now, three mining companies look to it to transport ore. One is even willing to build a new dock, but here’s the rub: a tidelands lease with White Pass & Yukon Route Railway gives the company control un-til 2023. The mining companies want access within the next couple of years.

minesCapstone’s Minto Mine has been using the Ore Dock on and off for years, but it’s shipping steadily right now. The

Minto Mine, just south of Carmacks in the Yukon, has its concentrates trucked to Skagway and on to smelters in Asia for treatment and sale. It is projected to operate until 2020.

The Chinese mining company Sel-wyn Chihong Mining Ltd. has started a feasibility study for its western Yukon mining prospect that sits close to the border of Canada’s Northwest Terri-tories, foresees shipping concentrates though Skagway beginning 2014—pos-sibly for 30 years.

And Alexco Resource Corp.’s Bellekeno Mine, located in the Yukon’s Keno Hill Silver District, hopes to pro-duce 250 metric tons per day of lead-silver concentrate and 8,400 metric tons

of zinc concentrate annually to generate up to 2.8 million ounces of silver.

meetinGsIn a late November 2011 meeting in Anchorage, representatives of the Mu-nicipality of Skagway, WP&YR, Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority and an attorney representing the city tried to deal with the conflict-ing interests of the parties: WP&YR’s desire to see the trucking replaced by rail and its tidelands lease extended; the Municipality of Skagway’s desire to regain control of the tidelands; a concern that the suspension bridge on the Klondike Highway may need replacing because of heavy truck use

Photo by Dimitra Lavrakas

At Skagway’s Ore Dock, a barge waits to be filled with ore before shipping out.


and age; and WP&YR’s intention of building a floating dock extension to the Ore Dock to accommodate the larger cruise ships that are expected and the company’s demand that it be released from any environmental con-tamination at the Ore Dock, which the city considers a no deal.

In a Dec. 23, 2011, letter to WP&YR President Eugene Hretzay and Clublink Enterprises Chairman and Chief Ex-ecutive Officer K. Rai Sahi, Skagway Mayor Stan Selmer outlined the hurdles all parties must leap over before any of them move ahead, adding: “In closing, we request your best written offer to jump start this renewed effort and that we would be pleased to meet with you and Mr. Sahi anytime, anywhere.”

In mid-January, all the partners were to meet in Vancouver, British Columbia, home to WP&YR’s parent company, ClubLink Enterprises Ltd., Canada’s largest owner and operator of golf courses with 42 sites among Ontario and Quebec in Canada, and Florida in the U.S. The railroad is its only tourist-based business.

Paul Taylor, former WP&YR presi-dent and now manager of ports and transportation for the Chihong Mining Ltd. Selwyn mining project, predicts the “next couple of quarters will be interest-ing,” given all the different parties. The company is trying to find a place on the waterfront over which it has control. “We have the same problem as AIDEA, we don’t have site control,” he says.

This is key to Chihong’s long-term strategy. Chihong proposed building a separate dock at the mouth of the Skagway River, but the environmental hurdles of the river’s salmon run along with the dock’s location in front of the airport and busy tourism helicopter pads saw them back away.

port expAnsionAccording to Skagway’s $80 million port development plan, the Yukon Gateway Project focuses on separat-ing, as much as possible, the cruise and industrial port traffic and devel-oping the ore-handling facilities at Ore Dock. In 2010, the municipality ap-plied unsuccessfully for an $11.5 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

However, $10 million was added to the state’s budget for the project with the city readying to issue a $5 million bond and AIDEA looking to finance a $27 million ore facility improvement.

According to project plans, Phase I aims to complete the existing ore stor-age facility, rehabilitate the feed and feed reclamation conveyors, upgrade the dust control system, and modify the power supply. In addition, a con-siderable amount of dredging is likely needed to accommodate ore-filled Panamax or Capesize ships.

Phase II would expand the port site by creating uplands with a new bulkhead structure to increase the Ore Dock’s capacity to serve ore vessels and cruise ships simultaneously. Phase III sees the old ore loader being re-placed with a new one built within a sheet pile bulkhead site. The loader would be in a better location to do its job efficiently. q

Dimitra Lavrakas is a freelance photo-journalist who lives in Skagway.

New Faster Satellite Internet

Anchorage: 264-DISH877-696-DISH (3474)

www.microcom.tv

High-speed Satellite Internet ServiceAvailable Right Now In Alaska!

FREE STANDARD INSTALLATION

*Call now to see if you qualify. The number of systems is limited to funds available! Minimum term required. Monthly service and termination fees apply. Usage is subject to a Fair Access Policy. Speed and uninterrupted use of service are not guaranteed. Visit www.legal.HughesNet.com for details. When you connect to the Internet using HughesNet, the upload and download speeds you experience will vary based on a variety of factors including the conguration of your computer, the number of concurrent users, network or Internet congestion, the speed of the Websites you are accessing, and other factors. Stated speeds and uninterrupted use of service are not guaranteed. During peak hours, actual upload and download speeds will likely be lower than speeds indicated. © 2012 Hughes Network Systems, LLC, HughesNet, and Broadband Unbound are registered trademarks of Hughes Network Systems, LLC.

Attention all Alaskans!If you currently are without access to Broadband internet services through

Cable or DSL, you may qualify for a free internet satellite system due to the

expansion of the Recovery Act in Alaska.

Don't miss out on this opprotunity to get connected!

• Extremely Fast Downloads

• Split-Second Streaming Video

• Always On, Always Connected! Even where Cable & DSL can’t reach

• Up to 5Mbps Download Speed With New Ka Broadband

Free systems available!*



By Gail West

1% for Art Helps Drive EconomyPublic art program underwrites jobs,

displays local history and culture

One small economic driver often overlooked in the search for big dollars is the 1% for Art

program, which offers artists and fab-ricators additional employment every year on many public projects. Through

a law passed by the Alaska Legislature in 1975 and an ordinance passed by the Anchorage Assembly three years later, both the state and the Municipality of Anchorage are adding public art to many projects funded by public dollars.

The Alaska State Council on the Arts administers the 1% for Art program for the state, and can purchase a work of art that is to become, according to its mission statement: “a permanent part of, or placed on loan in, a building or

©2012 Chris Arend

Habitat at the Anchorage Museum exterior front allee was designed by internationally acclaimed British artist Antony Gormley.

facility owned or leased by the state that has substantial public use.”

In Anchorage, Jocelyn Young, cura-tor of public art for the Municipality’s Public Works Department, said the Municipality’s ordinance is based on the state law but is much more specific. “Basically, it encompasses all construc-tion and major renovations of buildings and parks,” she said. “Trails and roads aren’t included, but it covers nearly everything else.”

Anything with a price tag of more than $250,000 carries the art require-ment of 1 percent, except for buildings without employees or that aren’t used by the public, she added.

Young also said there is a separate public art committee composed of seven individuals that oversees and ad-vises the program for each project. The makeup of each committee varies to encompass representatives of affected communities, architects, professional artists and representatives of the facili-ties being built.

The first piece added to the Munici-pality’s public art collection in 1981 was a series of panels installed at Girdwood Elementary School. The panels, depict-ing the life and history of Girdwood, were carved by artist Robert Bursiel, a long-time resident of the community. Now, Young said, there are 445 pieces in the collection in more than 100 fa-cilities and Young calls it “a museum without walls.”

“Because of the 1% for Art program Anchorage now has many pieces by im-portant Alaska artists who have passed away such as John Hoover and Cath-erine Doss,” Young said, “and that’s a wonderful legacy for our history and our culture.”

AlAskA Artists Competewith outsiders

Although Alaska artists are encour-aged to participate in the program, it’s not necessarily a shoo-in for them. “It’s up to every committee as to whether they want to restrict the art to Alaskans or whether they want to open it wider to national or international artists,” Young said. “Particularly with some of the higher budget numbers, com-mittees want to go wider.” She says they want to make sure artists don’t commit to something beyond their

abilities, adding that she has seen some artists struggle.

“They didn’t realize the costs of the materials or the time involved in fab-rication of their work,” she said. “Most installations require some engineering expertise and carry installation costs as well as fabrication costs.”

However, Young is still insistent that Alaska artists have what it takes to provide the public with quality pieces. “Over the years, I’ve seen more and more Alaska artists become totally ca-pable of competing with the national and international artists,” Young says.

A recent addition to Anchorage’s public art collection is the “Habitat” sculpture of a crouching man installed in 2010 at the corner of Sixth Avenue and C Street in front of The Anchor-age Museum at Rasmuson Center. In-ternational artist Antony Gormley’s first U.S. public art commission is 57 welded stainless steel boxes standing 24 feet tall and weighing 37,000 pounds. The $487,000 price tag makes it the “largest commission awarded for the Municipality’s 1% for Art program,” Young said. Habitat was entirely fab-ricated in Anchorage by STEELFAB, providing an entire winter’s work for two or three welders who would ordi-narily have been laid off for the season.

“The tallest piece in the program, ‘Northern Lens,’ is at Chugiak High School, and was designed and fab-ricated by Ray King of Philadel- phia. It is more than 30 feet high and cost $140,000.

“For most artwork we commis-sion, it’s less expensive to fabricate in Alaska than it is to ship,” Young said. “So that keeps much of our funding circulating locally.”

Another recent piece of art com-missioned by the Municipality was “Big Game,” an installation by Sheila Wyne at Anchorage’s Dimond High School. “Twenty-three people made that happen,” Young said. “Walsky Construction did the installation, Nel-son Franklin did the engineering, and there were several electricians working on pieces of it. There are many subcon-tractors with every piece of artwork.”

Young says she feels the program is a good way to support professional artists, and a way to enhance our community, making it a pleasure to live in. q



Since 1971, the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Fa-cilities (ADOT&PF) has been

working on a way to improve east to west travel in Anchorage to reduce congestion on Tudor Road and Di-mond Boulevard. The Anchorage Long Range Transportation Plan categorized the Dowling Road Extension as a top priority and the project has evolved in two phases. Phase I connects Dowling between Old Seward Highway and C Street and went to bid last fall. Con-struction is expected to begin this spring and be substantially complete by the end of next October by Quality Asphalt Paving, the low bidder at $13.486 mil-lion, according to ADOT&PF Project Manager Jim Amundsen.

projeCt stAtusPhase II connects Dowling from C Street to Minnesota Drive, and is in the design and acquisitions stage. The West Dowling Phase II project begins with an exit from C Street south of West 59th Avenue. The highway continues along the shores of Tina Lake proceeding west and then south. A new bridge will be built over Arctic Boulevard and the Alaska Railroad tracks that run parallel to it. The bridge will be 35 feet high to accommodate the Alaska Railroad’s need for access. Ramps to and from the bridge will have a five-percent grade and a steep berm. From there, the new highway passes through wooded and industrial land to an intersection with Raspberry Road at West 68th Avenue. Shortly after this intersection, Rasp-berry Road has an on and off ramp to Minnesota Drive, connects with the Old and New Seward highways and becomes O’Malley Road. This route, the “Rovenna concept,” named af-ter Rovenna Road, was approved in the 2007 Environmental Assessment, which evaluated several alternate routes. HDR Alaska, a multi-national

engineering firm, is designing the proj-ect and continues to work on the details.

The new highway will alternate between four and five lanes. In some areas, there will be a raised median, in others, a center-left or right-hand turn lane. The project includes two new intersections: Raspberry Road and 68th Avenue and the Minnesota Drive northbound off-ramp. A side-walk is planned for the north side of the highway, bicycle lanes on both sides and a 12-foot separated pathway on the south side. A Campbell Creek Trail crossing will be constructed un-der West Dowling Road.

deCreAsed ConGestion“The decreased traffic congestion cre-ated by this road should help businesses along Tudor and Dimond,” Amund-sen says. “Based on our current growth rates, by the time we get this constructed

we’ll need it just to keep up. The road is an arterial to move traffic from east to west. Driveways and side streets to get to businesses or a place to build strip malls are not planned. People wanting to access businesses on Tudor and Di-mond should find it easier to shop there when the congestion is decreased.”

According to Amundsen, the overall projected cost of Phase II is $66 mil-lion. This includes $3 million in design costs, $21 million for right-of-way pur-chases, $7 million to relocate utilities, and $35 million for construction. Phase II requires buying some industrial and business property but no residential property. Amundsen said he expects the project to bid sometime between October and December, once right-of-way is complete. Construction is expected to begin in 2013, with comple-tion in 2014. Learn more at the project website (dowlingroad.com). q


By stePhanie JaeGer

West Dowling Phase IIDecreasing congestion with road extension

Gra

phic

cou

rtesy

of H

DR

Ala

ska



By louise Freeman

NANA Partners with RurAL CAPEnergy Wise Program cultivates energy efficiency

With high energy costs caus-ing financial hardship for rural residents throughout

the state, Alaska Native corporations, NGOs and state and federal agencies have been scrambling to find ways to address the problem. Weatheriza-tion programs are one answer, but however effective these programs are, they are expensive to fund—up to $35,000 per home—complex to plan, and often take years to implement. There has been a need for simple and cost-effective solutions that can be put in place immediately.

The cost of energy in rural Alaska “is an issue we are working in partner-ship with other regional organizations to address, but it is the single largest barrier to regional economic develop-

ment,” said Marie Greene, president and CEO of NANA Regional Corp. Inc. (NANA). In 2010, Rural Alaska Community Action Program (RurAL CAP), a statewide, private, nonprofit organization, used approximately $2.5 million in federal 2009 Recov-ery and Reinvestment Act funds to launch a pilot program to address one aspect of rural energy use that has often been ignored: education. “We can’t overlook the importance of the human factor of what goes into using energy. We help people understand where their energy money is going. And based on that, they can make their own decision on how to use that energy,” said Cathie Clements, community development director at RurAL CAP.

Community eduCAtionEnergy Wise focuses on communities with especially high fuel costs and that are low on the wait list for weather-ization. These high-need villages are provided with a local crew of trained employees who help educate their neighbors by organizing a community conservation fair and making home visits. Interested residents are visited in their homes by a trained Energy Wise crew. The crew leader works one-on-one with them to assess household energy/kilowatt consumption.

In addition to demystifying the often confusing heating and electric bills, the crew leader helps residents to make the connection between how they use energy and what that looks like on their bills. Crew members then install

RurAL CAP’s Energy Wise program helps Alaskans reduce their energy consumption, lower their home heating and electric bills, and save money. Noorvik Energy Wise crew members include (L-R): back row: Lawrence Wells,

George Smith, and Jason Smith; middle row: William Field, Tommy Snyder, Luke Snyder, Marty Smoke and Murphy Patterson; front row: Elmer Melton (crew leader) and Clayton Ballot.

Phot

os b

y Ke

nt B

anks

, Rur

AL C

AP


$300 of efficiency upgrade equipment, including compact fluorescent lights, weather-stripping and water heater blankets. (Energy Wise is designed to complement, or piggy-back on weatherization programs, which make larger-scale upgrades such as adding insulation and new windows.) The crew leader follows up with a visit three to six months later to answer any questions.

In the first year of the Energy Wise program, 7,500 residents in 32 high-need villages from Savoonga to Huslia received energy conservation educa-tion, 2,000 homes were given low-cost, efficiency upgrades, and 160 area residents were provided with seasonal employment. The village of Selawik, a community of about 800 residents in the NANA region, was one of the vil-lages in the pilot program. NANA liked the results they saw in Selawik—an effec-tive, low-cost program that used local hire, involved the whole community, and saved the residents an average of 20 percent on their energy bills.

“NANA shareholders in Selawik felt they benefited from the program,” said Greene. “We evaluated the pro-gram and our board felt that it would be beneficial to our shareholders to roll out regionally. Board members felt that the Energy Wise program fit with NANA’s mission to improve the lives of our shareholders. More than half of our (12,900) shareholders live within the borders of our region and the high cost of fuel impacts their lives daily.”

With sky-high heating and electrical bills, rural residents have less money to buy groceries and other necessities. In rural Alaska, an average of 47 per-cent of household income goes to pay energy costs.

diversiFied FundinG NANA will be expanding the Energy Wise program to include all eleven communities in the NANA region. The three-phase program started in the fall of 2011 and will be completed in 2013. The NANA board approved an $860,000 expenditure, which pro-vided the majority of funding for Phase I, covering the villages most in need: Ambler, Buckland, Kivalina, Noatak, Noorvik and Shungnak. A contractual agreement was entered into with Ru-rAL CAP to implement the program.

Solving tomorrow’s challenges Today.

Independent CommerCIal InsuranCe & surety Brokerage. www.businessinsuranceassociates.com • 274-4142


Phase I, now in progress and to be com-pleted in the spring of 2012, is providing efficiency upgrades to more than 500 homes, education to more than 2,000 people, and employment to approxi-mately 50 local residents. “NANA was really interested in doing something right away with the energy burden,” said Ellen Kazary, Community Devel-opment manager at RurAL CAP.

NANA is the first private organi-zation to fund the program, and once NANA stepped forward with private dollars, other public partners came on board. The Denali Commission/State Department of Labor ($297,239 to train crews in 2011-12 and 2012-13); U.S. Department of Energy National Re-newable Energy Laboratory ($50,319 for planning and evaluation planning); Alaska Works Partnership (in-kind training support); Northwest Inupiat Housing Authority (in-kind support); and Northwest Arctic Borough (tech support and “smart meters” that track energy use). Local partners include tribal and city councils, churches, youth groups, and parks and recreation pro-grams, which provide in-kind support. The result of all these organizations working together is the type of effective public-private partnership the stimulus funds were supposed to generate.

loCAl hireNot content with simply dispersing in-formation and calling it “education,” RurAL CAP designed Energy Wise us-ing behavior change theory to positively affect how people use energy in their homes. “It takes not just one but several encounters with the message on a variety of levels, Kazary said. “(With Energy Wise) they hear the crew leaders talking about it, they see their neighbors imple-menting it, and they themselves have one-on-one discussions with the crew, not just once but several times. That really helps to sustain behavior change.”

To convey this information in a friendly, culturally acceptable way, it was important to hire local people. “Local hire is a huge part of why it is a success. It makes it so much more com-fortable and easy for crew members to be training friends and relatives,” Kazary said. “They take a leadership role that is endorsing change in a so-cially acceptable and positive way. You


can’t just come in and lecture people as an outsider. Also, crew members live in the villages so they can continue to answer questions. It leaves that knowl-edge base there.”

The local hire component was one of RurAL CAP’s goals in designing Energy Wise and was one of the ele-ments of the program that attracted NANA’s interest. “The program also ad-dresses some of our Village Economic Development needs by creating local jobs and offering training opportuni-ties,” Greene said. The four to 10 crew members and one crew leader hired in each participating community receive training leading to Weatherization Tech I, OSHA and First Aid certification. “Certification will be a big bonus for the crews,” said Clements, preparing them for future employment on weatheriza-tion crews, or working for the housing authority, or in the construction indus-try. Training and implementation of the program take place September through January, offering eight to 12 weeks of full-time employment in the off-season when construction and other summer work is not available.

CultivAtinG enerGy ConservAtionShungnak is a community of 270 people located 150 air miles east of Kotzebue on a scenic bluff above the Kobuk River. Local resident and Energy Wise crew leader Harry Commack said Shungnak is the kind of place where “you can walk out of the store with one plastic grocery bag and it’s $100.” The village has one of the highest energy costs in northwest Alaska. Residents pay $0.38/kilowatt hour, compared to Chugach Electric customers in Anchorage, who pay less than $0.14/kilowatt hour. Fuel is nor-mally barged in from Kotzebue, but with area rivers running low in recent years, there are times when the barge cannot make it to upriver villages such as Kobuk and Shungnak. Fuel must then be flown in from Fairbanks. Shun-gnak suffers from the additional prob-lem of inadequate fuel storage capacity. Even with the tanks topped off in the summer, the village often runs out of fuel by April, requiring fuel be flown in from Fairbanks. Stove oil, which costs an already high $4 per gallon in Fair-banks, sells for more than $9 per gallon in Shungnak

• GeneralContractor• CivilConstruction• EnvironmentalCleanupandConsulting• OperationsandMaintenanceofWastewater Pre-treatmentSystems

Withthreelocationsandastaffofprofessionalenvironmentalscientists,engineers,geologists,chemists,biologistsandtechnicians,wearereadilyavailabletoperformprojectsacrosstheStateofAlaska.

Allservicesarestreamlinedtoensurethehighestlevelofregulatorycomplianceandcostcontrols.

tutka—helping build Alaska.

www.tutkallc.com

CertifiedDBE(ADOT&PF,MOA)•SBACertifiedHUBZone&WOSB

everything environmental


In late November, Commack led a crew on their first day of training installing energy efficiency equipment in retiree Susie Sun’s house. Dressed in blue sweatshirts with the Energy Wise logo on back and the NANA logo on front, crew members William Sheldon IV, 20, and Jarraine Collini, 24, applied window insulation film.

Standing back to admire her work, Collini crowed, “I did it again!” Col-lini said what she likes about the job is “helping people, making sure they stay warm and helping them save a little bit of money.”

Sun stood over a pot of caribou soup bubbling on the stove and spoke with approval about the Energy Wise

program. “I’ve learned something new this morning—how to use a power strip. It will save energy. Instead of plugging (an appliance) into the wall, the power strip has an on off switch you can just turn it off.”

Power strips are used to eliminate what is called “phantom power” use, which is the slow drain of electricity that appliances used when they are plugged in, even if they are not turned on. Sun continued, “It has made me much more aware of what to do to save energy. Everybody in town should re-ally look into this. They’re doing a really good job.”

Kazary echoed Sun’s enthusiasm: “That’s what I love about this program. It’s contagious—you watch the whole community get involved.”

The Energy Wise goal is to include 100 percent of households in each vil-lage, rather than restrict services to low-income households. Kazary explained why “low-income” is an almost mean-ingless designation in Alaska’s rural communities. “What is considered a middle-income family elsewhere isn’t really if they are spending half their

Shungnak Energy Wise crew members include (L-R): Harry Commack (crew leader), Brandon Woods, Jarraine Collini, William Sheldon IV and Jamey Gilila.

income on energy bills,” Kazary said. “A lot of those that had the highest sav-ings have been among middle-income households that hadn’t previously been

eligible for weatherization resources be-fore. It’s been a huge eye-opening expe-rience on how much they could save.”

Preliminary results indicate house-

holds participating in the Energy Wise program in 2010 saved an average of 90 kWh/month, resulting in savings of $20 to the resident. An additional $39 in savings goes to the state’s Power Cost Equalization program, which par-tially subsidizes the cost of electricity for residents of rural Alaska. When the cost of heating is included, residents’ savings go up to $50. Each household upgrade costs less than $2,000. With an average combined yearly savings of $1,068 to the resident and the state, the project payback in savings is less than two years. In a follow-up survey of 700 households that participated in Energy Wise in 2010, 86 percent reported they were still practicing energy efficiency and conservation measures; 80 percent reported decreased electric bills and 82 percent reported decreased home heating costs.

RurAL CAP would like to expand Energy Wise to cover other com-munities throughout the state strug-gling with high energy costs. Tanana Chiefs Conference and other tribal organizations have expressed interest in the program. q


Meet all your design needs in one place.

Save time. Save money.

Architects · Engineers · Surveyors

Fairbank s: 907.452.1241 Anchorage: 907.276.1241

w w w. d e si g nal ask a .co m

Jarraine Collini, along with other Energy Wise crew members, conducts inventory on the supplies in preparation for installing energy saving

measures in each home in Shungnak.

Alaska’s economy depends on process industries. Oil and gas production, re-

fining, mining, power generation and utilities, wastewater treatment, manufactured forest products and large-scale food processing all play a part in keeping Alaska’s economy strong and growing. Skilled-work-er shortages threaten the stabil-ity, growth and development of these industries upon which we all depend. In 1998, Alaska Pro-cess Industry Careers Consortium (APICC) was formed to address the interdependence between pro-cess industry jobs and a trained Alaska work force, and to protect and foster our economic security by defining industry needs and responsively targeting resources to keep a steady supply of skilled workers to fill them. According to APICC’s vision, an Alaskan labor force that is well-trained, avail-able and working to meet the work force needs of the Alaska process indus-try will allow industry and workers to thrive in the coming decades.

MEETING WORK FORCE CHALLENGESAPICC is an industry-based work force development nonprofit consortium of Alaska companies, Native organizations and educational and governmental in-stitutions working together to ensure the availability of enough highly trained Alaskans to staff Alaska’s process and support industries. APICC grows Alas-ka’s economy by working to create, con-nect and enhance the quality of career development, training and educational programs available to prepare Alaskans for careers and ensure Alaska’s priority industries have immediate local access to skilled workers.

“APICC monitors future industry needs and current worker shortages to focus efforts on closing the gaps with Alaskans,” says Sue Moore, planning and operations team leader at Shell Alaska and APICC Board Chair.

APICC facilitates industry-led engi-neering academies for high school stu-dents, mobile career exploration labs, and externship programs for educators. The consortium helps ensure a qualified work force can be accessed within Alas-ka by reaching out to rural and urban communities with its programs.

“APICC has several programs fo-cused on energizing and helping to en-able rural and urban Alaska students to be prepared for the career opportunities in Alaska,” Moore says.

ADDRESSING NEEDSAlaska’s process industry generates more than one-third of jobs (and in-directly many more) for Alaska resi-dents. Because process industries are the cornerstone of our state’s stability, it is beneficial to our state economy that we address the needs of employ-ers and potential employees on a local basis, vitalizing our Alaska job market.

The Consortium does this through education, including K-12 systems, private and public post-secondary systems and the University of Alaska system. APICC also builds understand-ing and promotes engagement among the process industry, education, labor organizations, government agencies and Native organizations using targeted messages and a variety of career media.

APICC also manages the North Slope Training Cooperative (NSTC), maintain-ing high-quality, standardized health, safety and environmental training for Alaska’s process and support industries. “APICC is dedicated to facilitating

and collaborating to help create Alaska’s work force for the industry needs of to-morrow,” Moore says.

Alaska Process Industry Careers Consortium


Providing solutions for Alaska’s work force


For more information contactAlaska Process Industry Careers ConsortiumCari-Ann Ketterling, APICC Manager2600 Cordova Street, Suite 105Anchorage, AK 99503Office: (907) 770-5250Fax: (907) [email protected]



By Paula Cottrell

Deadhorse Aviation Center

Providing new infrastructure for North Coast activity

At a time when some feel the fu-ture of North Slope operations is declining, one company be-

lieves in the future of Alaska’s oil and gas industry and the need for infra-structure to support its future growth. That is why in June, Deadhorse Avia-tion Center LLC will be opening the Deadhorse Aviation Center (DAC), a 70,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility unlike any seen before on the North Slope.

What once started as a vision for Sherron Perry, founding owner of Fair-weather LLC, is turning into a reality as final completions on the DAC structure are under way. Originally designed in 2006 to support offshore activities by Shell Oil Co. and smaller ventures in the

Arctic Ocean and Beaufort Sea, the de-sign concept has since grown into that of the largest facility of its kind on the North Slope. “Offshore Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) exploration is an important part of Alaska’s future and the DAC will provide an integral part of the frame-work necessary for successful offshore programs and operations,” Perry says.

Jointly owned by Fairweather LLC, Offshore Support Services LLC and Kaktovik Inupiat Corp., the DAC is a multimodal aviation facility complete with a large hanger, logistics and inci-dent command centers, a full-service medical clinic, airport terminal, cargo handling capabilities, personnel accom-modations, offices, conference rooms and dining facilities.

“The Deadhorse Aviation Center goes a long way to providing the infra-structure needed to respond to any in-cident on the North Slope or the Outer Continental Shelf and will be a crucial component when an Alaska gas line is finally under way,” Perry says.

seCure ACCessConveniently located to the north of runway 5, the DAC has secure access to the Deadhorse taxiway and runway. With perfect proximal access to roads, airport and the ocean, it is an ideal solution for oil companies and their suppliers to successfully manage their North Slope onshore and offshore exploration and production opera-tions in the safest, most cost-effective

Deadhorse Aviation Center is front and center in this aerial photo of Deadhorse.

Photo by Judy Patrick/Courtesy of Fairweather LLC


manner possible, according to Perry.The final building concept was re-

designed over the last few years to ac-commodate a wide range of users from the OCS exploration projects to inde-pendent exploratory wells. “This struc-ture is perfect for some of the smaller oil companies actively engaging in the marketplace that lack the framework necessary to expand their operations,” Perry says.

Careful consideration was given to anticipating and meeting the needs of present and future development of North Slope resources. The success of the Deadhorse Aviation Center re-quired a thorough understanding of the deficiencies that currently exist on the North Slope. According to the Deadhorse Airport Master Plan, cur-rent North Slope airport facilities and infrastructure that were constructed in the 1970s are inadequate to meet the current needs of the oil industry. Input was sought from multiple sources, in-cluding OCS operators, security con-cernss, aviation companies, and IT and communications specialists along with various drilling groups. Design was

also influenced by the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) and the United States Coast Guard (USCG).

lArGe hAnGArThe Deadhorse Aviation Center has a hanger capable of accommodating two to three large helicopters or fixed wing aircraft and is equipped with state-of-the-industry safety, fire suppression, environmental and ergonomic features required by most international oper-ating companies, according to Perry. The DAC terminal will be TSA/US Customs and Border Protection com-pliant, offering passenger and baggage screening, secure baggage handling and secure cargo handling. Additionally, the DAC will be the only airport in the area with design for heated Jetways.

The DAC will also facilitate cargo handling requirements unique to both onshore and offshore opera-tions. This includes everything from counter-to-counter package service to managing heavy equipment loads and hazmat materials handling. The facility will have the capac-ity to load and unload all aircraft

systems from C-130’s to helicopters.Logistics on the North Slope is a

continual challenge for all companies working in the area. The logistics center at the Deadhorse Aviation Center will provide a secure full-service solution at the north end of the Alaska road sys-tem. The facility will combine state-of-the-industry personnel and cargo

Sherron PerryFounding OwnerFairweather LLC

Bell Tech Inc. specializes in ecological management and restoration achieving up to 100% recovery of usable materials

Our services include the response, recovery and restoration as it relates to marine and land based oil spill decontamination.

VESSELS

DOCKS

BERTHS

BARGES

BEACHES

RIVER BANKS

SALMON STREAMS

VEGETATION

RESPONSE

RESTORATIONRECOVERY

Bell Tech Inc. 537 Egan St. P.O. Box 3467 Valdez, AK 99686

Consulting and Contracting

Phase I and II Environmental Assement

On-site Marine, HAZMAT and OSHA Training

Arctic Ice and Frozen Tundra Recovery

River & Stream Spill Recovery and Restoration

belltechconsultants.com1-800-537-6949

OUR ECO-FRIENDLY SERVICES INCLUDE:

INNOVATE DESIGN CONSTRUCT

1-800-243-3690

We are general contractors employing modern, green

architectural design and construction practices.

Contact us to learn how you can save on your

energy bill and help maintain Alaska’s pristine

environment with AK GREEN.

New website coming soon at akgreendesign.com!

Phot

o by

Lau

ra S

todd

ard/

Cou

rtesy

of F

airw

eath

er L

LC


handling systems with 10.4 acres of pristine gravel perfectly situated for staging, storage and materials handling.

mediCAl CliniCThe DAC has a fully equipped Fair-weather Medical Services Clinic that will be staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year to respond to everything from routine medical care to emergency triage, stabilization and evacuations. While current clinics on the

North Slope cater almost exclusively to larger oil company clients, the DAC will have complete state-of-the-art medical facilities that will provide quality services to companies of any size in the area. Occupational health screenings, drug and alcohol testing, return to work ex-aminations, fit for duty evaluations, as well as case management will all be of-fered at the Fairweather Medical Clinic.

Without question, the added medical capabilities the DAC will bring to the

area will save lives. Acute care, including advanced cardiac life support and ER physician consultation will be an integral part of the Fairweather Medical Services Clinic. In the event a medical evacuation is necessary, near-future plans include a full-time Medevac jet available for im-mediate transport, after a patient has been stabilized, to larger hospitals in the state. This reduction in transit time will ensure critical care patients are given the best chances of survival.

Ukpeagvik Iñupiat Corp. was contracted for building out the interior of the Deadhorse Aviation Center, an ambitious winter con-

struction project. Mechanical Foreman William Clements is looking over blueprints in January.

Photo by Lori Davey/Courtesy of Fairweather LLC

Medical clinic floor plan.

Ren

derin

g by

Cur

tis B

ingh

am o

f Arc

hite

cts

Alas

ka/C

ourte

sy o

f Fai

rwea

ther

LLC

.


oFFiCes And ACCommodAtionsBeyond the aviation and logistical ca-pabilities available at the DAC, newly designed and furnished office suites and personnel accommodations are available at the facility for its tenants. This state-of-the-art building is not only beautiful, but highly functional and comfortable. There are generous living accommodations for 48 person-nel that include private bathrooms and satellite television as well as laundry

and exercise facilities. The kitchen and dining room facilities comfortably ac-commodate 60 people.

The fully secure professional suites are designed in office clusters, which provide privacy and functionality to each of the building tenants. Also avail-able are training facilities; conference rooms complete with video conferenc-ing capabilities; IT systems that include high speed Internet access and Wi-Fi throughout the building; as well as

communication systems for phones, sat-ellites and voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) technology. Rental equipment such as vehicles, fork lifts and survival suits will be available in addition to other marine and offshore gear.

projeCt synerGyThe companies behind the Deadhorse Aviation Center LLC are Offshore Sup-port Services LLC (an Edison Chouest company), Fairweather LLC and Kak-tovik Inupiat Corp. These diverse com-panies bring a unique synergy to the project.

Fairweather LLC is an Alaska-based company founded in 1976 by Sherron Perry. He started his business providing aviation weather observa-tion services. Responding to the needs of the growing oil and gas industry, Perry started performing logistics and expediting services. Over the years, Fairweather has grown into a full-service company providing a diverse scope of remote services, which in-clude full medical support services, meteorological and oceanographic forecasting, aviation equipment and

A Gulfstream 4 jet parked in front of the Deadhorse Aviation Center.

Phot

o by

Mike

Ter

min

el/C

ourte

sy o

f Fai

rwea

ther

LLC

lighting, weather observers, bear guards and a full staff of health, safety and environmental professionals.

Offshore Support Services and their parent company Edison Chouest Off-shore (ECO) has built its reputation as one of the most diverse and dynamic marine transport solution companies by staying at the forefront of new technolo-gies and recent advances in the areas of subsea support and global commu-nications. Founded in 1960 in Galliano, La., ECO operates a growing fleet of more than 200 vessels and serves a continually expanding customer base. Chouest’s experience in marine ser-vices, logistics and technologies brings a level of expertise to the Deadhorse Aviation Center that will elevate the capabilities of companies on the North Slope, according to Perry. A solid work-ing relationship with the USCG has been instrumental in addressing the needs of not only the tenants of the DAC, but also ensuring all compliance requirements imposed by the USCG are met as well.

Combining efforts with the Kaktovik Inupiat Corp. was a natural choice—not only because of the long standing re-lationship the Native corporation has with Fairweather, but also for the local knowledge the organization brings to the project. “Working with Native cor-porations has always been a symbiotic relationship,” Perry says. “Not only do they bring us knowledge about the ar-eas we do business with, we are able to provide employment and education opportunities to their people that might not otherwise be available. Building confidence between villages and oil companies is what makes North Slope drilling projects possible.”

While there has been great interest in the Deadhorse Aviation Center, no firm leases were in place at the time of this interview in mid-January. The cost of constructing the facility is estimated at $35 million. The investors of this ambitious project are not concerned. “We are in this for the long haul,” says Perry. “The backers of this project see the need and demand for a facility like ours. We are confident that the increased production and drilling ac-tivity on the North Slope and offshore will fully utilize the new Deadhorse Aviation Center.” � q


Construction GENERAL CONTRACTORS AK Company Top Executive Estab. Empls. Services

2012 CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTOR DIRECTORY


Company Top Executive Estab.AK

Empls. Services

ABC Inc.401 Driveway St.Fairbanks, AK 99701Phone: 907-457-2221 Fax: 907-457-5045

Susan Ellison, Pres.

[email protected]

1995 21 General contractor specializing in energy efficient remodeling and product sales.Seamless siding and gutters, windows, doors, all remodeling. Material Sales include:Commercial doors, windows, store front, metal siding, metal flashing, door hardware,window wells.

Alaska Dreams Inc.2081 Van Horn Rd., #2Fairbanks, AK 99701Phone: 907-455-7712 Fax: 907-455-7713

Meini Huser, Pres./CEO

[email protected]

1994 25 Design, Sales and Construction for Fabric Covered Steel Buildings and Pre-EngineeredSteel Buildings.

Alaska Interstate Construction LLC301 W. Northern Lights Blvd., Ste. 600Anchorage, AK 99503Phone: 907-562-2792 Fax: 907-562-4179

Steve Percy, Pres.

[email protected]

1987 400 AIC builds builds ice and snow roads, well-site pads, gravel roads and islands, bridgesand culverts, structures, airstrips and helipads, dock and port facilities, pipelineinstallation and more.

Alaska Mechanical Inc.8540 Dimond D Cir.Anchorage, AK 99515-1938Phone: 907-349-8502 Fax: 907-349-1324

Larry Buss, Pres.

www.amialaska.com

1975 75 General contractor.

Alaska Quality BuildersPO Box 674Willow, AK 99688Phone: 907-495-6200 Fax: 907-495-6200

Karrol Johnson, Pres.

[email protected]

1994 5 New residential and commercial construction, additions, remodels, garages, shops,saunas, insurance losses, custom homes and don't forget landscaping. "We BuildDreams"

ASRC Energy Services Inc.3900 C Street, Suite 701Anchorage, AK 99503Phone: 907-339-6200 Fax: 907-339-6212

Jeff Kinneeveauk, Pres./CEO

[email protected]

1985 3,797 AES offers expertise from the earliest regulatory stage to exploration, drilling support,engineering, fabrication, construction, project management, operations and maintenanceand field abandonment.

BC Excavating, LLC2251 CinnabarAnchorage, AK 99507Phone: 907-344-4492 Fax: N/A

Gordon Bartel, Pres.

[email protected]

1982 45 Complete hauling and excavation services environmental, water, sewer and stormutilities, site work, fabrication.

Brechan Enterprises Inc.2705 Mill Bay Rd.Kodiak, AK 99615Phone: 907-486-3215 Fax: 907-486-4889

Michael R. Martin, Pres.

www.brechanenterprises.com

1954 80 General contractor specializing in site work, asphalt, concrete, general carpentry andmetal buildings.

Brice Environmental Services Corp.PO Box 73520Fairbanks, AK 99707Phone: 877-902-5122 Fax: 907-452-1067

Craig Jones, Gen. Mgr.

[email protected]

1991 3 Small business Native-owned environmental company specializing in remediation ofheavy metal contaminated soils, and remote site demolition, environmental constructionand remediation. Project history throughout Alaska and the lower 48 states and Hawaii.Pending 8(a) status.

Bristol Construction Services LLC111 W. 16th Ave., Third FloorAnchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-563-0013 Fax: 907-563-6713

David O'Donnell, Gen. Mgr., Civil

[email protected]

2003 9 Heavy construction, utilities, site restoration and development, civil construction andrange development and construction. ANC 8(a).

Bristol Design Build Services111 W. 16th Ave., Third FloorAnchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-563-0013 Fax: 907-563-6713

Benjamin English, Gen. Mgr., Vertical

[email protected]

2005 16 Design build construction and facilities construction. Design build constructionmanagement and vertical construction services. ANC 8(a).

Bristol General Contractors LLC111 West 16th Avenue, Third FloorAnchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-563-0013 Fax: 907-563-6713

Scott Grigg, Regional Ops Mgr.

bristol-companies.com/general_contractors

2010 1 Bristol General Contractors, LLC (Bristol Contractors) is an 8(a) firm that specializes ingeneral building and civil engineering construction services, as well as design build andbid build construction services for federal, state and commercial clients throughout theUnited States.

Building Hope Construction LLC43335 K-Beach Rd. #14Soldotna, AK 99669Phone: 907-260-8041 Fax: 907-262-7144

Mark Hill, CEO

[email protected]

2009 2 Residential construction for the Central Kenai Peninsula.

CDF General Contractors Inc.PO Box 211586Anchorage, AK 99508Phone: 907-337-7600 Fax: 907-272-2209

Gary Murphy, Pres.

[email protected]

1983 3 Tenant improvements, commercial, residential, renovation and repair of damagedbuildings, new construction, commercial, elevator installation and general contracting.Focused on Green building practices. Another service we offer is constructionconsulting.

Chugach Alaska Corporation3800 Centerpoint DriveAnchorage, AK 99503-4396Phone: 907-563-8866 Fax: 907-563-8402

Sheri Buretta, Chairman

[email protected]

1971 722 Chugach is a premier provider of services: base operations and facilities maintenance,construction, civil engineering, oil and gas, manufacturing, education, environmental/oilspill response, IT, etc

Criterion General Inc.2820 Commercial Dr.Anchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-277-3200 Fax: 907-272-8544

Dave DeRoberts, Pres.

[email protected]

1992 100 Commercial building construction.





Empls. Services

Davis Constructors & Engineers Inc.740 Bonanza Ave.Anchorage, AK 99518Phone: 907-562-2336 Fax: 907-561-3620

Josh Pepperd, Pres.

[email protected]

1976 175 Commercial construction and design-build.

Door Systems of Alaska Inc.18727 Old Glenn Hwy.Chugiak, AK 99567Phone: 907-688-3367 Fax: 907-688-3378

Beth Bergh, Owner

www.doorsystemsak.com

2000 10 Commercial and industrial doors, rolling doors, grilles, shutter. Fire-rated rolling door andaccordion fire-rated side folding partitions. Flat wall partitions. Dock equipment. Hangardoors. Blast-resistant doors.

Golden Heart ConstructionPO Box 72728Fairbanks, AK 99707-2728Phone: 907-458-9193 Fax: 907-458-9173

Craig Robinson, Pres.

[email protected]

1982 8 Commercial remodel and new construction.

Granite Construction Company11471 Lang St.Anchorage, AK 99515Phone: 907-344-2593 Fax: 907-522-1270

Joe Spink, Region Mgr.

[email protected]

1922 52 Public and private heavy civil and design-build, construction aggregates, recycled base,warm and hot mix asphalt, road construction, bridges, piling, and sitework.

Jay-Brant General Contractors460 Grubstake Ave.Homer, AK 99603Phone: 907-235-8400 Fax: 907-235-8731

Charles Jay Robert Brant, Principals

[email protected]

1983 20 Public works, military and commercial construction.

K & W Interiors9300 Old Seward Hwy.Anchorage, AK 99515Phone: 907-344-3080 Fax: 907-349-5373

Dale Kaercher, Pres.

[email protected]

1985 15 K&W Interiors is a family owned business serving Alaska for over 25 years. We are a fullservice company with Alaska's largest showroom for all types of flooring and cabinetry.We are a licensed, bonded, and insured general contractor and we do the it all fromdesign to install.

K-C Corp.2964 Commercial Dr.Anchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-258-2425 Fax: 907-278-8018

Byron Kohfield, Pres.

[email protected]

1986 28 General contracting commercial/industrial . Specializing in light gage metal framing,sheetrock, taping, painting and specialty coatings.

cruzconstruct.comMain Office (907) 746-3144North Slope (907) 659-2866

Where the road ends…Our Work Begins

We are proud to announce the launch of our latest division, Cruz Marine LLC. Our ABS Loadline Class tugs are the only double-hulled shallow draft tugs in Alaska and the Northwest. We can transport equipment, materials, and supplies to sites along the Arctic Ocean and Beaufort Sea, the west coast of Alaska or up inland waterways.

Whether by land or water, we can deliver what you need, when and where you need it.

MARINE LLC





Empls. Services

Kiewit Building Group Inc.2000 W. International Airport Rd., Ste. C-6Anchorage, AK 99502Phone: 907-222-9350 Fax: 907-222-9380

Kevin Welker, Sr. VP & Alaska Mgr.

[email protected]/building

1949 100 Commercial and industrial building projects throughout Alaska. State, federal, localgovernment and health care.

Kiewit Infrastructure West Co.2000 W. International Airport Rd.Anchorage, AK 99502Phone: 907-222-9350 Fax: 907-222-9380

Pat Harrison, Pacific NW Area Mgr.

[email protected]/northwest

1947 85 Heavy civil construction including transportation, marine, dams and resourcedevelopment.

Knik Construction Co. Inc.6441 S. Airpark Pl.Anchorage, AK 99502-1809Phone: 907-245-1865 Fax: 907-245-1744

Steve Jansen, Pres.

[email protected]/knik/

1973 85 Knik Construction is a general heavy construction company specializing in remote-siteprojects. KnikÕs experience includes heavy construction, road building, asphalt paving,foamed asphalt treated bases, airport construction and reconstruction, excavation,crushing and transportation.

Kuk Construction3201 C Street, Suite 700Anchorage, AK 99503Phone: 907-562-8708 Fax: 907-562-8751

Tom Tyler, Gen. Mgr.

[email protected]

1999 1 Provides pre-construction, construction and construction management services forgovernment and commercial clients. KUK personnel have extensive experience with JobOrder and Task Order contracts and a broad range of international experience.

Little Susitna Construction Co.821 N St., Ste. 207Anchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-274-7571 Fax: 907-277-3300

Tammie Smith, Gen. Mgr.

[email protected]

1980 20 General, mechanical and electrical contractor. Architects, civil, mechanical and electricalengineers, licensed in 11 states. Construction project management. Importer, exporterand global project consultation.

Loken Construction, LLC4011 Arctic Blvd. Suite 105Anchorage, AK 99503Phone: 907-868-8880 Fax: 907-563-8881

Tyler Loken, Pres.

[email protected]

2002 14 Light commercial and residential framing, steel siding, general contracting, and boomtruck services

Marsh Creek LLC2000 E. 88th Ave.Anchorage, AK 99507Phone: 907-258-0050 Fax: 907-279-5710

Mick McKay, CEO

[email protected]

2004 140 Energy Systems, Environmental Construction, Telecommunication Towers, CivilConstruction

Neeser Construction Inc.2501 Blueberry Rd., Ste.100Anchorage, AK 99503Phone: 907-276-1058 Fax: 907-276-8533

Jerry Neeser, Pres.

[email protected]

1974 320 General contracting firm.

Norcon Inc.4600 Debarr, Suite 100Anchorage, AK 99508Phone: 907-275-6300 Fax: N/A

John J. Mahoney, Pres.

www.norcon.com

1974 400 Mechanical, electrical and general contractor.

North Country Builders of Alaska440 S. Denali St.Wasilla, AK 99654Phone: 907-373-7060 Fax: 907-373-7061

Thomas Smith, Pres.

[email protected]

1998 6 Commercial and residential general contractor for new, remodel and all phases ofconstruction.

North Pacific ErectorsPO Box 240748Douglas, AK 99824Phone: 907-364-3288 Fax: 907-364-3464

Jim Williams, Pres.

[email protected]

1978 50 General contractor specializing in metal building erection. All aspects of constructionfrom site prep to remodels. Locally owned since 1978.

Northern Dame ConstructionPO Box 871131Wasilla, AK 99687Phone: 907-376-9607 Fax: 907-373-4704

Doris Coy, Owner

[email protected]

1992 14 Excavation, site development, subdivision roads, clearing, septics and traffic controlservices.

Northland Wood Products1510 E. 68th Ave.Anchorage, AK 99507Phone: 907-452-4000 Fax: 907-452-1391

James Enochs, Anchorage Mgr.

[email protected]

1965 45 Building supplier. Produce WWPA-graded surfaced lumber, rough lumber, large timberand house logs. Stocks materials to fulfill all building needs from the foundation piers tothe roof screws.

Osborne Construction Co.3701 Braddock St.Fairbanks, AK 99701Phone: 907-451-0079 Fax: 907-451-1146

George Osborne, Pres.

[email protected]

1987 216 General contractor focusing on design/build housing, commercial, industrial, civil andmilitary projects for state and federal agencies. Selective work in private market.

Pacific Pile & Marine602B East Whitney RoadAnchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-276-3873 Fax: 907-278-0306

Wil Clark, Managing Partner

[email protected]

2008 60 Pacific Pile & Marine specializes in marine construction, pile driving, dredging, andheavy civil structures. Pacific is dedicated to safety and quality. In addition to performinghard bid public works Pacific excels at meeting the unique needs of our private anddesign build clients.

Paug-Vik Development Corp.PO Box 429Naknek, AK 99633Phone: 907-258-1345 Fax: 907-222-5423

Maurice Labrecque, Gen. Mgr.

[email protected]

1996 7 General contracting and environmental services.





Empls. Services

PCL Construction Services Inc.1400 W. Benson Blvd., Ste. 510Anchorage, AK 99503Phone: 907-243-7252 Fax: 907-272-1905

H. Scott Ivany, Construction Mgr.

[email protected]

1906 40 The PCL family of companies has a century-long tradition of excellence, hard work and acan-do attitude. They are construction leaders in buildings, civil infrastructure and heavyindustrial markets.

Price Gregory International301 W. Northern Lights Blvd., Ste. 300Anchorage, AK 99503Phone: 907-278-4400 Fax: 907-278-3255

David Matthews, VP, AK Area Mgr.

[email protected]

1974 210 Pipeline, power, heavy industrial construction, EPC and consulting services.Infrastructure construction services provider.

Pruhs Construction2193 Viking Dr.Anchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-279-1020 Fax: 907-279-1028

Dana Pruhs, CEO

[email protected]

1958 105 Heavy Civil contractor, roads, airports, site work, underground utilities, industrial.

R H Development LLCPO Box 32403Juneau, AK 99803Phone: 907-790-4146 Fax: 907-790-4147

Richard Harris, Managing Member

[email protected]

1992 5 Residential and light commercial construction and development. All aspects ofconstruction and development. Certified green professional and member of SEBIA.

Roger Hickel Contracting Inc.11001 Calaska Cir.Anchorage, AK 99515Phone: 907-279-1400 Fax: 907-279-1405

Mike Shaw, Pres.

[email protected]

1995 50 General contractor - commercial and road work.

Spinell Homes Inc.1900 W. Northern Lights Blvd., Ste. 200Anchorage, AK 99517Phone: 907-344-5678 Fax: 907-344-1976

Charles Spinelli, Pres.

[email protected]

1987 22 New home and light commercial construction.

STG Inc.11710 South Gambell St.Anchorage, AK 99515Phone: 907-644-4664 Fax: 907-644-4666

James St. George, Pres.

[email protected]

1991 55 Renewable energy systems, tower construction, power generation and distributionfacilities, pile foundations and bulk-fuel systems.





Empls. Services

Toghotthele CorporationPO Box 249Nenana, AK 99760Phone: 907-832-5832 Fax: 907-832-5834

Jim Sackett, CEO/Pres.

[email protected]

1973 6 Village Corporation - Project management, land development, fabrication services andtimber sales.

Tunista Construction LLC745 W. 4th Ave., Suite 306Anchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-646-2214 Fax: 907-646-2244

Justin Robertson, Pres.

[email protected]

2009 20 We are a commercial general contractor that offers vertical and civil construction,design-build, remote Alaska projects, and construction management. Our bonding andsupport from Calista Corporation allows us to do small or large projects.

Tutka LLC (Anchorage)620 E. Whitney Rd., Ste. BAnchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-272-8010 Fax: 907-272-9005

Keith Guyer, Operations Mgr.

[email protected]

1999 20 HUBZone, WBE/DBE (DOT&PF, MOA), WOSB, CCR/ORCA registered. GeneralContractor, heavy civil construction, environmental cleanup and consulting, wastewaterpre-treatment systems operations and maintenance services.

Tutka LLC (Fairbanks)3002 Industrial Ave., #1Fairbanks, AK 99701Phone: 907-452-7100 Fax: 907-452-7102

Mick Neary, Project Mgr.

[email protected]

1999 20 HUBZone, WBE/DBE (AK DOT&PF, MOA), WOSB, CCR/ORCA registered. GeneralContractor, heavy civil construction, environmental cleanup and consulting, wastewaterpre-treatment systems operations and maintenance services.

Tutka LLC (Wasilla)5825 E. Mayflower Crt., Ste. BWasilla, AK 99654Phone: 907-357-2238 Fax: 907-357-2215

Amie Sommer, Managing Member

[email protected]

1999 20 Certified DBE (ADOT&PF, MOA),WOSB, HubZone, CCR/ORCA registered. GeneralContractor, heavy civil construction, environmental cleanup and consulting, wastewaterpre-treatment systems operations and maintenance services.

UIC Construction LLC6700 Arctic Spur Rd.Anchorage, AK 99518Phone: 907-762-0114 Fax: 907-762-0131

Chris Phillips, Gen. Mgr.

[email protected]

1978 97 Commercial building and civil general contractor focusing primarily on Arctic constructionthrough hard-dollar bid, design/build turn-key, and construction management. Servicesinclude pre-construction and planning, cost estimating, remote logistics, scheduling, andbest-value engineering.

UNIT COMPANY620 E. Whitney Rd.Anchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-349-6666 Fax: 907-522-3464

Michael J. Fall, President

[email protected]

1977 50 Commercial general contractor.

Watterson Construction Co.6500 Interstate Cir.Anchorage, AK 99518Phone: 907-563-7441 Fax: 907-563-7222

Bill Watterson, Pres.

[email protected]

1981 90 Jim Watterson, Executive Vice President | General building contractor. ANTHC OfficeBuilding; American Fast Freight; Fort Wainwright Hangar - Design Build Construction. Ft.Rich - COF

Weldin Construction Inc.561 E. Steel LoopPalmer, AK 99645Phone: 907-746-3200 Fax: 907-746-3237

Richard Weldin, Pres.

[email protected]

1983 63 Commercial and military construction throughout the state of Alaska and the Pacific Rim.

West Construction Co. Inc.6120 A St.Anchorage, AK 99518Phone: 907-561-9811 Fax: 907-561-9844

Brad West, Pres.

bwcc.us

1997 90 Bridges, docks and heavy construction.

Company

Top ExecutiveEstab.

AKEmpls. Services

Anchor Electric5362 Commercial Blvd.Juneau, AK 99801Phone: 907-780-3690 Fax: 907-780-3692

Bill Shattenberg, Owner

[email protected]

1982 12 Industrial and commercial electrical wiring.

City Electric Inc.819 Orca St.Anchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-272-4531 Fax: 907-264-6491

Gabriel Marian, Pres.

[email protected]

1946 130 Electrical and communications contracting NAICS; 237130, 238210.

Fullford Electric303 E. Van Horn Rd.Fairbanks, AK 99701Phone: 907-456-7356 Fax: 907-456-7288

Michael Fullford, Pres.

[email protected]

1975 84 FEI is a full service electrical and communications contractor.



www.norcon.com


Power & Light Inc.7721 Schoon St., # 1Anchorage, AK 99518Phone: 907-522-5678 Fax: 907-349-5678

Todd Houston, Pres.

[email protected]

2004 9 Commercial, residential and industrial electrical installations. Automation, audio, video,CCTV security systems, fire detection and controls.

Construction ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS AK Company Top Executive Estab. Empls. Services

Construction ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS AK Company Top Executive Estab. Empls. Services




Empls. Services

Air Temp Alaska5406 Lake Otis Pkwy.Anchorage, AK 99507Phone: 907-349-4503 Fax: 907-344-1230

Dana Bertolini, Pres.

[email protected]

1991 12 Service, repair and maintenance of commercial and residential heating and airconditioning systems; airflow, ventilation, controls and trouble-shooting.

Altrol Inc2295 Van Horn Rd.Fairbanks, AK 99701Phone: 907-452-8680 Fax: 907-452-6778

David A. Bridges, Pres./Gen. Mgr.

[email protected]

1982 32 Heating, ventilation, air conditioning, sheet metal and refrigeration contractor and servicecompany.

Arctic Chain Plumbing & Heating1200 E 76th Ave # 1220Anchorage, AK 99518Phone: 907-344-2060 Fax: 907-349-2398

Jeff Gilfillan, Owner

[email protected]

1976 10 Residential Plumbing

Company

Top ExecutiveEstab.

AKEmpls. Services

Raven Electric Inc.8015 Schoon St.Anchorage, AK 99518Phone: 907-349-9668 Fax: 907-522-3995

Art Stemen, Manager

www.ravenelectricinc.com

1978 35 Full service electrical company, residential commercial, industrial and generators. TonySellen, Dave House and Matter Lederhos are also managers.



[email protected]


The Superior Group Inc.PO Box 230387Anchorage, AK 99523Phone: 907-344-5011 Fax: 907-344-5094

Michael Blake, Pres./Corp. Gen. Mgr.

[email protected]

1964 150 Full service mechanical, electrical, design support and maintenance contractor.

Construction MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS AK Company Top Executive Estab. Empls. Services

.....Our customers depend on us for quality, consistency, and expertise. We expect the same from our shipping company – and Span delivers with flying colors.

– Michael Schreurs, Regional Director of Transportation, Sherwin-Williams

Matt Stabio, Zone Manager, Alaska, Sherwin-Williams

SPAN ALASKAhas our Alaska market covered.

promises made, promises delivered

SHIPPING TO ALASKA? CALL.1.800.257.7726

www.spanalaska.com

Construction MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS AK Company Top Executive Estab. Empls. Services




Empls. Services

Behrends Mechanical Inc1782 Anka St.Juneau, AK 99801Phone: 907-780-6766 Fax: 907-780-6063

Richard Behrends, Pres.

[email protected]

1994 13 Mechanical contractors.

Circle Plumbing & Heating Inc2317 Raspberry RdAnchorage, AK 99502Phone: 907-243-2171 Fax: 907-248-6135

Ken Embley, Pres.

[email protected]

1971 30 Commercial and residential plumbing and heating repairs and new construction.

Industrial Service Corp.2017 S. Cushman St.Fairbanks, AK 99701Phone: 907-456-7663 Fax: 907-452-2824

W.C. Simmons, Owner 1966 7 Mechanical contractor.

Klebs Heating & Air1107 E. 72nd Ave.Anchorage, AK 99518Phone: 907-365-2500 Fax: 907-365-2540

Gary Klebs, Pres./CEO

[email protected]

1986 60 Commercial & Residential HVAC and Plumbing. Design build; Full mechanicalcapabilities; Commercial and Residential Service Dept; Residential replacements; IndoorAir Quality



www.norcon.com


Refrigeration & Food Equipment Inc.1901 W Tudor Rd.Anchorage, AK 99517Phone: 907-248-2525 Fax: 907-243-6709

David Agosti, VP

[email protected]

1965 8 Sales & service for all commercial restaurant equipment; subcontracting for kitcheninstallations and refrigeration. Exhaust hood systems. Repair parts. Warranty service.Scientific refrigeration. Custom stainless steel. Used equipment. Licensed MechanicalContractor serving Alaska since 1965

Schmolck Mechanical Contractors Inc.110 Jarvis St.Sitka, AK 99835Phone: 907-747-3142 Fax: 907-747-6897

Gary Smith, Pres.

[email protected]

1927 40 Mechanical contracting - HVAC, piping and plumbing.



[email protected]


Construction SPECIALTY CONTRACTORS AK Company Top Executive Estab. Empls. ServicesCompany Top Executive Estab.

AKEmpls. Services

Active Inspection & Energy Ratings, LLC529 South Knik St.Wasilla, AK 99654Phone: 907-376-0402 Fax: 907-376-0492

Carol J. Perkins, Owner

[email protected]

2001 2 Residential inspections and energy ratings.

Alaska Countertops Inc.122 W. 92nd Ave.Anchorage, AK 99515Phone: 907-561-9299 Fax: 907-561-9298

John Anderson, Pres.

[email protected]

1996 23 Furnish only or fabrication and installation of laminate, solid surface, quartz, and granitecountertops, sills, tub/shower surrounds, fire place hearth/mantle.

Alaska Crane Ltd.11900 S. Gambell St.Anchorage, AK 99515Phone: 907-522-9004 Fax: 907-522-9047


[email protected]

2001 5 Crane services and heavy lifting.



[email protected]


Alaska Elevator Co Sales & Service1220 E. 68th Ave, Suite 104Anchorage, AK 99518Phone: 907-561-3100 Fax: 907-569-2515

Gerry Farnich, Pres.

[email protected]

1998 6 We sell, install and service home elevators, some commercial elevators, stair-lifts,wheelchair-lifts, dumbwaiters, and conveyors throughout the state of Alaska

Alaska Premier Closets LLC507 E Ship Creek AvenueAnchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-278-2288 Fax: 907-278-2330

Luis Suarez, Owner/Partner

[email protected]

2003 6 Providing residential and commercial custom storage solutions ranging from closets towine rooms to garages. Specialize in retail displays, medical and business offices. Offermodular flooring system useful in unlimited application. Professional Organizer CherylCummings is on staff.

Alaska Stairlift & Elevator230 E Potter Dr., # 5Anchorage, AK 99518Phone: 907-245-5438 Fax: 907-245-5439

Kevin Bennett, Managing Member

[email protected]

1998 8 Elevator and lift specialists for State of Alaska. Elevators, stairway lifts, and platformwheelchair lifts for your home, business, or vehicle. Code compliant maintenance andrepairs. Also Medicaid/Medicare providers for environmental modifications, patientceiling lift systems, and DME.

Construction SPECIALTY CONTRACTORS AK Company Top Executive Estab. Empls. Services




Empls. Services

Arctic Refrigeration & A/C500 West Potter Dr.Anchorage, AK 99518Phone: 907-562-8856 Fax: 907-562-8857

Bobby Gordon, Pres./Owner

[email protected]

1991 20 Sales, service and installation of commercial refrigeration equipment. RefrigerationContractor.

Aurora Glass1025 Orca St., # N5Anchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-277-1058 Fax: 907-274-2509

Anthony D. DeLucia, Owner

[email protected]

1991 3 Glass repair and replacement, windows and doors, all types, shower doors and mirrors.

BC Excavating, LLC2251 CinnabarAnchorage, AK 99507Phone: 907-344-4492 Fax: N/A

Gordon Bartel, Pres.

[email protected]

1982 45 Complete hauling and excavation services environmental, water, sewer and stormutilities, site work, fabrication.

Cabinet Fever Inc.4551 Fairbanks St., #CAnchorage, AK 99503Phone: 907-349-4871 Fax: 907-349-4891

Kurt Vincent Echols, Pres.

[email protected]

1999 5 Commercial and residential custom cabinet shop producing high-end custom kitchencabinets, counter tops and installation as well as custom furniture, entertainmentcenters, reception desks, medical, dental and retail casework, store fixtures. Also carrytwo lines ofmanufactured residential cabinets.

Capitol Glass/Northerm Windows2300 E. 63rd Ave.Anchorage, AK 99507Phone: 907-272-4433 Fax: 907-272-3747

Walt Murphy, Gen. Mgr.

www.cgnw.com

1951 47 Manufacturer of high quality vinyl windows, insulated glass units. Commercial aluminum,Skylites, shower doors. All types of glass replacement. Sliding patio doors, GardenTerrace door systems. Loewen window dealer.

CCI Industrial Services, LLC560 East 34th Avenue, Suite 200Anchorage, AK 99503-4161Phone: 907-258-5755 Fax: 907-770-9452

A. Ben Schoffmann, Pres./CEO

[email protected]

1988 91 Asbestos and lead surveys and abatement; specialty coatings and sandblasting;corrosion under insulation refurbishment; oil spill response; tank and vessel cleaning;hazardous waste removal; operations, maintenance and construction; biodegradablecleaning solutions; fire proofing

Chinook Fire Protection12651 Old Seward Hwy.Anchorage, AK 99515Phone: 907-344-3473 Fax: 907-344-3411

Jeffrey Wilcheck, Pres.

[email protected]

2004 24 Automatic Fire Sprinkler Systems New Installation and Service of Wet, Dry, Pre-Action,and Foam water based fire sprinkler systems.





Empls. Services

City Electric Inc.819 Orca St.Anchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-272-4531 Fax: 907-264-6491

Gabriel Marian, Pres.

[email protected]

1946 130 Electrical and communications contracting NAICS; 237130, 238210.

Denali Crane Inspection LLCPO Box 92291Anchorage, AK 99509Phone: 907-245-0261 Fax: 907-276-0608

Darren Folkers, Pres.

[email protected]

2008 2 Crane inspections, load testing, dielectric testing of bucket trucks and hotsticks,technical training.


Beth Bergh, Owner



Doors/Windows43961 Kalifornsky Beach Rd., # CSoldotna, AK 99669Phone: 907-262-9151 Fax: 907-262-6433

John Straume, Pres. 1979 10 Commercial storefront, commercial overhead doors, Kawneer and commercial hardware.

Glacier Painting & Decorating7721 Schoon St., # 4Anchorage, AK 99518Phone: 907-344-8988 Fax: 907-344-3302

Horace Byes Sr.

[email protected]

1985 4 Taping and painting and wallcovering

Granite City Alaska12243 Spring Brook Dr,Eagle River, AK 99577Phone: 907-694-6900 Fax: 907-694-6912

Barry Anderson, VP

[email protected]

2005 12 Fabrication and installation of granite, quartz, solid surface countertops.

Greer Tank & Welding3140 Lakeview Dr.Faribanks, AK 99701Phone: 907-452-1711 Fax: 907-456-5808

Mark E. Greer, VP

[email protected]

1952 35 Vessel fabrication, structural steel production built specifically for arctic environments.Carbon steel, Stainless Steel and aluminum manufacturing.

Hawk Consultants LLC670 W. Fireweed Ln.Anchorage, AK 99503Phone: 907-278-1877 Fax: 907-278-1889

Maynard Tapp, Managing Member

[email protected]

1985 100 Consulting services, project control, management, cost engineers, QA/QC consultants,maintenance coordinators, supervision/project coordinators.

ICRC421 W. First Avenue, Suite 200Anchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-561-4272 Fax: 907-561-4271

Carl Williams, CEO/President

[email protected]

1983 40 ICRC provides project owners with strategic planning and technical guidance to achieveconstruction safety, quality, design, and regulatory compliance goals.

K & W Interiors9300 Old Seward Hwy.Anchorage, AK 99515Phone: 907-344-3080 Fax: 907-349-5373

Dale Kaercher, Pres.

[email protected]

1985 15 K&W Interiors is a family owned business serving Alaska for over 25 years. We are a fullservice company with Alaska's largest showroom for all types of flooring and cabinetry.We are a licensed, bonded, and insured general contractor and we do the it all fromdesign to install.

K's Construction Inc.2301 S. Knik Goose Bay Rd., Ste. 4Wasilla, AK 99654Phone: 907-357-8453 Fax: 907-373-5471

Carrie Kay, Owner

[email protected]

1982 15 General contractors specializing in installation of ceramic, quarry, and porcelain tile;stone, slate and granite.

Kuk Construction3201 C Street, Suite 700Anchorage, AK 99503Phone: 907-562-8708 Fax: 907-562-8751

Tom Tyler, Gen. Mgr.

[email protected]

1999 1 Provides pre-construction, construction and construction management services forgovernment and commercial clients. KUK personnel have extensive experience with JobOrder and Task Order contracts and a broad range of international experience.

Mac Cheyne's Carpets Plus Inc.2060 Peger Rd.Fairbanks, AK 99709Phone: 907-479-9193 Fax: 907-455-9193

John Mac Cheyne, Pres.

Macsplus.Net

16 20 Commercial and residential flooring.

Monrean Engineering & AssociatesPO Box 9343Ketchikan, AK 99901-4343Phone: 907-247-5920 Fax: 907-247-5918

Fred D. Monrean, PE

[email protected]

1997 1 Civil Engineering, Surveying, Wastewater design, subdivisions, structural engineering,storm drainage design, foundation engineering, inspections, Engineering reports, Etc.

Nenana Gravel LLCPO Box 249Nenana, AK 99760Phone: 907-832-5833 Fax: 907-832-5834


[email protected]

2 4 Excavation - Dirt work - Material - Gravel Sales and Road Buildings

NortHeat Hearth & Home2020 E. Dowling Rd., # 4Anchorage, AK 99507Phone: 907-562-2249 Fax: 907-561-8348

Michael Jefferies, Pres.

[email protected]

1977 5 Sale, installation and service of stoves, inserts and fireplaces (wood, gas, pellet, coal, oil& electric). Chimney design, sales, installation and service. Parts, supplies andaccessories. Wholesale and retail.





Empls. Services

Northern Dame ConstructionPO Box 871131Wasilla, AK 99687Phone: 907-376-9607 Fax: 907-373-4704

Doris Coy, Owner

[email protected]

1992 14 Excavation, site development, subdivision roads, clearing, septics and traffic controlservices.

Olgoonik Specialty Contractors LLC3201 C Street, Suite 700Anchorage, AK 99503Phone: 907-562-8712 Fax: 907-562-8751

Marty Miksch, Pres.

[email protected]

2006 47 Provides pre-construction, construction and construction management services forgovernment and commercial clients. OSC has proven success with SABER, Job Orderand Task Order Contracts, and is a U.S. General Services Administration MATOCcontractor.

Paint By Magic Touch5306 Arctic Blvd., # 4Anchorage, AK 99518Phone: 907-222-7650 Fax: 907-279-3126

Scott Kim, Gen. Mgr.

[email protected]

1995 6 Fire & Water Damage RestorationKitchen & Bath RemodelingInterior & Exterior PaintingResidential & Commercial

Rain Proof Roofing2201 E. 84th Ct.Anchorage, AK 99507Phone: 907-344-5545 Fax: 907-349-3386

Pat Reilly, Pres.

[email protected]

1962 75 We specialize in residential as well as commercial roofing and waterproofing, we have afull service sheet metal shop for all your metal needs. Re-roofs, new construction,shingles, shakes, metal, built-up roofing as well as single-ply.

Refrigeration & Food Equipment Inc.1901 W Tudor Rd.Anchorage, AK 99517Phone: 907-248-2525 Fax: 907-243-6709

David Agosti, VP

[email protected]

1965 8 Sales & service for all commercial restaurant equipment; subcontracting for kitcheninstallations and refrigeration. Exhaust hood systems. Repair parts. Warranty service.Scientific refrigeration. Custom stainless steel. Used equipment. Licensed MechanicalContractor serving Alaska since 1965

Rizzo & Company1115 Whitney Rd.Anchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-522-9855 Fax: 907-522-9856

Valerie A. Rizzo, Principal Designer

[email protected]

1996 4 Award winning custom kitchen and bath designers. Retail showroom for WoodMode,Omega, Hertco, Pacific Crest and Woodland cabinets, Wolf and Sub-zero appliances,plumbing and granite. All designers on staff have degrees in Interior Design, members ofASID and NKBA. M-F 8-5 and by appointment.

Steelfab2132 Railroad Ave.Anchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-276-4303 Fax: 907-276-3448

Richard Faulkner, Pres.

steelfabak.com

1988 53 Alaska Steel Source





Empls. Services



[email protected]


TecPro Ltd.816 E Whitney RdAnchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-348-1800 Fax: 907-348-1830

Cynthia Saunders, Pres.

[email protected]

1997 20 TecPro offers Electrical Contracting Services, UL Listed Industrial Controls integration,and Video Security Integration services. Specialities include SCADA & PLC design,fabrication, installation, and programming.



[email protected]


Washington Crane & Hoist1200 E. 76th Ave.Anchorage, AK 99518Phone: 907-336-6661 Fax: 907-336-6667

Mike Currie, VP

www.washingtoncrane.com

1975 5 Crane builders, crane design, new crane sales, new hoist sales, lifting equipment designand sales. material handling solutions for industry, hoists, job cranes, work stations,chain falls, lever hoists, crane upgrades, crane maintenance, crane inspection, cranerepair, hoist repair, crane parts.

Wilbur Brothers Sheet Metal1241 Noble St.Fairbanks, AK 99701Phone: 907-452-3838 Fax: N/A

Roy Wilbur, Owner 1915 2 Custom fabrication, heat shields, flashing, and drip pans.


Empls. Services

Automatic Welding & Supply3038 Rampart Dr.Anchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-272-2457 Fax: 907-277-3919

Vern Christianson, Pres.

awsc.com

1958 10 Cedarapids, Canica, Finlay, Simplicity, Columbia Steel, Western Wire, Berco, SpokaneSteel Foundry, Fab Tec, Superior Equipment and Eagle Iron Works. Sale, manufacturerof crushing, screening, conveyor plants.

Construction Machinery Industrial5400 Homer Dr.Anchorage, AK 99518Phone: 907-563-3822 Fax: 907-563-1381

Ken Gerondale, Pres./CEO

[email protected]

1985 109 CMI sells, rents and services heavy equipment.

Craig Taylor Equipment733 E. Whitney Rd.Anchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-276-5050 Fax: 907-276-0889

Lonnie G Parker, Pres.

[email protected]

1954 60 Factory authorized dealer for: Komatsu construction and mining, Bobcat loaders andexcavators, John Deere commercial and lawn tractors, Dynapac compaction rollers,Fecom land clearing attachments and carriers. Providing sales, parts and service.

Delta Leasing LLC4040 B St., Ste. 200Anchorage, AK 99503Phone: 907-771-1300 Fax: 907-771-1380

Rudi von Imhof, Partner

[email protected]

2002 24 Leasing of remote camps and facilities, trucks and vans, construction and miningequipment, oil and gas equipment, modular offices. Partners: Rudi von Imhof, Ed Gohr,John McGrew, Matt Thorpe.

Independent Lift Truck1200 E. 70th Ave.Anchorage, AK 99518Phone: 907-344-3383 Fax: 907-344-8366

Wayne Dick, Pres.

[email protected]

1982 22 Dealers for CAT, Mitsubishi, Manitou, Maximal and Bendi Forklifts. GEHL ConstructionEquipment, Skid Steer Loaders, Telehandlers and Mini Excavators. Skytrack Manlifts,Scissor Lifts and Zoom Booms. Suppliers of New and Used construction equipment,parts, sales and service all makes.

Motion Industries Anchorage611 E. International Airport Rd.Anchorage, AK 99518Phone: 907-563-5565 Fax: 907-563-5536

Chris Ransom, Anchorage BranchMgr.

www.motionindustries.com

2007 2 A leading distributor of industrial maintenance, repair and operation (MRO) replacementparts (over 4.3 million parts), including bearings, power transmission, hydraulic/pneumatic components, linear, hydraulic/industrial hose, industrial supplies, processpumps and equipment, and material handling.

N C Machinery Co.6450 Arctic Blvd.Anchorage, AK 99518Phone: 907-786-7500 Fax: 907-786-7580

John J. Harnish, Pres./CEO

www.ncmachinery.com

1926 220 Caterpillar machine sales, parts, service, and rental. Caterpillar engines for marine,power generation, truck, petroleum, and industrial applications. Sales and rental ofCaterpillar and other preferred brands of rental equipment and construction supplies.

Tog Rentals LLCPO Box 249Nenana, AK 99760Phone: 907-832-5832 Fax: 907-832-5834


[email protected]

2010 2 Equipment leasing and rentals.

TrailerCraft / Freightliner of Alaska1301 E. 64th Ave.Anchorage, AK 99518-1908Phone: 907-563-3238 Fax: 907-562-6963

Lee McKenzie, Pres./Owner

[email protected]

1969 41 Freightliner distributor, parts, sales and service for all transport equipment.

US Bearings & Drives/Motion Industries1895 Van Horn Rd., Unit AFairbanks, AK 99701Phone: 907-452-4488 Fax: 907-456-8840

Brad DeWeese, Fairbanks BranchMgr.


1970 3 A leading industrial maintenance, repair, and operation (MRO) replacement partsdistributor (over 4.3 million parts), including bearings, power transmission, electrical/industrial automation, hydraulic/industrial hose, hydraulic/pneumatic components,process pumps, ind. supplies & material handling.

Construction HEAVY EQUIPMENT CONTRACTORS AK Company Top Executive Estab. Empls. Services


Construction HEAVY EQUIPMENT CONTRACTORS AK Company Top Executive Estab. Empls. Services



Empls. Services

Washington Crane & Hoist1200 E. 76th Ave.Anchorage, AK 99518Phone: 907-336-6661 Fax: 907-336-6667

Mike Currie, VP

www.washingtoncrane.com

1975 5 Crane builders, crane design, new crane sales, new hoist sales, lifting equipment designand sales. material handling solutions for industry, hoists, job cranes, work stations,chain falls, lever hoists, crane upgrades, crane maintenance, crane inspection, cranerepair, hoist repair, crane parts.

West-Mark Fairbanks Service Center3050 Van Horn Rd.Fairbanks, AK 99709Phone: 907-451-8265 Fax: 907-451-8273

Grant Smith, CEO

[email protected]

2009 9 Liquid Transportation | Tank Repair

Yukon Equipment Inc.2020 E. Third Ave.Anchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-277-1541 Fax: 907-258-0169

Morry Hollowell, Pres.

[email protected]

1945 32 Sales, service, parts, rental and lease equipment, including Case, Trail King, Elgin,Vactor, Oshkosh, Etnyre, Monroe, Trackless, Bomag, Thawzall, Snow Dragon.Fairbanks location: 3511 International St.; phone: 907-457-1541; fax: 907-457-1540.Yukon became part of the Calista Corporation in 2010.

Construction COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIERS AK Company Top Executive Estab. Empls. ServicesCompany Top Executive Estab.

AKEmpls. Services

Alaska Concrete Casting5761 Concrete WayJuneau, AK 99801Phone: 907-780-4225 Fax: 907-780-4230

Dave Hanna, Managing Member

[email protected]

2004 4 Full service precast concrete supplier, furnishing utility, traffic and retaining wall productsas well as custom casting, building panels and foundation systems. Rebar fabricationand supply house stocking 20' and 40' bar in #2 through # 10 bar. Detailing, bending andcage tying services



[email protected]


Alaska Hearth Products8600 Airport Blvd.Juneau, AK 99801Phone: 907-789-1332 Fax: 907-789-5132

Larry Traeger, Owner

[email protected]

1984 4 Retail and service of pellet, wood, gas, oil stoves and inserts. Pellet fuel.

Alaska Road Boring Co1600 A Street Suite 302Anchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-344-6895 Fax: 907-344-4489

www.arbcalaska.com2000 60 Horizontal / Directional drilling, cured in place pipe for sewer, water and storm systems.

Pipe TV inspection.

Alaska Rubber Group5811 Old Seward Hwy.Anchorage, AK 99518-1479Phone: 907-562-2200 Fax: 907-561-7600

Janeece Higgins, Pres.

[email protected]

1981 45 Industrial and hydraulic hose and fittings, pumps, kamloks, belting, Enerpac and Landa.Hydraulic sales and repair. Certified wire rope and nylon slings with InfoChip Trackingtechnology. Anchorage, Fairbanks and Wasilla locations.

Alaska Valve & Fitting Co.PO Box 230127Anchorage, AK 99523Phone: 907-563-5630 Fax: 907-563-4721

Ron Tharp, Pres.

[email protected]

1965 11 Instrumentation & Fluid Control, Swagelok Distributor of Alaska

All Steel1974 Livengood Ave.Fairbanks, AK 99701Phone: 907-479-6002 Fax: 907-479-7662

Michael Kralman, Pres.

[email protected]

1999 8 Manufacture roofing.

Altrol Inc2295 Van Horn Rd.Fairbanks, AK 99701Phone: 907-452-8680 Fax: 907-452-6778

David Bridges, Pres./Gen. Mgr.

[email protected]

1982 32 Heating, ventilation, air conditioning, sheet metal and refrigeration contractor and servicecompany.

Anchorage True Value Hardware9001 Jewel Lake Rd., # 5Anchorage, AK 99502Phone: 907-248-9211 Fax: 907-248-6976

Tim Craig

[email protected]

1949 20 Traditional Retail Hardware store with core departments: tools, hardware, plumbing,electrical, paint and seasonal products.

Architectural Supply Co. Inc.3699 Springer St.Anchorage, AK 99503Phone: 907-561-1919 Fax: 907-562-5540

Jennifer Mattingly, AHC, Pres. 1977 7 Supplier of Division 8 & 10 - commercial doors, frames, hardware, toilet partitions andtoilet accessories.

Arctic Controls Inc.1120 E. 5th Ave.Anchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-277-7555 Fax: 907-277-9295

Scott Stewart, Pres.

[email protected]

1985 5 Arctic Controls Inc. is Alaska's leading expert in valves, flow meters, actuators,instrumentation, and process controls for commercial oil, gas, and water management.Providing professional expertise for all commercial applications and can assist you withestimates and recommendations.

Arctic Fox Steel Buildings751 S. Reeve CircleWasilla, AK 99654Phone: 907-376-5443 Fax: 907-357-7663

Chuck Morris, Owner

[email protected]

1985 18 Supply and erect pre-engineered steel buildings.


Construction COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIERS AK Company Top Executive Estab. Empls. Services



Empls. Services

ATCO Structures & Logistics Ltd.425 G St.Anchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-677-6983 Fax: 907-677-6984

Harry Wilmot, Pres./COO

[email protected]

1947 2 ATCO Structures & Logistics offers complete infrastructure solutions to customersworldwide, including remote work force housing, portable offices and trailers, innovativemodular facilities, construction, site support services, operations support, catering andnoise reduction technologies.

Aurora Construction Supply Inc.PO Box 83569Fairbanks, AK 99708Phone: 907-452-4463 Fax: 907-456-3414

R L "Dick" Engebretson, Pres.

[email protected]

1978 2 Specialty items in Division 10.

Aurora Glass1025 Orca St., # N5Anchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-277-1058 Fax: 907-274-2509

Anthony DeLucia, Owner

[email protected]

1991 3 Glass repair and replacement, windows and doors, all types, shower doors and mirrors.

Cabinet Fever Inc.4551 Fairbanks St., #CAnchorage, AK 99503Phone: 907-349-4871 Fax: 907-349-4891

Kurt Echols, Pres.

[email protected]

1999 5 Commercial and residential custom cabinet shop producing high-end custom kitchencabinets, counter tops and installation as well as custom furniture, entertainmentcenters, reception desks, medical, dental and retail casework, store fixtures. Also carrytwo lines ofmanufactured residential cabinets.

Capitol Glass/Northerm Windows2300 E. 63rd Ave.Anchorage, AK 99507Phone: 907-272-4433 Fax: 907-272-3747

Walt Murphy, Gen. Mgr.

www.cgnw.com

1951 47 Manufacturer of high quality vinyl windows, insulated glass units. Commercial aluminum,Skylites, shower doors. All types of glass replacement. Sliding patio doors, GardenTerrace door systems. Loewen window dealer.


Beth Bergh, Owner



Doors/Windows43961 Kalifornsky Beach Rd., # CSoldotna, AK 99669Phone: 907-262-9151 Fax: 907-262-6433

John Straume, Pres. 1979 10 Commercial storefront, commercial overhead doors, Kawneer and commercial hardware.

THE #1 ON-T IME A IRL INE IN NORTH AMERICA * I

Keep your construction project on track with same- and next-day

shipments from Alaska Air Cargo. With 20 Alaska destinations

and 80 years of service, we deliver the tools and supplies

you need to keep on building.

Break ground at alaskacargo.com.

Supplies to the rescue.

*2

01

0,

20

11

FLI

GH

TSTA

TS.C

OM

T M

Construction COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIERS AK Company Top Executive Estab. Empls. Services




Empls. Services

Glass Sash & Door Supply500 E. Ship Creek Ave.Anchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-276-1655 Fax: 907-276-6712

Tom Dooley AHC/CDC

[email protected]

1952 6 Builders hardware, commercial wood and steel doors and frames, toilet partitions andaccessories.

Greer Tank & Welding3140 Lakeview Dr.Faribanks, AK 99701Phone: 907-452-1711 Fax: 907-456-5808

Mark Greer, VP

[email protected]

1952 35 Vessel fabrication, structural steel production built specifically for arctic environments.Carbon steel, Stainless Steel and aluminum manufacturing.

Hayden Electric Motors Inc.4191 Old Seward Hwy.Anchorage, AK 99503Phone: 907-561-1073 Fax: 907-561-5867

Roger Saunders, VP/Gen. Mgr.

[email protected]

1959 12 Sales, service and rewinding of electric motors and generators and associatedequipment. On-site service calls. Re-Certification of explosion-proof motors.

Independent Lift Truck1200 E. 70th Ave.Anchorage, AK 99518Phone: 907-344-3383 Fax: 907-344-8366

Wayne Dick, Pres.

[email protected]

1982 22 Dealers for CAT, Mitsubishi, Manitou, Maximal and Bendi Forklifts. GEHL ConstructionEquipment, Skid Steer Loaders, Telehandlers and Mini Excavators. Skytrack Manlifts,Scissor Lifts and Zoom Booms. Suppliers of New and Used construction equipment,parts, sales and service all makes.

Mac Cheyne's Carpets Plus Inc.2060 Peger Rd.Fairbanks, AK 99709Phone: 907-479-9193 Fax: 907-455-9193

John Mac Cheyne, Pres.

Macsplus.Net

16 20 Commercial and residential flooring.

Motion Industries Anchorage611 E. International Airport Rd.Anchorage, AK 99518Phone: 907-563-5565 Fax: 907-563-5536

Chris Ransom, Anchorage BranchMgr.


2007 2 A leading distributor of industrial maintenance, repair and operation (MRO) replacementparts (over 4.3 million parts), including bearings, power transmission, hydraulic/pneumatic components, linear, hydraulic/industrial hose, industrial supplies, processpumps and equipment, and material handling.

N C Machinery Co.6450 Arctic Blvd.Anchorage, AK 99518Phone: 907-786-7500 Fax: 907-786-7580

John Harnish, Pres./CEO

www.ncmachinery.com

1926 220 Caterpillar machine sales, parts, service, and rental. Caterpillar engines for marine,power generation, truck, petroleum, and industrial applications. Sales and rental ofCaterpillar and other preferred brands of rental equipment and construction supplies.

NANA Construction LLC1800 W 48th Ave., Ste. GAnchorage, AK 99517Phone: 907-265-3600 Fax: 907-265-3699

Ralph McKee, Pres.

[email protected]

2008 192 Truckable modules, Blast resistant walls and modules, Remote worker' camps, officesand office complexes, Envirovacs, Tool Cribs, Pipe and steel fabrication, FieldConstruction, Project and Construction Management.

Nenana Gravel LLCPO Box 249Nenana, AK 99760Phone: 907-832-5833 Fax: 907-832-5834


[email protected]

2 4 Excavation - Dirt work - Material - Gravel Sales and Road Buildings

Polar Supply Co.300 E. 54th Ave.Anchorage, AK 99518-1230Phone: 907-563-5000 Fax: 907-561-1850

Ed Waite, Executive VP

[email protected]

1985 30 Polar Supply is Alaska's leading supplier of industrial products and constructionmaterials. Putting customer service first, Polar has consistently delivered for clients largeand small. A Division of Spenard Builders Supply with locations in Anchorage, Fairbanksand Kenai.

Puget Sound Pipe & Supply Co.2120 Spar Ave.Anchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-277-7473 Fax: 907-277-9656

Scott English, Alaska Sales Mgr.

[email protected]

1984 30 Alaska's largest supplier of pipe, valves and fittings to Alaska oilfields. Two locations inAlaska: Anchorage and Kenai.

Spenard Builders Supply Inc.810 K St., Ste. 200Anchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-261-9105 Fax: 907-261-9142

Ed Waite, Exec. VP Local Markets

[email protected]

1952 750 Provides a full line of building materials and home-improvement products to fill the needsof residential and commercial contractors.

Surveyors Exchange Co.3695 Springer St.Anchorage, AK 99503Phone: 907-561-6501 Fax: 907-561-6525

David Wilmarth, Owner

[email protected]

1969 30 Satellite phone and two-way radio specialists, auto-desk software, surveyinginstruments, sales, rentals and service.

Totem Equipment & Supply Inc.2536 Commercial Dr.Anchorage, AK 99501Phone: 907-276-2858 Fax: 907-258-4623

Mike Huston, VP

[email protected]

1961 25 Totem heaters, Frost Fighter heaters, Sure Flame heaters, Terex, Mustang, Sky Jack,Clemco, Wacker, MultiQuip, Honda, Alkota, Genie, Vector,Wyco,Weber,Wacker,Biljax,Blast-pro,Toro/Dingo, Munter heaters

US Bearings & Drives/Motion Industries1895 Van Horn Rd., Unit AFairbanks, AK 99701Phone: 907-452-4488 Fax: 907-456-8840

Brad DeWeese, Fairbanks BranchMgr.


1970 3 A leading industrial maintenance, repair, and operation (MRO) replacement partsdistributor (over 4.3 million parts), including bearings, power transmission, electrical/industrial automation, hydraulic/industrial hose, hydraulic/pneumatic components,process pumps, ind. supplies & material handling.

Valley Sawmill10600 Cordova St.Anchorage, AK 99515Phone: 907-563-3436 Fax: 907-522-3980

Greg Bell, Pres.

[email protected]

1979 5 Mill heavy timbers, house logs, rough lumber.

We bring expertise to your total project, not just a single task. Our team of professionals can help make your home energy-efficient, beautiful and unique.

At SBS, we have the quality products you demand and the services you require - assisting you with everything from foundations to roofing, door and windows to paint and appliances.

21 statewide locations • www.sbsalaska.com

BUILDINGSOLUTIONS

southeAst AlAskA reGionAl heAlth

ConsortiumCharles Clement was h i r e d a s p r e s i d e n t and ch ie f execut ive of Southeast Alaska R e g i o n a l H e a l t h Consortium. He replaced Roald Helgesen, who was appointed chief executive of the Alaska Nat ive Tr ibal Heal th Consor tium. Clement is based at SEARHC’s

Juneau campus. He previously served as vice president of operations and chief operating officer for Southcentral Foundation.

wells FArGoChristie Watson was appointed senior business relationship manager and vice president for Wells Fargo’s Alaska Commercial Banking Group. Watson previously worked five years as a Wells Fargo com-mercial credit analyst.

AlAskA rAilroAd Corp. Dale Wade was hired as vice president of business development for the Alaska Railroad Corp. Wade most recently served as pres-ident of GoldStar Logistics Solutions. His experience also includes roles as national account executive for FedEx Corp. and sales

manager for CF Freight in Anchorage.

stAte GovernmentMeadow Bailey earned the Accredited Public Relations designation from the Public Relations Society of America. Bailey is a public information officer with the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities Northern Region in Fairbanks.

Gov. Sean Parnell appointed Michael Geraghty to serve as Alaska’s attorney general. Geraghty most recently served as a partner with DeLisio, Moran, Geraghty & Zobel P.C. of Anchorage. He has worked at the firm since 1979, specializing in complex liti-gation and trial work before state and federal courts.

rAsmuson FoundAtion

Linda Leary was appointed to the Rasmuson Foundation board of directors. Leary is president and co-owner of Carlile Transportation Systems. Sammye Pokryfki was promoted to senior program officer. Pokryfki joined the group in 2005 as a program officer. She manages the foundation’s Sabbatical Program, which awards grants supporting nonprofit leaders’ extended leave. Aleesha Towns-Bain was promoted to senior program associate. She served last year as interim executive director for the Alaska Children’s Trust through the Rasmuson Foundation. Nancy Haag, Jill Hodges and Susan Mustante were chosen to participate in the 2012 Rasmuson Foundation Sabbatical Program for non-profit leaders. Haag is executive director of Standing Together Against Rape. Hodges has worked as executive director of Alaska Brain Injury Network for nearly six years and began as the group’s only staff member. Musante manages Soteria-Alaska and CHOICES, nonprofit organizations providing services to individuals diagnosed with serious mental illness.

denAli stAte bAnkSteve Lundgren was appointed president and chief executive for Denali State Bank in Fairbanks. Lundgren replaces Jo Heckman, who has retired. Lundgren joined the bank in 2008 as executive vice president. He has more than 30 years of financial industry experience, mostly in Fairbanks.

mutuAl oF omAhA bAnkK r i s G j y l a m e t i wa s appointed assistant vice president and regional account execut ive for M u t u a l o f O m a h a ’s Pacific Northwest region Community Association B a n k i n g o p e r a t i o n . Gjylameti, based in Seattle, serves Alaska, Oregon and Washington. Gjylameti, who

joined the company in 2006, most recently served as assistant vice president for Hawaii.

myheAlth CliniC llCBrian Erdr ich jo ined MyHealth Clinic LLC in Anchorage as an advanced nurse practitioner. Erdrich previously spent 13 years working at Providence Alaska Medical Center. He handles family health care and has specialized cardiac care training and experience.

providenCe behAviorAl mediCine Group

Erica Coady joined Providence Behavioral Medicine Group as a neuropsychologist. She earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from Seattle Pacific University in Seattle and completed her neuropsychology fellowship training at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at University of California Los Angeles and the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Los Angeles.

internAtionAl tower hill mines ltd.

Thomas Irwin was appointed Alaska general manager for International Tower Hill Mines Ltd.’s Livengood gold project near Fairbanks. Irwin joined the company last year as Livengood construction

TeamworkTogeTher we geT The job done

Clement

Wade

RIGHT MOVES Compiled by Nancy Pounds

Gjylameti


Leary Pokryfki Towns-Bain

Erdrich

manager. He has more than 37 years of natural resource industry experience working for Amax Gold Inc. and Kinross Corp.

junior AChievementoF AlAskA

Luke Fulp received the 2012 Junior Achievement of Alaska Volunteer of the Year Award. Fulp is chief financial officer for the Kodiak School District. The Kodiak Junior Achievement program has expanded under Fulp’s leadership in two years. Junior Achievement pre-sented the award at the Alaska Business Hall of

Fame in Anchorage. Alaska Business Monthly and Junior Achievement of Alaska Inc. sponsor the Hall of Fame program.

denAli AlAskAn FederAl Credit union

Fanny Ryland was hired as retail sales branch manager for Denali Alaskan Federal Credit Union’s Juneau branch. Ryland has worked in the banking industry for seven years, including a previous stint with Denali Alaskan serving in man-agement and member service.

bristol bAy nAtive Corp.Anecia O’Carroll was hired as development officer for Bristol Bay Native Corp.’s Education Foundation. Her career experience includes fund-raising expe-rience at Bates and Smith colleges. Verna Nanalook-Adams joined BBNC as an executive assistant. She previously worked for BBNC from 1996-2005 as an administrative land technician. Carmell Shade was hired as communications specialist. She previously worked for Ahtna Inc. subsidiaries in communica-

tions, marketing and operational roles. Jim Rogacki now serves as benefits manager. He previously served as head of benefits for Apartment Investment and Management Co. in Denver.

AlAskA CommuniCAtionsJames Johnsen was appointed senior vice pres-ident of human resources and process transfor-mation for Alaska Communications. He previously served as senior vice president of administration at Doyon Ltd.

FAirbAnks 4-hBecky Osimowicz received the Western Region 4-H Salute to Excellence Volunteer of the Year award. The award was presented at a 4-H leaders forum in Cheyenne, Wyo. Osimowicz serves as co-leader of the Amour de Cheval 4-H Club, a horse club.

Credit union 1 Pat Berry was promoted to vice president and chief audit executive. Berry pre-viously served as internal auditor. He has worked 16 years as developing pro-grams in the internal audit programs.

u.s. sen. mArk beGiCh’s oFFiCe

Agatha Erickson was hired as rural liaison for U.S. Sen. Mark Begich. She previously worked as com-munications director for Tanana Chiefs Conference. She is based in Anchorage. U.S. Air Force Maj. Leigh Hasson was appointed military fellow for the senator’s Washington, D.C., office. She recently completed a fellowship at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy in Washington, D.C. Hasson has served deployments in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

university oF AlAskA FAirbAnks

University of Alaska Fairbanks zoophysiologist Brian Barnes was selected as a 2011 Fellow of

the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The association publishes the journal Science. Barnes was recognized for contributions to leadership in arctic science and research in hiber-nation and cryobiology: the study of the effects of low temperatures on living things. Barnes is the director of the UAF Institute of Arctic Biology and the science director at Toolik Field Station on the North Slope.

AlyeskA titleGuArAnty AGenCy

Karen Goentzel was hired as a senior escrow officer at Alyeska Title Guaranty Agency. She has 30 years of experience in the finance and real estate industries.

nuvistA liGht & eleCtriC CooperAtive

Patty Murphy has been selected as Nuvista Light & Electric Cooperative’s project administrator. Murphy is responsible for managing Nuvista’s many energy projects and activities for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Region. She will report to Executive Director Elaine Brown. Murphy, a Calista Shareholder originally from Kasigluk, previously worked for the Coastal Villages Region Fund and for the State of Alaska in various departments.

AlAskA AssoCiAtion oF seCondAry sChool

prinCipAlsThe Alaska Association of Secondary School Principals chose Patricia Walker as Assistant Principal of the Year for 2011-12. Walker is assistant principal of Dimond High School in Anchorage. Walker is a candidate for the 2012 National Association of Secondary School/National Assistant Principal of the Year recognition. Walker will attend a three-day Assistant Principal Recognition program in Washington, D.C. in April. She began her career as an Alaska educator in 1980, working as a teacher at Newhalen School in the Lake and Peninsula School District. She has worked for the Anchorage School District since 1984 at various schools. q

You can alwaYs count on our teamwork for fast, reliable, shipping service.As a proud sponsor of the 2012 Iditarod and champion John Baker, we wish all mushers a safe and successful race.

RIGHT MOVES Sponsored by Northern Air Cargo

Ryland


Fulp

Berry


Air and WaterQuality Testing

Keeping communities and companies safeBy vanessa orr

ENVIRONMENTAL

For most people, dealing with fumes, dirt and dust is just an in-convenience, and often part of

everyday life. But when these issues begin to affect not just the environment, but Alaskans’ health, it becomes the job of air and water quality testing compa-nies to identify the problems and offer workable solutions.

Air testinGAccording to the Department of En-vironmental Conservation, indoor air pollution, which can exist at levels two to five times more than outdoor lev-els, can be caused by any number of pollutants, including radon, asbestos, tobacco smoke, solvents, cleaning solu-tions, carbon monoxide, mold and fungi.

Short-term effects can cause irritation of the eyes, nose and throat; headaches; asthma attacks and decreased reaction time, and other nervous system impacts. Long-term effects may include cancer, chronic bronchitis, asthma and de-creased lung capacity and performance.

Alaskans may be at more risk of these issues since homes and office

Storm water protection barriers are seen on a pedestrian path designed by DOWL HKM for the Municipality of Anchorage.

Photos courtesy of DOWL-HKM


buildings in the state are more tightly sealed against the cold weather, and cold weather keeps people indoors lon-ger and more often.

While some building owners may believe that a complaining employee is just that, Bob French, PE, principal in charge at EHS-Alaska Inc., says that it is in the building owner’s best interest to investigate employees’ concerns. “A lot of times, building owners don’t take these complaints seriously; they think someone on their staff is just a little whiny, but they need to realize that these people are actually on their side. Not only are building owners required to provide a building that doesn’t make people sick, but if these problems are left alone, it could cause structural prob-lems in the future.

“We try to convince owners to think of the example of a canary in a coal mine,” he added. “His employees are helping him to find potential problems. A mold issue, for example, means that there is some kind of water leak coming from somewhere. If it is not found and fixed, it could cause long-term damage.”

FoCusinG on indoor AirEHS-Alaska Inc. focuses on indoor air quality testing for buildings

Steven K. Noble, PEVice PresidentDOWL-HKM


and residences, with the majority of their work concentrated on hazardous building materials, lead-based paints, PCBs, mercury and asbestos. “A lot depends on what activities go on in the building; in an industrial setting, we may be testing for welding fumes or paint fumes, or if the company is running a Bobcat, carbon monoxide,” French said. “In a regular office build-ing, we may test for carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, relative humidity and temperature. We want to see how well the building systems work.”

EHS-Alaska Inc. may also take a micro-vacuum sampling of dust in the ductwork to see if ducts need to be cleaned, and test for molds, mildews, spores, pollens and allergens. After a water incident, the company can pro-vide post-remediation testing.

Since 1996, White Environmental Consultants Inc. has provided work-place monitoring for potential hazards such as airborne asbestos, metals and biological hazards, dusts, fumes, gases and heat and cold stress. Its clients in-clude office and residential buildings, hospitals, state and federal buildings

and the Department of Defense.“At this time of year when the tem-

perature is below zero, we often see sick-building syndrome,” said owner Matt White, PE, CIH in January. “Em-ployee complaints are often vague; their eyes water and they feel that the work environment is irritating them. Symptoms can be very broad and not very specific. This is what makes indoor air quality testing a challenge.

“One particularly troubling issue with indoor air quality is that it is not specifically regulated,” he continued. “You have to chase down problems with no real regulatory guidelines; it’s not codified anywhere. For this reason, it’s often hard to get building owners to make changes.”

Problems seem to be worse during the winter when buildings are shut up tight. “Mold comes and goes, but because our environment is so dry, it’s not really a big issue here,” White said. “What we mainly see, especially at this time of year, is that owners are trying to make their buildings as en-ergy efficient as possible; the building envelope is very tight and may not

have operable windows. It is not un-common to see that there are not as many air changes as recommended; again, because there are very few re-quirements as to what actually needs to be done.”

not just in older buildinGsWhile some older buildings may have problems because they are not up to code, surprisingly, these buildings are not the only offenders. “A building built in the 1980s might have passed inspec-tion then, but today may not be up to code,” White said. “But these building owners are only obligated to bring the building up to the new code if they un-dertake a major renovation.

“On the other hand, I have been involved in several LEED-certified buildings that were still problematic,” he added. “For example, I worked on a project in Hawaii that was built to LEED standards, but we found prob-lems when we began doing air testing. It turned out that a couple of the suites in the building, which was used for training dental students, contained off-gassing latex training dummies. In

(907) 276-4373 or cell (907) 268-0052www.akbizmag.com

Eighty-two percent of our 100,000+ monthly readers

are Alaska business owners, CEOs or upper-level

decision-makers.

Give Bill a call to see how he can help your marketing

plans be golden.

Advertise directly to upper-level managers

Bill Morris Advertising Account Manager

[email protected]


this case, it was the downstream use of the building that created indoor air quality problems—not the build-ing itself.”

French also has found that newer buildings can have air quality prob-lems. “Once a building is made tighter and tighter to conserve energy, not enough clean, fresh air gets in,” he said. “This can lead to high carbon dioxide levels, stuffiness and people complaining of odors.

“We also have a problem with drier relative humidity in our buildings in Alaska than in the Lower 48,” he added. “Once cold air that has little moisture in it comes into a building, the rela-tive humidity really drops. In an older building where the windows are not as efficient as they should be, or if there are air leaks, pumping up the humidity can cause even more problems.”

“Every building is unique, every building system is unique and every problem is unique,” White said. “Some problems are simple to solve, and some may require a total rework of the air handling system. But they are usually all fixable.”

wAter testinGJust as it’s important to keep employees safe while working inside buildings, it’s also important to protect the envi-ronment and the community at large when designing any project that affects aquatic resources.

“Virtually every project we do that has runoff in any fashion requires us to address water quality issues,” said Steve Noble, PE, vice president, DOWL-HKM. “We need to design storm drain systems to meet water quality certifica-tion requirements and have a stormwa-ter prevention pollution plan for any project that disturbs an area’s footprint.”

A planning, surveying, civil/trans-portation and environmental services firm, DOWL-HKM provides site in-vestigations for hazardous materials, wetlands and other environmental re-sources, environmental assessments and environmental impact statements.

“Our ecology is driven by the qual-ity of our water,” Noble said. “The objective of water testing is to protect our aquatic resources, including riv-ers, lakes, streams and wetlands. If a project is discharging a lot of contami-

nation—even dirt that is carried down storm runoff drains into streams—it can affect the quality of the habitat and the viability of aquatic organisms. We are not necessarily protecting our water from hazardous resources; it can be anything from dirt to oil and grease.”

reGulAted wAter QuAlityWhile projects using federal money are required to have air and water quality testing as part of NEPA (Na-tional Environmental Policy Act), the state and many local municipali-ties also have regulations in place to protect Alaska’s water. “Virtually every road project needs to get ap-proval from the Department of En-vironmental Conservation (DEC) for stormwater treatment,” Noble said. “For example, recent projects that we worked on, including West Dowling Road, East Dowling Road and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, all had sensitive water issues that needed to be considered.”

DOWL HKM is currently work-ing on a project with the Alaska De-partment of Transportation & Public

Don’t worry, we’ve got this.

��Emerald Services, Inc.

Recycling & Recovery • Industrial Cleaning • Spill Cleanup Waste Treatment & Disposal • Site Remediation

Serving all of Alaska 907 258-1558 Toll Free 877 375-5040e m e r a l d n w . c o m


Facilities (DOT&PF) to evaluate all materials sites along major highways to make sure that runoff, for example, from a gravel pile, is not affecting adjacent streams.

“At any site development, such as that of a Wal-Mart or office building, each site has to have a stormwater permit,” Noble added. “The contrac-tor is not only responsible for water quality during construction, but for creating permanent stormwater treat-ment at that site.” Once best manage-ment practices are in place, it is rare that water quality testing is required for effluent discharge.

Treatment plans can take a number of forms, from structures that separate oil and water or grit from water to routing of water to grassy areas. “The biggest challenge we face is that there is so much water here in Alaska; it af-fects virtually every project,” Noble said. “Stormwater treatment in Alaska

can vary widely, depending on where you are in the state. In Ketchikan or in Fairbanks, the water conditions are dramatically different.”

Another issue facing those in the field is Alaska’s short construc-tion season. “Our best management practices have to be in place and functioning by the end of winter,” Noble said. “If you’re using grass seed to stabilize the soil, you have a relatively short period of time to get it in place.”

The location of a project can also make a difference in how water runoff is monitored and treated. “If you’re work-ing in downtown Anchorage, there is not a lot of space to put roadside ditches in to collect and treat runoff, so you’ll probably end up with a structural oil and water separator,” Noble said. “This requires more maintenance and upfront costs to install.

“A lot of it is a matter of cost,” he added. “Planting seed has a lower cost than installing a stormwater oil and grease separator. The costs can be quite large, depending on how big the project’s footprint is.”

emerGinG FieldAccording to Noble, over the past 20 years, the testing and treatment of stormwater has become an emerging field as a result of Water Quality Act legislation. “The policies and criteria have gotten stricter, and the ways in which they are being interpreted has become stricter,” he said. “As people get more education, they are beginning to look to different jurisdictions to see what is being done in other places. New technologies are being developed.

“It’s an evolving practice,” he added. “Still, Alaska is a few years behind other states in the policies and practices that they require.”

As the state’s focus on water quality continues to evolve, Noble hopes to see more training, not just for those in the profession, but for building developers and contractors. “We need to come up with solutions that still make land devel-opment affordable,” he says. “We don’t want to see policies that are so stringent that no one can afford to develop prop-erty. Working with agencies and the private sector, we can come up with so-lutions that work for everyone.” q

Another issue facing those in the field is Alaska’s short

construction season.


Just send your email address by

text message:

Join our email list!

Text ABM to 22828

to get started

Alaskan Owned & Operated

No Job Too Big or Too Small

One-time or Regular Service Anchorage or Anywhere!

Courier Service for Your Every Need

Please contact our office and one of our family member representatives will be

happy to assist you with questions or toarrange courier service.

(907) 345-4980 • www.rosiesdelivery.com

Since 1971

FINANCIAL SERVICES

By traCy BarBour

Commercial Lending in AlaskaBanks and credit unions eager to make loans


Despite economic uncertainty among some Alaskans, the state’s financial institutions

claim to have ample resources and are intent on finding qualified borrowers. Contrary to popular belief, there’s no scarcity of money available for busi-ness financing in Alaska, according to Len Horst, senior vice president and commercial loan manager with Northrim Bank. While there is consid-erable controversy over the structure of Alaska oil taxes, which generate

up to 90 percent of state revenue, the Alaska economy is stable and strong, says Horst, who also serves on the board of the Resource Development Council, a statewide, multi-industry association that promotes the respon-sible development of Alaska resources.

“We have a good diversification of projects going on,” Horst says. “The mining sector has multitudes of money being invested. Fisheries have a positive outlook. Military spending is up. All those factors come together

to make it more of a stable economy than the rest of the country.”

Consequently, Alaska’s financial institutions say they have plenty of money available to help businesses start, expand, purchase equipment or meet their working capital needs, ac-cording to Horst. “We all have money to lend,” he said, “and we all are looking for those deals.”

Northrim Bank provides personal and business banking services through locations in Anchorage, Eagle River,

Cook Inlet Region Inc. maintains a $50 million revolving line of credit with Wells Fargo for CIRI investments. Margie Brown, CIRI president and CEO is in the foreground with Chris Clifford, Wells Fargo principal business relationship manager; directly behind them are Joe Everhart, Alaska regional business banking manager for Wells Fargo and Stig Colberg, CIRI CFO; in the

back are Sophie Minish, CIRI COO and Sam Mazzeo, Alaska commercial banking group manager with Wells Fargo.

©2012 Chris Arend


Wasilla and Fairbanks, Alaska; and includes an asset-based lending divi-sion in Washington. “We are a strong bank and we are well capitalized,” Horst said.

wAnted: borrowersFirst National Bank Alaska painted a similar picture about Alaska’s credit market. Senior Vice President and General Counsel David Lawer said: “We don’t believe that the market for credit has tightened. There are fewer commercial loans being made, but it’s not because we are changing our credit standards. It’s a function of what is go-ing on with the economy.”

For example, there are fewer peo-ple buying houses, so fewer builders are borrowing because there’s a lower demand for what they are produc-ing. “We’re fighting for borrowers,” Lawer said.

Senior Vice President Corporate Lending, Bill Inscho says First National has more than enough capital to fund loans for Alaska businesses. “We have the resources and we are anxious to lend,” he added.

According to Lawer, First National does more than 1,000 commercial loans annually. It has a total loan portfolio of approximately $1.1 bil-lion, more than a $1 billion of which is in commercial loans. First National is the state’s largest Alaskan-owned and operated bank, with ATMs and 30 branches in 18 communities through-out Alaska.

First National’s commitment to commercial lending recently earned recognition from the United States Small Business Administration when it was named the 2011 SBA 504 Lender of the Year. The bank approved nine SBA 504 loans totaling $11,858,093 during the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, the highest number of approved loans in the state, according to a Novem-ber 28 company news release. The SBA 504 loan program provides long-term, fixed-rate subordinate mortgage financing for acquiring or renovating capital assets including land, buildings and equipment.

business loAn CommitmentWells Fargo is also committed to funding business loans in Alaska. A

nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.3 trillion in assets, Wells Fargo is the top business lender and provider of treasury management services in the country, according to its Alaska Commercial Banking Manager Sam Mazzeo. “We’re very well positioned to deliver credit and treasury services to small and large businesses in Alaska,” he said. “For 2011, we will top out at $475 million in new loan commitments to Alaska businesses.”

One of those businesses is Cook Inlet Regional Inc. (CIRI), an Anchor-age-based Alaska Native corporation. According to CIRI President and Chief Executive Officer Margaret Brown, CIRI used Wells Fargo financing when it purchased the USKH building on A Street in September 2009. In addition, Wells Fargo provides a revolving line of credit for Alaska Interstate Con-struction, a subsidiary CIRI owns 50 percent of. The bank also provides a $50 million revolving line of credit for possible use for future CIRI in-vestments. “These instruments help us manage the company’s liquidity needs as we grow CIRI’s businesses,” Brown said.

In Alaska, Wells Fargo has more than 40 business relationship manag-ers available to assist businesses with their financing needs. That includes a 17-person commercial banking team that works with larger businesses, five additional business banking teams and a specialized commercial real estate team.

Headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insur-ance, investments, mortgages, and con-sumer and commercial finance through more than 9,000 stores, 12,000 ATMs, the Internet and other distribution channels across North America and internationally.

Credit unions Also An option Alaska’s credit unions are another vi-able source for commercial loans, in-cluding Credit Union 1, Denali Alaskan and Alaska USA. As member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperatives that operate to promote thrift, credit unions generally offer commercial financing options with lower interest rates and fees.

In terms of their geographic pres-ence, Alaska USA Federal Credit Union has 60 branches in Alaska, California and Washington state. De-nali Alaskan Federal Credit Union, with more than 58,000 members, pri-marily serves Anchorage, Eagle River, Fairbanks, Juneau and Wasilla. Credit Union 1 is headquartered in Anchor-age and has additional branches in other parts of the state.

Alaska’s banks and credit unions offer an array of commercial loans to meet just about any need. The most common type of financing is for business acquisition, equipment and inventory acquisition, commercial real estate, working capital, accounts receivable and lines of credit. Bor-rowers with impeccable credit and a strong relationship with their banker may be fortunate enough to qualify for unsecured loans.

CommerCiAl lendinG trendsDespite the state’s overall economic strength, Alaska’s financial institu-tions are experiencing a lower demand

Sam Mazzeo, Alaska Commercial Banking Group Manager, Wells Fargo

Phot

o Ar

ts b

y Ja

nna


for commercial loans. For example, First National Bank of Alaska is seeing fewer applications, not nec-essarily from start-up businesses, but from its traditional customers. Lawer explained why: “A lot of people who are recurring custom-ers are saying, ‘This is not the time I want to buy new equipment, to buy a new location or to expand my business.’ They’re the wait-and-see-what-happens folks.”

At Wells Fargo, the demand for commercial loans has been stronger in Alaska than it has been nationally, ac-cording to Mazzeo. However, the bank has received fewer loan requests from smaller Alaska businesses—the segment hit hardest by the economic slowdown. But the opposite is true for the state’s bigger companies. “Loan demand from the larger businesses in Alaska has been relatively strong,” he said.

Mazzeo has also noticed that more borrowers are maintaining higher cash balances and are requesting lower loan amounts. In essence, they’ve become better borrowers and are better posi-tioned to garner financing approval.

“In a way, it’s more of a borrowers’ market today than several years ago,” he said.

As another trend, Alaska’s financial institutions are dealing with tighter reg-ulations. Federal regulators are impos-ing more consumer-oriented guidelines on the business lending side, according to Horst. There’s more documentation being required for every decision made and this has the potential of slowing down the commercial lending process, he says. He added: “The more paper-work the higher the costs and those costs get passed on to the borrower.”

Financial institutions need and ap-preciate good guidelines, but too many of them have a counterproductive ef-fect, Horst says. “I don’t think it’s im-proved the process,” he added.

Lawer expressed similar sentiments. Because of changes in the regulatory en-vironment, new appraisals are being re-quired more frequently for commercial real estate loans. Lawer said: “Appraisals are expensive and it takes time to get them. It does have a negative impact on demand, particularly in Alaska where we have so few appraisers.”

AdviCe For GettinG FinAnCinGSo what’s the best approach to obtain financing in the current credit climate? It all amounts to preparation and plan-ning, says Inscho of First National. “Be prepared,” he says. “Have your finan-cial data put together.”

This includes having a financial statement, balance sheet, profit and loss statement and three years of tax returns. It’s also a good idea to have a detailed business plan—especially for a start-up company—and personal funds to invest. The bank wants the business owner to have at least 25 percent equity in the deal.

It’s important to bring in a financial package that banker can understand and analyze. Borrowers who are new to the corporate lending arena should consider visiting with their loan officer for advice on how to proceed. The loan officer can explain all the requirements and refer the borrower to the SBA to get help creating a business plans and financial statements. In addition, bor-rowers must be able to demonstrate to their banker that they have the management, technical expertise and

capital to make it happen, Inscho says. Horst advises loan applicants to

also have a personal financial plan that shows what they want, where they’re going and their exit strategy. It makes it easier for loan officers to work with people if they know what they want and why they want it. “As bankers, we make decisions based on information,” he said. “The more information we have and the better quality of information we have results in a better decision.”

He also recommends that business managers and owners get to know their banker and thoroughly communicate what they’re trying to accomplish. “The customer and banker need to understand each other, so they can help each other achieve their com-mon goals,” Horst said. “We want to be there to find a way to help people achieve their dream.”

Mazzeo also emphasizes the need for borrowers to develop solid busi-ness and personal credit histories. It’s equally important for companies to establish a credit relationship before they need it. “If you wait until it’s an emergency, you’re not necessarily go-ing to get what you need in the time you need it or get the preferred terms,” he said.

The final decision often depends on the size of the business and loan being sought, as additional information is of-ten requested of businesses asking to borrow more than $1 million

Mazzeo encourages businesses to de-velop multiple points of contact within their financial institution. They should meet their relationship manager’s su-pervisor and even his boss. “We want to ensure the business manager/owner has another point of contact if turnover hap-pens or if issues need to be escalated,” he says, adding that companies need to develop a strong relationship with a bank that has the capacity to help them grow into the future.

That’s exactly what CIRI has done. The company’s association with Wells Fargo goes back to its earliest history when it worked with the bank’s prede-cessor, National Bank of Alaska. “The relationship continues to this day and CIRI considers its relationship with Wells Fargo to be strong and lasting,” Brown said. q



Broadband” has become an ubiq-uitous term to include most any data connectivity…on almost

any device…connecting to virtually any form of data network. That data can occur in the form of voice and video, as well.

Mobile broadband is more or less a marketing term for Internet access on devices ranging from mobile comput-ers to smart phones. In turn, mobile computers can be any computer that is wireless, enabled with anything from a built-in wireless card to an external dongle. The mobile broadband tech-nology world has expanded to include tablets, notebooks, netbooks, and cell or mobile phones and spans a multitude of technologies like EVDO, G3 and G4, piggybacking on mobile phone infra-structure. Connectivity also includes Wi-Fi, satellite and other proprietary wireless networking.

In other words, if it can move from one place to another, and stay connected or reconnect at speeds higher than dial-up; it fits into the broad category of mo-bile broadband, pun intended.

AlAskA Abounds with mobile broAdbAnd

It’s a broad state for broadband, but Alaska actually stands out in broad-band availability. Rural Alaska is better served than most U.S. rural locales, thanks to the major investments from our Big Four providers, and from initia-tives and grants funded by the state in the Rural Alaska Broadband Internet Access Program (grant program). This program, now in its fifth round, “pro-vides funding to assist telecommunica-tions companies and cable operators in deploying broadband Internet service in rural Alaska,” according to the state’s web site. The program continues to utilize federal and state efforts to fa-cilitate Internet service and make such connectivity more affordable to com-munities in rural Alaska. The primary function of the grants is to defray the costs of deploying broadband service.

In the state’s more populated cor-ridors, the big players are Alaska Com-munications Systems (ACS), General Communications Inc. (GCI), AT&T Alaska and Matanuska Telephone As-sociation (MTA). Together, they provide broadband to Alaska’s businesses and citizens with efficient, effective, broad-band data. Broadband coverage can be linked to in-state data-storage centers, hosting servers and even fleet manage-ment. Alaska’s providers are partnered with national, Canadian and global part-ners to keep the state internationally concentric to the world of business.

All this mobile broadband connec-tivity enables our business community to mobilize the work force with wire-less solutions just about any place in

the state, and allows workers to take their office on the road via a smart phone or laptop.

For businesses in the state’s more rural settings, there is a plethora of smaller providers with equally impres-sive offerings. They are frankly too plentiful to list in this update.

how FAst is it?In the general sense, broadband is any-thing faster than dial-up for those of us who remember dial-up. However, in today’s telecommunications, the tech industry is rolling out the fourth gen-eration of cellular wireless standards, or 4G. With 4G, a mobile user on a train or in a car experiences speeds of 100 Mbit/s (high mobility communica-tion). When the user slows down, the speeds go up. Pedestrian or coffee shop users (i.e., low mobility communica-tions) are delivered 1 Gbit/s to their mobile device. This compares to 3G’s 28Mbit/s speeds.

As the mobile broadband becomes more “broad” with 4G, the user is introduced to Open Wireless Archi-tecture (OWA), which supports or will soon support multiple wireless air interfaces in an open-architecture platform. Alaska is on the precipice of providing comprehensive and secure all-IP based mobile broadband to lap-tops, wireless modems, smartphones and other mobile devices.

Alaskans are receiving nearly seamless mobility, with high data rates enabling high-definition video and videoconferencing features on their mobile devices. No longer are we tethered to a portable hard drive synced to our home server or com-puter. Through cloud computing (the subject of future discussion) and a broadband connection, the vastness of Alaska and the confines of the tra-ditional office cube are melding. q

TELECOM & TECHNOLOGY

By kent l. ColBy

“

©2012 Leigh Prather

Mobile Broadband is Wireless


TELECOM & TECHNOLOGY

By kent l. ColBy

Field Testing Tech Gadgets

Finding the best chargers, storage and

signal extenders

produCt: My LOK, by ii2P, retaiL range $69 tO $79

To help manage all those passwords and security phrases that seem required these days to exist in the business and private world—from online banking, society media, work networks, even your own personal email—ii2P has come up with a compact and secure solution. As one user was overheard saying, “It is the best thing I didn’t know I needed.”

The My LOK Personal, which I tested, came complete with 8 GB of storage, which allowed it to serve as a memory stick for taking presenta-tions, photos, and other working documents on the road. However, the primary attribute for my use is the product’s password-management capability. It uses a microprocessor-based IC chip to ensure security. The MULTOS chip protects IDs, passwords and other private in-formation. Upon request, it can store, retrieve and auto log-in your credentials, according

produCt: DuraceLL instant charger, ManufactureD by DuraceLL, retaiL range

$29.99During recent travels, the Duracell In-

stant Charger—barely thicker than a credit card—doubled the battery life of my iPhone and, later, that of my wife’s BlackBerry. The recharge rate is fast. The product utilizes a Lithium Ion rechargeable battery to provide reserve power to devices such as an iPod, BlackBerry, cell phone and any similar device using USB-powered cords. The handy device comes with a USB-to-mini-USB cord and re-tails for little more than four mocha-lattes at your favorite coffee house. The Duracell Instant Charger is available nearly any place where Duracell-brand batteries, such as your local supermarket.

I n most every airport you find a clutch of well-dressed men and women huddled around a central pillar, sitting on the floor

like it were a campfire on a cold night. Each is tethered to an umbilical cord flowing power back into the drained batteries of their Pads and Pods and exhausted laptops.

Travel without a Berry, an Apple or an An-droid appears to be the unthinkable in today’s business world. But keeping these fruits fed can be a challenging task for the time-sensitive business traveler. These energy-hungry de-vices have become even more critical given that airlines like Alaska Airlines are making your flight time legitimate work time through onboard Wi-Fi systems, like Go-Go.

To maximize productivity, it’s not uncom-mon to see, once passengers deplane, a mad dash for the nearest outlet to seek a recharge. To help our readers, we’ve field tested instant battery chargers, external secure-storage de-vices, and signal extenders. We field tested two products from each category, arriving at the following results.

produCt: ZaggsParq 2.0, Manufac-tureD by Zagg inc., retaiL range $99To avoid or minimize the power-pole hud-

dle, this little device resolves the risk of low batteries that is so significant to gadget users, especially when traveling. The ZAGGsparq is a pocket-sized power supply that the Salt Lake City-based company touts as “portable, convenient, compatible, powerful, versatile.”

The ZAGGsparq is compatible with any USB-charged device and can charge up to two devices simultaneously. It’s more than just

an extended battery. This author watched two episodes of “Warehouse 13” on an iPad during a recent Alaska Airlines flight from Ketchikan to Denver, via Seattle. Simultaneously I wrote email on an iPhone. The ZAGGsparq kept both devices fully charged and saved me from the power-pole sprint upon landing.


produCt: irOnKey PersOnaL

s200 1 gM secure Drive,

by irOnKey inc., retaiL range $79+

This device is not only indestructible, it’s waterproof!

(Special notice to residents of Southeast Alaska and the com-

mercial fishing fleet.)The product has always-on data encryp-

tion, which provides high security and high performance results. As a special heads up to CIOs, the IronKey enterprise version allows the company to take control of all company portable storage devices. Policies can be ad-ministered remotely across the Internet to thousands of IronKey devices.

When you are carrying personal or busi-ness information that is too valuable to risk, the IronKey protects with military-grade hardware-based encryption. According to the company, this “always-on protection cannot be disabled and is protected against cold boot and brute-force attacks. No one can access files stored on an IronKey unless they authenticate with the correct password. All encryption and password verification are performed in hardware, and it cannot be disabled by worms, viruses, or other malware.”

The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based manufacturer offers models up to 16 GB.

to the company. The product also features a random complex-password generator, and the ability to bookmark websites and folders. Additionally, it allows the user to backup and restore IDs and passwords.

Best of all: because the application does not reside on your computer, you can go from computer to computer without needing ad-ministrative rights. Plug the device in to any computer and you are able to log in to any network application requiring a secure pass-word, as the device remembers. One of my favorite attributes is the retractable stem that doesn’t require a cap. Also, its hefty construc-tion appears indestructible.

The product, manufactured by Southlake, Texas-based ii2P, comes in a variety of ver-sions, including business and enterprise focus. Partner with ASTAC and save.

www.astac.net

ASTAC makes it more affordable than ever to stay connected to your business customers.• New reduced monthly business line charges• Brand new customized plans will help you save• Call 1-800-478-6409 for a sales executive who will create a plan tailored for your company


produCt: Db PrO ceLL PhOne signaL bOOster, by WiLsOn eLectrOnics,

retaiL range $359

The DB Pro Cell Phone Signal Booster is Wilson Electronics’ highest-gain, dual-

band (800 and 1900 MHz) wireless amplifier for home use, as well as at the office.

This author tested the unit in a home office at South Tongass Highway in Ketchikan—tra-ditionally on the fringe of local cellular phone coverage—with positive results. Prior to instal-lation, I had one bar available on my phone (when standing with my left arm in the air and on a big rock in the front yard). After installation, I had three to four bars regardless my location on the property.

The product works with multiple cell phones and data cards simultaneously, using all ma-jor Alaska phone carriers. Several high-gain antennas are available that can be placed outside the building. The product then is a wireless signal booster that has enough cover-age area to saturate the building’s interior with usable service. There is no physical connection required to the cell phone. Utilizing an omni-directional exterior antenna, the user does not have to research cell tower locations for good service.

Just slightly larger than a sandwich, the DB Pro has a power injector to streamline the hookup. Like the Wilson Sleek, the DB Pro works on GSM, CDMA, TDMA and 3G net-works. “Power-control logic ensures maximum gain is within cellular standards,” according to the company.

Additional applications for this device in-clude: conference rooms and offices located deep inside buildings with construction not conducive to strong cellular coverage; and those remote areas with nearly zero coverage.

vAluAble CommoditySo, when you or someone you know needs

a new tech gadget for a charge, storage, or improved signal coverage, consider any of the reviewed products. You’ll be buying the most valuable commodity on the market today—time (saved from sprinting for that power outlet in the airport). q

produCt: WiLsOn sLeeK, by WiLsOn eLectrOnics, retaiL range $129

Alaska’s terrain offers many challenges to cellular telephone connectivity. De-

spite the best efforts of its progressive and innovative cellular companies, the reality is that Alaska’s geography is one tough nut to crack. One solution this author tested was the Wilson Sleek, which is a mobile device de-signed for cars but can also be used indoors.

The Wilson Sleek reduced dropped calls and increased data coverage for those fringe areas, such as when driving from Mountain Point, south of Ketchikan, into town. Also, I went from almost-no-signal to nearly four bars inside a corporate of-fice building where I spend way too much time. The magnetic antenna mounts easily on a filing cabinet and plugs in to a USB port for power. I tested the device during cross-country travels via car in the Lower 48 and had similar success.

Manufactured by St. George, Utah-based Wilson Electronics, the device is wholly American made and allows for hands-free use while driving (a legal requisite in many states). The model tested was a dual band, so worked on both GSM and CDMA cellular networks. The product works with any carrier except Nextel, according to the company; and any technology except iDEN. It works with the new 4G networks, increasingly prevalent through Alaska’s cellular carriers.

Alaska Ferry Reservation System RFP to be Released

Reservation and Schedule Development and Passenger Self-Service System (RSD/PSSS) Acquisition and Implementation. The State of Alaska (SOA), Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF), Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) is looking for: 1) a single centrally managed and supported Passenger, Berth and Vehicle Reservations solution, with 2) vessel sailing schedule development and optimization functionality, and 3) passenger self-service capabilities that will replace their existing custom developed reservation (RMS3), FoxPro schedule builder and eCommerce web reservation (OARS) passenger self-service system. This system can be either a Hosted (SaaS) or a Non-Hosted System. Because this new system will support a variety of operating departments, the core system must be customizable to meet the needs of each functional work group.

Interested parties who want to receive notification of the posting of the actual RFP #2512S004 should contact John Wynne, Procurement Officer, 907-465-8446 or [email protected].


MINING

By traCy kalytiak

Producing andprospecting Au

Fifty miles northwest of Fairbanks stands a hill known as Money Knob. It looks almost exactly

like the countless other hills undulat-ing over Interior Alaska, except dirt roads etch a zig-zag pattern through the trees, and drill rigs penetrate Money Knob’s surface.

The rigs are there because rocks beneath Money Knob and nearby ridges clench a deposit of gold within an irregular oval about one and a half

miles long and half a mile wide. Tower Hill Mines Inc. (THM) owns the ap-proximately 77 square miles of Liv-engood property where Money Knob is situated.

Thomas E. Irwin, THM’s Alaska general manager for the Livengood gold project, estimates the deposit in the Tolovana mining district of the Tintina Gold Belt contains 16.5 million measured and indicated ounces of the precious metal from Money Knob and

the land around it. The prefeasibility study, including metallurgical test work and optimization studies, is expected to be complete by the middle of this year, Irwin said.

“We made a decision as a company: Let’s not piecemeal this. Let’s do this project correctly,” Irwin said. “We are testing more samples, and we have con-tracted with a metallurgical test lab. We want (the prefeasibility study) to be as accurate as possible.”

Above: Money Knob, visible in the upper left of the photo, holds a huge gold deposit beneath the surface at the Tower Hill Mines Livengood project.

Right: Helicopter-supported drill rig at Livengood project.

Phot

o by

Jam

es B

arke

r/Cou

rtesy

of T

ower

Hill

Min

es In

c.

Photo by Patricia Jones/Courtesy of Tower Hill Mines Inc.


The company is performing envi-ronmental baseline work—including studying fish, hydrology and endan-gered species—as well as examining the ore body and grade, drilling and pos-sible designs for the facility. “We can be a mine, I believe, but we have to do everything correctly,” Irwin said, refer-ring to the big hardrock lode project.

It is also investigating the possibil-ity of extracting placer gold deposits. Miners, over the past 98 years, have pulled 500,000 ounces of gold from an adjoining valley north of Money Knob.

Irwin says the prospective Liven-good gold mine would generate more than 1,000 construction jobs, and then a subsequent 400 to 500 jobs for em-ployees who would operate the mine.

The prospective Livengood mine is almost ideally situated. The paved all-weather Elliot Highway passes within a few miles of the Money Knob area. The ports of Anchorage and Valdez are situated south of Livengood. Fiber-optic communications run to the North Slope just west of Livengood. The mine would also have convenient access to the Alaska Railroad, major airports, and the Railbelt electrical grid.

Irwin says the company has launched preliminary discussions with Golden Valley Electrical Association, but while it has estimates, THM does not yet have final power requirements for the prospective mine. Golden Val-ley has previously stated that 80 to 100 megawatts of electrical power could be available for the project.

Irwin expects the studies, engineer-ing and design, and permitting tasks will be completed by 2016. Then, con-struction will begin in the middle of that year and continue for about two years.

Irwin expects production to begin in 2018 and, if the ore body exists as it’s defined now, production could continue for 23 years, yielding an esti-mated annual 562,000 ounces of gold though the milling of about 100,000 tons (91,000 tonnes) of ore per day.

“We certainly think we can make an economic property,” Irwin said. “That’s why we’re able to hire such quality people here, and we have the potential of bringing so many jobs. This is good for our community and a major economic boost to the Interior. I think it’s a real benefit.”

poGo mineAbout 140 miles to the southeast of Livengood and 38 miles northeast of Delta Junction is the site of Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. Inc.’s Pogo mine.

Pogo’s origin dates back to 1994, when Japan Oil, Gas and Metals Na-tional Corp. surveyed a 62-by-86-mile area in the Goodpaster River Valley and discovered a vein of gold ore 14.7 feet wide and graded at 27 grams of gold per ton.

Drilling between 1997 and 1999 confirmed the major gold source at Pogo. Underground development be-gan in January 2005, and the first gold pour occurred in 2006. Pogo produced 500,000 ounces of gold in June 2008.

Teck Cominco sold its 40 percent interest to the Sumitomo Group in July 2009, making Sumitomo Pogo’s sole owner. That October, Pogo produced 1 million ounces of gold. Sumitomo projects it will produce 2 million ounces by mid 2012, according to Chris Ken-nedy, Pogo’s general manager.

Pogo’s economic impact in Alaska is substantial. Sumitomo spends $75 mil-lion within the state to support Pogo’s operation, and an annual $50 million on labor. The mine’s license, tax and other payments to the state of Alaska totaled $2.9 million last year. Its 2012 local donations will total more than $1 million.

The mine is expected to continue producing gold for several more years. “Current mine life is out to 2017 with positive exploration results that can extend this out to 2021 or longer,” Ken-nedy’s information stated.

Pogo is a fully operational mine with approximately 300 employees and 100 contractors.

“Pogo is not just a mine, it is a small city, with housing, dining, commons, small store, water treatment facilities…” Kennedy said. “So keeping Pogo opera-tional does not just involve breaking and processing rock. (It is) challenging at best, as camp life is not for everyone. So one of my goals is to create Pogo as a place where people want to come to work and not have to come to work.”

Fort knoxTwenty-six miles northeast of Fairbanks is where the Fort Knox mine opened in 1994 and conducted its first gold

pour in 1996. Fairbanks Gold Mining Inc., a subsidiary of Canadian-based Kinross Gold Corp., has owned the conventional open-pit mine since 1998.

Fort Knox sits on land owned by the State of Alaska and the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority. The mine is open year-round, operating 24 hours per day, seven days a week. Development of a heap-leach facility in late 2009 extended the mine’s life. Fort Knox is expected to close in 2017 and heap-leaching there is estimated to continue until 2021.

Fort Knox employed an annual aver-age of 502 workers in 2010, the most recent figure Kinross made available, making it the fifth-largest private-sector employer in the Fairbanks North Star Borough and 10th largest employer overall. Fort Knox’s total 2010 payroll for mine employees was $45.3 million, averaging $90,280 per employee.

“On average, Fort Knox employ-ees have wages approximately 2.1 times higher than the 2010 average income of private sector workers in the FNSB,” stated an October 2011

Livengood water testing.

Phot

o by

Pat

ricia

Jon

es/C

ourte

sy o

f Tow

er H

ill M

ines

Inc.

YOUR PARTNER FOR INNOVATION AND EXPERTISE

COMMITTED TO OUR CLIENTS’ SUCCESSBoart Longyear delivers enhanced productivity through standards of safety, ethics, citizenship, mutual trust and respect. With advanced equipment, innovative techniques and the experience of knowledgeable drillers, Boart Longyear delivers reliable results for our clients’ success across various drilling applications.

Global Drilling Products and Services

www.BoartLongyear.com • ASX: BLY

Learn More at:www.BoartLongyear.com

© C

opyr

ight

201

2 Bo

art L

ongy

ear.

All r

ight

s re

serv

ed.

YOUR PARTNER FOR INNOVATION AND EXPERTISE

COMMITTED TO OUR CLIENTS’ SUCCESSBoart Longyear delivers enhanced productivity through standards of safety, ethics, citizenship, mutual trust and respect. With advanced equipment, innovative techniques and the experience of knowledgeable drillers, Boart Longyear delivers reliable results for our clients’ success across various drilling applications.

Global Drilling Products and Services

www.BoartLongyear.com • ASX: BLY

Learn More at:www.BoartLongyear.com

© C

opyr

ight

201

2 Bo

art L

ongy

ear.

All r

ight

s re

serv

ed.


McDowell Group report studying the socioeconomic impacts of the mine. “Fort Knox spent $171.4 mil-lion with approximately 400 private sector vendors in Alaska, represent-ing 62 percent of its total spending on goods and services (both in and outside Alaska) in 2010.”

donlin GoldNovaGold’s Donlin Gold project is an undeveloped gold deposit located on land owned by Calista Corp. and the Kuskokwim Corp., 10 miles north

of the Kuskokwim River and the vil-lage of Crooked Creek.

Exploration and research estimates the gold deposit there to be more than 33 million ounces. Donlin Gold estimates the mine will produce approximately 1.3 million ounces of gold annually. The prospective open-pit mine would use trucks and shovels during its estimated life span of more than 27 years.

Up to 3,000 jobs could be created dur-ing the expected three- to four-year con-struction phase and an estimated 1,000 jobs could be created during production.

“Donlin Gold is committed to hiring local, with a record of over 90 percent of camp employees being regional shareholders and descendants,” a Don-lin Gold executive summary stated.

Donlin Gold is drafting a work force development plan and will begin com-munity outreach during the permitting phase to inform residents of employ-ment opportunities the project would provide. The plan will include informa-tion about training programs and facili-ties available to help prepare residents for jobs that would become available as the project proceeds.

Operating the mine will require at least 157 megawatts of electricity. Don-lin is studying the possibility of a 312-mile, 14-inch buried pipeline to bring natural gas to the site for producing that electricity. The proposed gas line would run from the Cook Inlet region, over the Alaska Range to the Donlin project site. That pipeline would reduce the amount of barge traffic on the Kus-kokwim River.

“On average, two barges would transport supplies and small amounts of fuel daily during the summer from the Bethel area to a port upriver,” Donlin’s executive summary stated.

“One item of note is that our opera-tions work force needs have changed a bit,” Kurt Parkan, manager, external affairs, at Donlin Gold LLC, said.

“We have just finished studying the feasibility of the 312-mile pipeline from Cook Inlet to the project site and once our parent companies give us the go-ahead, we hope to begin the permitting process this year.”

nixon ForkNixon Fork gold mine is located in a swath of the Tintina Gold Province about 32 miles northeast of McGrath, between Donlin Gold and the Pogo and Fort Knox mines.

Fire River Gold Corp. bought the mine in 2009 for $3.1 million in cash and shares from St. Andrew Goldfields Ltd. Nevada Goldfields owned the mine through most of the 1990s. The replacement value of the 11,000-acre property and its associated equipment and infrastructure is approximately $150 million, according to Nina Laf-leur, investor relations manager for Fire River Gold.

Energy for Alaska's Future

We're findinganswers andtaking action.

Golden Valley ElectricAssociation is committed tofinding solutions while meetingclimate change goals, keeping costs down and maintaining reliable electric service. We're taking action today to find short and long-term solutions for the energy needs of Alaskans.

Healy Power Plants

PO Box 71249, Fairbanks AK 99707 • (907) 452-1151 • www.gvea.com


“Alaska’s a great place to run a mine,” she said. “It’s very mining-friendly.”

Lafleur said the company’s produc-tion goal is 50,000 ounces of gold a year, about 4,000 ounces a month. Cur-rently, the company produces 2,000 ounces a month.

Nixon Fork began operating last July and plans to ramp up to full pro-duction this summer. Its year-round mining program will produce gold-rich copper concentrate and doré bars, with silver as a byproduct. Fire River Gold will try to replenish what is mined on an annual basis by further drilling exploration targets on surface and underground, with the goal of ex-tending the life of the operation.

The company soon will release data about 2010 and 2011 drilling results.

With the price of gold rising above $1,500 an ounce and expected to con-tinue climbing, the mine became a financially viable acquisition for Fire River Gold.

“It is a fly in, fly out only,” Lafleur said. “That creates some boundaries for some people. It was the right time, right place.”

kensinGtonCoeur Alaska’s Kensington mine,

located in Southeast between Juneau and Skagway, is expected to enter a six-month period where processing levels will be reduced by 50 percent, to ap-proximately 700 tons per day.

This is intended to allow the mine to accelerate underground development, “resulting in more working faces and greater operational flexibility,” accord-ing to a Coeur Alaska third-quarter 2011 release.

The company will also activate an aggressive in-fill drilling program to better define high-grade ore zones and convert existing resources into proven and probable reserves; up-grade and complete construction of several underground and surface fa-cilities and improve the overall safety of the mining operation.

Coeur expects operational effects of its strategy will result in 2012 pro-duction being similar to production in 2011—approximately 85,000 ounces of gold and costs of about $990 per ounce—declining in the second half of the year as production levels increase.

Production levels in 2013 and be-yond are expected to rise to approxi-mately 125,000 to 135,000 ounces at substantially lower operating costs than current levels.

The mine has 238 full-time employ-ees and contributed $44.2 million in sales and $14.5 million in operating cash flow in the third quarter, according to Coeur Alaska. Capital expenditures were $9.2 million.

“2012 is expected to represent a transition year at Kensington as these projects are completed and operat-ing activities resume at increased levels,” said K. Leon Hardy, Coeur Alaska’s chief operating officer. “We recognize that we need to take a step back in the ore production profile in order to advance these initiatives that we expect to ultimately reduce costs and ensure higher, more consistent production levels. “Kensington is an underground operation with one primary portal,” Hardy continued, “which means we will need to cur-tail some ore production in order to advance installations and other work in the mine.” q


TRANSPORTATION

By vanessa orr

RuralLogistics

Multimodal cargo shipments

For the majority of people living in Alaska, making a quick trip to the grocery store for milk or

going to the mall for a new pair of shoes isn’t such a big deal. But for those living in rural Alaska, buying these same commodities requires a lot more work than just driving a short distance to do a little shopping.

Living in the Bush means liv-ing without what most of us take for granted. Whether a family needs gro-ceries, or a business needs fuel, or a construction company needs new equipment, all of these things have to be transported in from outside—and that’s not always easy.

“I’d call us a lifeline—we provide the

medical supplies, food and the equip-ment that people need to be able to live out in rural Alaska,” says Mark Liland, director of sales for Northern Air Cargo. “Anything villages need that we can fit in a plane we’ll carry, and that includes mail, food, household goods, project freight for construction and the oil and gas industries, mining

Rural air cargo carriers address village residents’ diverse shipping needs.

Photo courtesy of Everts Air Cargo


equipment, hazmat and explosives, and even live animals. It runs the gamut.”

“On a scale of one to 10, I’d say that we’re a 10 when it comes to how im-portant we are to rural Alaska,” says Steven Smith, sales manager, Everts Air Cargo. “Not just our company, but any of the air cargo companies that serve the Bush communities. In many cases,

ShawnStation Manager

*

Meet Shawn BjorgenPROUD OF ERA AND HIS TOWN

As a twelve-year Era employee, Shawn knows that working in rural

Alaska has its challenges. But no matter what comes his way, you

can always count on Shawn to provide service with a smile.

“Coming or going, most folks are happy to see us…without Era,

some communities would have no way to connect with the rest of

the world.”

See for yourself how employees like Shawn take care of Alaskans

and make Era Alaska a dependable member of the community.

*5 refers to number of segments flown. Each flown segment earns 10 points. 50 points may be used for a basic, one-way travel award. Ask your local Era Alaska agent for more details.

800-866-8394 | flyera.com

Earn FlyAway Rewards with every flight!


there’s just no other way to get these products to the villages.”

Transporting cargo to rural Alaska often takes more than one mode of transportation, however. Depending on where freight is going, it may be barged in from the Lower 48, flown in from major hubs in Alaska, or even trucked in on highways or ice roads. What seems key to its delivery, how-ever, is that all of the companies that provide these services work together to untangle what in most places would be a logistical nightmare.

you CAn Get there From hereBefore products can be delivered to smaller communities, they need to reach the Last Frontier. Much of what is transported to Alaska comes by barge, through companies such as To-tem Ocean Trailer Express, or TOTE. Now in its 37th year, the fleet sails twice a week from Tacoma to Anchorage, where its cargo is picked up and trans-ported by road and rail to other hubs. It is then transported to outlying villages.

“We ship everything; most of what goes to Alaska goes by water—

groceries, large construction materials, office equipment, military supplies— everything you can imagine,” says Steph-anie Holthaus, vice president of sales and customer service for TOTE. “Our most unusual cargo was live animals; we shipped an entire circus, including the an-imals, to Anchorage, and we’ve shipped reindeer from Anchorage to Tacoma.”

According to Holthaus, TOTE’s ships are designed to ensure speed and safety in harsh winter environments. “Our ships were specifically built for this trade lane,” she says. “They fea-ture covered decks so that cargo is protected from the elements, which results in minimal damage claims. As a roll-on/roll-off operation, all of our

A passenger vehicle awaits air transport to its remote off-road destination.

Phot

o co

urte

sy o

f Eve

rts A

ir C

argo

a M e M b e r o f t h e u k p e a g v i k i Ñ u p i a t c o r p o r a t i o n f a M i l y o f c o M p a n i e s


containers are on chassis or on wheels, which enables us to provide much faster service with no delay in unloading or loading. We have a 99 percent on-time performance record.”

Once cargo arrives in Alaska, it can be flown to other destinations, or in some cases, trucked to where it needs to go. Carlile Transportation Systems, which has been serving the state since 1980, transports goods to six terminals in Alaska, including Kodiak, Seward, Kenai, Anchorage, Fairbanks and Prud-hoe Bay. The company coordinates with air, water and rail carriers to move freight all over the state.

“We ship everything, including a lot of construction materials, oilfield equipment, fuel and other commodi-ties, as well as freeze-and-chill to the Slope,” says Peggy Spittler, director of marketing, Carlile Transportation Systems. “We also carry goods the other way, including a lot of fish to Minnesota and Tacoma.”

With a fleet of 350 tractors, 1,600 pieces of trailering equipment and a brand new dual-laner, Carlile is the largest oversize heavy haul provider in

Alaska. The company also does a lot of work in the Pacific Northwest. “We’ve hauled a quarter of a million pounds up to the Slope through the passes using push trucks,” Spittler says. “When loads are really heavy, we may use up to five push trucks, literally backed up behind one another to push heavy loads over the pass. That takes a lot of teamwork.”

For businesses that are on the road system, using a trucking service can save money. “If these companies had to fly in the fuel and the products we carry, it would be a drastic expense,” Spittler says. “Look at what some of the communities that are not on the road system have to pay for milk, fuel, etc. It’s incredible.”

Rural Alaska residents offloading supplies from large hovercraft on shoreline of Kuskokwim River near Akiak.

©20

12 K

evin

G. S

mith

/Ala

skaS

tock

.com


Carlile also saves customers money through its new e-commerce service, which originally started as its Santa Express program this past winter. “If a company offers free shipping in the Lower 48, customers can have their goods shipped for free to our Tacoma terminal,” Spittler says. “We will put it on trucks, which take about 52 hours to get to Anchorage.” The company will also offer this service in Fairbanks.

Air CArGoGetting products from the larger cities in Alaska to smaller, outlying commu-nities requires the talents of a number of aviation companies, including ACE Air Cargo, Everts Air Cargo and North-ern Air Cargo, among others. ACE Air Cargo, which was established in 1996, travels to 18 different commu-nities daily, including Aniak, Bethel, Dillingham, Illiamna, King Salmon, Kodiak, Cold Bay, Dutch Harbor, Port Heiden, Sand Point, St. George, St. Paul, Chenega, Cordova, Juneau, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Sitka, Tatitlek, Wrangell and Yakutat. The company will also make flag stops (on demand as necessary) in Nelson Lagoon, King Cove, Port Heiden and Togiak, and

recently began offering scheduled pas-senger service to Dutch Harbor.

“We carry anything and every-thing, including hazardous materials,” said Greg Hawthorne, senior director of cargo and passenger operations, ACE Air Cargo. “We’ve also carried lots of animals, including reindeer, grizzly bears, three live buffalo and lots of eagles.”

Because the airline has a 5,500 pound payload, they are often able to put together loads that other airlines that carry payloads of 28,000 to 40,000 pounds can’t. “The planes we fly are very well equipped to get in and out of more rural areas where other com-panies have a hard time,” Hawthorne says. “We have great airplanes, very well equipped with good navigational aids to get out of difficult places. We know how important this cargo is to our customers, so we try really hard to get airplanes to their locations.”

Everts Air Alaska, which was origi-nally established as Tatonduk Flying Service in 1978 in Eagle, provides passenger service to the Interior, as well as cargo service through its sister company Everts Air Cargo. The com-pany flies to 12 major hubs in Alaska,

©20

12 C

hris

Are

nd/A

lask

aSto

ck.c

om

Rural Alaskans taking groceries home via four-wheeler in Buckland, a community in Western Alaska where goods

arrive by barge and plane.


including Nome, Kotzebue, Unalakleet, Emmonak, St. Mary’s, Aniak, Bethel, Dillingham, King Salmon, Iliamna, Fairbanks and Galena, and also offers seasonal service to Deadhorse, as well as charter and flag-stop services.

“Because we have an array of air-craft, including eight DC-6s, two C-46s, two DC-9s, two C-46s, two EMB 120 freighters and two EMB 120 passenger aircraft, we have a lot of flexibility,” Smith says. “We can pretty much land any place with a suitable runway. And if there’s not enough freight to fill a larger aircraft for a flight to Unalakleet, for example, we can take an Embraer.”

In addition to typical cargo, Everts Air has transported 50 reindeer from Kotzebue to Anchorage, as well as dogs and dogsleds, horses, autos, boats and snowmachines. “We recently trans-ported dogs and dogsleds to Unalakleet for the Paul Johnson Memorial 450, and we also support the Iron Dog by mov-ing snowmobiles between Unalakleet and Galena,” Smith says. “We’ve even shipped a whole aircraft in the belly of one of our aircrafts.

“Before we arrange to transport any-thing of size, however, we have to first verify that they can transport it outside the village hub,” he added. “We can get it there, but we need to know that our partners have the capability of mov-ing these items once they arrive. If we can’t do it, we will refer the customer to someone else who can; that’s part of our customer service.”

Northern Air Cargo provides service to 14 major hubs in the state includ-ing Anchorage, Aniak, Barrow, Bethel, Deadhorse, Dillingham, King Salmon, Kodiak, Kotzebue, McGrath, Nome, Red Dog, St. Mary’s and Unalakleet, as well as various flag stops. “I believe that what sets us apart is our longevity,” said Blake Arrington, marketing manager, NAC. “We’ve been doing this for 56 years; we were the first all-cargo airline, and are the largest all-cargo operated airline in the U.S.”

NAC’s fleet of four Boeing 737-200 jets can carry up to 30,000 pounds of payload and provide fast service to state-maintained, paved runways lon-ger than 5,000 feet. “What’s nice about these more modern aircraft is that they are highly efficient and mostly mainte-nance-free,” Liland says.

biGGest ChAllenGeNo matter what type of aircraft, or for that matter, ship or truck is used to transport goods to Alaska and in turn, to rural communities, they all agree that there is one huge challenge they face when providing services to the Bush. “Our number one concern is weather, especially in the winter months, when everything is more affected,” Liland says. “It is a huge factor. The cost of fuel is a challenge for customers, and sometimes the freight itself is difficult as we are

limited by what we can fit in the air-craft, but above all, weather affects us the most.”

“The weather conditions can be a challenge,” Spittler says. “Not just snow or ice, but even earthquakes, ava-lanches and roads washing out.”

No matter what the challenge, how-ever, Alaska’s transportation com-panies are ready and willing to take them on. “What is most important to us is the level of service we provide and the loyalty of our customers,” Smith says. q

OIL & GAS

By mike BraDner

Tactical infrastructureimprovements needed

Alaskans were transfixed by the drama that played out in Nor-ton Sound in early January, as

the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy, the nation’s only operating icebreaker, cut a path through several hundred miles of ice so the Russian tanker M/T Renda could deliver fuel to Nome. The suc-cessful delivery, the first in mid-winter, caught the imagination of the nation, and comparisons were made to the emergency delivery of serum to Nome by dog team to counter an outbreak of infectious disease.

Nome’s situation wasn’t as serious as had been portrayed in the national media because if it were a true emer-gency, fuel delivery by air. However, that would have been complex, costly and potentially hazardous because of the large numbers of fuel flights that would have been required. Fuel is

routinely supplied by air to a few small villages in rural Alaska, but nothing has been attempted on the scale of supplying the 1.5 million gallons Nome needed, which was ultimately deliv-ered by the Renda.

However, the venture illustrates the tenuousness of the Alaska fuel rural sup-ply network. Western Alaska mainly de-pends on tugs and barges to make fuel deliveries during summer, which deal routinely with bad weather, shallow wa-ter, and tricky winds, tides and currents, often in combination with each other. In many locations there are primitive or nonexistent shore facilities.

western AlAskA Fuel FleetTo deal with this, marine fuel suppli-ers have marshaled a fleet of tugs and barges, some of them very special-ized, to take on the seasonal operation.

Crowley, the major company in the rural fuel business, employs about 80 in its operations, which generally run from late March through October. One economic problem facing the industry is that much of the equipment is de-signed for Alaska and can’t be easily moved to other places to work, unlike, for example, cruise ships. That means the equipment can only be used for part of the year, and this built-in inefficiency helps drive up fuel costs.

Weather events and delays are a nor-mal part of this business too. Nome’s final fuel delivery by barge was blocked by a fierce, hurricane-strength winter storm in the Bering Sea, which created the need for the unprecedented mid-winter delivery. The delayed shipment to Nome captured the nation’s atten-tion, but delays of two weeks or more in barge fuel deliveries brought about

Crowley Marine tug and fuel barge at Barrow in late summer, 2011. This equipment is typical of what is used by Crowley Marine Services on its rural Alaska fuel deliveries.


Photo courtesy of Crowley Marine Services

by fall storms isn’t all that unusual.Here’s an illustration of the routine

complexities of the rural fuel business that drives up costs. The waters off Kot-zebue are shallow. Companies bring fuel in large barges as close to shore as possible, then transfer it to smaller, shallow-draft “lightering” barges to get it to shore. For delivery to small com-munities upriver, fuel must be reloaded again into smaller river barges. Loading and unloading three times is one reason gasoline costs $7 and $8 a gallon in many villages. In some communities the prices are $10 a gallon.

Hooper Bay, in the Yukon-Kuskow-kim Delta, presents a different kind of challenge. The river channels provid-ing access to the community of more than 1,000 are so narrow and shallow that fuel must be delivered by smaller barges and in small batches. These are typically spread out across three or four deliveries through a summer. It would be much more economical for the com-munity if one large shipment could be made, but access to the community is too constricted.

In many places there are no docks, and hardly anything else. At Savoonga and Gambell on remote Saint Lawrence Island, and at Diomede in the Bering Straits, a hose must be extended from a barge anchored offshore to the shore and across the beach to the fuel tanks. The barge is double-anchored and is se-cure, but the hose laid across the beach always presents challenges. In some other locations the fuel barge must be landed directly on the gravel beaches, something the U.S. Coast Guard does not allow anywhere else than in Alaska. Despite these problems, spills and ac-cidents are rare, testimony to the skills of the vessel crews and captains.

Two companies, Crowley and Delta Western, supply most fuel in the region. A new company in the field is Vitus Marine, which coordinated the winter supply and Russian tanker operation to Nome. Much of the fuel delivered to Western Alaska comes from the Tesoro refinery near Kenai, where it is loaded and shipped by barge. Some fuel for Western Alaska also comes from the Flint Hills refin-ery in Fairbanks and is shipped by rail to Anchorage, where it is loaded on barges. Some also comes from the


OIL & GAS SERVICESFOR OUR ALASKA CLIENTS

2000 W. INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT RD, STE D-3ANCHORAGE, AK • PHONE: 907.243.6300www.shawgrp.com

27M012012D

From system engineering and permitting support to leak detection and repair (LDAR), Shaw offers a wide range of industry-leading services for Alaska’s oil and gas re� neries.

PERMITTING

REGULATORY COMPLIANCE

SYSTEM/GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

PIPING


Petro Star refinery in Valdez, although Petro Star mainly serves the marine fuel markets in Kodiak and Unalaska.

There are “mainline” hauls to com-munities which are major fuel hubs—near Naknek, Bethel, Dillingham and Nome—and a typical barge load on mainline runs are about 3 million gal-lons. Crowley, however, has been able to use much larger barges carrying 6 million to 7 million gallons over the past two years, and may be able to do this again in 2012; using larger barges results in economies of scale, which lowers costs. While direct shipments with larger barges are made to near-the-hub communities, shipments onward are transferred onto smaller lightering barges. Lighterage can become neces-sary for fuel transport for a few hun-dred yards to much longer distances. In Bethel, for example, the fuel must be transferred and moved 100 miles up the Kuskokwim River. Marine transporters are limited to barges drawing about 12 feet in this part of the river.

ChAnGinG system in the interiorIn the Alaskan Interior, the rural fuel distribution system is changing. The M/V Tanana, a towboat built in the 1950s and operated for years by Yutana Barge Lines and later Crowley, was laid up at the end of the 2011 season. Fuel is delivered by truck from the Flint Hills Resources refinery near Fairbanks to Nenana, a 60-mile transit on the Parks Highway. At Nenana the fuel is loaded on barges.

Following the Tanana’s retirement, fuel will still be delivered from Nenana but by the Rampart, a newer towboat. However, Crowley, which supplies the region, will also bring fuel to com-munities on the lower Yukon from the Bering Sea. This is made possible by new Crowley towboats and barges which can navigate very shallow wa-ters such as those in the channels at the mouth of the Yukon. While this means less fuel will be shipped from Nenana, a loss of business for Flint Hills, it also means the barges pushed by the Rampart can go down the river fully loaded, supplying villages along the way. They can then refill in the lower Yukon and come upriver full, serving other communities. By cutting out an empty “backhaul” of barges

there will be lower costs, and custom-ers along the Yukon will benefit.

Fuel storAGe eConomiCsCrowley has large terminals in Bethel, Nome and Kotzebue. Through an agreement with the state other fuel transporters can use these terminals. The company also pays for storage in bulk tanks owned by others in Na-knek and Dillingham, and also operates smaller terminals along the Yukon to serve customers in the Interior river region. There are costs in addition to the lightering that occur all along the chain of delivery, however, including fuel flowage fees at municipal docks and terminal service fees charged at the bulk storage facilities.

The larger customers on the ru-ral fuel chain buy in bulk and enjoy economies. These are typically utilities, schools, local resellers like village stores and other large government fuel us-ers. Commercial and government fuel customers who buy wholesale typically store their fuel in large tanks, and these buyers enjoy economies of scale.

At the retail level in villages, how-ever, these economies are lost because purchases are usually small, and labor and infrastructure costs for the retailer are very high. There is a high cost of inventory—the cost of buying the fuel for storage and carrying the cost until the next delivery, which is typically through a winter. There is also a high credit risk in the retail customer base—people who don’t or can’t pay their bills on time.

Getting the money together to make the annual fuel purchase is always a challenge for small communities, and a community bulk fuel loan program operated by the Alaska Energy Au-thority, a state agency, plays a crucial role in helping small villages finance their purchases. However, each year’s loan must be paid back to the AEA before a new loan can be made. AEA operates the program as a revolving loan fund, which means the annual repayments maintain the liquidity of the fund. Getting the application in on time is important, and after a few small communities missed their fuel deliver-ies because the loans weren’t approved on time, the AEA now monitors things closely, working with the communi-

ties to ensure the paperwork gets in. Barge operators’ schedules are very tight, and on occasion, partial deliveries have been made to communities that couldn’t get the cash together to make the full purchase.

Meanwhile, the timing of the fuel buy plays a critical role in the final price paid by the customers because the price paid for fuel when it is loaded into the barge in Kenai or Anchorage is the price that must be paid typically all winter by the final customer, after delivery and handling costs are added. If oil and fuel prices happen to be high when the fuel is purchased and loaded, the customers are stuck with the high price until the next delivery. On the contrary, if fuel prices happen to be low when the purchases are made, the customers benefit.

Purchases are made periodically through the summer, of course, because there are several deliveries to western Alaska and fuel is purchased as each loading is made. There is a belief that fuel prices usually soften a bit in mid-summer, and that prices for gasoline tend to drop later in the summer or early fall. This creates a temptation for some customers to try and time their purchases to catch these dips in price, if they occur. There’s always a risk that a delayed fuel purchase, in the fall, for example, can risk hitting bad weather and a delayed delivery or even a can-celled delivery, as happened at Nome. It’s all a gamble.

AviAtion in the supply ChAinFuel delivery by air offsets some prob-lems but creates others. It occurs regu-larly now for a few communities now cut off on river delivery, such as in Northwest Alaska where river water levels have been dropping. There are also emergencies, where the barge de-livery is not made because of weather or other problems.

There is a large cost of transporta-tion—flying is more expensive than barging—but one advantage is that be-cause the fuel is purchased in smaller increments as it is delivered through a winter, the customer doesn’t have to pay for the entire year’s supply at once, as happens with barges. Fuel delivered by air is on a “just in time” basis, and there is less working capital required. There


are still problems, however. In a small number of villages where air deliveries are routine the equipment and piping has been installed so that fuel can flow directly from a tanker aircraft to the fuel tanks. However, where there are emer-gency deliveries by air, there is no such infrastructure: Fuel is typically pumped into trucks and then re-pumped from the trucks to the storage tanks. It works, but it is inefficient and costly.

Another problem is that there are only a handful of air operators with planes equipped with tanks for such deliveries. The planes are not large, as they mostly serve remote mining operations or small communities. A fuel emergency in Nome, which would have required a delivery of over a million gallons of fuel, would have outstripped the available capacity of tanker planes. It would have required a large number of flights, too, which always raises concerns for safety.

eFFiCienCy is FeAsibleHowever, it is possible to make the marine fuel system more efficient with selective and strategic improvements in infrastructure, such as docks. What is particularly needed are docks with deeper drafts to reduce the need to use small barges for lightering. Se-lected dredging of channels, to allow deeper-draft barges, would also help. Combined storage on a village level, having the community store fuel for all users, would reduce costs and the risk of small spills. Improvements in pur-chasing procedures, with more bulk fuel purchases, would help.

Many of these improvements are relatively simple, and not hugely ex-pensive. For example, in one coastal community one piling that was in-stalled with a chain allowed the fuel barge a place to tie to securely, elimi-nating the need for the tug to push the barge against the shore with power on to keep it stable.

Gov. Sean Parnell has recognized the importance of basic facility improve-ments in rural coastal communities to provide better access to offshore fisheries. Selective improvements in fuel infrastruc-ture should be added to the list. q

Mike Bradner is publisher of the Alaska Legislative Digest

A New in Remote Site AccessEra

S a f e , P r o f e s s i o n a l , E x p e r i e n c e d & R e a d y t o F l y907 550 8600 • erahelicopters.com


TRANSPORTATION

By susan harrinGton Managing Editor

BERING SEA - The Coast Guard Cutter Healy makes relief cuts in the ice around the Russian-flagged tanker Renda 97 miles south of Nome, Alaska, Jan. 10, 2012. The Healy is the Coast Guard’s only operational polar icebreaker. The Coast Guard regularly conducts icebreaking

activities in the Great Lakes and northern ports of the contiguous U.S. to facilitate the flow of commerce but this Alaska-based operation is a new experience for the crew of Healy. U.S. Coast Guard photo by

Petty Officer 1st Class Sara Francis

IcebreakersImportance in the ArcticThe Healy, the Renda and Vitus Marine

Some may think this story started Nov. 8 last year when a winter storm churned the seas near

Nome so roughly a barge was pre-vented from supplying final shipment of the town’s winter fuel. The storm in early November brought sea ice to Nor-ton Sound by wind and ocean current and prevented the late delivery of 1.6 million gallons of diesel and gasoline ordered last May by Bonanza Fuel to top off the Sitnasuak Native Corp. sub-sidiary’s 3.6 million gallon tank farm near the Port of Nome.

The canceled delivery created a bit of a problem for the 3,600 Nome residents living in the Western Alaska coastal community on Norton Sound. There wouldn’t be enough fuel to make it through the winter.

“They had an issue where an ‘out-side’ company couldn’t complete a de-livery and we found a solution,” Vitus Marine co-founder Mark Smith says. “Two Alaska-based companies solved the problem—an Alaska-centric solu-tion. It took a group of Alaskans that sat down and marshaled the resources to get the job done.”

Those resources turned out to be rather large and encompassing, with in-volvement among federal, state and lo-cal governmental agencies and officials, the Alaska congressional delegation, the U.S. Coast Guard, business and industry. Before delivery was finally made in mid-January, more than two months after the big November storm, the solution to the Nome fuel situation became an international collaboration.

A situation, Smith pointed out, that was a critical resupply and not an emergency. There were two options, he said: they could attempt a marine resupply or they could wait and fly it in by planeload.

eArlier beGinninGsThis story really started in 1935 with a family tug and barge lighterage service founded by Mark Smith’s grandfather. Smith Lighterage Co. covered fuel sales and freight deliveries in Bristol Bay and grew to serve much of Western Alaska, according to Smith, who was born with a relationship to Western Alaska fuel delivery.

Eventually, the family business became part of a larger company,

Northland Holdings Inc., and North-land became part of an even larger company, Australia-based Adsteam Marine Ltd. However, due to mar-ket issues Adsteam had to divest its Northland interests by 2005. In the meantime, Crowley Maritime Corp. had agreed to acquire the assets of Yukon Fuel, Yutana Barge Lines and two other Northland companies, which resulted in a lawsuit being filed by Alaska Village Electric Cooperative Inc., INN Electric Cooperative Inc., Kotzebue Electric Cooperative Inc., Naknek Electric Cooperative Inc., City of Nome d/b/a Nome Joint Utility Sys-tem, Nushagak Electric and Telephone Cooperative Inc., and Unalakleet Val-ley Electric Cooperative. Following that lawsuit, a State of Alaska Consent to Decree requiring Crowley to divest some of its Western Alaska assets to Delta Western Inc. was issued, with the intent of creating competition.

Fast forward five years to 2009 and the creation of Vitus Marine.

“Members of the Alaska Village Electric Cooperative wanted to sta-bilize fuel and transportation costs,” Smith says. “AVEC financed the tugs and barges, and Vitus agreed to sup-ply fuel and operate the vessels under charter for five years.”

Two sets of tugs and barges were built and delivered over the next two years, and in 2011, “although our vessels were late coming out of the shipyard,

Vitus delivered fuel to several utilities in Western Alaska, including Kotze-bue, Nome, Dillingham, Naknek,” Smith added.

He was back in the fuel supply busi-ness in Western Alaska, seemingly born to it.

bACk to the storySmith says he heard in late Novem-ber from Bonanza Fuel manager Scot Henderson that Delta Western hadn’t yet made the Nome delivery. Bottom line: Nome didn’t get their fuel. Smith said he thought of the Russian-flagged tank vessel Renda, a 370-foot, double-hulled, Russian-registered vessel with an ice classification. Smith had looked at the T/V Renda earlier in the year for possible Dutch Harbor deliveries. He knew it had recently undergone a double-hull refit, and thus could le-gally deliver fuel in Alaska. He said the Renda’s owner was contacted about a Nome delivery and they said sure. The “northern router” was on the tail end of their delivery season and had been delivering fuel to the Russian Northern Coast, following Russian ice breakers through up to five feet of sea ice.

By the first week of December, Smith was working with the Alaska Native village corporation Sitnasuak Native Corp. to get a delivery to its subsidiary Bonanza Fuel.

“We were trying to do our best to lay out a contract,” he said. “The challenge


A rare, extremely powerful winter storm hit northwestern Alaska Nov. 8 and 9, 2011, bringing hurricane-force winds, high seas and heavy snow.

This satellite image was taken at 2:45 p.m. Nov. 8.

NASA

Ear

th O

bser

vato

ry im

age

crea

ted

by J

esse

Alle

n, u

sing

data

obt

aine

d fro

m th

e La

nd A

tmos

pher

e Ne

ar re

al-ti

me

Capa

bility

for E

OS

(LAN

CE).


was to keep the customer out of risk if the fuel didn’t arrive.”

Smith and his people at Vitus Ma-rine got busy with the logistics of the op-eration and started making contact with all the parties that would be involved in what was to become the history mak-ing first commercial winter delivery of petroleum through sea ice to Nome.

“Sitnasuak and Vitus Marine in-quired and appealed for support to Lt. Governor Meade Treadwell and the congressional delegation,” Smith says. “John Kotula of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and USGC Captain Jason Fosdick were instrumental in providing regulatory oversight and prevention strategies. Bob King, legislative assistant for Sen. Mark Begich provided a lot of sup-

port as did Bob Walsh from Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s office.”

Sitnasuak announced the contract Dec. 5 last year for Vitus Marine LLC to deliver, via the Renda, the rest of Nome’s winter fuel, approximately1.3 million gallons.

“The Coast Guard has done an excellent job in working with us to execute an innovative and complex solution to the fuel crisis that currently faces the community of Nome,” said Sitnasuak Board Chairman Jason Ev-ans when announcing the contract Dec. 5. “They are currently inves-tigating the use of the Coast Guard icebreaker Healy to ensure the Rus-sian tanker is able to make it through the ice to Nome. We really appreciate their assistance.”

us CoAst GuArd to the resCueThe Healy happened to be on its way home from a seven-month scientific mission in the Arctic Ocean and extended its Alaska stay another month to make sure the Renda made it through the sea ice to Nome. The Seattle-based 420-foot polar icebreaker with 80 crew-members onboard is the country’s larg-est, and only working, icebreaker. The Coast Guard agreed to help, with condi-tions: “The Healy’s participation is con-tingent upon the following four items: the Renda passes the Coast Guard port state control exam, there are no inordi-nate delays, the fuel transfer plans meet federal and state requirements and on scene weather conditions permit safe passage. If all these conditions are met the Healy will assist the Renda’s transit

The Russian-flagged T/V Renda preparing to fuel in Dutch Harbor Jan. 3 for the historic voyage across the frozen Bering Sea to deliver 1.3 million gallons of winter fuel to Nome with an escort by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter

Healy, the Coast Guards only operational polar icebreaker.

Photo by Michail ShestakovCourtesy of Vitus Marine LLC


by breaking ice along the nearly 300 mile route from the ice edge to Nome.”

Capt. Beverly A. Havlik, Command-ing Officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Healy, headed her ship and crew to Dutch Harbor in mid-December. The Renda left its homeport of Valdivostok Dec. 17 and headed to South Korea to load 1 million gallons of No. 1 Arctic grade diesel fuel for the Bonanza Fuel tank farm at the Port of Nome. The next hurdle to clear turned out to be the Jones Act due to another winter storm, this time in northern Japan, preventing the Renda from making a planned stop to load 300,000 gallons of Arctic grade unleaded gasoline after loading diesel in South Korea.

jones ACt wAiverThe Renda could go to Dutch Harbor for the fuel before heading north to Nome, but that would require a Jones Act waiver, which was granted Dec. 30 by Department of Homeland Secu-rity Secretary Janet Napolitano after a positive determination by the U.S. De-partment of Transportation Maritime Administration.

By Jan. 2, both the Healy and Renda were in Dutch Harbor, ready to com-mence. The Renda, captained by Sergey Kopytov, passed Coast Guard inspections Jan. 3 and after loading ~300,000 gallons of unleaded gasoline the ships readied for the journey north to Nome and the Bering Sea winter ice pack. Coming onboard the Renda in Dutch Harbor was Michail Shesta-kov, Vitus Marine supply and logistics manager, who served as Russian inter-preter for the Renda’s captain on the voyage to Nome.

Besides the Jones Act waiver, an amendment to Vitus Marine’s Oil Dis-charge Prevention and Contingency Plan was required by ADEC to “in-clude information specific to the T/V Renda and to cover ice operations,” was also expedited. ADEC shortened the public comment period from 30 days to seven and approved the amendment Jan. 5.

There was an “alignment of interests to make a timely and safe delivery,” Smith said.

The list of stakeholders gives an indi-cation of the sense of involvement and

readiness, and included 22 agencies and offices at the federal, state, regional and local levels.

As the journey got under way, ADEC issued situation reports and the Coast Guard released video and pho-tographs in real time of the progress of the Healy and Renda making their way across the Bering Sea to Nome—first in open water, then through more than 300 miles of the ice pack.

And the whole world tuned in. At least, Smith says, “it is fresh new

ice, not ancient ice,” making it easier

And the whole world

tuned in.


for the Healy to break through and create “leads” for the Renda. Some-times the leads quickly closed due to pressure from the wind and ocean cur-rents, causing the Healy to have to go back to re-open a path through the ice and relieve ice pressure squeezing the Renda. And it wasn’t always a straight path—many times the Healy had to zig zag and circle around in order to for the Renda to progress.

uAF droneDuring this time preparations in Nome included a University of Alaska Fair-banks Geophysical Institute research team. Dr. Andy Mahoney took core samples to measure ice thickness and salinity near the Port of Nome. Profes-sor Greg Walker and a support team deployed an experimental drone that provided still and video images for a mile surrounding the Nome harbor. Smith said the team helped figure out where to park the Healy and Renda, what ice preparation was needed, and

provided real-time mapping of the ice around the port.

Just after midnight Jan. 13, lights from the two ships were visible from Nome, although they were still miles from shore. Once the ships made their final approach on Jan. 14, the Healy parked a mile out due to its draft, and the Renda parked closer in, but still almost 500 yards outside the Nome breakwater. After working on the final approach all day, the vessels stopped all activities and the ice was allowed to refreeze for 12 hours to stabilize the ships before beginning fuel transfer operations.

“It was the most monitored fuel transfer I’ve seen in 35 years—24/7,” Smith says. “It posed a lot of unique challenges and questions, every one of them was new and unusual. We had work crews to coordinate from the Renda, Vitus Marine, Bonanza Fuel, Port of Nome, numerous con-tractors, and at the same time coor-dinate with compliance crews from

ADEC and USCG. The whole team was highly invested in not spilling a drop of fuel.”

On Jan. 15, two, 2,200-foot-long, four-inch fuel lines were attached to valves on the Renda and rolled out to the onshore marine header facili-ties at the port to offload the gasoline and diesel.

‘wAlkinG on the moon’“It looked like they were walking on the moon,” Smith says.

Safety and environmental inspec-tions were performed prior to com-mencement of fuel transfer on Jan. 16.

Meanwhile, as fuel transfer opera-tions were under way, representatives from the National Oceanic and Atmo-spheric Administration and the Coast Guard were in Nome planning the re-turn voyage, including use of an MH-65 helicopter for ice reconnaissance.

The fuel transfer was completed Jan. 19 and the lines were pigged to remove any remaining fuel before being rolled

Greg Walker, with the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, prepares an Aeryon Scout unmanned aerial vehicle at the Nome causeway Jan. 10. Walker is using the UAV drone to gather aerial photos and video of daily

ice conditions in preparation for the planned Nome fuel transfer.

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Charly Hengen

HELPING PRESERVE OUR HERITAGE.

B R I S T O L B A Y N AT I V E C O R P O R AT I O N

www.BBNC.net

It’s Always Been.

I teach our children

the

and our Native dance...

— Ina Bouker, School Teacher

Yup’ik

traditions alive.

languageto keep our


up and returned to the Renda, a pro-cedure that took until the next day. Preparations were made for the Healy and Renda to depart Nome.

“The town of Nome got together as a community and wanted to partici-pate in a meaningful way,” Smith says. “They brought boxes of goodies and hand-knit hats to the Renda crew—third graders made cookies—there was even pizzas delivered.”

The Healy began breaking ice around the Renda for final departure on Jan. 20.

In its final situation report issued Jan. 24, ADEC reported: “The T/V Renda and CGC Healy departed Nome on Saturday, Jan. 21. Currently, both ves-sels are halfway through approximately 360 to 400 miles of sea ice.”

The vessels made it through the ice and reached open water Jan. 29: the Healy headed for Seattle, the Renda for Russia.

The U.S. Coast Guard Base at Pier 36 in Seattle welcomed the Coast Guard Cutter Healy’s arrival Feb. 5 after a deployment lasting 254 days at sea.

The T/V Renda arrived on Feb. 10 at its homeport in Vladivostok on the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East.

whAt’s next?“Development will float all our boats,” Smith says. “Increased resource devel-opment in Western Alaska will keep our fleets busy. We can navigate the ice in winter through the Bering Straits. One little ship to Nome is small potatoes compared to what could be. Look at Russia and Norway, what ice operations means to their countries. Development of Alaska resources is needed to serve our state.”

Historical? Yes. Possible? Yes. Rou-tine? No. Will future village deliveries be made this way?

“Not in this fashion,” Smith says. “No one would choose a winter deliv-ery unless they were desperate. Every year has its unique challenges. Can we offer winter services to other commu-nities? No, not until we’ve developed deepwater ports. The biggest challenge is ports. Hundreds of millions of dol-

lars are spent on airports, not so much on ports. We need aids to navigation, channel dredging, accurate mapping and substantial government investment in order to develop safe places to dock ships and barges.”

As with many firsts and significant endeavors, there is an opportunity for knowledge.

“What I learned is that through co-operative effort you can do something you might not be able to imagine pos-sible to do otherwise,” Smith said. “A lot of folks got together and made the operation happen—Vitus, Sitnasuak, the Coast Guard, crews of NOAA and National Weather Service. There was a lot of support.

“It was just about out of the box in every conceivable manner,” Smith added. “All the participants were will-ing to take some risks, but did not want to be wildly cavalier, that was understood. Safety and spill preven-tion were critically important. Truly this exercise demonstrates the results you can get when you have alignment of interests.” q

The Coast Guard Cutter Healy cuts through the sea ice to escort the Russian-flagged tanker Renda across the Bering Sea.

Photo by Michail Shestakov Courtesy of Vitus Marine LLC

MagTec Alaska, LLC


Equipment, maintenance and project support from beginning to end


Ryan Peterkin, co-owner of MagTec Alaska, has seen

extraordinary growth in his company since he be-gan operations in 2008. With locations in Kenai and Deadhorse, this full service company provides equip-ment rental and project support to companies oper-ating in the Cook Inlet and North Slope oil fields.

Beyond the traditional oil field equipment rentals such as portable heaters, gen-erators, light plants, man lifts, and zoom booms, MagTec provides a wide range of spe-cialized portable buildings and fit-for-purpose job site buildings and equipment.

Roger Wilson, North Slope opera-tions manager for MagTec says, “We take a proactive approach to equipment rentals. Full service project support means providing top quality equipment to the job site complete with person-nel capable of servicing and maintain-ing the equipment onsite. This cradle to grave approach to service ensures our customers are able to complete their projects efficiently and with the best equipment available.”

Growth for MagTec took a signifi-cant upswing as business development and operations on the North Slope in-creased. Supporting projects for Eni Petroleum at Oliktok Point and other prominent locations, MagTec built a presence in Deadhorse that includes a new shop on a 6.5 acre pad, a 50-man single-status camp, 12 full-time rotating positions, and a fleet of over 200 new heavy duty Ford pickup trucks.

Wilson brings to his position at Mag-Tec 37 years of experience working on the North Slope. A Barrow high school graduate, his familiarity with logistics in the Arctic makes him a valuable as-set in providing unique and specialized service to their clients across Alaska. “People need specialty equipment for their individualized projects. We help locate, transport and maintain that equipment onsite for our clients in the harshest conditions Alaska has to offer,” says Wilson.

By increasing the variety of specialty equipment available to their clients, Mag-Tec outperforms other leasing companies. “We work with our clients to identify their specific needs. Whether it is an outdoor building complete with toilet facilities or a 2 megawatt generator to support power requirements on a drill site, we can make it happen,” Wilson adds.

And when that equipment requires servicing or repair, MagTec’s experienced staff is available on site to provide fast

response, enabling compa-nies to get back to their op-erations quickly, safely and efficiently. “No other leasing company on the North Slope provides this value added service,” says Wilson. “This proactive approach to equip-ment staffing is what makes us a leader in what we do at MagTec.”

While a large percentage of operations happen on the North Slope, MagTec also has a significant presence on the Kenai Peninsula sup-porting Cook Inlet drilling operations. Wilson says, “Our company originally began in Kenai and we have not forgot-

ten the value of the projects in the area as well as the potential for future growth in oil and gas development in Cook Inlet. We are pleased to be increasing our busi-ness lines on the North Slope, but we have never forgotten our loyalty to our Kenai client base.”

For more information contactRoger WilsonNorth Slope Operations ManagerMagtec Alaska LLCPouch 340024Prudhoe Bay, Alaska [email protected](907) 394-6350


HEALTH & MEDICINE

By JoDy ellis-knaPP

You think of it as something that can only happen to elderly people, or people who are

extremely unhealthy. You think your risk is low because you are under 50 or because you’ve cut down significantly on that smoking habit. To some de-gree, you’re right, but strokes—while a higher risk to those over the age of 55—can happen to anyone. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, there are more than 700,000 strokes each year in the United States, and it is the third leading cause of death in the country. Women are at higher risk than men, but men are more likely to have strokes at a young age than women.

Scary statistics, especially when most of us in the general public have a lim-ited knowledge about strokes and why they happen. But there are risk factors that are important to consider, health changes that can be made, and warning signs that can predict an impending stroke or identify one occurring. Early detection and treatment, as well as pre-ventative care, can not only help those in recovery from a stroke, but also can give us all a chance to keep strokes at bay and maintain a healthier lifestyle.

whAt hAppensA stroke occurs when the blood sup-ply to part of your brain is interrupted or reduced, depriving the brain tissue of oxygen and food. Brain cells begin dying immediately making a stroke a medical emergency. According to

Catherine McVey, director of Critical Care Services and Stroke Program Co-ordinator at Alaska Regional Hospital, almost 90 percent of strokes are what are called “ischemic strokes,” a result of the arteries to the brain being nar-rowed or blocked. The strokes can be classified as thrombotic or embolic. A thrombotic stroke is caused by a blood clot forming in one of the arteries that supply blood to the brain, while an em-bolic stroke occurs when a clot forms in blood vessels away from the brain (commonly in the heart) and is swept through the bloodstream to lodge in the brain arteries.

Sometimes referred to as a “mini-stroke”, a transient ischemic attack is yet another type of stroke, caused by a temporary decrease in blood flow to the brain. Mini-strokes are usually caused by a clot or plaque and most last about five minutes. Many people don’t find out until long after the fact that the stroke even occurred. These mini-strokes put them at a higher risk for a major stroke.

whyChronic health conditions, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and smoking are all contribu-tors to strokes. “No one is immune,” McVey says, “but strokes happen most often to those over age 55 with high-risk health issues.”

Symptoms can be subtle, but should never be ignored. “If you notice numb-ness, tingling, or weakness affecting

one side of your body, sudden changes in vision or balance, change in cogni-tion, loss of speech or comprehension, call 911,” says Erica Coady, Ph.D., a neuropsychologist with Providence Behavioral Medicine Group. “The thing that makes a stroke so devastat-ing is that brain tissue is exquisitely sensitive to any type of disruption, which is why an individual having a stroke will typically begin showing signs almost immediately.”

According to the National Stroke Association, 2 million brain cells die every minute during a stroke, increas-ing the risk of permanent disability or death. Acting as fast as possible is im-perative, in order to minimize damage to the brain.

survivinGProvidence Alaska Medical Center has a strong team to work with stroke survivors. “I’ve worked in a number of rehabilitation settings in the Lower 48,” Coady says. “I’m impressed with the quality and comprehensiveness of the care Providence offers. The team includes top-notch physicians, a su-perb nursing staff, well trained occupa-tional and physical therapists, speech and language pathologists, dieticians, spiritual care, as well as my role as a neuropsychologist.”

Therapy and treatments vary, based on the severity of the stroke. Depending on the location of the stroke, differ-ent functions may be affected. Some strokes affect motor functioning on one

StrokeScience


side of the body, while others might impact memory and thinking abilities. “Therapy may involve work with a physical therapist to improve strength and coordination in the case of mo-tor function impairment,” Coady says, “or speech and cognitive therapists if there are memory issues. A stroke can also cause emotional and behavioral changes, another area of stroke medi-cine we address.”

new treAtmentsProvidence is a designated site for the Crystal AF (Cryptogenic stroke and un-derlying atrial fibrillation) clinical trial being conducted internationally by Medtronic Inc. “Previous clinical trials have shown that a heart condition called atrial fibrillation may be the cause of a stroke,” said Christie Artuso, director of Neuroscience Services. “The clinical trial randomizes eligible patients to either a control group or a continuous monitor-ing group. Patients are randomly placed in either group. Those in the continu-ous monitoring group are monitored for previously undiagnosed atrial fibrillation through a small implanted device that detects cardiac rhythm problems.”

Alaska Regional Hospital is also on the cutting edge of stroke treatment and rehabilitation. They were certified as a stroke center in 2007, the first in the state, and recertified in both 2009 and 2011. Alaska Regional’s stroke cen-ter consists primarily of two units, the Critical Care Unit and the Progressive Care Unit. “All stroke patients go to one of these two units,” McVey says. “The nurses there are specifically trained to care for stroke patients.”

Alaska Regional is the only hospital in the state to provide endovascular coil-ings, a minimally invasive procedure to treat aneurysms, and offers treatment for stroke patients from the Emergency Department through the Rehabilita-tion Department. Other treatments include thrombolytic therapy, which is considered best for those patients treated within a three- to four-hour win-dow. Hemorrhagic strokes sometimes respond to interventional radiology treatments and endovascular coilings.

reduCinG riskBoth Providence and Alaska Regional emphasize that the proverbial ounce

of prevention is the most important way to deal with the issue of strokes. “The most important thing you can do is reduce your cholesterol, watch your blood pressure and treat it if it is high, reduce obesity and stop smok-ing,” McVey says.

“We all have a few bad habits, but it’s never too late to modify them.” Coady says. “Sometimes even making one or two small changes in your routine can decrease your chance of stroke. Talk to your doctor if you have questions. As a neuropsychologist, the behavioral con-tributions to disease interest me—there is a lot of research about therapeutic interventions that can potentially re-duce the risk of stroke.”

reCoveryRecovery rates depend upon the in-dividual and severity of the stroke. “Our medical team assesses exactly what areas of function have been af-fected and based on that information, tailor a rehabilitation program to the person’s needs,” Coady says. “I think it is important for someone who has had a stroke to be evaluated as soon

as possible. Our brains tend to recover more quickly in the months immedi-ately following an injury.”

While some stroke patients can have almost a full recovery, for others it is a matter of a little bit of recovery and then learning new strategies for living with the impairments caused by the stroke.

“I would add that if a stroke pa-tient or a family member is concerned about any changes in cognition, he or she should ask the doctor about a neuropsychological evaluation,” Coady says.

Devastating as they might be, strokes should not necessarily be considered a death knell, and many people go on to live full and active lives.

“In dealing with a stroke,” Coady says, “it is important to find a good comprehensive stroke rehabilitation team to help manage your care. It is also important to utilize the support services of one’s family and commu-nity connections. Social and familial support are known to be some of the strongest predictors of functional re-covery after stroke.” q

Proud to be Alaska’s Medical Home for over 40 Years(907) 279-8486 • 1(888) 382-8486

• General Medicine• Immediate Care• Aesthetic Services• Women’s Health• Men’s Health

2211 E. Northern Lights Blvd.• Children’s Health• Occupational Health• On-Site Lab• Digital Radiology• Insurance Billing

Our patients always see a doctor

Same Day and Walk In Appointments Available

20 09

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

4.6x4.8 MPFC AKbusmo AD.pdf 1 1/10/12 1:40 PM


Compiled By Nancy Pounds

DINING •••

A promotion pitching Anchorage eateries has dished up healthy benefits for participating businesses. Anchorage

Downtown Partnership’s 100 Days of Downtown Dining program features sticker-collection cards for frequent diners in 20 Downtown restaurants. Restaurant gift certificates are awarded to people earning 6, 12 or 20 stickers.

The event, which began Jan. 21, continues through April 30. A grand prize drawing from all completed cards presents a spa package, a night at the Hotel Captain Cook and other prizes.

Anchorage Downtown Partnership began the program in 2008 to draw diners to eateries during winter months No-vember through April, said Christopher Schutte, executive director. Winter Wednesday Dining Downtown showcased restaurants’ midweek specials.

Organizers revamped the program in 2010 to its current structure, Schutte said. Diners earn one sticker per restaurant per visit.

“The loyalty reward program was a huge success in its first year, so much so that ADP decided to continue the program the following year and expand it to include more restaurants and prizes,” Schutte said.

In 2010, more than 7,000 stickers were handed out to participating diners. Organizers tallied more than $85,000 in estimated sales to 16 participating restaurants in 2010. The program expanded in 2011. Twenty eateries participated last year. Estimated sales from the program topped $156,000, Schutte said.

This year’s restaurants include Ginger, ORSO, Sack’s Café and Simon and Seaforts. For a complete list, visit www.anchoragedowntown.org. •••

Frequent Downtown Diners Tally Awards

ALASKA THIS MONTH

The promotion runs through April 30.

Phot

o by

Osc

ar A

vella

neda


ENTERTAINMENT •••

ALASKA THIS MONTH

The Alaska Botanical Garden’s Sixth Annual Spring Gar-den Conference cultivates gardeners’ dreams of sum-

mertime. Gardeners in Southcentral can anticipate prolific homegrown harvests due to this winter’s record snowfall. This event, entitled “Cultivating Community,” will feature Alaskan garden experts presenting a variety of gardening top-ics, including foraging for wild edible plants, growing dahlias, beneficial insects, season extension, and growing herbs and vegetables in containers, and more.

The conference is March 9-10 at the University of Alaska Anchorage Consortium Library. Friday’s program features the Alaska Botanical Garden’s annual meeting and a lecture from keynote speaker Eliot Coleman. Coleman is the author of “The New Organic Grower” and “The Winter Harvest Handbook.” He and his wife, writer and gardener Barbara Damrosch, own and operate Four Season Farm, an experi-mental market farm in Harborside, Maine. Alaska gardening specialists Verna Pratt and Jeff Lowenfels are scheduled to speak at the Saturday session.

The Alaska Botanical Garden, a 110-acre site featuring area plants in a birch-forest setting, is located at 4601 Campbell Airstrip Road. Those interested in helping with this year’s garden spring cleanup can volunteer by contacting the Alaska Botanical Garden. This year’s spring cleanup is set for March 15-18. Online registration is available at www.alaskabg. org/events. •••

Garden Conference HeraldsPlanning Season

An herb garden at the Alaska Botanical Garden.

Phot

o by

Bar

bara

Mille

r


Compiled By Nancy Pounds

TRAVEL •••

This year’s Iditarod Sled Dog Race boasts a roster of impos-ing champions and features the return from retirement of

past winner Jeff King. The race begins Saturday, March 3 with the Anchorage ceremonial start at 10 a.m. Seventy mushers, including 17 rookies, will run the 20-mile stretch from Fourth Avenue and D Street to the wooded Campbell Airstrip. The restart is Sunday, March 4 in Willow.

Last year’s winner, John Baker, will defend his title against consecutive four-time champion Lance Mackey and other champs Martin Buser, Mitch Seavey and Rick Swenson. Swen-son is the Iditarod’s only five-time winner. Four-time winners lining up again this year are Buser, King and Mackey. The 2012 Iditarod also features the return of Buser’s son, Rohn, 22, who first ran the Iditarod in 2008. He ran the Junior Iditarod four times, winning in 2007.

Trail conditions are always a factor in determining the winner. This year, Alaska towns have experienced extreme cold and record snowfall, which can provide both challenges and benefits to this year’s mushers.

Prime viewing spots in Anchorage include downtown streets, the Chester Creek trails or Goose Lake Park. The site of Saturday’s finish at Campbell Airstrip and the Bureau of Land Management facility features shuttle bus service from nearby parking sites and offers viewing along birch-lined trails.

The awards banquet is set for March 18 at the Nome Rec-reation Center.

For more information, visit www.iditarod.com. •••

ALASKA THIS MONTH

Iditarod Boasts Pack of Champions

Newton Marshall’s lead dogs running during the 2011 Iditarod Ceremonial Start in Anchorage the first Saturday in March.

©20

12 M

ike C

riss/

Alas

kaSt

ock.

com

EVENTS CALENDAR

ANCHORAGE 2/24-3/4 AnchorageFurRendezvousCelebrating winter like nowhere else! Alaska’s largest and oldest winter festival features tons of fun events. Zany events include outhouse races, snowshoe softball and the Running of the Reindeer, a mass dash down Fourth Avenue with sprinting caribou giving chase. These are just a few of the delights in store at “Rondy” 2012. Times vary and events are held at locations around the State. furrondy.net

2-3 OthellowithspecialguestsfromPacificNorthwestBallet

The premiere non-profit dance company in Alaska presents its 2011-2012 season! Exceptional concerts of exquisite dancing come to life. Celebrate our 30th anniversary season-- four wonderful productions in store this season. Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, 7:30 p.m. alaskapac.centertix.net

3 IditarodTrailSledDogRaceCeremonialStartCome get started! World-class mushers and their dog teams mush toward the Bering Sea coast through rugged remote mountain ranges and snowcapped forests in the “Last Great Race on Earth.” Anchorage. Time: 10 a.m. and held downtown Anchorage. iditarod.com

3 TheAnchorageSymphonypresentsGreatOpera-tunityNearly 200 vocalists join the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra for the most dramatic and compelling music written for the opera stage. The choruses of Mozart, Verdi, Mussorgsky and more spark the imagination, bringing magnificent battles, huge celebrations and tremendous processionals to life through music. Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, 8 p.m. anchoragesymphony.org

4 25thAnnualTourofAnchorageRush hour takes on a whole new meaning! Glide into a pair of skis, grab some poles and be a part of North America’s longest running and largest citizen’s ski racing and touring series and designed for all abilities. 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. tourofanchorage.com

23-25 PirateTalesJoin Anchorage’s favorite storytellers and balladeers as they bring to life the adventures of the world’s most famous pirates and seafarers such as Blackbeard, Calico Jack Rackham, and Captain Hook. This is a toe-tapping, sing-a-long good time for the whole family! Alaska Pacific University, Friday, 7 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday, 3 p.m. ticketturtle.com

3/29-4/1 TheGreatAlaskaSportsmanShowThe social event of the spring season in Alaska! Featuring speakers, vendors, fly tying workshops, casting clinics for women and girls, book signings and more. greatalaskasportsmanshow.com

31 LilyTomlinThe incomparable Lily Tomlin brings many of her classic characters to life in a one-woman show. One of America’s foremost comediennes, Tomlin continues to venture across an ever-widening range of media starring in television, theater, motion pictures, and even animation. Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. alaskapac.centertix.net

FAIRBANKS 19-24 23rdBiennialAlaskaMinersAssociationConference:Exploring technologies & challenges for mining in cold climates, includes technical sessions, banquet mining product and services trade show daily breakfast and luncheon speakers, and Alaska resource education raffle with prizes. Westmark Fairbanks Hotel & Conference Center, 8:30 a.m. arcticminers.org.

JUNEAU 3/9-4/1 PerseveranceTheatre’s“ARaisinintheSun”In one of the greatest domestic dramas about the American Dream, four generations face the cost of dreams deferred and struggle with the decision to move out of a Chicago ghetto. Juneau Arts & Culture Center. perseverancetheatre.org

18-24 66thGoldMedalBasketballTournamentWatch the teams from throughout Southeast Alaska meet in Juneau for a tradition-rich tournament filled with rivalries and community pride. Juneau Douglas High School Gymnasium, various start times. goldmedalbasketball.org/.

23-25 SEAlaskaSports&RecreationShowThree days of informative exhibits, product demonstrations and sales, and workshops designed for the Southeast Alaska sport, rec-reation and outdoor enthusiast. Centennial Hall Convention Center. traveljuneau.com/events/.

NOME?? IditarodFinishMain Street, Nome. iditarod.com

18 IditarodAwardsBanquetRecreation Center, 3 p.m. iditarod.com

SEWARD Every Friday StoryTimeYouth events (especially) for children ages 3 through 6 and their care-givers. Stories, music, games, activities. Held at the Seward Community Library, 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., free. Contact: 907-224-4010

SITKA 2-10 Arti-GrasFeaturing regional artists, musicians, live music, workshops, gallery walk, and a Wearable Art Show. Various locations and times. artigras.info

1-31 HerringFisheryOpeningHerring gather and spawn in Sitka waters, turning the Alaska blue waters a milky green! The exact date of the opening is announced by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Contact: 907-747-5940

WASILLA 23-25 MatSuOutdoorsmanShowCome and see what is new for the Outdoorsman! Produced by: Chinook Shows Held at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center. chinookshows.com q


AlAskA Trends hAs been broughT To you This monTh courTesy of AmericAn mArine/Penco

Alaska Trends, an outline of significant statewide statistics, is provided by the University of Alaska Center for Economic Development.

The United States Bu-reau of Labor Sta-

tistics publishes data on Alaskan work-related inju-ries, illnesses and fatalities for 2003 to 2010. While every job has a risk of in-juries, illnesses and fatality, Alaskans hold many pro-fessions with higher risks than others. Commercial fishing, construction and motor vehicle operation have the highest number of fatalities making up 27 percent, 9.89 percent and 6.46 percent of total Alas-kan work-related fatalities respectively.

The graph shows the number of work-related cases of injury and illness per 10,000 full-time em-ployees involving one or more days away from work and total work-related fatalities from 2003-2010. The rate of injury and illness decreases significantly with a high in 2003 of 253.8 and a low in 2010 of 166.8. Fatalities do not

show a significant decrease. Data for 2010 is preliminary and could be overly pessimistic towards fatalities, yet the real explanation for fatalities not decreasing similarly to the rate of injuries and illnesses is unknown. q

Alaska Work-Related Injuries Illnesses and Fatalities2003 – 2010

SOURCE: United States Bureau of Labor Statistics: Injuries, Illnesses and Fatalities: www.bls.gov/iif/

By Paul DavidsonALASKA TRENDS


Year Over Year

Change

YearAgo

Period

Previous ReportPeriod(revised)

Latest Report PeriodPeriodUnitsIndicator

GENERAL Personal Income – Alaska US $ 3rd Q11 32,574 32,564 31,751 2.59%Personal Income – United States US $ 3rd Q11 12,953,429 12,934,733 12,441,541 4.11%Consumer Prices – Anchorage 1982-1984 = 100 1st H11 200.28 195.46 194.834 2.79%Consumer Prices – United States 1982-1984 = 100 1st H11 223.60 218.58 217.535 2.79%Bankruptcies Alaska Total Number Filed November 72 98 73 -1.37% Anchorage Total Number Filed November 51 74 54 -5.56% Fairbanks Total Number Filed November 11 16 13 -15.38%

EMPLOYMENT Alaska Thousands November 340.08 341.47 331.36 2.63%Anchorage & Mat-Su Thousands November 189.91 188.92 186.84 1.64%Fairbanks Thousands November 44.76 45.14 43.60 2.67%Southeast Thousands November 36.16 36.65 35.05 3.16%Gulf Coast Thousands November 35.56 36.38 33.66 5.66%Sectorial Distribution – Alaska Total Nonfarm Thousands November 318.0 327.2 317.9 0.03% Goods Producing Thousands November 38.5 44.0 39.2 -1.79% Services Providing Thousands November 279.5 283.2 278.7 0.29% Mining and Logging Thousands November 16.6 16.8 15.8 5.06% Mining Thousands November 16.1 16.4 15.5 3.87% Oil & Gas Thousands November 13.6 13.6 13.0 4.62% Construction Thousands November 14.5 174.0 14.7 -1.36% Manufacturing Thousands November 7.4 9.8 8.7 -14.94% Seafood Processing Thousands November 3.6 4.8 5.2 -30.77% Trade/Transportation/Utilities Thousands November 62.4 63.1 61.7 1.13% Wholesale Trade Thousands November 6.0 6.1 6.0 0.00% Retail Trade Thousands November 35.8 35.9 35.1 1.99% Food & Beverage Stores Thousands November 6.1 6.2 6.2 -1.61% General Merchandise Stores Thousands November 10.7 10.5 9.9 8.08% Trans/Warehouse/Utilities Thousands November 20.6 21.1 20.6 0.00% Air Transportation Thousands November 5.4 5.7 5.6 -3.57% Truck Transportation Thousands November 3.5 3.5 3.1 12.90% Information Thousands November 6.5 6.5 6.4 1.56% Telecommunications Thousands November 4.4 4.5 4.3 2.33% Financial Activities Thousands November 14.9 15.1 15.2 -1.97% Professional & Business Svcs Thousands November 26.2 26.9 25.7 1.95% Educational & Health Services Thousands November 43.8 43.9 43.0 1.86% Health Care Thousands November 31.9 32.0 30.9 3.24% Leisure & Hospitality Thousands November 29.3 30.5 28.9 1.38% Accommodation Thousands November 5.6 5.3 6.2 -9.68% Food Svcs & Drinking Places Thousands November 19.9 20.7 17.2 15.70% Other Services Thousands November 11.1 11.3 11.6 -4.31% Government Thousands November 85.3 85.9 86.2 -1.04% Federal Government Thousands November 15.9 16.5 16.3 -2.45% State Government Thousands November 26.5 26.6 26.5 0.00% State Education Thousands November 8.7 8.6 8.5 2.35% Local Government Thousands November 42.9 42.8 43.4 -1.15% Local Education Thousands November 25.3 25.1 25.2 0.40% Tribal Government Thousands November 3.8 3.9 3.9 -2.56%Labor Force Alaska Thousands November 366.36 366.43 359.40 1.94% Anchorage & Mat-Su Thousands November 202.31 201.03 200.75 0.78% Fairbanks Thousands November 47.78 47.98 46.80 2.10% Southeast Thousands November 39.00 39.32 38.06 2.47% Gulf Coast Thousands November 39.10 39.50 37.38 4.59%

ALASKA TRENDS


Data compiled by University of Alaska Center for Economic Development.

Year Over Year

Change

YearAgo

Period

Previous ReportPeriod(revised)

LatestReportPeriodPeriodUnitsIndicator

Unemployment Rate Alaska Percent November 7.2 6.8 7.8 -7.69% Anchorage & Mat-Su Percent November 6.1 6 6.9 -11.59% Fairbanks Percent November 6.3 5.9 6.8 -7.35% Southeast Percent November 7.3 6.8 7.9 -7.59% Gulf Coast Percent November 9 7.9 10 -10.00%United States Percent November 8.2 8.5 9.3 -11.83%

PETROLEUM/MINING Crude Oil Production – Alaska Millions of Barrels November 17.79 17.54 18.19 -2.15%Natural Gas Field Production – Alaska Billions of Cubic Ft. November 9.64 9.17 11.66 -17.33%ANS West Cost Average Spot Price $ per Barrel November 115.67 110.85 83.93 37.82%Hughes Rig Count November Alaska Active Rigs November 7 9 7 0.00% United States Active Rigs November 2011 2017 1683 19.49%Gold Prices $ Per Troy Oz. November 1,737.48 1,666.55 1,370.84 26.75%Silver Prices $ Per Troy Oz. November 33.08 31.97 26.54 24.64%Zinc Prices Per Pound November 0.96 0.93 NO DATA #VALUE!

REAL ESTATE Anchorage Building Permit Valuations Total Millions of $ November 20.92 17.41 12.80 63.50% Residential Millions of $ November 3.42 7.36 2.94 16.40% Commercial Millions of $ November 17.50 10.05 9.86 77.54%Deeds of Trust Recorded Anchorage – Recording District Total Deeds November 1044 1059 1,270 -17.80%

VISITOR INDUSTRY Total Air Passenger Traffic – Anchorage Thousands November NO DATA 363.12 338.47 #VALUE!Total Air Passenger Traffic – Fairbanks Thousands November 60.93 66.04 64.84 -6.03%

ALASKA PERMANENT FUND Equity Millions of $ November 38,566.00 39,002.20 37,002.60 4.23%Assets Millions of $ November 39,069.30 39,513.90 37,405.40 4.45%Net Income Millions of $ November 105.2 87.3 117.8 -10.70%Net Income – Year to Date Millions of $ November (517.7) 1,962.4 ($353.5) -46.45%Marketable Debt Securities Millions of $ November (108.3) 122.4 -142.8 24.16%Real Estate Investments Millions of $ November (5.60) 71.5 20.5 -127.32%Preferred and Common Stock Millions of $ November (462.9) 1,677.3 (299.2) -54.71%

BANKING (excludes interstate branches) Total Bank Assets – Alaska Millions of $ 3rd Q11 2,105.62 2,050.03 2,068.99 1.77% Cash & Balances Due Millions of $ 3rd Q11 49.64 51.85 37.35 32.91% Securities Millions of $ 3rd Q11 156.23 158.58 131.40 18.90% Net Loans and Leases Millions of $ 3rd Q11 1,097.05 1,098.51 1,110.96 -1.25% Other Real Estate Owned Millions of $ 3rd Q11 7.05 6.21 15.76 -55.26%Total Liabilities Millions of $ 3rd Q11 1,847.06 1,796.24 1,823.80 1.28% Total Bank Deposits – Alaska Millions of $ 3rd Q11 1,800.05 1,756.69 1,785.53 0.81% Noninterest-bearing deposits Millions of $ 3rd Q11 543.72 643.96 479.89 13.30% Interest- bearing deposits Millions of $ 3rd Q11 1,256.33 1,114.74 1,305.64 -3.78%

FOREIGN TRADE Value of the Dollar In Japanese Yen Yen November 77.52 76.62 82.45 -5.98% In Canadian Dollars Canadian $ November 1.02 1.02 1.01 1.19% In British Pounds Pounds November 0.63 0.63 0.63 0.99% In European Monetary Unit Euro November 0.74 0.73 0.73 0.78% In Chinese Yuan Yuan November 6.36 6.38 6.65 -4.46%

ALASKA TRENDS



A d v e r t i s e r s i n d e x

Able Body Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Alaska Air Cargo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61Alaska Dreams Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46Alaska Housing Finance Corp. AHFC. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Alaska Marine Highway System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80Alaska Media Directory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71Alaska Process Industry Career Consortium . . . . . . 41Alaska Rubber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57Alaska Traffic Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Alaska USA Federal Credit Union. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73Ameresco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24American Fast Freight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89American Marine/PENCO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111Anchorage Chrysler Dodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109Anchorage Opera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107Anchorage Sand & Gravel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Arctic Office Products (Machines) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76Arctic Slope Telephone Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79AT&T Alaska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Azimuth Adventure Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Bell Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43Boart Longyear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83Bowhead Transport Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88Bristol Bay Native Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101Business Insurance Associates Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Calista Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25, 27Carlile Transportation Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Chris Arend Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114Cloud49 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79Construction Machinery Industrial LLC. . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Crowley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Cruz Construction Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Design Alaska. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Donlin Gold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Dowland-Bach Corp.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47EDC Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68Emerald Alaska. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69ERA ALASKA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87ERA Helicopters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95ESS Support Services/ESS Labor Services. . . . . . . 24Fairbanks Convention and Visitors Bureau. . . . . . . . 18Fairweather LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33First National Bank Alaska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Fountainhead Hotels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20GCI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Golden Valley Electric Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84Granite Construction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Great Originals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95Green Star Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71Holmes Weddle & Barcott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Judy Patrick Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70Kendall Ford Wasilla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55Kinross Fort Knox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99Lynden Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115MagTec Alaska LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103Medical Park Family Care Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105Microcom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29MT Housing Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51N C Machinery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59NALCO Energy Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Native American Bank NA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75NCB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76Northern Air Cargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64, 65Oxford Assaying & Refining Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85Pacific Alaska Freightways . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90Pacific Pile & Marine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 9, 10Paramount Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71Parker Smith & Feek. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Pen Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93Perkins Coie LLP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Personnel Plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107Pinnacle Mechanical Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Princess Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Procomm Alaska. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Rosie’s Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71Rotary District 5010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108Shaw Environmental & Infrastructure Group . . . . . . 93Span Alaska Consolidators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53Spenard Builders Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Stellar Designs Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71The Growth Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Tikchik Lodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Totem Ocean Trailer Express TOTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91Tutka LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38UAF-College of Engineering & Mining . . . . . . . . . . . 17Unit Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Vitus Marine LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71Washington Crane & Hoist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Waste Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67Wells Fargo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Business Platinum Credit Card

The Business Platinum Credit Card o ers:

• 0% introductory rate for 9 months1 on purchases and balance transfers

• Best-in-class rewards — Enroll in the Business Card Rewards program and get the fi rst year rewards free2

— Earn more valuable rewards for everyday business purchases

• No annual card fee

• Credit lines up to $50,000

Talk to your banker today!

Get a new business platinum credit card today and receive 0% introductory rate for 9 months

The Wells Fargo Business Platinum Credit Card is an essential tool for all small businesses to help better manage business expenses, while getting rewarded for everyday purchases.

introductory rate 0%

704112

Live:7x10

Trim:8.25x10.625

4c

Off er valid from January , to June , . New Business Platinum Credit Card accounts submitted and approved during the promotional period will receive the introductory rate of % for the fi rst nine billing cycles. The % introductory rate applies to purchases and balance transfers for the fi rst nine cycles as long as the customer does not default under the Customer Agreement. Each Balance Transfer transaction will be assessed a % fee ($ minimum and $ maximum).

Enroll in the Wells Fargo Business Card Rewards® program when you open a new Business Platinum Credit Card account and get the annual rewards program fee of $ waived for the fi rst year only.

© Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. ()

704112 8.25x10.625 4c.indd 1 1/17/12 10:58 AM

March - 2012 - Alaska Business Monthly

Documents

alaska business monthly

editor7inside alaska

best sales

fuel transfer position

fuel transfer preparations

arcticthe healy

fuel transfer mooring

e senvironmental66 air