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CONTENTS JULY 2023 | VOLUME 39 | NUMBER 7 | AKBIZMAG.COM
FE AT UR E S 10 MEDIA & ARTS
102 ALASKA NATIVE
Theater Upheaval
From Village to City to Success
The end of UAA’s stage tech training pipeline
How just one employee can help with the heavy lifting
By Scott Rhode
By Dimitra Lavrakas
18 TOURISM
Welcoming the World Attracting international visitors By Vanessa Orr
24 EDUCATION
Houses of Wisdom Vietnam offers a new, old model for community education By Shannon Gramse
26 SMALL BUSINESS Senior Bosses
Running a business after retirement age By Nancy Erickson
32 AGRICULTURE Second Harvest
Alaska farms pivot to tourism and event hosting By Vanessa Orr
40 FINANCE
Securing Business Start-up Financing How post-pandemic enterprises can drink from the lending well By Tracy Barbour
90 RETAIL
Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
Corks of the North A taste of Alaska wine shops and vintners
94 OIL & GAS
Arctic Innovations ASRC Energy Services diversifies into technology solutions By Alexandra Kay
ASRC Energy Ser vices
By Rachael Kvapil
98 CONSTRUCTION
108 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Flagger Ahead
How to Get What You Want
The fine art of traffic control and safety
A guide to self-directed career development
By Terri Marshall
By Brian Walch
QUICK READS 8 FROM THE EDITOR 112 BALANCED BOUNDARIES 4 | July 2023
114 INSIDE ALASKA BUSINESS 116 RIGHT MOVES
118 ALASKA TRENDS 120 OFF THE CUFF
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
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CONTENTS JULY 2023 | VOLUME 39 | NUMBER 7 | AKBIZMAG.COM
SPECIAL SEC TION: BES T OF AL A SK A BUSINESS 44 BEST OF ALASKA BUSINESS AWARD WINNERS 44 B2B SERVICES 52 RETAIL 58 TRAVEL & HEALTH 62 FOOD & BEVERAGE 66 CROSS-INDUSTRY CATEGORIES 70 CORPORATE CITIZEN 72 PUTTING THE ‘CO’ IN COMPANY Coworking spaces as business boosters By Katie Pesznecker
80 BARISTA IN A BOX Coffee kiosks satisfy statewide cravings By Amy Newman
88 A STATEWIDE VOICE The Alaska Chamber advocates for businesses, big and small By Kati Capozzi
CORRECTION: In the June 2023 issue, in “White Pass & Yukon Route,” we miscredited this image. The correct credit is Leigh Armstrong, The Skagway News.
ABOUT THE COVER Any resemblance between this month’s issue and the underground comix of the ‘70s was not part of Lance Lekander’s conscious plan, but it is welcome. “I love R. Crumb,” Lekander says. “It wasn’t intended, but I wanted it to be sort of retro.” The Anchorage artist also has an affinity for linocut and woodcut
textures, which is what caught the eye of Art Director Monica SterchiLowman at the Girdwood Forest Fair. She says she appreciates Lekander’s strong colors and shapes and his humorous interpretation of subject matter. He was asked to create a cover with “a touch of funky,” and he designed icons for some of the
forty-three Best of Alaska Business categories to celebrate their diversity. The fact that Lekander is a small business owner, marketing his designs in whatever format he thinks people will buy, further makes him a suitable match for the theme. Get to know the artist better in this month’s Off the Cuff.
Cover illustration by Lance Lekander
Alaska Business (ISSN 8756-4092) is published monthly by Alaska Business Publishing Co., Inc. 501 W. Northern Lights Boulevard, Suite 100, Anchorage, Alaska 99503-2577; Telephone: (907) 276-4373. © 2023 Alaska Business Publishing Co. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Alaska Business accepts no responsibility for unsolicited materials; they will not be returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self addressed envelope. One-year subscription is $39.95 and includes twelve issues (print + digital) and the annual Power List. Single issues of the Power List are $15 each. Single issues of Alaska Business are $4.99 each; $5.99 for the July & October issues. Send subscription orders and address changes to circulation@akbizmag.com. To order back issues ($9.99 each including postage) visit simplecirc.com/back_issues/alaska-business.
6 | July 2023
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FROM THE EDITOR In May and June I took to wearing spring dresses and sandals. The weather didn’t really warrant it, but I was operating under a theory of manifesting change: if I dressed for warm weather, it would suddenly appear. As of press time in June my success is up for debate. Some might say it still feels like a cold spring although we’re nearing the summer solstice. Others may point to at least one Anchorage Sunday that was sunny and warm; my sandals may have done that. I accept that my efforts to force statewide climate patterns to suit my need for sunshine might have been ambitious, but I think I was inspired by working on this issue. Planning and preparing the Best of Alaska Business is always a high energy, uplifting endeavor. We’re running forty-three categories this year, which works out to the potential that we are highlighting and celebrating 129 exceptional Alaska companies. The actual number of individual companies is slightly less, as there is some overlap. For example, this year First National Bank Alaska was lauded by our readers in four categories: Best Bank, Best Place to Work 250+ Employees, Customer Friendly Company, and Best Corporate Citizen. A few other entities also snagged spots in more than one category, but even still this year we are featuring 118 organizations, many of which are new. To assure accuracy, we research every new company that our voters elect to the top ranks. We check to make sure business licenses are in order and that their services match the intention of the category (so no pharmacies win Best Bike Shop). For the cross industry categories, there are other qualifications we look at. For instance, does the company that placed in Best Place to Work 1-250 employees actually have that many? Does it have more? For Best Startup Business, did the company launch in the correct year? This research project means that we are introduced to new companies every July, and it’s incredibly exciting. For some companies, we have worked with the company to develop editorial content before but now have a new angle, and for others we haven’t encountered them at all, and we have the opportunity to develop a new connection. Despite our nearly forty-year history covering Alaska businesses, there’s always more to learn, and the thousands of our readers who take the time to vote help to educate us. The value of your feedback in the Best of Alaska Business awards voting can’t be overstated. So it’s not surprising—planning and working in this environment of community, recognition, opportunity, and reward, hearing from new business owners day after day about their path to being the best—that I might feel empowered to change the weather through a floral dress. I’m certainly not going to stop trying.
VOLUME 39, #7 EDITORIAL Managing Editor Tasha Anderson 907-257-2907 tanderson@akbizmag.com
Editor/Staff Writer Scott Rhode srhode@akbizmag.com
Editorial Assistant Emily Olsen emily@akbizmag.com
PRODUCTION Art Director Monica Sterchi-Lowman 907-257-2916 design@akbizmag.com
Design & Art Production Fulvia Caldei Lowe production@akbizmag.com
Web Manager Patricia Morales patricia@akbizmag.com
SALES VP Sales & Marketing Charles Bell 907-257-2909 cbell@akbizmag.com
Senior Account Manager Janis J. Plume 907-257-2917 janis@akbizmag.com
Senior Account Manager Christine Merki 907-257-2911 cmerki@akbizmag.com
Marketing Assistant Tiffany Whited 907-257-2910 tiffany@akbizmag.com
BUSINESS President Billie Martin VP & General Manager Jason Martin 907-257-2905 jason@akbizmag.com
Accounting Manager James Barnhill 907-257-2901 accounts@akbizmag.com
Tasha Anderson Managing Editor, Alaska Business
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Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
H R M AT T E R S
SUCCESSION PLANNING Exit Planning Begins at On-Boarding Paula Bradison, CEO PeopleAK
W
hether planning for retirement, eliminating a position, or resigning gracefully, employee exits can be difficult. Although, as business leaders, we know “it happens,” we still put the planning and process of managing employee exits “on the shelf” until we need it. Frequently senior staff is called upon to terminate employment when it comes time to part ways. In that scenario, while we have policies, procedures, and processes, the actual execution of dismissal relies heavily on the experience and finesse of the manager. We suggest there is a better way. 1. Strategic Recruitment: Know, anticipate, and plan annually around your historical and forecasted attrition rate. It is better to scout for your next new hire before you need them. 2. Train—Train—Train and Repeat: Work with managers and team leads to identify the next best talent already working for you— and start training them NOW. Provide them with consistent and regular feedback. Without
overwhelming already highproducing employees, include them on special assignments where mentorship and onthe-job training are a natural by-product. 3.
Promote Teams: Play to the strengths of your team. Move away from the philosophy of focusing on “areas of improvement” and instead exercise team strengths. Risk mitigation strategies are important where deficiencies may lie, but don’t take your starting quarterback and say, “Hey, you should be a better goalie.” You might just have a star player in the wrong position?
4. Celebrate Growth: Whether your employee is departing the company for a new opportunity or greener grasses in retirement, your PAST employee might be your next best referral for talent or—better yet—your next best customer. Importantly, also celebrate and encourage the growth of your current employees. They are the future of your success.
5. Provide Stability: Honor and create workflows around supporting the employees still with you. Consider the vacancy an opportunity to revisit how you’ve always done things, including your recruitment strategy. While we ALL want work/life balance, we grieve a little when an adored co-worker exits—even when it’s best for all concerned. By stopping to ask your existing employees, “What can we do better,” they may have some great ideas for getting back to business! Starting with their first day at work, develop and communicate what an exit strategy is—succession planning begins from day one and is a great way to future-proof your business.
Paula Bradison, CEO
For more information about PeopleAK, please visit peopleak.com. For AES please visit akexec.com, for BMG please visit bmgak.com, or call 907-276-5707.
HR Matters is sponsored content:
MEDIA & ARTS
Theater Upheaval The end of UAA’s stage tech training pipeline By Scott Rhode 10 | July 2023
“W
e’re going dark!” From center stage, Kristinne Daquis calls out the next item on her checklist, testing the lights before a preview of Dead Man’s Cell Phone. The play is the season’s first full production by the UAA Theater & Dance Department, and it is also the last. Ever. “The overwhelming message of the piece,” says director Brian Cook, is that “things happen in our lives— we lose our jobs, programs close down—but life continues. We’re resilient people, and we move on. We find a way to recover.” Cook is also the department chair, but he’s moving to Colorado because his job is disappearing.
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UAA Associate Professor Dan Anteau conducts a training workshop on theatrical lighting at the Anchorage Center for the Performing Arts’ Atwood Concert Hall. Alaska Business
In 2020, the University of Alaska Board of Regents announced deep cuts to academic programs. UAA lost bachelor’s degrees in sociology, environment and society, hospitality administration, and theater. No new students were admitted after that point, so the class of 2023 is the last to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in theater. That class is one person, Cade Harris. By designing the sound effects and acting in Dead Man’s Cell Phone, Harris earns his final credits. He’s been acting since he was 6. “It’s all I’ve ever known. I’ve given my whole life to this passion,” he says. His stage manager, Daquis, continues her pre-show lighting www.akbizmag.com
checklist with one more call: “We are dark.”
A Walking Shadow The regents’ decision was a consequence of the state fiscal crisis. “It was a bunch of bad news all at once,” says associate professor Dan Anteau. “We learned we were losing the program, and then we fell into a pandemic.” Once the degree was eliminated, Anteau explains, there was no need for a department. The dance program is also ending upon the retirement of the last instructor. Anteau might end up attached to the music department, but for now he works under the dean’s office. Alaska Business
Cook, with no department to lead, heads to Colorado with no prospects at this time. “The grieving process has been long and constant,” he says. “Every time a group of students graduates, you know that no new ones are coming in to replace them.” The last senior, Harris, hesitated to continue his studies. “It took a massive toll on my mentality when news of the program first broke out,” he says, but he remained committed. His castmate in Dead Man’s Cell Phone, Robin Bidwell, had no choice. “The year I decided to become an actor was the year it was cut, which was very heartbreaking,” Bidwell says. Instead of starting at UAA last fall as a theater major, Bidwell is July 2023 | 11
The lighting grid above the Atwood Concert Hall, the domain of theater electricians. Alaska Business
getting a two-year associate degree before transferring out of state. Bidwell was able to take Cook’s acting class, building on experience from performing with groups like TBA Theatre. The artistic director of TBA, Shane Mitchell, protested the UAA program cuts. “Right up until now, I had hoped that there was going to be a letter of reprieve, and it just didn’t happen,” he says. “I find it surprising to have a liberal arts college without a theater department. It doesn’t seem logical.” Regents had to balance multiple considerations, in addition to feedback from the arts community. “Certainly, we did give input,” says 12 | July 2023
Codie Costello, president of the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts (PAC). “No one ever wants to see things like that go away. I don’t envy being in those shoes at all.” The end of collegiate theater in Anchorage coincides with the end of the Anchorage School District’s premier drama department. Dave Block finally retired after running the West High theater program for almost twenty years. Schools still put on plays, but drama classes are ending. Block notes that the district’s focus on core curriculum around 2015 resulted in many electives being cut. Theater kids will have to be dramatic on their own time.
Vaulting Ambition UAA theater was cursed from the start. The Mainstage Theatre provoked supernatural wrath by choosing Shakespeare’s Macbeth as its inaugural play when the Fine Arts Building opened in 1986. “I was part of a lighting crew and got injured,” Mitchell recalls. “A safety cable, of all things, touched an exposed socket and sent me to the hospital.” Others on that show suffered freak accidents, too. “It was a very different landscape in the year that I joined,” says Mitchell. “The theater department had graduated no one, so I got to be there at ground zero when the very first
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about the different ways we can bring people into this building,” Anteau says. Perseverance Theatre Company mounted two shows this past season, and independent producers are interested, as well.
Toil and Trouble
The PAC, IATSE Local 918, and what’s left of the UAA theater program collaborated on a training workshop in February, introducing trainees to the task of focusing stage lights. Alaska Business
UAA theater diplomas were issued.” His brother Wayne and wife, Erin, are among the alumni. Anteau came through the program in the ‘90s. He then became an adjunct instructor and a tenure-track professor. “In our heyday, we used to do four full theater shows, two full dance shows, and each semester we would do directing scenes and a small-scale dance. We were doing, like, eleven shows at one point,” Anteau recalls. He laments that UAA was too busy to lend students to other local theater companies. Graduates, though, found plenty of work. “There was a time when there was no theater company in Anchorage, or even Alaska, that www.akbizmag.com
did not have some UAA Theater Department graduate on their staff,” Mitchell says. “There was just such a passion and the vibrancy to keep that talent base here.” Mitchell retains a theater job as manager of UAA’s Wendy Williamson Auditorium. That stage was where he performed Much Ado About Nothing as his first college show in 1982. He and his brother, as lead technician, are responsible for filling the space with concerts, pageants, lectures, and plays from outside companies, including TBA Theater. At the other end of campus, with the Mainstage Theatre now devoid of its resident company, Anteau must fill it with other users. “I’m excited Alaska Business
One of Anchorage’s independent companies is Midnight Sun Theatre, where Block is artistic director and sole proprietor. Block himself trained at Alaska Pacific University, but he says he built his own theater major by taking classes at neighboring UAA. As a student then and as a producer now, UAA was indispensable. Block says, “We were very reliant on that program to provide us with trained professional-grade (or at least seeking to be professional-grade) theater people. And now it’s gone.” Dean Brady, a freelance lighting designer, is booked for jobs a year in advance. “I just got asked by ATY [Anchorage Theater of Youth] for their February/March show next year, which I had to turn down because I’m already doing two other things during February,” says Brady. As a full-time dispatcher at GCI, Brady can do stage lighting as a hobby. “I’m at the point now where I’d almost rather have one or two more designers [in town] so I can pick and choose. I sometimes feel like I’m rushed into things,” he says. The thin supply of technicians is compounded by inordinate demand for their skills. “Anchorage is blessed with having, per capita, one of the highest levels of theatrical groups that I’ve seen,” says Block. Now the PAC is returning to presenting, too, with its Broadway Alaska series in partnership with The Nederlander Organization. When Hamilton comes to town in August, the local crew to load, assemble, and operate the scenery and equipment could total more than 100 stagehands. The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 918, the Anchorage union that dispatches stagehands to the PAC, has about thirty members working regularly. Griffin Strongheart, vice president of Local 918, hopes to grow the roster. July 2023 | 13
Kristinne Daquis learns about the optics of lighting instruments during a training workshop at the Atwood Concert Hall. Alaska Business
That might involve IATSE unionizing technicians at other concert and event venues, and it definitely involves training more new recruits.
The Patient Must Minister to Himself Hiring is difficult in every industry, and theater companies have always struggled. But now, Block says, “Things are desperate when it comes to formally trained theater technicians, specifically stage managers, scenic designers, and costumers.” Block’s response is to teach workshops in stage management through Anchorage Community Theatre. He also set up a storefront studio within walking distance of West High. At Cyrano’s Theatre Company, artistic director Teresa Pond has been bringing outside designers to support local talent. “I’ve worked 14 | July 2023
actively in my job at Cyrano’s to cultivate designers,” she says. “We’re all finding creative ways to try to see this through.” IATSE Local 918 has no apprenticeships, and the union’s skill certifications are for the PAC only, not generalized to other venues. “We just don’t have the workforce yet or the training,” Strongheart says, “so we are coming up on a unique opportunity to add training to the IATSE program.” That opportunity is thanks to the international union’s training trust, flush with pandemic relief money. It would reimburse workers who take a training course through UAA. But didn’t UAA just end its theater courses? “The fact that one of us is retained is a crack, a toe in the door,” says Anteau. The last man standing has spent the winter and spring designing a replacement for the
bachelor’s degree. Instead, it would be an occupational endorsement certificate (OEC). UAA offers more than forty OECs in skills such as bookkeeping, construction, culinary arts, entrepreneurship, graphic design, hospitality, phlebotomy, and welding. They involve three to six classes and can be completed in a semester or two. “I’ve found some joy in building this new program,” Anteau says. In addition, theater courses are still active in the catalog, so adjunct instructors could be hired to teach classes such as dance appreciation or introduction to theater. Anteau says another option is directed study, which might enable him to train stage managers. An open question, though, is what plays those students would manage without the department mounting shows. “You can’t do tech
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theater without actors,” Anteau says. “There’s a symbiotic relationship that happens between both. The OEC program is going to depend on originating art as opposed to just facilitating art.” Assuming the OEC is approved, classes could begin in the fall. Unfortunately, that’s too late to muster technicians for Hamilton in August. So Anteau, IATSE, and the PAC have been getting a head start.
The Room Where It Happens Wearing all black, Daquis dressed as a stagehand when she showed up at the PAC’s Atwood Concert Hall. She’s operated spotlights in the building before, but in February she was there to learn. Daquis was one of fourteen trainees at a two-day, eight-hour workshop sponsored by the PAC, taught by Anteau, leading to a facility certification by IATSE (provided the trainees return on their own time for a final exam). More than entry-level, the class covered terminology such as Fresnels, ellipsoidals, and 2P&G.
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“We just don’t have the workforce yet or the training, so we are coming up on a unique opportunity to add training to the IATSE program.” Griffin Strongheart Vice President IATSE Local 918
The PAC’s production manager, Stephen Crawford, assisted Anteau by clarifying the building’s quirks. Crawford’s first tech job was building sets for South Pacific at Bartlett High after a cute classmate invited him to join the drama
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club. “So I essentially took over Bartlett High School’s little theater and ran every event in there,” Crawford recalls. Crawford went to UAF for an electrical engineering major and theater minor, but he didn’t complete a degree. Instead, he found freelance work as a rigger and decorator at concerts. “That’s also why I became a broad-spectrum technician: if there was an opening on the prop crew, I could take it,” he says. Finding professional talent is hard these days, Crawford says with a sigh. He adds, “That is why I’m really happy to see a bunch of people at classes; for years, we would offer classes, and no one would show up.” His boss at the PAC, Costello, says she has dreamed of a partnership with the university. “To see us becoming an extended classroom for the university and being able to partner back and forth is exactly what I believe community should be all about,” she says. At the workshop, Anteau explained the tungsten cycle, a feature of
July 2023 | 15
Robin Bidwell missed a chance to attend UAA as a theater major but still played a role in the program’s final production, Dead Man’s Cell Phone. Alaska Business
halogen lamps. “If you were taking my class, we’d get all into it,” he told the trainees. The class is gone, but that hasn’t stopped trainees from learning. Passing lamps around, Anteau told them, “The more you can put your hands on ‘em, push the shutters in and pull ‘em out—that’s why we’re here. We’re gonna be better technicians because of it.”
“Things are desperate when it comes to formally trained theater technicians, specifically stage managers, scenic Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow In his office at the Wendy designers, and
Williamson Auditorium, Mitchell wears a TBA Theatre sweatshirt. The nonprofit’s mission is “training better artists toward a better Alaska.” With college theater gone and high school drama scaled back, TBA is shouldering a greater burden, whether through youth summer camps or on-the-job experience during the company’s production season. “The thing that endures is our arts and our artists,” Mitchell says. “And if we were wise, we would invest in them because it is how future generations will remember us.” That investment pays dividends, according to the Anchorage Arts Alliance. The ad-hoc group formed during the COVID-19 lockdown as 16 | July 2023
costumers.” Dave Block, Artistic Director Midnight Sun Theatre Company
performing arts companies united for mutual support. Pond points to research the alliance compiled which found more than 11,000 Alaskans employed in arts and culture, comparable to the mining industry. The sector contributes about $1.3 billion annually, or 2.6 percent of Alaska’s total economy. In Anchorage, arts patrons generate $9.2 million in economic activity for local businesses. Furthermore, the arts
foster creativity, a trait that nearly all businesses prize in job applicants. “It’s not just about whether you train new Hollywood actors someday; that’s a small way of thinking about it. It’s what the arts does throughout all sectors of a community,” Pond says. Costello agrees. “It’s been really great to see that group [Anchorage Arts Alliance] engaging and bringing a heightened awareness to our industry and the economic impact that we really do have on our community,” she says. “What we do definitely improves quality of life, and there’s a lot of value in the arts in and of itself.” Facilitating training opportunities is one function of the Anchorage Arts Alliance. The group is also working to revive a local arts council, which many municipalities possess but Anchorage lacks. It may also serve as a voice to advocate for theater as an industry, next time the UA System retools its academic offerings. Of seasons to come, Mitchell invokes Cicero: “Where there’s life, there’s hope that these few remaining shadows of the theater department can be the embers that are fanned into flame.” As they say in the theater business, the show must go on.
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Visit Anchorage
TOURISM
Welcoming the World Attracting international visitors By Vanessa Orr
W
hether it’s the lure of the northern lights, the chance to catch a king salmon, or the opportunity to view bears in the wild, Alaska attracts a significant number of visitors each year. Of more than a million people who visited in 2022, about 10 percent of the total was made up of international travelers. Those tourists may be seeking experiences that differ from what in-state or domestic travelers want to see in Alaska, so destinations statewide have adapted to that global clientele.
Foreign Correspondence Anchorage draws in more than the average number of international 18 | July 2023
travelers, according to David Kasser, senior vice president of sales for Visit Anchorage. He estimates that the city sees about double the percentage of international visitors compared to the rest of the state. To attract international tourists, Visit Anchorage takes a number of different approaches. “The number one thing we do is destination training; we want vetted operators to be really informed about what it means to travel to Alaska,” says Kasser. “For example, I was recently in Las Vegas at the RTO [Receptive Tour Operator] Summit where I had meetings with thirty-five international operators to discuss
their needs. For some, working with Alaska Latin Tours might be the right fit; others want to work directly with tours out of Prince William Sound or a specific flying service like Rust’s or K2. We help them make those connections.” Visit Anchorage also holds organized sales blitzes during which they travel to a country or a series of countries and host events with travel trade and media. “For years, we traveled to four major cities in Japan and to Korea and China to garner local government support as well as provide destination training and to help operators make tourism connections,” says Kasser. “A lot of
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it is just being in front of people and making them feel welcome while showing them how our members fit their travel needs.” Visit Anchorage also hosts meetings for international buyers, such as the Go West Summit, which visited Anchorage this past February. The event included a pre-FAM (familiarization tour) in Southcentral, as well as events at the Alaska Native Heritage Center, the Alaska Railroad, and local breweries. “These types of events are great for introducing our destination to tour operators; they can meet our members that provide dog mushing services, fat tire biking tours, hiking trips in Chugach State Park, and more. It creates a lot of buzz and excitement around our products,” says Kasser. Visit Anchorage also maintains international contractors in Australia and New Zealand, German-speaking Europe (an industry term that encompasses significant travel from Austria, Belgium, and Switzerland in addition to Germany), and Japan, and those contractors provide information to the local travel trade and promote Alaska. Explore Fairbanks also works with international media, most often these days from German-speaking Europe. “Those media members come to Fairbanks on a pretty regular basis during the summer,” says Scott McCrea, president and CEO of Explore Fairbanks. “Prior to the pandemic, we were getting strong interest from China, primarily with social media influencers who are significant in that market.” Depending on the country, Explore Fairbanks works with both group travel organizers and independent travelers. “In the case of Japan Airlines, we were primarily looking at group travel, but there are more independent travelers within the German-speaking markets,” says McCrea. “In the four years leading up to COVID, we also saw a growing international market in mainland China and hired a contractor in Beijing to represent us there for three years. There’s a lot of potential there in terms of numbers.” www.akbizmag.com
Support Authentic Alaska Native Artists Grass Basket with Dragonfly Accents CECILIA ANTHONY Chefornak, Alaska
shop.museum.uaf.edu
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July 2023 | 19
An Alaska-themed bulletin board at the Collège G. Chaumeton in L’Union, France. Alaska English Adventures
At right, Fairbanks celebrated twenty years of Condor Air’s summer service to Frankfurt, Germany last year. At left, Scott McCrea says Latin America is a ripe market. Explore Fairbanks
Shifting Audiences In addition to having a long-term relationship with a contractor based in Germany, Explore Fairbanks staff attend travel shows and work with different airlines to provide more access to the Golden Heart City. “The result of our efforts in Germany led to Condor Air having direct service from Frankfurt to Fairbanks for the past twenty-two years,” McCrea says. “We’ve also invested in the Japan market in the past, where we had a strong presence in the winter as a result of aurora tourism. That led to us working with 20 | July 2023
Japan Airlines to have direct charters to Fairbanks from Japan.” Visitors from those two countries were also common in Anchorage, according to Kasser, but that’s changed. “Historically, Japan and Germany were our number one markets, but that was surpassed about six years ago by the Australian market,” he says. “That market is fairly affluent and tends to take very long trips, usually six to eight weeks, and they rarely stay in one place.” Australians are not alone in freely spreading around their dollars (Aussie or US). “International visitors tend to
stay longer, spend more, and provide higher value versus those travelers who stop into Anchorage for one or two nights before getting on a cruise ship,” Kasser adds. “International travelers see Alaska as a destination versus a port—and while some are frugal when it comes to accommodations, they spend a lot on big-ticket items, like flight-seeing.” According to McCrea, national trends show that Japan and China, which used to be core countries for travel to the United States, are now at the bottom of the list, and numbers aren’t expected to recover
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to 2019 levels until 2026 or 2027. For this reason, destination marketing organizations (DMOs) like Explore Fairbanks or Visit Anchorage and companies that cater to international markets must be ready to quickly shift gears to reach new audiences. “We’re now working with markets that we haven’t worked with before, like Latin America and India, which are currently two of the core international markets for travel to the United States,” says McCrea. “We recently did our first sales mission to both those countries with Brand USA, and there was high interest in Alaska.” McCrea adds that bringing a new market to fruition can take years. “The key is to have a consistent presence the best you can and to maintain a regular working relationship—with a focus on training and education— with the key tour operators in those markets,” he says. Visit Anchorage is also exploring emerging markets, including India. “It’s financially prudent to grow new markets. For example, we’re seeing
some early independent travelers from the California tech industry traveling with their families from India, and we want to meet their needs,” says Kasser. “India is largely vegetarian, so food is a concern when traveling.”
Gift of Tongues Depending on the country, the language barrier can be difficult, so DMOs often reach out to Alaska companies that can help with translations and cultural training. “Within the Germanspeaking regions, English is pretty common, though we do have our contractor translate print and online materials,” says McCrea. “When we were working with the Japan market, we were fortunate to have a Japanese-speaking employee on staff, but we found China to be our biggest language barrier, especially when we were going over there on sales missions. It was next to impossible to conduct a meeting or presentation without a Mandarinspeaking translator.”
As a result, when trying to grow the Chinese market, Explore Fairbanks worked with Mandarin-speaking full-service tour companies in the state, such as Alaska Skylar Travel and Aurora Expeditions. “They speak the language and know the market in terms of culture, and it’s very helpful to be able to partner with a business that has that knowledge,” says McCrea. Alaska Step-on Guides, for example, provides city tour guides, foreign language guides, and multi-day tour guides in several languages. Alaska Travel Connections offers guides who speak French, Italian, Swedish, German, Portuguese, Spanish, and more, and Alaska Latin Tours provide summer and winter tours in Spanish. Businesses like Go North specialize in renting motorhomes to German visitors. Brad Schmitz, founder and owner of Anchorage-based Alaska English Adventures, created his own niche to attract international visitors. After teaching English in Korea, he realized that he could combine his love of
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By attending the Go West Summit in February, international tour operators learned for themselves what kind of attractions Anchorage has to offer. Visit Anchorage
Alaska with visitors’ desire to learn the English language. “After working for Princess in Alaska and then teaching in Korea, I learned firsthand what a huge market there was for a language program in the United States,” he says. “I loved Alaska, so I started to wonder what it would take to combine outdoor adventure with ESL [English as a Second Language] education.” Working with his friend Sam Barney, a teacher from Fairbanks, the two began making friends with international tour operators in Anchorage who had outreach into Korea, Japan, China, and Europe. Unfortunately, then COVID-19 hit, and the company began a pen pal outreach program instead. Schmitz found students in foreign countries learning English on Facebook who were looking for 22 | July 2023
other students to be pen pals with, especially in Western countries. Schmitz connected students in Alaska with those in Germany, and the program grew to include outreach to students in Turkey, Poland, France, Hungary, Kenya, Brazil, Taiwan, Italy, Spain, and Vietnam. Students in Homer, Seward, Fairbanks, and multiple schools in Anchorage now take part in the program. “While this hasn’t led to any international students coming to Alaska yet, that is the goal,” says Schmitz. “While these kids are working on their language skills as pen pals, they are also becoming volunteer marketers. As they get to know each other, the friendships will build, and down the road, we expect to schedule weeklong trips in Alaska for these kids to visit.” Alaska English Adventures is tentatively listing tours on its
website for 2023, and it plans to hit the ground running in summer of 2024 by bringing students from countries all over the world to Alaska. “What I’ve learned over the past several years networking with ESL communities is that language acquisition and education best happens in action,” says Schmitz. “When a student is learning English out in the world, it’s more memorable, whether they’re whitewater rafting the Nenana River in Denali, ocean kayaking in Seward, or watching calving glaciers. Those experiences complement language learning.”
Getting Back on Track While Alaska recovers from the huge tourism rift that COVID-19 caused, several challenges affect whether international travelers will
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put the 49th state back on their list of places to visit. Over the past decade, three airlines have stopped serving Alaska, including Korean Air, Edelweiss Air, and Hainan Airlines, while others have carried fewer passengers, including Condor Airlines, Japan Airlines, Yakutia Airlines, and Icelandair. Unfavorable monetary exchange rates can also discourage international travelers. “Because of the long history of Japanese travelers coming to Alaska to see the aurora, several airlines have tried to offer direct service from Asia to Anchorage,” says Kasser. “In particular, we’ve been working with Northern Pacific Airways to do an Icelandairtype model, where they gather passengers at Narita International Airport and fly them directly into Anchorage before they continue onto northern California.” Northern Pacific, Anchorage-based sister airline of Ravn Alaska, is still planning its debut overseas routes. “According to the data we’ve been able to mine, there is a huge amount of traffic between major cities in Japan and northern California,” Kasser says. “We would be getting direct service and a certain number of seats for a yearround operation coming through Anchorage. We’ve been to the altar on this many times, but we’re hopeful about this one.” The travel industry also hopes that direct service from Reykjavik, Iceland to Anchorage will be reestablished, as Icelandair pulled out of the Alaska market during the pandemic but is expected to return. “There is a lot of value in that, but to do it they’ll have to pull planes from other areas. Finding accommodations for crews is also pretty challenging; rates for twostar hotels can be over $200, with some pushing $400.” Like other efforts to facilitate international travel to the 49th state, the work put in is generally met with a great payout. As Kasser points out: “The route from Alaska to Reykjavik and back was one of the highest performing routes for airlines; they were getting top dollars for tickets.” www.akbizmag.com
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Shannon Gramse
E D U C AT I O N
Houses of Wisdom Vietnam offers a new, old model for community education By Shannon Gramse
E
arlier this year, my family and I had the honor of piloting an educational and cultural exchange between UAA and ten Houses of Wisdom (Ngôi Nhà Trí Tuệ) in rural Ngheệ Nghe An and Hà Tĩnh provinces in north-central Vietnam. Based in schools, community centers, churches, apartment buildings, and private homes, Houses of Wisdom promote lifelong learning in disadvantaged communities and provide spaces for local people to share knowledge and wisdom across generations. Houses of Wisdom do so through libraries and classes on a range of subjects including traditional music and dance, agricultural methods, electrical safety, sewing, swimming, cooking, personal finance, and anger management. Many also include small museums about the history of their village, traditional knowledge such as medicinal plants, and local points of pride. English language clubs are especially popular. 24 | July 2023
Everything is free for everyone of all ages. There are no tests or grades. No one gets paid. The sole motivation is a passion for learning and sharing. More than 120 Houses of Wisdom operate in thirteen provinces across Vietnam, yet its decentralized nonprofit parent organization has an annual budget of just $5,000. Why can’t we do something like this in Alaska?
A Fishing Pole The House of Wisdom is the brainchild of Nguyễn Anh Tuấn, a successful Saigon businessman who grew up in Nghệ An province as the eldest son of a disabled war veteran and an elementary teacher. At that time, the province’s per capita annual income was about $130; today it is $1,913, approximately 6 percent of what the average Alaskan earns each year. Nguyễn worked in the fields as a gleaner, collecting leftover rice and peanuts to supplement his family’s monthly food rations: 1 kilogram
of spoiled meat and 15 kilograms of wormy rice his father would procure by standing in line at 3 a.m. in the nearest village, which was five kilometers away and seemed to Nguyễn like a distant city. Nguyễn still remembers the day his father brought home a book along with their food rations, the first book he ever had. The Tortoise and the Hare became his most prized possession and changed his life. Soon Nguyễn was collecting firewood to sell to earn money for more books. Today, he has investments in five growing companies but spends most of his time promoting the House of Wisdom. Nguyễn spoke to me over iced coffee in an elegant open-air restaurant overlooking the Saigon River. Before founding the first House of Wisdom in 2016, in his boyhood home, he donated money to needy families in his home province. “But nothing seemed to change,” he said. “It even got worse. The people didn’t
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want to learn; they only asked, ‘Where is the money?’” Nguyễn then told me a Vietnamese version of the old “if you give a person a fish” proverb that is a bit more layered than ours: if you give someone a fish, they eat for a day. Better to give the person a fishing pole, but only if you show them how to use it. Even then, a fishing pole and the necessary knowledge are worthless if the person doesn’t want to fish, so you must encourage them. Finally, successful fishers should “pay it forward,” giving fishing poles, instruction, and inspiration to others so the effect expands and multiplies across the community. This is the philosophy behind the House of Wisdom.
Commitment to Learning Houses of Wisdom do not replace conventional schools, but they complement them. “We teach everything that is not taught, or not taught enough, in school,” said Nguyễn, “and we do so in an environment that is comfortable and welcoming for everyone.” Schools in Vietnam tend to be strict, teachercentered, and focused on rote learning, but people can relax in a House of Wisdom, joke around, play the radio and play games, put their feet up on the table. The House of Wisdom promotes not just the joy of learning but a commitment to learning. A new franchise often begins with a donation of a few hundred books to start the library, but then local people are asked to build bookcases, add to the library themselves, and volunteer to organize and teach classes— classes that the House of Wisdom supports through regular teachertraining opportunities. Nguyễn envisions Houses of Wisdom in all of Vietnam’s poorest communities and, eventually, everywhere, including Alaska. “Lifelong learning is for everyone,” he said. When my family and I visited, we spoke to packed houses about Alaska, UAA, tips for learning English, and strategies for overcoming our shared colonial past. Audiences ranged from small children to the elderly. It seemed the whole village www.akbizmag.com
showed up; people who couldn’t get seats crowded in the back, kids on parents’ shoulders, or peered through windows and doors. Facilities were modest but bristling with positive energy. We were often welcomed with a traditional dance or song and always many, many questions. Before the French arrived in the 19th century to exploit the people and their resources, education in Vietnam, as in Alaska, was primarily informal, place-based, and experiential. Learning did not depend
on grants, technology, exams, or bureaucrats. Villages took care of themselves and their own. For more formal education, most featured a house where boys and men could sit on the floor and learn from local scholars, perhaps similar to the Yup’ik qasgiq or Iñupiaq qargi. In these ways, the House of Wisdom offers a new idea with ancient roots. It is an idea we should reconsider. Shannon Gramse is an associate professor of writing at UAA .
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A
SMALL BUSINESS
ge is just a number to the growing ranks of business owners over the age of 65. According to the March 2023 issue of Alaska Economic Trends, published by the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the state’s senior population grew from 54,900 in 2010 to 94,000 in 2020, and the growth rate continues to climb. The over-65 age group grew 12 percent in the last two years alone, reaching 105,600 in 2022. Many of those seniors are not quite ready to kick back, put up their feet, and enjoy those “golden” years. In an AARP website article, “Who’s Working More? People Age 65 and Older,” the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects 13 million people in that age group nationwide will still be working by 2024. “These older workers will constitute the fastest-growing segment of the workforce from 2014 to 2024,” the article states. “While the total number of workers is expected to increase by 5 percent over those ten years, the number of workers ages 65 to 74 will swell by 55 percent. For people 75 and older, the total will grow a whopping 86 percent,” according to BLS projections. What’s the impetus behind these figures? Three Alaskans still in business after age 65 share a simple reason to stay in the workforce: they love what they’re doing.
Senior Bosses Running a business after retirement age
Man Behind the Voice
Irina Cheremisinova | iStock
By Nancy Erickson
26 | July 2023
Jack Frost turns 85 in July, but the familiar advertising voice that Anchorage radio listeners know and love is ageless. Born in Portland, Oregon and raised in the Seattle area, Frost had sights on a career in radio and television at an early age. He enrolled at the University of Washington and graduated in exactly four years with a degree in radiotelevision. Graduation day was hectic, Frost recalls. “I was commissioned in the Army (from ROTC) at 8 a.m. that morning, attended graduation at 1 p.m. that afternoon, and was married to the female vice president of the student body at 7 p.m.,” Frost says. The couple were married for ten years and had three sons. Following his stint in the military, Frost returned to Seattle and began his radio career as a disc jockey at KIXI, KVI, and KING. Management at KING thought Frost would do better in sales and sent him to Spokane to learn the trade at KREM. From there Frost partnered with an ad agency in Spokane, and his career path was forged. Fast forward to 1974, when Frost arrived in Anchorage to help a former advertising client from Seattle who was trying to buy Anchorage Chrysler. “I worked for them for about a year, when Ron Moore at KBYR hired me to be the radio operations director,” says Frost. “From there my life took me back to the agency business, where I remain to this day,” as Jack Frost & Friends advertising agency. His ad agency got a huge boost in the mid ‘80s when, on a dare, Frost’s now familiar radio ads with New Sagaya took wing.
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
“I’m at the time in my life and career where it’s the work that brings me joy. Helping others create a beautiful environment/garden/organized space fuels my life.” Ginny Jacober, Owner, Blue Bear Design
Frost was general manager at KENI in 1986, when the AM station acquired an FM counterpart, KKGR (no longer in the Anchorage market), with Frost as sales manager for both stations. Sales staff who had trained under Frost sold three times the advertising as KKGR staff, so he began teaching them his method. “One of their salespeople, who shall remain nameless, just flat refused to do it, so I told him to pick out his toughest client and take me with him on a sales call,” recalls Frost. “My salesman licked his chops and chose Sagaya. He knew I would fall on my face and he would be proved right.” “I met [Sagaya owner] Paul Reid for
the first time that day, and in an hour we had a strategy to save his business plus an order for the advertising to carry out the plan,” says Frost. “My salesman was outraged,” he adds. “He said, ‘You know radio advertising won’t work that way. You’ll have him on the air too much, and the listeners will get sick of hearing about Sagaya. You’ll put him out of business.’” Turns out, not so much. “Just for the record—Sagaya’s ads were a success from day one,” Frost says. “They worked the first week—the first year—and the more they are on, the better they work. They are still working.”
Ginny Jacober launched Blue Bear Design at the age of 54 and still runs the business today. Dar yl Pederson
Thus began his reputation as a guy who goes against the rules and ends up being right. Frost says it’s not his voice alone that makes listeners pay attention to his ads, but his conversational style. “I like to think I’m talking with people, not to or at them,” he says. “I
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But his number one highlight is raising his three sons, all of whom he says have wonderful, loving families and are more creative and successful than himself. As for his greatest achievement? A beautiful woman named Irene, whom he says “is happy, lovely, intelligent, speaks seven languages, is a wonderful companion, and keeps me on the straight and narrow.” Frost adds, “Not a bad catch for an old guy, huh?”
Susie (left) and Dorothy (right) Urbach, both now of retirement age, instead work as partners to run the family business: Urbach’s Clothiers, established in Seward in 1915. Urbach Clothiers
A Seward Icon
“I still come into work every day… I’m not the type to sit home. I love our business. I like meeting people. I like being involved. I just want to enjoy it. I don’t have to stay all day.” Dorothy Urbach, Co-owner, Urbach’s Clothiers
write most of my own commercials, so it is certainly my style. And I don’t take things seriously. If I get a goofy thought like ‘loincloth-clad crab divers’ or ‘Lemuel and Yoshi Sagaya’ or ‘Mama Sagaya’s sourdough starter’ or ‘bring your gunnysack,’ I just say it.” Broadcasting isn’t his only claim to fame. Shortly after arriving in Anchorage, Frost was named the first Governor’s Award winner for outstanding service to Alaska by the Alaskan of the Year Committee. He served as executive director of the Iditarod 28 | July 2023
Trail Committee and chairman of the Municipal Ethics Committee, among other roles. Frost was elected to the Alaska Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 1999. He was bestowed the “Best of the North” BONNIE award in 1999/2000 as the Advertising Professional of the Year by the Advertising Federation of Alaska. His run for Anchorage’s mayor in 2000 and 2006 didn’t come to fruition, but a disappointed Frost says, “I really believe that was the time we could have made Anchorage a better place.”
Old-fashioned storefronts lining Seward’s downtown Fourth Avenue business district have changed faces multiple times over the years since gold miners and adventure seekers stepped off steamships in the early 1900s—except one. Through earthquakes and fires, Urbach’s Clothiers has steadfastly occupied the same building, in the same location, owned by the same family since 1915. It still retains its old-time charm. The smell of oiled hardwood floors and leather shoes permeates the store. Antiques from days gone by sit high upon a shelf circling the one-room shop. And money is still deposited into a huge brass and oak cash register dating back to 1908. At age 96, family matriarch Dorothy Urbach still runs the store and goes on buying trips to Portland, Oregon— with the help of her daughter and co-owner Susie Urbach, who recently turned 65. “I still come into work every day,” says Dorothy. “I’m not the type to sit home. I love our business. I like meeting people. I like being involved. I just want to enjoy it. I don’t have to stay all day.” Susie became involved in the business more than thirty years ago as a bookkeeper when her children were small. Mother and daughter became partners in 2004, and Susie now takes care of the office work and much of the ordering as well as working with customers. “When I was growing up here, I thought ‘No way would I like to be a part of that,’” Susie recalls. “But now I love it… it’s a passion!”
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
The business has maneuvered through a lot of changes since Dorothy’s father-in-law, Leon Urbach, opened the shop in 1915, focused on outfitting the working men arriving to the fledgling town on the shores of Resurrection Bay in search of a new life. Dorothy and her husband Larry were living in the Lower 48 when Leon informed the couple that a deal to sell the store had fallen through, and he asked if they would consider taking it over. Hesitant at first, Larry agreed, and he and his wife arrived in Seward in 1954. Dorothy found herself a full-time business owner after her husband died in 1999. In Leon’s time, the store carried 80 percent men’s and 20 percent women’s clothing. Those numbers reversed under Dorothy’s tenure. “It’s not touristy anymore—it’s kind of ‘boutique-y,’” Susie says of the high-end line of clothing they carry for women. “We still sell a ton of Carhartts for men, women, and children. Something I really enjoy is that the products we carry have changed, too, so it’s kind of a reflection on our tastes.” Having been in business for so long, the co-owners know their product and guide customers in finding the right size. A service not found in box stores, that’s something customers appreciate, and the customer is what’s important, says Dorothy. Competition from online shopping is a challenge, however. “We have people come in, try something on, and then go buy it online,” says Susie. “It wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t tell us that’s what they were going to do,” quips Dorothy. It’s not all work and no play for the nonagenarian. “I still live in my house. Still love entertaining, having people over. I enjoy people,” Dorothy adds. She has also been active in her community, serving on various boards and committees. And fishing. “Oh, I love to fish. I still go fishing every year,” she says with enthusiasm. www.akbizmag.com
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Decades past retirement, Jack Frost nonetheless continues to lend his vocal talents to local businesses through his advertising agency Frost & Friends. Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
“I like to think I’m talking with people, not to or at them… And I don’t take things seriously. If I get a goofy thought like ‘loincloth-clad crab divers’ or ‘Lemuel and Yoshi Sagaya’ or ‘Mama Sagaya’s sourdough starter’ or ‘bring your gunnysack,’ I just say it.” Jack Frost, Owner, Frost & Friends
Dorothy has been a familiar face at Seward’s Silver Salmon Derby both as a participant and as publicity chairman, taking first place in the derby in 1979. She reflects on her almost seventy years as a business owner. “Moving back here was the best move we ever made,” says Dorothy of their return in 1954. “What a wonderful life we have up here. I’m very lucky. I have two wonderful daughters, two wonderful grandchildren, and three wonderful great grandchildren. What else could we ask for?”
Finding Solutions Anchorage resident Ginny Jacober has extended her childhood passion into a lifetime of enjoyment. Encouraged by her artistic family, Jacober spent her childhood surrounded by watercolors, crayons, modeling clay, and a miniature sewing machine—things that helped mold her goal to become a commercial artist. 30 | July 2023
She studied fine arts, worked as a graphic designer, and settled into the more personal interior design field, opening Blue Bear Design in 1998 at the age of 54, with a goal to provide affordable interior design, organization, and garden design. “I love finding solutions,” says Jacober of her business. “It’s almost like putting a puzzle together.” Jacober arrived in Alaska in 1972 from her native California and, when searching for a name for her new business, wanted something that expressed her love for her new home. “I had heard about the blue bear, a type of black bear with sliver-blue hair in Southeast Alaska,” she recalls. “Some Native people view a bear as representing strength and for what is true. I chose the female bear with two cubs as a symbol for a mother bear protecting her young. So I look out for my clients and help design within their wishes and budget.” Jacober was the “mother bear” of two sons in the ‘70s. “Best job in the world, as the saying goes,” she says.
The ‘80s brought another adventure—flying lessons. Blaming her love of flying on her upbringing as a military brat, Jacober bought a small experimental ultralight aircraft. “It was the most exciting twenty years of my life. What an adventure,” she exclaims. “It was called sport flying. Our aircraft even had ballistic parachutes for a safe landing, if needed.” Now 79, Jacober tried retirement in 2003, “but couldn’t stand it,” she says. She fulfilled another of her passions by becoming a certified master gardener in 2004 to 2005, adding garden design and plant selection to Blue Bear Design. “Preferring a tidy environment led me to including organizing as another service I provide,” she adds. “I’m at the time in my life and career where it’s the work that brings me joy. Helping others create a beautiful environment/ garden/organized space fuels my life.”
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
A G R I C U LT U R E
32 | July 2023
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
Second Harvest
Alaska farms pivot to tourism and event hosting By Vanessa Orr
T
here’s nothing quite like waking up in a beautiful, secluded Alaska lodge and looking out the window to see reindeer wandering outside the window. This view is especially surprising considering that this location, known as The Grove, started out as a private farm about seven miles outside of Talkeetna before opening to guests. Farming in Alaska can be a tough row to hoe, literally. According to the US National Agricultural Statistics Service, barely more than 1,000 farms generated at least $1,000 in revenue as of 2021, the fewest of any state. To supplement their income, farmers have given their land a second life as tourist destinations, wedding venues, product-tasting sites, and more. Not only does this benefit the farms, but locals and visitors get to spend memorable moments on some of the state’s most beautiful homesteads.
The Grove
The Many Lives of The Grove
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When Graham and Mindy Knapp first bought The Grove in 2014, they planned to use the site as a working farm. The property was first developed as the Old Tyme Saloon in the early ’80s and was known as the “Sistine Chapel of Alaska” for the vivid murals painted on every part of the ceiling by T.E. Barber, who created the artwork in exchange for beer. “After the bar closed, the property was owned by a couple of different families and fell into disrepair before being bought by Esther Golton and Jim Kloss, who renovated the entire site,” says Graham Knapp. “They used it for house concerts, nonprofit fundraisers, and parties, which made it into what it is today.” The Knapps originally planned to farm the land, and for a while they grew conventional vegetables that they sold at farmer’s markets before hitting on the concept of microgreens, which Graham had grown before. The Knapps tried distributing through a membership subscription service. “The microgreens were a success, but we needed to scale it up to produce more and use mass production to make it viable,” Knapp says. “At that point, we had two kids and were confronted with the issue that the farm had to make enough money to support the whole family.” The couple’s two young children are listed on
Alaska Business
July 2023 | 33
The Homer Peony Celebration is held throughout July, turning local flower farms into a tourist destination with artists’ workshops and dressmaking classes centered on the crop. Alaska Beauty Peony
The Grove’s website as “apprentice” and “intern.” While growing microgreens, the Knapps had started tours as a member of Alaska’s Farm Tour Route, and they steadily began increasing their tour offerings. They also joined Airbnb, which encourages its properties to offer not only lodging but activities that guests can do while vacationing. “I was pleasantly surprised at the interest out there; there are plenty of people looking for something to do while staying at a different location,” says Knapp. “It came to a point where our backs were starting to hurt and we were gaining more of an interest in farm tours, so we decided 34 | July 2023
to completely drop the microgreens program. Now we’re focusing on the tours and on our two reindeer, which we added to the farm last fall, as well as perennial production.”
‘Nourishing Body, Mind, and Soil’ The Knapps have begun experimenting with berry growing, which they plan to offer as another option for those looking for farmgrown products. Visitors to the farm can now enjoy an Edibles and Medicinals of the Boreal Forest Tour that includes learning about reindeer as the animals walk with the group while they forage along The Grove’s trails.
“The resources that the forest offers have always been an interest of ours, and I did a little nature guiding before we got this property, so I’m comfortable talking about the different trees and plants here and what you can eat,” says Knapp. He adds that The Grove is currently working on making more trails on the property to further its use as an agritourism spot, in line with its slogan, “Nourishing Body, Mind, and Soil.” The reindeer have also become a major attraction, and the Knapps plan to add a male reindeer to the herd to keep Sophie and Phoebe company.
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
Decorative blossoms are the primary product of flower farms like Alaska Beauty Peony, a co-op in Homer. Two significant byproducts, though, are tours of the fragrant fields and pack house and the nectar that bees turn into honey, which is fermented into mead.
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“When we first got here, we experimented with a lot of different animals,” says Knapp. “We loved pigs and thought we wanted a grazer for our property, and we tried goats, but they were all good at getting out and getting in trouble and being loud. We loved sheep, but they are really loud and whiny.” While watching YouTube videos, the Knapps came across The Reindeer Farm in Palmer and thought it would be interesting to try that form of livestock on the farm. “Reindeer are quiet, majestic, peaceful, and well-suited for Alaska,” says Knapp. “Having them live next to the lodge was a no-brainer.” www.akbizmag.com
The lodge’s top floor, which still features the incredible murals, is now used as an event center for yoga retreats, birthday parties, fundraisers, artists’ workshops, weddings, and more. Guests can stay in either of the two bedrooms on the bottom floor or in one of two cabins or a tiny house on the property.
Lucy the Moose and More The Reindeer Farm has been attracting visitors to Palmer for thirty years. In addition to 100 reindeer, the property hosts Rocky Mountain elk, bison, Tibetan yaks, alpacas, and Lucy the Moose. During the summer, the farm also offers a food truck, barista stand, and kids’ play area. Alaska Business
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July 2023 | 35
Watching videos from The Reindeer Farm in Palmer inspired the Knapp family to add Sophie and Phoebe to their farm lodge in Talkeetna. The Grove
Originally one of the Matanuska Valley Colony farms built in 1935, The Reindeer Farm was used as a dairy by the current owner’s grandparents, Tom and Gene Williams. “My grandpa grew up here in the ‘50s, and my mom grew up here in the ‘70s,” says farm manager Lauren Waite. “They got their first reindeer in 1987.” Waite’s grandfather loved animals and originally wanted to have a moose farm, but it was illegal to farm the wild animals. “He figured that reindeer are sort of little moose, so he thought he’d raise them for meat,” says Waite. “He got his first 20 reindeer in 1987 and the next year got 100 more, and people started coming to the farm to see what reindeer looked like.” 36 | July 2023
The family started giving tours in the ’90s and now offer three different tours. “The biggest difference between our tours and others is that we have staff standing at each of the animals’ pens to tell you about the animals, and you get to feed and pet them and interact with them,” says Waite. “During the guided tour, we talk about the history of the farm as a colony farm, as well as how we got into raising reindeer.” The farm introduced self-guided tours last year, and this year The Reindeer Farm is offering both guided and self-guided tours. Grandpa Tom’s VIP tour allows visitors to go into the pen with the animals rather than feeding them over a fence, and it offers
up-close interaction as well as the opportunity to get great pictures. Those tours are limited to smaller groups of up to ten people, ages 10 or older.
Constantly Changing While The Reindeer Farm mostly attracts out-of-state tourists in the summer months, locals come to visit in fall to attend the farm’s big fall festival and pumpkin patch and in winter for Christmas with Santa Claus. The farm has also garnered attention for its appearance on the National Geographic Wild TV show, Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet. The celebrity veterinarian from Haines first visited in 2013, and she usually visits a couple of times a year if there is something going on with the animals.
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
“That’s been really good exposure for us; a lot of our followers on social media saw us on the show and put us on their bucket lists,” says Waite. While the tours help pay for the animals’ grain throughout the winter months, Waite says that they love that visitors get to enjoy the experiences of living on a reindeer farm. “We love the animals; it’s the whole reason that we do what we do,” she says. “You can’t form a bond with a vegetable like you can with our animals. They all have names and different personalities, and they’re all unique.” Waite seems to be as entertained by The Reindeer Farm’s resident livestock as its guests are. “They come running when you’re out in the field, and they latch onto certain people,” she says. “I just love that they are so affectionate, and it’s so fun that tourists get to share and experience this, too.” To keep visits fresh, The Reindeer Farm is constantly changing what it offers to ensure that people have a different experience each time. The food truck, espresso stand, and kids’ play area were added a few years ago, and a log cabin that Waite’s grandfather started building before he passed away in 2017 has been finished as a gift shop. “We just completed the gift shop last year and added a parking lot so that people can stay longer, get something to eat, feed the animals, and just enjoy being here,” Waite says. The farm also added a season pass for locals for the first time this year, offering an individual pass or a family pass for up to six people.
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Peonies and Pack House Tours Decorative flowers have been a surprise crop success in the last decade or two, and now Alaska’s peony farmers have gotten into the agritourism act. “At the pack house, we show visitors how we create consumer bunches, talk about different packaging options, talk about our buyers and where we ship to, and introduce the value-added products that we’re starting to produce,” says Allison Gaylord, board president of www.akbizmag.com
Alaska Business
July 2023 | 37
The former Old Tyme Saloon in Talkeetna has, over the years, been a farm for vegetables and microgreens. Its latest incarnation as The Grove harvests visitors drawn to agritourism. The Grove
Alaska Beauty Peony, a co-op of a dozen farmers in Homer. “We also talk about what a cooperative business is,” she says. “Our co-op was formed, for example, to provide shared infrastructure, labor, and marketing for distribution. We’re all jointly invested in the facilities and infrastructure.” As part of the peony tour, guests start at the pack house and are then driven in a fifteen-passenger bus to Gaylord’s farm, Willow Drive Gardens, where they can take a tour of the peony fields and see what the harvestable stage looks like as well as what field maintenance entails. “While the farm is only two acres, they can see what a large volume of flowers you can grow on a smallscale intensive farm; you can produce a lot of flowers in a small footprint,” says Gaylord. The final stop is a local meadery, where they spend the rest of the two-hour tour learning about peony mead. “We worked with Sweetgale Meadworks & Cider House on a variety of flowers, and they chose 38 | July 2023
the variety that they wanted to make mead from,” says Gaylord. Mead, of course, is an alcoholic beverage fermented from honey; winemaker Jason Davis raises bees that feed in the flower fields to produce sweet stuff for mead and for his berrybased wines.
Harvest Celebration Alaska Beauty Peony’s tours attract a mix of folks from out of state as well as locals who come from Anchorage for the month-long Homer Peony Celebration, held throughout July. During the festival, visitors can visit peony farms near Homer and partake in a range of educational activities. At last year’s fourth annual festival, artists’ workshops focused on peonies and painting, giant paper Japanese flower-making and printmaking, and dressmaking classes using floral couture and more. The Fleur de Paeonia Botanical Dress Art Show held at Bear Creek Winery attracted floral designers from across the country to learn more
about flower farming at the source. This year, for the first time, the co-op is also offering tickets for a You Pick at another co-op member, Hidden Hills Peony Farm. The You Pick begins July 14 and continues until the harvest is done. Co-op members also use their farms as wedding venues, including Alaska Homestead Peonies near the head of Kachemak Bay, which includes the AK Diamond J Wedding Venue as part of its offerings, and The Farmer’s Daughter, located in Soldotna. From the flower fields in Homer to the U-Pick apple orchard in Palmer and the Running Reindeer Ranch in Fairbanks, farmers in Alaska have figured out ways to extend the productivity of their land. “Margins in farming are tight, and it’s a risky business, so it’s nice to have a back-up source of income,” says Gaylord. “We’re seeing strong interest from members leaning heavily into agri-tours, and we’re developing value-added products as well.”
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
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FINANCE
Securing Business Start-up Financing How post-pandemic enterprises can drink from the lending well By Tracy Barbour
W
hile the COVID-19 pandemic forced thousands of companies to permanently close, many new businesses are still opening around the country. Fortunately, there are ample funding opportunities available to help entrepreneurs finance their endeavors—if they apply the right strategies. A staggering 5.4 million new business applications were filed in 2021, topping the 4.4 million record set in 2020, according to the US Census Bureau. And in October 2022 alone, there were 432,834 business applications—an increase of 1.2 percent compared to September 2022. These applications—which represent filings for tax identification, not the total number of business startups—were mainly in the industries of mining; manufacturing; transportation and warehousing; health and social services; arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services; and educational services. Alaska is also experiencing an uptick in new businesses. In fiscal year 2018, the Alaska Small Business Development Center (SBDC) assisted 140 new businesses, according to Executive Director Jon Bittner. In fiscal year 2022, it helped close to 220 businesses. These numbers relate only to the entities that worked with the Alaska SBDC, 40 | July 2023
“The timing and structure of the [SSBCI] program is perfect, with the tightening of banks on financing and all the infrastructure money. Also, Alaska is expecting to have a banner year with tourism and commercial fishing.” Jon Bittner Executive Director Alaska Small Business Development Center
which provides confidential advice, assistance, and other resources to entrepreneurs looking to start or grow their small business. Even during the height of COVID-19, the Alaska SBDC still saw
a considerable number of businesses opening. “Maybe it’s because there were a lot of people transitioning out of their jobs,” Bittner speculates. This is certainly plausible, given the massive workplace and labor market disruptions the pandemic caused. Job losses prompted many employees to pursue their dreams of self-employment through gig work or full-fledged business ownership. Regardless of the reason, the Alaska SBDC is seeing new enterprises surface statewide, especially in certain industries and rural parts of the state, Bittner says. For instance, new businesses are emerging in healthcare and technology, with some of them focused on leveraging innovations in artificial intelligence. There has also been a significant increase in tourism businesses, particularly in the area of regenerative tourism. In addition, more construction-related startups and expansions are springing up to capitalize on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
An Abundance of Loan Programs Start-up financing opportunities have expanded due to a number of new government programs. One of the latest funding sources available is the Alaska State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). The statewide program—administered by the Alaska SBDC—uses $59.9 million
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
from the US Department of Treasury to finance incentives to help drive private-sector funding to Alaska’s small businesses. The initiative, which mobilizes local sources of capital, such as community banks and local equity investors, is designed to reward investments outside of traditional high-access areas and to startups that have struggled to receive funding. The Alaska SBDC will deploy Alaska SSBCI funds over the next ten years through a $32 million loan guarantee program, a $15.9 million loan participation program, a $10 million equity investment program, and a $2 million loan collateral program. “We want to make sure people understand that we’re working with the lenders and equity investors,” Bittner says. “They should make sure they talk to their banks about the options. If you need help trying to position yourself on how to take advantage of these programs, SBDC advisors can help.” The Alaska SBDC launched the loan guarantee part of the SSBCI program in March. “We’re hitting the ground running,” Bittner says. “I believe we are on track to deploy our first tranche [of three] in the next six months.” In the first month alone, the Alaska SBDC processed approximately $9 million in the loan guarantee program. The first deal—facilitated by First National Bank Alaska (FNBA)—involved a $2.6 million loan to help a new Kenai aviation company purchase an airplane. The Alaska SBDC also recently launched the equity investment program, which further expands funding opportunities for entrepreneurs. The SSBCI program has a substantial amount of interest—and promise, Bittner says. When Congress authorized the program two years ago, the economy was plagued by uncertainty, but circumstances have dramatically improved. “At the time, we weren’t sure what the financial situation would look like postCOVID,” he explains. “The timing and structure of the program is perfect, with the tightening of banks on financing and all the infrastructure www.akbizmag.com
money. Also, Alaska is expecting to have a banner year with tourism and commercial fishing.” Bittner is excited about the potential impact of the SSBCI program. “It’s not just grants or onetime payments; it’s a partnership between this program, lenders, and equity investors—so it’s sustainable,” he says. “One of the targets is that we get ten times leverage for the money that we receive.”
This summer, the Alaska SBDC is launching a similar Tribal SSBCI program, which will provide up to an additional $100 million in funding to help eligible businesses. The center’s request for the tribal program is in the final review stages with the Treasury Department, and the program funding should be available by the end of this summer, Bittner says. The Alaska SBDC will deploy the funds through a $40 million loan guarantee program, a $12
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July 2023 | 41
climate is changing in certain parts million loan participation program, Strategies for Working with of the country, Alaska still has a a $25 million equity investment Lenders program, and a $16 million loan Generally, a financial institution lot going for it,” Steadman says. collateral program. will be the first stop for startups “Tourism is doing fantastically well, Tribal governments can use the seeking financing through SSBCI, and the Willow [oil drilling] project funds to support small businesses SBA, or other loan programs. announcement is very promising. on tribal lands, small businesses in FNBA, for example, works primarily There are so many amazing business states where tribal lands or tribal with established companies or opportunities happening locally.” Another viable funding resource members are located, and individuals who have small businesses owned by companies that are for aspiring business owners is tribal members anywhere starting another line of McKinley Alaska Growth Capital. within the United States. business. However, FNBA McKinley provides small business Bittner explains, “It’s often participates in loans in Alaska primarily through and US Department of hard to collateralize assets exploratory conversations SBA in rural communities. that can ultimately assist Agriculture guaranteed business They don’t have many entrepreneurs on their loan products. “These programs on-the-ground financial financing journey. “The allow us to provide loans to institutions, so trying to Chad Steadman bank is always a great qualifying business borrowers who FNBA incentivize lenders to do place to begin when you’re are unable to obtain credit at a bank deals out there can be problematic. looking to start a new business,” or credit union,” says Logan Birch, We think this will help with all of that.” Steadman says. “We’re a wealth of president of McKinley Alaska Growth The Alaska SBDC has also allotted knowledge, and we have strong Capital. “Loans to new businesses substantial funding for the equity relationships with many different are often the highest risk, which is program. “We are hoping to work vendors and other agencies to why these types of programs play an important role in getting capital with Native corporations and tribal help entrepreneurs.” programs to help develop nonExactly how FNBA can facilitate to entrepreneurs.” Birch is seeing more new traditional financial options… a startup depends on the business and potential to focus on driving economic concept, type, and goals. For entrepreneurs development and regional change,” instance, some people walk into business owners getting engaged Bittner says. the bank with big ideas and big in Alaska, and he says McKinley is The SSBCI program can bolster dreams. If they have an incredibly doing whatever it can to support and a loan request by making a lender good idea, this is where an angel encourage them. The pandemic, Birch says, will feel more comfortable with the investor might come into play. risk involved with backing an Others come in wanting to start ripple for years to come. “For untested new enterprise. “The SSBCI a more traditional business to fill example, many existing businesses guarantee is a credit enhancement an established need in the market. delayed plans for expansion and upgrades, and we are now that helps the bank mitigate some Depending on where they seeing the backlog that of the hurdles of financing to a new are with their business was created related to business,” says Chad Steadman, concept, the bank might years of reduced activity,” senior vice president and corporate want to partner with the he says. “The pandemic lending director at FNBA. Alaska SBDC. Steadman also caused many of In addition to considering SSBCI explains, “If someone us to closely evaluate program funds, Alaska startups can comes in and there are how we spend our time, explore a variety of loan programs a lot of gaps, we send galvanizing the attitude of backed by the US Small Business them to the SBDC, which many that ‘life is too short’ Administration (SBA). These loans works to help them build Logan Birch McKinley Alaska Growth to be doing something you are available through various SBA out a business plan. partners like FNBA and McKinley Once details are in place, we can don’t enjoy, and that realization is Alaska Growth Capital. Popular recommend loan programs to meet spurring many new entrepreneurs.” As a positive outcome, the SBA loan programs include SBA their business needs.” 7(a), Community Advantage, and Regardless of the loan program pandemic accelerated tools and microloan. Another possible non- involved, FNBA considers the policies that support a remote SBA funding source is the Bureau traditional “5 Cs” of credit—character, work environment. “There were a of Indian Affairs (BIA) loan program, capacity, collateral, capital, and number of documents and forms that which caters to qualified businesses conditions—when evaluating previously required a wet signature, and sole proprietorships. Which loan a borrower’s credit worthiness. and practically all of those holdouts program is the best option for an The bank also analyzes the local now accept some form of electronic entrepreneur will depend on the loan economic climate and outlook— signature,” Birch says. “Our ability to amount and purpose of the loan, which are currently overall favorable take a new loan from the application among other factors. for Alaska. “While the economic all the way through loan servicing 42 | July 2023
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
can now be done in a much more streamlined manner.” When pursuing financing, borrowers should keep in mind that different funding sources have different concerns. The key for any good lender will be their ability to understand the primary risks a business will face and how those risks are appropriately being mitigated, Birch says. “The most credible loan requests I’ve seen are from borrowers who have a good understanding of those risks and are able to address them,” he says. “An equity investor wants to hear and understand your growth potential, but a lender must understand and become comfortable with the downside scenario.”
solve problems—and ask numerous questions. “It might feel like you’re going down a rabbit hole until you get to where you need to be, but don’t stop at one solution,” Steadman says. “Have multiple solutions in place so that you can come up with the best option.” When seeking a business loan, most people do not spend enough time on all the aspects of the financial analysis process, Bittner says. But they should look further down the path to better
understand what is happening with banks right now. “You have to bring your A-game. Take away all the small mistakes or missteps. It’s a highly competitive time,” Bittner says. However, Bittner adds that he is “extremely optimistic” about the financing options available today. “For businesses that are solid, there is going to be a lot of opportunity,” he says. “If you’re interested in being an entrepreneur, now is a very good time.”
Advice For Landing Financing Securing debt funding for a new business can be a daunting undertaking, but entrepreneurs should not get discouraged, Birch says. Instead, they should speak with multiple lenders to learn about their risk tolerance and different loan programs. “Be prepared with a complete business plan and financial package and try to find a loan officer who will be an advocate for you,” he says. True “start-up” financing is very difficult for lenders to provide, Birch says. The entrepreneur must have direct industry experience, sufficient equity committed to the project, and well-defined financial projections that demonstrate an ability to repay the loan. “Listen closely to feedback from lenders who have reviewed your loan package and don’t be afraid to pivot and adjust your business plan as you look to find the right formula for success,” he says. Steadman also recommends that loan applicants present strong financial documents to support their loan request. “Potential borrowers should have a very realistic pro forma showing what the business can do to earn money and pay back the loan. And they should be willing to provide good collateral—their own skin in the game—upfront,” Steadman says. Entrepreneurs should also find good advisors who can help them www.akbizmag.com
Alaska Business
July 2023 | 43
BEST OF AL ASKA BUSINESS
ACCOUNTING FIRM Altman, Rogers & Co. DENALI
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ST. ELIAS
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BDO Swalling & Associates swallingcpas.com The numbers add up the same way as last year. Altman, Rogers & Co. is Alaska’s largest independent CPA firm and offers more than 100 years of professional experience to its clients. BDO is part of a nationwide chain with more than seventy US locations; the Anchorage location serves clients throughout the state. And Swalling & Associates, with two offices, has found its niche partnering with mid-size, “closely-held” Alaskan businesses and their owners. FORAKER
LAW FIRM Landye Bennett Blumstein Welcome to the 2023 Best of Alaska Business special section! Through the 2023 Best of Alaska Business awards, we are again highlighting Alaska’s outstanding companies. But unlike our other special sections, we didn’t choose who to feature here—our readers did. Throughout the month of March, we invited all Alaskans to choose their favorite businesses in forty-three categories ranging from Best Pizzeria to Best Bookstore to Best General Contractor. The Best of Alaska Business awards survey is a writein survey, which means voters know the companies they love enough to manually enter their names, not just select randomly from a pulldown. In a handful of the categories, we ask our readers to provide additional context for their nominations, such as Best Corporate Citizen: it’s one thing to say a company invests in the community, it’s even better to hear from our readers how the company is doing it. The Best Corporate Citizen is an interesting category, as 1) it’s the only one in which the winners aren’t ranked and 2) the results are calculated through a combination of reader votes, reader comments, and the editorial team’s knowledge of how the nominated companies get involved in the community. Again this year, while we have selected three winners, we have also chosen to list every nominated organization. All their efforts are significant, and all are appreciated. We have several new categories in 2023, and we chose one of them to feature in an article; learn more about how coworking spaces are a viable office option in “Putting the ‘Co’ in Company.” Also in this section, we’re highlighting Alaska’s robust coffee industry, though we narrowed our scope to focus on a specific type of venue in “Barista in a Box,” which explores Alaska’s iconic coffee kiosks (or huts, stands, shacks, whatever you call them). Rounding out this excellent special section is a piece by Alaska Chamber President and CEO Kati Capozzi, who talks about the benefits every company can reap through getting involved in the business community. Community is what the Best of Alaska Business awards are about: our Alaska Business community working with us to take the opportunity to recognize greatness. 44 | July 2023
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Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot Schwabe schwabe.com/location/anchorage According to law leader Landye Bennett Blumstein, “By choosing Landye Bennett Blumstein, our clients access an experienced team of attorneys who work collaboratively to find effective solutions to legal challenges… Whether navigating the intricacies of Alaska Native law or facilitating complex real estate transactions, we consistently rise above client expectations to deliver results.” Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot has offices in Anchorage and Washington, D.C. and says it provides legal representation of the highest quality. Schwabe has nearly 170 attorneys in seven offices in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, making it one of the largest law firms in the region. According to the firm, it’s “driven to be different and better, daily.” FORAKER
ADVERTISING/CREATIVE AGENCY Brilliant Media Strategies DENALI
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Optima Public Relations ARM Creative arm-creative.com The wordmark for Brilliant Media Strategies contains a “BR!” to signify its previous, and perhaps better-known, name: Bradley Reid Communications. Alaska’s senior full-service communications agency (established in 1968) returns to the rankings thanks to its creative, energetic, and intelligent staff. Optima has been providing media and public relations strategies since 2011, formed by commercial realtor Frank Dahl and two Tom Andersons: a former state legislator and his father, a retired Alaska State Trooper colonel. ARM Creative, founded by Zach Aregood and Deanna Miller, is the only firm to maintain a three-year streak in the rankings. FORAKER
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sunpromo.com According to Stellar Designs President Tim Ellis, “We are always looking for your reorder. That means it is working for both of us.” This approach to customer satisfaction is integral to how the company operates. “We try to provide the best possible experience for our clients, from concept to delivery,” he says, emphasizing the company is reliable, creative, on-time, and has a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee. Alaska Serigraphics says it is “all about helping you promote your image in the best way possible,” which it does by offering the gamut of swag options. Sunshine Custom Promotions also offers a huge range of products, from customized clothing to unique awards.
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PRINTING SERVICES PROVIDER PIP Marketing Signs Print DENALI
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Color Art Printing ST. ELIAS
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Great Originals greatoriginals.com Our readers have again selected PIP, which is fast approaching five decades of operations, as the cream of the crop of local printing services. According to the company, “Our customers know they can rely upon us to complete their print jobs in a professional and timely manner, while providing expert advice and guidance along the way.” Color Art Printing has been providing printing services to Alaskans since 1958, launching the business out of a basement shop and growing ever since. The relative youngster of the group, Great Originals, has been serving Alaskans for thirty-five years, and has “developed into the most diverse printer in the state.”
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BEST OF AL ASKA BUSINESS
BEST COFFEE SPOT, ST. ELIAS WINNER (P. 62)
STAFFING AGENCY
Clare Theis (left), with Novalyn Alvarez, continues the family business at Jitters, which has been serving coffee in Eagle River for almos forty years.
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Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
PeopleAK TDL Staffing tdlstaffing.com For Opti Staffing group its business is all about people, results, and relationships. The company provides direct hire and contract-to-hire services in the professional and skilled trade markets. In addition to helping companies with recruiting and staffing needs, PeopleAK also provides coaching and succession planning services, “empowering you and your team with the right people.” TDL Staffing specializes in administrative, light industrial, and medical employee services from offices in Anchorage and Fairbanks. FORAKER
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GENERAL CONTRACTOR Watterson Construction
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Davis Constructors & Engineers
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Alaska Safety Alliance
cornerstoneak.com The smallest of the Top 49ers ranked by 2021 gross revenue, Cornerstone, edges the perennial largest 49er, Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, out of the category due to the giant’s many construction subsidiaries splitting the vote. Even combined, though, the subsidiaries couldn’t outpace the top two, with Davis Constructors and Watterson Construction repeating their rankings from last year. The secret to Watterson Construction’s success is “focusing on longterm honest relationships with our employees, clients, and industry partners,” according to Ryan Watterson, preconstruction and development manager. “We are humbled by the support of our colleagues.” FORAKER
alaskasafetyalliance.org Another new category in 2023, we’re excited to highlight the organizations that are building Alaska’s skilled workforce. Northern Industrial Training is “proud to be Alaska’s number one resource for vocational training,” specializing in training for construction equipment, welding, truck driving, and safety. Located in Seward, AVTEC is operated by the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development and provides practical training in programs from culinary arts to industrial electricity to business and office technology. The Alaska Safety Alliance focuses on industry-driven workforce development, helping “Alaskans find the training they need to be great employees in Alaska’s process industries.” FORAKER
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LBBlawyers.com July 2023 | 47
BEST OF ALASKA BUSINESS
JOB TRAINING PROGRAM/ CERTIFICATION
BEST OF AL ASKA BUSINESS
CARGO/LOGISTICS PROVIDER Lynden DENALI
lynden.com
ST. ELIAS
carlile.biz
Carlile Northern Air Cargo nac.aero If Saltchuk sister companies combined votes, then Carlile and Northern Air Cargo (together with runner-up TOTE) would easily rank as the favorite cargo carriers on land, air, and sea. As it is, Lynden does all three modes by itself, serving Alaska ever since trucking the first load of fresh meat up the Alcan Highway in 1953. In a statement, Lynden thanks its valued customers and dedicated employees “for their continued care and expertise as we all work together to keep Alaska moving. We enjoy serving our communities by providing multimodal transportation and logistics solutions across the entire state!” FORAKER
BEST BAKERY/DESSERT SPOT, DENALI WINNER (P. 64) and BEST CUSTOMER FRIENDLY COMPANY, DENALI WINNER (P.68)
Amanda Solis (right) and her daughter Sophia in front of the Snowy Berry kiosk in the Midtown Mall. Lauren | Great North Exposure
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! A K S A L A U THANK YO brilliantak.com 48 | July 2023
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
BANK/CREDIT UNION
TELECOMMUNICATIONS PROVIDER
fnbalaska.com
ST. ELIAS
globalcu.org
GCI DENALI
gci.com
ST. ELIAS
att.com
Global Credit Union
AT&T
Credit Union 1
MTA
cu1.org In the most heated competition, First National Bank Alaska (FNBA) has more votes than most entire categories, and the other two each had more than most top-ranked businesses. This Red Queen’s Race (or Maroon Queen, given FNBA’s corporate colors) produced the same lineup as last year. Global Credit Union, of course, was known as Alaska USA Federal Credit Union throughout BOAB voting, until April. The name change coincides with the credit union’s 75th anniversary; in a few years, Credit Union 1 will hit that mark, while FNBA has begun its second century. FORAKER
mtasolutions.com Our readers have come to the same conclusion this year as they did last: their favorite telecommunications provider is GCI, followed by AT&T and MTA. In 2022 and into 2023, GCI and MTA have continued to focus on connecting more Alaskans to quality broadband. In April GCI resumed work on its AU-Aleutians Fiber Project, which is expanding 2 GB internet service westward into the Aleutian Islands, running approximately 800 miles from Kodiak to Unalaska. MTA also completed an impressive amount of work upgrading and expanding its network, including laying 171 miles of fiber at 1,166 locations. FORAKER
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Alaska Business
July 2023 | 49
BEST OF ALASKA BUSINESS
First National Bank Alaska DENALI
BEST OF AL ASKA BUSINESS
COWORKING SPACE The Boardroom DENALI
theboardroomak.com
ST. ELIAS
coworkbyrsd.com
Cowork by RSD Alaska Co:Work alaskacowork.com The Boardroom began in 2013 before moving to a former railroad depot, where 49th State Brewing Co. does its Anchorage production. Desks rent for $20 per day, $45 per month; private offices go for $775 per month. The Boardroom also provides economic development policy and strategy consulting. On 8th Avenue, a four-story office building renovated by Robin Brena’s RSD Properties became Cowork by RSD in 2021; an annex recently opened two blocks north on 6th Avenue. Alaska Co:Work completes the cohort for this new category, earning recognition for its Midtown cubicles, offices, and conference space. FORAKER
BEST MUSEUM, ST. ELIAS WINNER (P.58)
The staff at the University of Alaska Museum of the North (left to right): Megan Koch, director of visitor services and marketing; education outreach specialists Nan Werdin-Pfisterer, Elisabeth Padilla, and Emily Koehler-Platten; Jennifer Arseneau, director of education and public programs; museum attendant Jack Helmericks; Sophie Zhang, visitor services and marketing lead; museum attendants Grace Hopkins, Brooke Barton, Claire Thelen, Taryn Aho, and Sarah Gertenfield; Marcus Avugiak, visitor services manager; and Patrick Druckenmiller, museum director. Roger Topp | Museum of the North
Building Community
Photo Credit:© Ken Graham Photography .com
p: 907.563.7441 e: info@wccak.com 50 | July 2023
Thank you, to our community, for again recognizing Watterson as Alaska’s favorite general contractor. Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
BEST OF ALASKA BUSINESS
ALASKA'S PROVEN COMMERCIAL FREIGHT SERVICES EXPERTS www.akbizmag.com
• Commercial Freight • Oil and Gas • Construction
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July 2023 | 51
BEST OF AL ASKA BUSINESS
HEATING/AIR CONDITIONING COMPANY
FLORIST
Moore Heating DENALI
mooreheating.com
ST. ELIAS
klebsheating.com
Bagoy’s Florist & Home DENALI
bagoys.com
ST. ELIAS
uptownblossoms.net
KLEBS
Uptown Blossoms
Circle Plumbing & Heating
Hummel’s Flowers
circleplumbingandheating.com In winter, furnace repair counts as emergency service, and grateful customers never forget who saved them. Moore Heating, based on Dowling Road, has been rescuing Anchorage customers for more than thirty years. Services also include water heaters, fireplaces, duct cleaning, and inspections. KLEBS, founded by Gary Klebs in 1986 and now co-owned by his son, expanded from Anchorage to a branch in Wasilla. With deeper roots in Anchorage, Circle Plumbing & Heating was established in 1971 by Lawrence Embley and is now owned by his sons, master plumbers Ken and Tom. FORAKER
anchorage-ak-hummelsflowersinc.quickflora. com A change in ownership has not interrupted a century of excellence at Bagoy’s Florist and Home. The husbandand-wife team of Adam Baxter and Kristen Keifer took over Anchorage’s oldest flower shop in late 2022, after satisfying the previous owners that it would be in good hands. Store manager Julie Wilson says they were “looking for quality owners that would continue the legacy of Bagoy’s.” Uptown Blossoms and Hummel’s Flowers, both in Midtown, are also repeat selections FORAKER
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ASRC ENERGY SERVICES Competitive wages | Federal benefits | Flexible schedules Thank you to everyone who voted for us to receive the St. Elias Award for Best Place to Work (+250 Employees)!
52 | July 2023
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
Staff of NANA Management Services at the Downtown Anchorage building of parent company NANA Regional Corporation. Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
JEWELRY STORE 5th Avenue Jewelers DENALI
akdiamondco.com
ST. ELIAS
fredmeyerjewelers.com
Fred Meyer Jewelers Michael’s Jewelers FORAKER
akjewels.com
A family-owned shop topples a nationwide chain, with 5th Avenue Jewelers and Fred Meyer Jewelers
swapping places from last year’s category debut. Heather Robuck, daughter of founder Doug Robuck, runs the shop with her husband, Roy, while her brother Dave and his wife co-own their father’s Midtown spinoff, Michael’s Jewelers. Heather and Roy, being secondgeneration jewelers, want to be a family's jeweler for years to come—from engagement rings and wedding bands to anniversaries and birthdays. "Our goal is to give excellent customer service while providing the finest jewelry and heirloom pieces Alaska has to offer," Heather says.
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July 2023 | 53
BEST OF ALASKA BUSINESS
BEST PLACE TO WORK 250+ EMPLOYEES, FORAKER WINNER (P. 66)
BEST OF AL ASKA BUSINESS BEST BIKE SHOP, DENALI WINNER (P. 58) Sue Westfield (right) assists a customer at The Bicycle Shop with installations on her bike. Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
TATTOO SHOP
BOOKSTORE
Anchorage Tattoo Studio DENALI
Title Wave Books DENALI
anchoragetattoostudio.com
Eagle River Tattoo ST. ELIAS
Barnes & Noble
eaglerivertattoo.com
ST. ELIAS
Ultra Violence Tattoo
54 | July 2023
stores.barnesandnoble.com/store/2784
The Writer’s Block
facebook.com/ultraviolencetattoo We’re excited to welcome the first cohort of this new category, with Anchorage Tattoo Studio leading the pack. According to the studio, “We are incredibly honored to be nominated and grateful for the relationship we have built with our community over the last forty-eight years… We genuinely say ʻthank you!ʼ for supporting us.” Don and Debra Yarian established Eagle River tattoo in 2008 after working with Larry Allen at Anchorage Tattoo Studio; their goal was to create a “beautiful and comfortable” atmosphere for their clients. Ultra Violence Tattoo is also in Anchorage, and an enthusiastic reviewer on its Facebook page calls it a “class act shop.” FORAKER
wavebooks.com
writersblockak.com In the ‘90s, big-box bookstores drove smaller chain shops—Book Cache, Waldenbooks, B. Dalton—to extinction. Then a certain internet retailer hit like an asteroid, wiping out Borders and leaving Barnes & Noble as the only survivor. Only? No, small booksellers thrive by specializing. Title Wave opened in 1991 and has traded used books, movies, and music from the thrift district at Northern Lights Boulevard and Spenard Road since 2002. From deeper in Spenard, The Writers Block supplements book sales with live performances and art exhibitions in a property reclaimed from a porn shop. FORAKER
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
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BEST OF AL ASKA BUSINESS BEST TATTOO SHOP, ST. ELIAS WINNER (P. 54)
A loyal customer goes under Don Yarian's needle. Yarian and his wife, Deb, co-own Eagle River Tattoo, a collective with five other artists. Deb has been tattooing since 1979, Dan since 1989, and they opened in Eagle River in 2008. Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
FURNITURE STORE
CANNABIS RETAILER
Bailey’s Furniture
Enlighten Alaska DENALI
enlightenak.com
DENALI
baileysfurniture.com
ST. ELIAS
sadlers.com
Sadler’s Home Furnishings
Raspberry Roots ST. ELIAS
raspberryroots.com
Treeforms Furniture Gallery
Great Northern Cannabis greatnortherncannabis.com Enlighten Alaska has reclaimed its top spot from 2021. The shop, just up Spenard Road from Chilkoot Charlie’s, is co-owned by Jane Stinson with her daughter Leah Levinton and son Evan Levinton. “We hold a strong belief in the positive, healing properties of cannabis,” they say on the Enlighten Alaska website, which also happens to list each staffer’s favorite strain of the plant. Last year’s favorite, Great Northern Cannabis, remains in the ranks as the Foraker winner, while a runner up from last year, Raspberry Roots, rose to claim the St. Elias position. FORAKER
56 | July 2023
treeforms.net A repeat lineup from last year, and a fourth in a row for the top picks. Bailey’s Furniture president Ron Bailey says the secret to success is listening to customer requests—"if they want lift desks, then we go find them the best value lift desk available”—and making fast decisions thanks to hands-on leadership. “Bailey’s Furniture is a born in Alaska business and understands the needs of remote job sites or Bush communities’ challenges, and we do our absolute best to help solve the problems as efficiently as possible,” says Bailey. FORAKER
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
So Happy Together The BEST
_space Your for any occasion
Events | Concerts | Conferences | Conventions Banquets | Meetings | Trade Shows | Weddings In-house Catering | Equipment Technology
907.263.2850 Anchorageconventioncenters.com ASM Global is the world’s leading producer of entertainment experiences. It is the global leader in venue and event strategy and management – delivering locally tailored solutions and cutting-edge technologies to achieve maximum results for venue owners. The company’s elite venue network spans five continents, with a portfolio of more than 350 of the world’s most prestigious arenas, stadiums, convention, and exhibition centers, and performing arts venues.
BEST OF AL ASKA BUSINESS
BEST STAFFING AGENCY, FORAKER WINNER (P. 46)
TDL Staffing has offices in Anchorage and Fairbanks. The Fairbanks office is Kendal, Jamilla, Shelby, and Amanda. The Anchorage office is Sharon, Kira, Dana, and Renatta (Renatta is not shown). TDL Staffing
AUTO DEALERSHIP
AUCTION HOUSE
Kendall Auto Alaska DENALI
kendallautoalaska.com
ST. ELIAS
continentalautogroup.com
Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals DENALI
alaskapremierauctions.com
ST. ELIAS
alaskaauction.com
Continental Auto Group
Alaska Auction Co.
Lithia Motors
Grubstake Auction Co.
FORAKER
lithia.com/alaska/car-dealers The second year for the category is a repeat lineup, with an Alaskan family-owned cluster sandwiched between two Oregon-based chains. What puts Kendall on top, according to the company, is a simple mission statement: “To deliver an unrivaled customer experience. Through our caring and knowledgeable team of professionals, we pledge to listen to and respect our customer’s needs.” Helps, too, to stock nameplates drivers crave, with Chevrolet, Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Subaru, Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, BMW, Volkswagen, and Volvo sold among all three.
grubstakeauction.com Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals earns its name in a new category. The firm started by former TV ad salesman Dan Newman just celebrated five years in business. “Our secret to success and scaling rapidly,” the company says, “has been building a team of quality individuals who support our vision, community involvement, transparency, 5-star service for both buyers and sellers, and award-winning marketing campaigns.” Meanwhile, Alaska Auction company can boast of being the largest in the state, with its shop in South Anchorage. On the north side of town, Ron Alleva and his family specialize in vehicle auctions at Grubstake.
BIKE SHOP
MUSEUM
FORAKER
The Bicycle Shop DENALI
bikeshopak.com
ST. ELIAS
trekstorealaska.com
Anchorage Museum DENALI
anchoragemuseum.org
ST. ELIAS
uaf.edu/museum
Trek Bicycle Store of Anchorage
Museum of the North
REI rei.com The category is new, partially replacing last year’s contest for best outdoor gear retailer. REI dominated there, and the Seattle-based chain makes a good showing in this narrower niche. Voters’ favorite, The Bicycle Shop, has three locations around Anchorage, including Paramount Cycles. It’s the place to go for cyclists uncertain if they prefer off-road, cruising, or casual biking. Trek, in the Metro Mall (across the street from REI’s new location), is a full-service sales and maintenance shop that leans toward crosscountry biking.
FORAKER
58 | July 2023
Alaska Native Heritage Center alaskanative.net Take a moment to reflect on another new item in our curated categories: Best Museum. Displayed prominently as the Denali winner, The Anchorage Museum’s mission is to be a museum for “people, place, planet, and potential in service of a sustainable and equitable North.” Housed further north in Fairbanks, the Museum of the North is “a thriving visitor attraction, a vital component of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the only research and teaching museum in Alaska.” And back in Anchorage, the Alaska Native Heritage Center is a “living cultural center” that “promotes active observance of Alaska Native culture and traditions.” FORAKER
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
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BEST OF AL ASKA BUSINESS
BEST CANNABIS RETAILER, DENALI WINNER (P. 56)
Eric Chase assists a customer at Enlighten Alaska's Spenard Road location. Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
HOTEL
HOSPITAL
Hotel Captain Cook DENALI
captaincook.com
ST. ELIAS
copperwhale.com
Providence Alaska Medical Center DENALI
providence.org
ST. ELIAS
alaskaregional.com
Copper Whale Inn
Alaska Regional Hospital
Marriott Hotels
Alaska Native Medical Center
marriott.com The top two return from last year, with Marriott joining th egroup in the Foraker position. The Maryland-based hospitality chain earns extra votes thanks to its portfolio of hotels under the Marriott brand, including SpringHill Suites, Fairfield Inn, Courtyard, and the new Aloft in Anchorage. The parent company has also owned the high-rise Sheraton Anchorage Hotel & Spa since 2016, and Marriott’s own high-rise was built in downtown Anchorage in 1999. The twenty-story building was renovated in 2021.
anmc.org Last year’s 1-2-3 hold the same rankings, giving Providence a six-year streak at the top. For 2023, Ella Goss was promoted from CEO of the Anchorage hospital to CEO of the entire Providence Alaska network, with locations in Eagle River, Seward, Valdez, and Kodiak. “Our ability to deliver high-quality, compassionate care would not be possible without our amazing caregivers, local partners who share our vision, and support from the community,” Goss says. “Thank you for trusting us to provide care for you and your loved ones.”
MEETING/EVENT VENUE
PHARMACY
FORAKER
FORAKER
Dena'ina Center DENALI
Bernie's Pharmacy DENALI
anchorageconventioncenters.com
The Megan Room ST. ELIAS
Fred Meyer Pharmacy
themeganroom.com
ST. ELIAS
Hotel Captain Cook
60 | July 2023
fredmeyer.com
Walgreens Pharmacy
captaincook.com As far as venues go, it’s hard to beat the Dena’ina Center, conveniently located in Downtown Anchorage and featuring more than 200,000 feet of flexible event space, which has hosted events ranging from local industry lunches to international trade shows. Further south in Anchorage, the Megan Room accommodates groups as large as 115 people in various arrangements and offers the convenience of free on-site parking, a catering kitchen, outdoor spaces, and modern meeting tech. Back downtown, The Hotel Captain Cook houses fourteen meeting and conference rooms with a range of sizes and amenities, and the hotel provides a full range of support services and AV equipment. FORAKER
berniespharmacy.com
walgreens.com Bernie’s Pharmacy is named for Bernie Klouda, a fifthgeneration Alaskan who graduated from West High School before attending the University of Montana Pharmacy School. He returned to Alaska and opened his eponymous pharmacy in 1980, taking care to develop a business “that patients felt comfortable with and confident about,” and the company’s position as the winner of this new category indicates his success. Fred Meyer and Walgreens both have the advantage of being national chains and offer pharmaceutical services at multiple locations around the state, providing consistent and convenient options for Alaskans. FORAKER
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
DELIVERING
EXCELLENCE
EVERY STEP OF THE WAY! Proud recipient of the St. Elias Award for Best Cargo/Logistics Provider.
BEST OF AL ASKA BUSINESS
BEST AUTO DEALERSHIP, DENALI WINNER (P. 58)
BEST FOOD TRUCK, DENALI WINNER (P. 64)
Photographer PJ Morales wasn't intending to buy a car when she went to Kendall Toyota, but Michelangelo Landicho convinced her to drive away in a new RAV 4.
Erica Stimaker staked out Kincaid Park as the spot where she sells Yeti Dog sausages cooked on a cart transported in her shiny van.
Michelangelo Landicho | Kendall Toyota
Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
ANIMAL HOSPITAL/CLINIC
COFFEE SPOT
VCA Animal Hospitals DENALI
vcahospitals.com
ST. ELIAS
petstopak.com
Kaladi Brothers Coffee DENALI
kaladi.com
ST. ELIAS
jitterseagleriver.com
The Pet Stop
Jitters
North Pole Veterinary Hospital
Black Cup
FORAKER
northpolevet.com Skittles and VCA Animal Hospitals share the same parent company. Since 2017, the nationwide Veterinary Centers of America chain has been owned by candymaker Mars, Inc., which also sells Pedigree and Whiskas pet foods. Seven locations in Anchorage, Eagle River, Palmer, and Big Lake serve a wide clientele, and high-quality care keeps patients and their human companions satisfied. The Pet Stop and North Pole Veterinary Hospital do their best with single locations: six doctors on West Dimond Boulevard in Anchorage and nine doctors in, well, North Pole, respectively.
blackcupak.com The Kaladi family grabs two spots, except the brothers aren’t really related. Brad Bigelow and Tim Gravel own Kaladi Brothers Coffee, and in 2011 they bought Café Del Mundo, established in 1975 as Anchorage’s first roastery. Café Del Mundo now leans into the Black Cup brand, or coffee best served plain, exemplified at the flagship store on Benson Boulevard. Meanwhile, coffee is still an art at Jitters in Eagle River, although the adjoining Picture This gallery now sells housewares under the ownership of a former manager. Briana Theis, daughter of the café’s founders, owns and operates the coffee side.
BREWERY
INTERNATIONAL CUISINE
FORAKER
49th State Brewing Co. DENALI
49statebrewing.com
ST. ELIAS
kingstreetbrewing.com
Ray’s Place DENALI
raysplaceak.com
ST. ELIAS
namasteshangrila.com
King Street Brewing Co.
Namaste Shangri-La
Anchorage Brewing Co.
Everest Restaurant
anchoragebrewing.company Healy is famous for two things: Usibelli Coal Mine and the startup location of 49th State Brewing Company. While visitors to the Denali Park area enjoy the nearby eatery that serves its own ales, lagers, and stouts, the 49th State branch overlooking the Ship Creek area in Anchorage is an all-purpose gathering place for business lunches or evening entertainment. On the south side of town, King Street is practically brewery row: the eponymous shop repeats from last year, and its neighbor around the corner, Anchorage Brewing Co., rises from runner-ups to return to the top ranks. FORAKER
62 | July 2023
indianrestaurantanchorage.com Asian flavors in Anchorage tower over the category. Ray’s Place, serving Vietnamese food at the north end of Spenard Road, retains its top ranking. “After thirty years, we still smile daily when we hear that you loved your meal and your time spent with friends and family,” the restaurant says. Nepali fare is on the menu at Namaste Shangri-La, near Tudor and Lake Otis, primarily vegetarian entrees but with some meat dishes, too. Vegan and halal options are also the priority at Everest Restaurant, a former Burger King near the University Center mall, converted into an Indian eatery. FORAKER
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
You bring out the best in us.
Alaska’s most award-winning hospital. Thank you for voting Providence Alaska Medical Center the Best of Alaska Business Denali Award for Best Hospital. We are committed to ensuring Alaskans receive the best care available close to home. And Providence Alaska Medical Center has once again been recognized as the top health care provider in Alaska. U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in hospital rankings, has named Providence Alaska Medical Center as a 2022-23 High Performing hospital in seven categories. Thanks to the great work of all our caregivers, providers and community partners, enabling us to serve our community with award-winning care.
Learn more at providence.org/AlaskaAwards Providence Alaska is part of Providence, a not-for-profit network of hospitals, care centers, health plans, physicians, clinics, home health services, affiliated services and educational facilities. For more information about Providence Alaska, visit providence.org/alaska.
BEST OF AL ASKA BUSINESS
BEST STARTUP BUSINESS OF 2022, DENALI WINNER (P. #)
The team at Aleutian Airways and one of its three Saab 2000 airliners. The company revived flights to Dutch Harbor/Unalaska from Anchorage last November and is expanding with more destinations. Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
PIZZERIA
BURGER JOINT
Moose's Tooth DENALI
moosestooth.net
ST. ELIAS
thehungryrobot.org
Tommy’s Burger Stop DENALI
tommysburgerstop.com
ST. ELIAS
907-561-1245
The Hungry Robot
Arctic Roadrunner
Uncle Joe's Pizzeria
Lucky Wishbone
FORAKER
nclejoespizzeria.com It will surprise not a single Alaskan to learn that Moose’s Tooth has once again been voted the state’s best pizzeria. Between the brewing and the pies, it’s a hard one to top, but nothing is impossible. Fairbanks-based St. Elias winner The Hungry Robot has landed in the top ranks for multiple years as the “best mobile pizza in town,” made with doughs and sauces from scratch. Uncle Joe’s Pizzeria is another regular on the list, but this year is special as it celebrates thirty years making handcrafted, stone-baked pizzas in Anchorage.
FORAKER
luckywishbonealaska.com What are the odds that the same three burger joints would headline the category two years in a row? One of them, at least, makes its own luck; Lucky Wishbone has been serving chicken and burgers on the edge of downtown Anchorage since 1959. Five years later, Arctic Roadrunner, a.k.a. Local Burgerman, opened on the banks of Campbell Creek. They don’t just satisfy diners; they create loyal fans. That’s especially true for repeat champion Tommy’s Burger Stop, serving Cajun-inspired fare and Philly cheesesteaks from a tiny storefront in Spenard, across from the Spam can sculpture.
BAKERY/DESSERT SPOT
FOOD TRUCK
Snowy Berry DENALI
snowyberry.shop
ST. ELIAS
fireislandbread.com
Yeti Dogs DENALI
yetidogak@gmail.com
ST. ELIAS
elgreengosak.com
Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop
El Green-Go’s
Charlie’s Bakery & Chinese Cuisine charliesbakery@hotmail.com A runner-up last year, Charlie’s Bakery and Chinese Cuisine rises in the ranks. The chow mein is excellent, while the breads and cakes give the Midtown shop universal appeal. Fire Island repeats from last year, keeping the oven warm at one bakery in the Airport Heights neighborhood and another in Downtown. And rising to the top is Snowy Berry, ranked among last year’s favorite start-ups, wowing fans with the “Best Hot Chocolate Bombs year-round!” Owner Amanda Solis says, “There's something special about creating treats that bring joy with their adorable designs. That passion drives me.”
FORAKER
64 | July 2023
Mochileros Street Food mochileros-street-food.square.site Based mainly at Kincaid Park in Anchorage, Yeti Dogs serves sausages made from reindeer, buffalo, yak, elk, and alligator. It even has a vegan option. “We owe much of our success to our faithful and hungry customers,” says Yeti Dogs owner Erica Stimaker, “and we are so grateful for all the support they have given us over the years.” Established in 2012, Yeti Dogs was named one of America’s 25 Best Food Trucks by Food Network, which also called El Green-Go’s, based on L Street, the Best Food Truck in Alaska for its vegan burritos and North Carolina BBQ. And Mochileros, which means “backpackers,” brings authentic Guatemalan enchiladas to Anchorage.
FORAKER
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
Thank you to all who voted We are honored and proud of our Associates, Managers, and stores for being voted the 2023 Best Jewelry Store. Visit us inside Fred Meyer stores located in Anchorage, Soldotna, Juneau, Fairbanks, Wasilla and Eagle River or online at fredmeyerjewelers.com
F R E D M E Y E R J E W E L E R S .C O M
BEST OF AL ASKA BUSINESS
BEST PHARMACY, DENALI WINNER (P. 60)
Teresa Hall-Klouda (right) is now president of the pharmacy started by her late husband, Bernie. Among her team is Buddy the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, who was Bernie's companion during his final years. Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
CATERING SERVICE
PLACE TO WORK 250+ EMPLOYEES
Main Event Grill & Catering DENALI
First National Bank Alaska DENALI
maineventcateringak.com
Peppercini’s Catering ST. ELIAS
ASRC Energy Services
alaskadeli.com
ST. ELIAS
Our Town Catering
nmsusa.com First National Bank Alaska has maintained its position at the top of this category for the eighth year in a row. According to the local bank’s Chair, President, and CEO Betsy Lawer, “Our secret to our success is our culture. We work hard to foster an environment where every team member feels valued… When we hire people, it’s not just for a job; it’s for a career.” ASRC Energy Services and NMS are both new to this category in 2023, and coincidentally both are subsidiaries of Alaska Native regional corporations in the top ten of the Corporate 100, which ranks Alaska companies by their number of employees. FORAKER
More favorites: GCI, Credit Union 1, MTA
PLACE TO WORK 1-250 EMPLOYEES
STARTUP BUSINESS (NEW IN 2022)
Altman, Rogers & Co.
Aleutian Airways
altrogco.com
DENALI
flyaleutian.com
ST. ELIAS
thelexingtonspa.com
Coffman Engineers ST. ELIAS
The Lexington Salon and Spa
coffman.com
RIM Architects rimarchitects.com “Winning the ‘Best Place to Work, 1-250 Employees’ award feels amazing,” says Altman, Rogers & Co. CEO Grant Todd, who continues to say the award “is testament to the great team we have and their hard work. Thank you for voting for us.” The accounting firm is joined in this category by Coffman Engineers and RIM Architects. Coffman says it’s one of the best engineering firms to work for because the team is “passionate and driven” about the work they do, and RIM Architects touts its “talented group of colleagues in a unique cultural environment.” FORAKER
More favorites: Watterson Construction, BDO, Davis Constructors & Engineers
asrcenergy.com
NMS
ourtowncatering.com Last year's one-two-three hold is the same as last year, with another strong showing from Sitka’s Our Town Catering. In Anchorage, Main Event Catering cooks up elaborate surf and turf, pasta, barbecue, and burgers as takeout, buffet, plates, and boxes. Its restaurant location in South Anchorage includes a performance venue to host events, as well. Bill Fischer, who co-owns Main Event with his wife, Kimberly, says the key to success is that “having a grateful heart will help you recognize the gifts that God sends in all shapes and sizes,” and those gifts include the shop’s loyal employees. FORAKER
DENALI
fnbalaska.com
Häagen-Dazs icecream.com Our readers are already seeing long-term potential in three companies that launched in 2022. Aleutian Airlines flew to the top of this category, and it attributes this success to “providing an unmatched travel experience through our commitment to safety, reliability, and exceptional guest service,” according to a company spokesperson. “We appreciate everyone’s support and hope we continue to be the go-to choice for travelers looking to explore Alaska.”Also topping the category is The Lexington Salon and Spa, a downtown Anchorage boutique spa offering “complete tranquility.” For another type of luxury, a new local branch of Häagen-Dazs is always a sure bet for a sweet treat. FORAKER
More favorites: Frozen Smoke BBQ, Larsons Pizza Joint 66 | July 2023
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TRADITIONAL VALUES. MODERN SOLUTIONS.
For nearly 50 years, NMS has set the standard for providing essential support services to businesses throughout Alaska. We’re proud of our hard-working team who deliver our services every day. NMS is an Alaska Native-Owned Company & Certified Minority Business Enterprise | NMSUSA.com
BEST OF AL ASKA BUSINESS
DENALI
ST. ELIAS
FORAKER
BEST PIZZERIA, ST.ELIAS WINNER (P. 64)
im and Randy Bezdek own The Hungry Robot, and Rachel Doran (right) is the restaurant's general manager. In addition to sourcing meat and vegetables from around Fairbanks, the shop amazes fans with its mobile service platform. Hungry Robot
CUSTOMER FRIENDLY COMPANY
CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION
Snowy Berry DENALI
snowyberry.shop
ST. ELIAS
fnbalaska.com
Best Friends Animal Rescue DENALI
bfarak.org
ST. ELIAS
asymca.org/alaska
First National Bank Alaska
Armed Services YMCA of Alaska
MedPhysicals Plus
Bean’s Café
FORAKER
medphysicalsplus.com A category open to all industries, voters nominated alehouses and airlines, brow bars and boutiques, coffee shops and contractors. Respondents call Snowy Berry, this year’s best dessert maker, the “best place to get unique gifts.” Owner Amanda Solis says, “I'm grateful for the opportunity to share my love for making confections with the world.” FNBA earns credit for “greeting someone at the doorway and getting to know the people who bank with them.” And MedPhysicals Plus—with medical exams in Anchorage, Wasilla, Fairbanks, and Soldotna— is praised for “very knowledgeable staff, prompt service, valuable info about one's body.”
beanscafe.org With a lot to choose from, voters nominated groups that assist youth, women, or veterans. Organizations involved in community development, education, and recreation also received votes. Best Friends Animal Rescue is praised for being the only one of its kind that accepts dogs from all over Alaska. “Their work is so important to curb the problem we have with overpopulation of dogs,” says one voter. Armed Services YMCA of Alaska supports military families with childcare and welcome centers. And Bean’s Café, which also runs The Children’s Lunchbox, moved its kitchen last year to a refurbished warehouse near Ship Creek.
More favorites: Alaska Functional Medicine + Spa, 49th State Brewing
More favorites: Covenant House Alaska; Food Bank of Alaska
68 | July 2023
FORAKER
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
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CORPORATE CITIZEN
Unique among the categories, the Best Corporate Citizen winners are selected through a combination of reader votes, reader comments, and the editorial team’s knowledge of how these companies epitomize corporate citizenship in Alaska. The winners are unranked, and every company that our readers nominated is listed here on the page. In this category in particular, every company’s contributions, large or small, have a huge effect on Alaskans’ quality of life, and we want to recognize all of their efforts.
LIFEMED ALASKA
From our readers: “LifeMed Alaska is an Alaskan-owned medevac company that provides emergent medical transportation all throughout Alaska. In addition, they support many local activities and events and have a community service program their employees can participate in.”
FIRST NATIONAL BANK ALASKA
From our readers: “Employees throughout the bank volunteer their time participating in educational activities, statewide cleanups, recognition ceremonies, and more. FNBA offers donations that include money/gift cards, clothing, toys, etc., helping the community at every opportunity.”
49TH STATE BREWING
From our readers: “If you see a charity auction roster, you'll probably see their name on it. Not only do they donate generously to community programs, 49th State invests in the future workforce of Alaska by working with programs for student workers, people with health conditions or impairments, and those re-entering the workforce.”
70 | July 2023
OUR READERS ALSO NOMINATED: Ahtna, Inc. Alaska Airlines Alaska Demolition Alaska Pacific Insurance Agency Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals Alaskan Social Media Manager Alchemy Tribal Services Aleutian Airways Altman, Rogers & Co Altura Bistro Arctic Slope Regional Corporation ASRC Energy Services BDO Bean's Cafe Bernie’s Pharmacy Blood Bank of Alaska Boys & Girls Clubs Alaska Caffé D'arte Cape Fox Corporation Capital Office Chugach Alaska Corporation Coffman Engineers Cold Spot for Healthy Pets Community Pregnancy Center ConocoPhillips Alaska Cook Inlet Tribal Council Credit Union 1 Davis Constructors & Engineers Door Systems of Alaska DW Grill & Catering Edstrom Construction Fairbanks Rescue Mission Fred Meyer Frozen Smoke BBQ GCI Glacier Garage Golden Valley Electric Association Grant Aviation Guardian Security Systems Hilcorp Homer Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center Integrity Environmental Island Air Express
JL Properties Joule Wellness + Movement Kaladi Brothers Coffee Kinross Kriner's Diner LNW Transport Locally Grown Properties Lynden MAC Federal Credit Union Matanuska Telecom Association Matson Midnight Sun Tanning MyHouse Mat-Su Homeless Youth Center New Horizons NMS Nuvision Credit Union Optima Public Relations Our Town Catering Prospect Athletics Providence Alaska Medical Center Rasmuson Foundation Raven Landing Senior Community Renewal by Andersen of Alaska RurAL Cap Head Start and Early Head Start Saltchuk Salted Roots SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium Soldotna Hardware and Fishing South Peninsula Behavioral Health Services South Peninsula Hospital State Farm Tastee Freeze The Home Depot The Hungry Robot Toast of the Town Trek Bicycle Store Anchorage True North Federal Credit Union Tudor Bingo Center Usibelli Coal Mine Washington Crane & Hoist Whatnot Consignment Shop
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
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BEST OF AL ASKA BUSINESS
Putting the ‘Co’ in Company Coworking spaces as business boosters By Katie Pesznecker
72 | July 2023
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
C
BEST OF ALASKA BUSINESS
oworking spaces in the Anchorage area are an attractive and expanding option for entrepreneurs, business travelers, and others who don’t want to invest in real estate but need a physical base to do work. Whether the single employee of an entrepreneurial start-up, the solo Alaska-based employee for an Outside company, or the remote worker who occasionally craves the familiarity of a well-equipped office space, coworking spaces set the stage for camaraderie, collaboration, and community. In a coworking arrangement, people from different professions and companies share what’s typically a multi-use office space featuring an array of configurations and varying levels of privacy. Clients enjoy cost savings by not owning or leasing their own space, and they benefit from access to business basics like high-speed internet, printers and scanners, and even kitchen space, complimentary beverages, and parcel acceptance services.
Board and Room “I think there was a shift nationally, maybe a decade or more ago, from what was a traditional executive office suite to what more modernday coworking is,” says Katherine Jernstrom, co-founder and CEO of the Boardroom, an Anchorage coworking space that opened in 2013. “That kind of executive office suite was still a furnished space, but you were just renting a suite in a building where other businesses might work too,” Jernstrom says. “It kind of stopped short there. The shift to coworking came about when there was more of a focus on collaboration and community in those spaces.” Jernstrom and fellow Boardroom co-founder Brit Galanin were motivated and encouraged by the concept and how they could give it life in Anchorage. Many of their friends were creative entrepreneurs with big ideas and plans but no capital for investing in physical workspace. “We ourselves wanted to start a business, and there wasn’t a landing pad for entrepreneurs and www.akbizmag.com
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Networking and a chance to connect with others add value to coworking spaces. The Boardroom
The Boardroom offers twenty-five open workstations, thirty-three private offices, and six reservable spaces. The Boardroom
independent workers and small businesses to a certain degree,” she says. “We were intent on staying in Anchorage, and we wanted those smart independent thinkers to stay too, so we wanted to create a space that had some stickiness, maybe made it easier for people to start companies here because they had other people surrounding them who were peers and collaborators.” Networking and a chance to connect with others is part of the added value of cowork spaces, according to Holly Spoth-Torres, founder and principal of Huddle AK. Other advantages, compared to no space at all, are stability and privacy. “Sometimes people need a stable place to do business where you know the WiFi is going to be working and people won’t bug you because 74 | July 2023
they know you’re in an important meeting,” Spoth-Torres says. “That doesn’t happen in hotels or coffee shops, so when I travel, I always seek these spaces out.”
Membership Has Privileges While the coworking movement was new a decade ago, plenty of models in the Lower 48 existed. Jernstrom and Galanin invested time studying what worked and didn’t, “really thinking hard about how to make the Boardroom specific to the Anchorage market while still leaning on these lessons learned,” Jernstrom says. Office configuration was key. Recognizing the broad array of business needs, they designed the Boardroom with a mix of private offices, meeting rooms, and ample
shared space. Some users preferred one arrangement. Others found the solitude of an office helpful on a deadline day but might gravitate to more social workspace otherwise, Jernstrom says. The Boardroom began in expansive office space in downtown’s former KeyBank building, a decision very much driven by a desired proximity to arts, restaurants, and hotels, Jernstrom says. When the lease was not renewed due to that building’s planned remodel, “We shopped around, and it gave us a great opportunity because we used those first five years to think about our layout and balance,” she says. The current space is a renovated Alaska Railroad depot shared with 49th State Brewing Co.’s Anchorage warehouse space, the planned site of
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
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BEST OF AL ASKA BUSINESS
The Boardroom’s current location is in a renovated Alaska Railroad depot; it shares the building with 49th State Brewing Co.’s warehouse. The Boardroom
a future tap room. This arrangement means free 49th State beverages for Boardroom users. Other Boardroom perks include free kombucha from 203 Kombucha in Palmer, a discounted rock gym membership, and a shared corporate season pass to Alyeska Resort. “We’re right between the Coastal Trail and Ship Creek Trail, so we have a couple bikes we keep onsite so people can go ride,” Jernstrom says. “We have a shower on site. We do happy hour every week. We’re doing a trail clean-up and a big barbecue. We try and create events that help our members connect with each other and the community.”
The First Principle Location and community were important drivers in the creation of coworking space Umoja in Anchorage’s Mountain View neighborhood. “Umoja” is a Swahili word that translates to “unity” and is one of Kwanzaa’s seven principles, says Jasmin Smith, president and treasurer of Umoja. “It basically means you have to work together and uplift each 76 | July 2023
other, and that’s pretty big in the African American community,” she says. “Umoja was birthed from my learned experience navigating as an entrepreneur of color and a parent entrepreneur. I needed space to work out of, and even though some spaces were nice and welcoming, I didn’t always feel I fit. I wanted to create a space where people could come as they are and come as the whole person, not just the business.” Umoja’s operating vision is creating coworking space that is an “ecosystem of prosocial organizations and businesses that are dedicated to empowering underrepresented communities through a culture of collaboration, mentorship, and entrepreneurship,” according to its website. The business launched in early 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The business weathered that, and today Umoja enjoys a strong and loyal base of clients who inspire and support each other, Smith says. “It was a no-brainer to be in Mountain View,” Smith adds. “That’s where I live, where my kids go
to school, and I wanted to show people that innovation can happen anywhere. Why not have a coworking space that’s meant to uplift culture and community in Anchorage’s most diverse neighborhood? We really wanted people to be able to come and work and find that balance between their personal self and business self while really amplifying their culture and origin, and that really impacts how they do business.” Like the Boardroom, Umoja’s space includes offices, desks in shared open areas, and meeting rooms. Many of its traits are unique, strategic, and purposeful. For example, there is an onsite children’s playroom, so childcare isn’t a barrier and parenting isn’t a function separate from one’s career. There is also space dedicated to training, an area for podcasting and videography, and a culture community space for community partners like NAACP Anchorage Branch and Pacific Community of Alaska. “We are a one-stop for all things economic and business, with a focus on culture and individual
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
Jasmin Smith, President and Treasurer, Umoja
empowerment,” Smith says. “You might see someone’s dog. You might see kids here. Our space may not be for everybody, but we know who it’s for. I went to some coworking spaces that were beautiful and perfect for someone, but where I was in my life, it wasn’t for me. We are redefining what it means to do business, and we are redefining what business is. We don’t have to adopt traditional Western standards of how you conduct business.” Umoja’s clientele varies from remote workers who enjoy occasionally working around others to Anchorage visitors seeking space to conduct business. “We have people who were traveling and Googled us and said, ‘Oh this sounded different, I wanted to check it out,’” Smith says. “We have folks who are like, ‘I don’t need an office, it’s too expensive,’ and we have a lot of folks who are just getting started and aren’t ready for that commitment.”
Growing Up, Growing Out At the Boardroom, users are not called clients or tenants. Rather, they are members. Rates are daily or monthly; some businesses might stay for years, but annual engagements are not an option. Cowork is temporary by design. Spoth-Torres used to be a Boardroom member, but she isn’t anymore. With her background in trails and parks management for the Matanuska-Susitna Borough and Municipality of Anchorage, SpothTorres transitioned to indoor spaces in 2014 when she launched Huddle AK as a landscape architecture, www.akbizmag.com
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“I wanted to show people that innovation can happen anywhere. Why not have a coworking space that’s meant to uplift culture and community in Anchorage’s most diverse neighborhood?”
BEST OF AL ASKA BUSINESS Members of the Boardroom work for different companies, but they work in close proximity. Thus, activities like a trail cleanup (top) or barbecue (bottom) foster connections that might cross-pollinate industries or open new business opportunities The Boardroom
planning, and public engagement consulting firm. Today, Huddle AK’s office space is in the historic Leopold David House in downtown Anchorage. Dating to 1917, the bungalow-style home was built by and for Anchorage’s first mayor. In her business’ early years, however, Spoth-Torres rented office space, often co-leasing with others. “It got to a point where we were working too hard to keep up with IT and all that stuff that you need,” she says. “It didn’t feel professional, and it felt like too much work.” Spoth-Torres moved her business to the Boardroom at the same time the renovated rail depot opened. She recalls, “I was looking to save a little money. There were two of us working at the time, and two of us moved 78 | July 2023
into the smallest office they had. We made it work and it was great!” In time, Huddle AK upgraded to a larger Boardroom office and added a third coworker, then expanded to an even larger space used by a team of five. “I loved being there. I loved the resources,” Spoth-Torres says. “The Boardroom made it so we could grow our identity and provide some stability. It allowed me stability and the facility framework to be able to focus on growing other parts of my businesses. At some point, I felt like we needed to grow up a little bit and have our own identity, so we did that through that downtown property purchase. Now I’m my IT person again. Now I have to figure out the printer and all that stuff.” It’s bittersweet when members outgrow their Boardroom space
and have matured to a point of needing their own offices, says Jernstrom. But that kind of economic growth and business prosperity is a desired outcome of providing coworking infrastructure. “In terms of the future economy of Anchorage, and what that looks like, it very much looks like seeing more entrepreneurs start and grow businesses here, which leads to job creation, wealth creation, and staying in the state,” Jernstrom says. “Remote workers might be those entrepreneurs, and they tend to fit the profile of liking the things Alaska has to offer with recreation and nature, so if we can find a way to connect them with friends and resources, maybe they stay longer; maybe they choose to move here and start their next company here.”
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
BEST OF AL ASKA BUSINESS
Barista in a Box M Coffee kiosks satisfy statewide cravings By Amy Newman 80 | July 2023
ellissa Feller was in college when she began working as a barista at the Espresso Wagon in Soldotna, the first drive-thru coffee kiosk on the Kenai Peninsula. She worked there on and off for thirteen years, building relationships with customers and learning the art of coffee making. When the owners were ready to sell in 2018, Feller and her husband Lonnie bought it. The decision was part business, part nostalgia.
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
Tsikhan Kuprevich | iStock
BEST OF ALASKA BUSINESS
“I wanted to keep my job, and I wanted the Wagon to stay the same,” she says. “I didn’t want another coffee shop chain to buy it and change everything, because we’d worked too hard for all of our loyal customers. And I wanted a way of making my own income while still being able to be a stay-athome mom.” Set on empty lots, street corners, and parking lots, these small, standalone drive-thru coffee www.akbizmag.com
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“A very unique, Alaskan problem is that coffee huts are more susceptible to freezing… If the espresso machine freezes, it will break.” Syneva Runyan, Owner, Lulu’s Coffee
Customers at Lulu’s Coffee in Kotzebue include those who come through in cars and on snow machines or dog sleds. Lulu’s Coffee
kiosks are seemingly everywhere. A Facebook search yields approximately 120 coffee kiosks from Ketchikan to Utqiaġvik and almost every village and town in between— more, accounting for businesses with multiple locations. That’s roughly one kiosk for every 6,100 Alaskans seeking a jolt of java on a chilly winter morning or to fuel their summer adventures. The sheer number of kiosks and their small footprint give the impression that they’re an easy path to business success. Owners say that, just like brewing the perfect cup of coffee, running one is harder than it looks. “It’s just not as simple as people think,” says Kelly Cooper, owner of Coop’s Coffee in Homer. “I would say the general public thinks these are cash cows and you open up and it just grows through the window. It’s just not that way.” Terika Kons, who owns Stars & Stripes Coffee Shop in Anchorage, agrees. “I think people think that, because they’re so small, they’re easy to start and operate,” she says. “But you still have to go through all the same steps as a regular business in the food industry. There are lots of requirements to meet to ensure the public’s safety.” In other words, there’s a lot happening on the other side of the window at your favorite coffee kiosk. From creating the perfect beverage and keeping machines in good repair to challenges found only in Alaska—“There’s no good solution for carrying your drinks when you’re on a dog sled or snow machine,” says Syneva Runyan, owner of Lulu’s Coffee in Kotzebue—here’s how kiosks keep the hot coffee flowing and the cold foam frothy.
Dreams of Java Weather can be a challenge for drive thru coffee kiosks, and owners must take care to control the indoor temperature so their machines don’t freeze. Another challenge comes when record snowfalls, like Anchorage experienced last winter, blocks the drive-thru lanes. Lulu’s Coffee
82 | July 2023
Owners’ reasons for opening a drive-thru coffee kiosk are as varied as their drink offerings. Like Feller, Dillingham residents Amelia and Jacob Nelson had fond memories of working in coffee shops throughout high school. Dillingham was also down to one coffee shop at the time, during
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
BEST OF ALASKA BUSINESS
the COVID-19 pandemic, so they saw an opportunity to fill a void in the community. “We wanted to build something for ourselves and our children, so we decided to give it a go,” Amelia says. Jacob hand-built the kiosk, which they named Wren’s Drive Thru after their oldest son Wren, who referred to it as his building during construction. “It becomes hectic when both of our boys are here, but we still manage to work around it.” Runyan, too, was motivated by a desire to have a drive-thru coffee shop in Kotzebue. When the original owner of Lulu’s Coffee Shop decided to sell, Runyan says she realized it was now or never. “I kind of wanted one in town, and the idea in the back of my head was that it was a really good opportunity,” she says. “The business was already there, and if I was ever going to in my life, this was the place and the opportunity to do so.” Cooper, a self-described “coffee junkie,” decided to open Coop’s Coffee when the coffee shop near her home, where she stopped daily, closed. She saw it as an opportunity to create jobs for women (statistics from CareerExplorer.com show that 74 percent of baristas are women) and youth. “Homer is a big marine town, so young men have a lot of opportunities, and women don’t usually have the opportunity to make the amount of money that they make at my shop,” she says. “I’m the proudest of creating full-time, yearround jobs for women.” For Kons, Stars & Stripes fulfills a long-held dream of owning a coffee business; she hopes it’s a first step to one day owning a sit-down café. “Since I was 18, my dream was to open a coffee shop where people could come and hang out, read, work, or socialize,” she says. “I thought a coffee hut would be a great way to start the business, gain experience, and eventually grow it to include a coffee shop.”
Coffee, Snacks, and More Pull up to any drive-thru kiosk and the menu lists the drinks www.akbizmag.com
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like at any coffee house—regular drip, Americanos, lattes, mochas, espresso, and tea. But menus have changed dramatically over the years to include not just a wider variety of drinks but more options to customize them as well. “The first [Wagon] had one blender and 10 syrups,” Feller says of the Espresso Wagon’s evolution since first opening in the early ‘90s. “Now we carry well over 100 syrups, and we have Lotus Energy and there’s Red Bull and there are all the different types of coffee drinks that you can have. It’s definitely evolved a ton.” Like their café counterparts, those different drinks include blended drinks like Frappuccinos and
smoothies, iced coffees and cold brew, and non-coffee options for an energy boost, like Red Bull or Lotus Energy smoothies, slushies, or sodas. Drinks can also be customized with different flavored syrups, plantbased milks like almond, soy, and oat, or additional shots. Baristas also use their imagination—and TikTok tips—to create monthly specials, which they post on social media to attract customers. “Drink specials are a team effort,” Kons says. “Our baristas come up with a lot of our specials, we listen to what customers like and are requesting, and we’ll find drink recipes online and change some of the ingredients to what sounds good to us and our customers.”
Feller’s Espresso Wagon was the Kenai Peninsula’s first drive thru coffee kiosk. Feller’s Espresso Wagon
“Everything affects the beans… In the summertime, in those little places, it’s super hot, and in the wintertime it’s cold. We have little space heaters in each Training a new barista to prepare consistent, high-quality coffee can take the better part of a month—a significant investment when employees might leave after a single season. Stars & Stripes Coffee House
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window, and then in the summertime, we have a fan.” Mellissa Feller, Co-Owner, Espresso Wagon
Offerings have also grown to include some type of food to pair with their beverages, though exactly what those offerings are varies. One of Kons’ priorities when she opened Stars & Stripes was to cater to people on the go, whether headed to work or out of town during the summer. “We thought Anchorage could use a good breakfast sandwich on the go, so we offer an all-day, customizable breakfast sandwich,” she says. In addition to the treats widely available at many coffee kiosks—cookies, Danishes, bagels—Stars & Stripes also offers Hawaiian sliders and chicken burritos for lunch. Other kiosks offer a pared down food menu, both to keep the focus on the drinks and to keep the line at the window moving. “My business model is, don’t try to be everything to everyone,” says Cooper, whose food menu is limited to hot dogs, muffins, and a dark chocolate chunk cookie she makes herself. “Find what you do well and stick with it. People ask us constantly to do more food, but that takes us away from our quality and being timely and getting drinks out the window.” Feller’s Espresso Wagon keeps it simpler and serves no hot foods. “Biscotti, pre-packaged muffins, and bagels with cream cheese, but we don’t toast them,” she says. “We try to keep it simple with the food we offer just because we’re so busy.” Runyan says logistics limit her food options to bagels and precooked breakfast sandwiches that only need to be reheated in the microwave. “We don’t have our own food permit to cook in the shop, so we have to buy everything ready to cook,” she says.
Small Shops, Big Challenges Operating a business in a small hut doesn’t mean smaller challenges. Some, like rising prices and keeping inventory on hand, are the same that larger businesses face. Others are unique to the nature of running a business in such a small space, especially in Alaska’s more rural locations. Across the board, every owner says their biggest current challenge is finding employees.
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mixes—have to be flown in weekly. If we run out of something, we’re often stuck waiting for a plane to come and have our product within the following few days.” Amelia Nelson, Co-Owner, Wren’s Drive Thru
“Your people are your biggest asset, and without them you have nothing,” Kons says. “But trying to find the balance of keeping your employees happy and making sure the needs of the business are also met is definitely a challenge.” Many people view barista positions as seasonal work rather than a longterm career, Feller says. That mindset sometimes creates a revolving door of baristas, which means constant training of new staff and negative impacts to the quality and consistency of the beverages. “The training takes two to three weeks sometimes,” Feller says. “It’s not just Red Bulls all day, which are the easy drinks. It’s coffee, and there’s an art to it and a science to it. Finding somebody who values that is difficult.” For Runyan, who has a full-time day job, a lack of employees means her shop is sometimes open only on weekends. “It’s really hard to find people who are consistent,” she says. “It’s been a really big thing, probably the hardest thing. Because I work a full-time job, I can’t work during the week. It’s only one person, so if she’s sick or something, I have to close the shop.” Maintenance of both the kiosk and the machines is another challenge, especially for kiosks farther away from Anchorage. “A very unique, Alaskan problem is that coffee huts are more susceptible to freezing,” says Runyan, who recently installed WiFi and a smart thermostat so she can monitor the temperature inside the kiosk and adjust it accordingly, wherever she is. “If the espresso machine freezes, it will break.” www.akbizmag.com
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“A lot of our inventory—like syrups, baked goods, powders, and smoothie
BEST OF AL ASKA BUSINESS Baristas create unique—sometimes over-the-top— drinks to attract customers, like this iced mocha with chocolate drizzle and homemade whipped cream at Stars & Stripes Coffee House in Anchorage.
“Since I was 18, my dream was to open a coffee shop where people could come and hang out, read, work, or socialize… I thought a coffee hut would be a great way to start the business, gain experience, and eventually grow it to include a coffee shop.” Terika Kons, Owner, Stars & Stripes Coffee Shop
Stars & Stripes Coffee House
Terika Kons, owner of Stars & Stripes Coffee House in Anchorage, loves the creativity that comes with running a coffee kiosk. Stars & Stripes Coffee House
86 | July 2023
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A broken-down espresso machine or frozen or burst pipes can shut down the kiosk until owners can get it fixed. When it comes to the machines, owners outside of Anchorage often do the repairs themselves. “Down here on the peninsula, we don’t have a maintenance person who can work on espresso machines,” Feller says, “so you got to kind of figure out how to work on your espresso machine and your blenders yourself, and it’s not an easy task.” Temperature also affects the quality of the coffee and the comfort of baristas, regardless of the season. “Everything affects the beans,” Feller says. “The sun, the wind, if you have one door open, if you have one window open. It all affects the beans. In the summertime, in those little places, it’s super hot, and in the wintertime it’s cold. We have little space heaters in each window, and then in the summertime, we have a fan.” Keeping inventory on hand is another challenge, one that’s harder for kiosks off the road system. “We have been most surprised with how challenging keeping up with inventory can be,” says Amelia Nelson. “A lot of our inventory— like syrups, baked goods, powders, and smoothie mixes—have to be flown in weekly. If we run out of something, we’re often stuck waiting for a plane to come and have our product within the following few days.” Runyan places bi-weekly orders and stores as much as she can in the freezer; Feller and Cooper get weekly deliveries from Anchorage and store items at their homes if needed. Despite the challenges, owners say the overall experience, the relationships they’ve built with customers, and their ability to give back to the community—whether hosting community fundraisers, donating to local nonprofits, or creating jobs–make it worthwhile. “It’s probably a little less fun than I thought it would be, but I’m glad I’m doing it,” Runyan says. “I love it when people come by and say, ‘Oh, I’m glad you’re open today.’ That feels really good.”
BEST OF AL ASKA BUSINESS
A Statewide Voice The Alaska Chamber advocates for businesses, big and small By Kati Capozzi
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he Alaska Chamber is a statewide organization that represents the business community's interests throughout Alaska. While many Alaskans can likely imagine what their local chamber of commerce works on and advocates for, clear differences exist between these valuable organizations and ours. Local community chambers focus almost solely on businesses located within their geographical location or those with potential to impact their local business community. At the Alaska Chamber, we advocate for businesses throughout the state, providing a unified voice on issues affecting the statewide business community. We also offer resources and networking opportunities to our members, helping them to grow and succeed in the 49th State. Based in Anchorage, we represent the business community as a whole, not just specific industries or sectors. No matter how small or large the business, each Chamber member has an equal opportunity to submit, weigh in on, and advance our policy agenda. This “one member, one vote” parity not only ensures that our policy positions do, in fact, represent the entire business community, but it also lends the Chamber credibility when we meet with elected officials and policy makers; they know that, to pass, a priority or policy position must survive scrutiny by a diverse membership. Decades of experience have taught us there is no substitute for old-fashioned relationship building and constant communication on 88 | July 2023
important issues. We maintain a strong presence in Juneau during the legislative session, regularly meeting with policymakers and members of the administration, providing testimony and sending letters to elected officials on legislation and regulations that impact our members. In addition, we remain engaged in discussions with key elected leaders by actively participating on task forces relevant to the business community, such as Governor Dunleavy’s Office of Broadband or his new childcare task force.
Steering the Discussion By far, the core of what the Chamber does is strategic development of our policy positions and priorities. By discussing, debating, and analyzing the big public policy issues of the day, we provide a "one-stop-shop" to elected and community leaders seeking guidance on where the business community stands, both at the state and federal level. Our annual policy forum takes place every fall and is exclusive to members. Its purpose is to revise and add relevant positions to our advocacy platform for the upcoming year. During the forum, members hear from position sponsors and vote on proposed positions, which are then approved by our board of directors. The positions aim to address core issues impacting the business community across the state and provide direction for advocacy efforts. It is the crown jewel of our process; members make their voices heard and drive the agenda for how
and where to focus our efforts in the year ahead. We advocate for what our members demand, not the other way around. Lastly, the Chamber is well equipped to efficiently act as the tip of the spear on business issues affecting a broad spectrum of industries. Most recently, the business, natural resource, labor, and political community came together and scored a huge victory by advocating successfully for ConocoPhillips’ Willow Project. This win was made possible only because so many different organizations and companies coalesced around a single policy goal and leaned in hard to make the final push for the project’s approval. The effort should be used as a blueprint for how to win policy battles, particularly when dealing with Outside interests, for decades to come.
The Business Community’s Go-To For the last several statewide ballot measures involving resource management, the Alaska Chamber has stepped up in unique ways, offering differing perspectives and outreach reach that often a formal campaign cannot. Because ballot measures are almost always drafted in a way that would impede so many industries’ ability to operate in Alaska, key stakeholders regularly tap the Chamber to help guide the broader business messaging, informing our members on the negative implications of the measures beyond the bumper sticker rhetoric. Our statewide presence and access
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Kati Capozzi is president and CEO of the Alaska Chamber, an organization that has promoted commerce since before statehood. Capozzi moved to Alaska in 1996 and joined the Alaska
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Chamber in 2011 as communications and events director. She has led the organization since 2019.
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positions us to get these campaigns off to a fast and formidable start. We are proud to work with our members, small and large, in defeating these bad-for-business ballot measures, and we will be ready for the next one. Recently we’ve stepped up our work on advocating for a meaningful statewide spending cap. This position is driven by the fact that, to attract and sustain investment in Alaska, a stable state fiscal environment must first be in place. Without assurances that the state government will not overspend during times of high commodity prices, only to turn around impose higher business taxes when those same commodities’ prices fall, the state will never fully realize its investment potential. It really boils down to our members’ deeply held belief that a sustainable spending limitation on a statewide level will strengthen our economy by reducing uncertainty and promoting private-sector investment. At the Alaska Chamber, we know that we are so much more powerful and effective when we speak with one voice. For more than seventy years, our members have placed a great amount of trust in us to pound the table on their behalf, and we work every day to retain and grow that trust. We are grateful for the opportunity to represent their interests and advocate for Alaska's business community. As the state heads to a critical crossroads where many big decisions impacting business must be made, we remain committed to our mission of advancing Alaska business and creating a thriving, healthy investment climate in our great state.
Bear Creek Winer y
R E TA I L
Corks of the North A taste of Alaska wine shops and vintners By Rachael Kvapil
A
glass of rhubarb wine inspired Bill Fry's journey into wine making in the mid-’90s. Impressed by his friend's homemade wine, Fry set out to create his own combinations with any available fruit: raspberries, blueberries, kiwi, rhubarb, and more. Positive feedback from friends and family encouraged his hobby, and soon he outgrew his kitchen creations. In 2003, Bear Creek Winery and Lodging opened in Homer. Bear Creek Winery primarily produces fruit wines, which Louis Maurer, co-owner and operations manager, admits is a niche market. Grapes are incredibly difficult to grow in Alaska outside of a hightunnel controlled space, says Maurer. Bear Creek does import grape concentrate for wines; however, most of its wines are made with locally sourced fruits. "We've developed a network of friends, berry pickers, and farmers markets who sell us fruit," says Maurer. On average, Bear Creek Winery purchases around 10,000 pounds of 90 | July 2023
rhubarb and around 5,000 pounds of black currants and various berries statewide. Making fruit wine uses the same equipment and process as traditional grape wine: crush the fruit, ferment the juice, then age, clarify, and bottle the wine. The timing of each step and small differences in the process depend on the fruit. "The biggest difference working with grapes and berries is their reactions to temperature changes during the fermentation process," says Maurer. "It's also easier for grape wineries to get tips online or from other grape-based wineries. It's more difficult to find information from other fruit wineries. Bill spent a decade as a homebrewer, and it really paid off." As a small batch winery, Bear Creek Winery produces about 20,000 gallons a year that are sold statewide in major grocery chains and local liquor stores. However, winemaking is only one aspect of the entire experience offered to its customers. The winery also offers guided tours, a tasting room, lodging for visitors, and a botanical garden.
Shopping the Shelves Most people are introduced to wines on the shelves of liquor stores: rows and rows of bottles arranged by color (white, rosé, red, sparkling, dessert, fortified wines) and further divided by grape varieties (Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot, Riesling, et cetera). Wines are only a portion of beverages offered by most liquor stores, but for some retailers it's most of their inventory. Places like Crush Bistro regularly carry wines not available elsewhere. "We feature a lot of wine you won't find in a grocery store," says Scott Anaya, founder and manager of Crush. "We ship wines from nine importers across the country and frequently offer new wines to Alaska." Imported wine might sound expensive; however, Anaya says that many of Crush’s wines are reasonably priced, between $10 to $14 per bottle. Anaya rejects the idea that wine must be expensive to taste good. Instead, his goal is to make wine relatable, enjoyable, and even experimental. "There is still a pretentious attitude at high-end restaurants and wine
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"Tasting is really the best way to learn about wines… I recommend taking notes or pictures when tasting wine because it can
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360 E. International Airport Road
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Anchorage, Alaska
different wines. Notes
Customer Service Hours:
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Production Produ ction Hours: Ho urs:
Till the work is done, as we promised!
Louis Maurer, Co-Owner and Manager Bear Creek Winery and Lodging
shops across the country," says Anaya. "Not here. I want to create an environment that I would want to shop in with wine descriptions and price tags. Wine shouldn't be a mystery." And Crush employees are packed with the knowledge to demystify wines. Certified sommeliers—trained professionals who have attended formal wine training and passed extensive examinations—are on hand to assist customers. In addition to selecting and recommending wines in two retail locations in downtown and south Anchorage, they also lead tasting sessions at the bistro on G Street.
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Maurer says there are many benefits to purchasing wine from a specialty retailer versus a general liquor store. The knowledge and experience at a wine retailer is often greater, and they can answer more questions than most liquor store clerks. Likewise, wine retailers allow customers to taste unfamiliar wines at tasting events or in tasting rooms. www.akbizmag.com
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July 2023 | 91
Fermentation is the same anywhere, but Alaska wines start with local fruits or imported grapes. Outside of a high-tunnel controlled space, grapes are hard to grow at this latitude. Bear Creek Winer y
Crush Bistro and Bottle Shops want people to experience good wine in a non-pretentious and friendly atmosphere. Professionally trained employees ask questions to match customers with the right wine. Crush Bistro and Bottle Shops
"Tasting is really the best way to learn about wines," says Maurer. "I recommend taking notes or pictures when tasting wine because it can sometimes be difficult to remember the different wines. Notes and pictures are a great reference for later." Anaya says Crush sommeliers start by asking customers about wines they regularly drink or enjoyed in the past. Then they ask if the wine is for a special meal or a larger occasion. Depending on the answer, Crush staff will narrow down the 92 | July 2023
options and make appropriate recommendations. However, an uninitiated wine customer will require a longer journey to discover which wines fit their personal palates. He says wine tastings are an excellent introduction to the wine world, but Anaya also recommends joining a wine club and learning more about food and wine combinations. Crush employees taste a lot of wines before selecting one for their monthly wine club, and all recommended wines are selected by committee. They even go one
step further by experimenting with wine and food pairings a customer may ask about. "We get a lot of samples," says Anaya. "Our staff will take them home and see how well they go with food ranging from a Moose's Tooth pizza to a homemade lasagna." Occasionally, the learning process results in a few odd questions from customers and tourists. Anaya is frequently asked if Alaska produces wine, which is “yes,” but with the clarification that it's fruit wine because Alaska is too cold for grapes. Maurer says on occasion his staff is asked if fruit wine is really wine, since it wasn't made with grapes. "Some people get really argumentative about it because it's completely different than what they're used to," says Maurer. Once a customer purchases a wine, either in person or through a wine club, Anaya and Maurer have a few thoughts regarding preparation and presentation. First, not all wines need aerating (commonly known as decanting or letting a wine breathe) prior to consumption. It's a common belief that red wines need aerating and white wines don't. However, that isn't a hard and fast rule. Maurer says that aeration depends on the tannic profile—a bitter and astringent flavor derived from the skins, stems, and seeds of grapes used to produce the wine. Many young red wines have high tannic profiles and need decanting. In the case of berry wines, Maurer says there is little benefit to aerating, unlike a variety of grape-based wines. Also, decanting is a good idea for aged red wines with visible sediments, which are tannins and other natural chemicals bound together and solidified. To make things more complex, vintage ports (not the same as regular ports), some white wines, and wines that simply defy the rule also need aeration. Anaya says a good wine retailer will explain these differences. “We guide our customers through the decanter process and optimal time to let each type of wine breathe,” says Anaya.
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Raise a Glass When it comes to presentation, it’s common to serve red wines in glasses with larger bowls and wider openings and white wines in smaller glasses. The shape of the glass does serve a purpose. In the case of red wines, a bowl-shaped glass mitigates the bitterness of the tannin by allowing a smoother taste to come through. The smaller white wine glasses preserve floral aromas and help maintain cooler temperature. However, there are several styles of red and white wine glasses that are sometimes assigned to wines depending on if they are full or light bodied. This doesn’t mean a budding wine connoisseur needs to rush out and buy an entire set of wine glasses. Though the wine glass will make it easier to smell the wine before tasting, Maurer says the most important thing is that people enjoy the experience. If presentation is a factor, then he does recommend investing in the right glass, especially for champagne or sparkling wines. He says manufacturers will laser etch
makes them happy. “I’ll drink wine out of a coffee cup,” says Anaya. “We’re in Alaska after all.”
Keep the Wine Flowing
Berries used by Bear Creek Winery are purchased from vendors statewide. On average, the winery processes rhubarb, black currants, and various berries. Bear Creek Winer y
imperfections in the glass to create a nucleation site where bubbles form. The imperfections in the glass are invisible to the naked eye. What is visible are streams of tiny bubbles that form as the carbon dioxide in the wine diffuses into the gas pockets. Aside from presentation, both Maurer and Anaya say people should choose to drink wine from whatever
Anaya says importing wines from the Lower 48 has become a bit more difficult in a post-pandemic world. Shipping and logistics are problematic as the shortage for truck drivers increases. Nowadays it takes ten weeks to acquire wine from an East Coast importer. He says his order spends most of the time in a container awaiting pickup at a port in California. “It’s made it hard to plan,” says Anaya. “Last year we had to order champagne in September to make it by New Years. This year we had to order it in February just to make sure it arrived in time for holidays.” Still, Anaya says the extra effort is worth it. Like Maurer, Anaya enjoys meeting fellow wine lovers. She says, “Wine imparts a sense of community that elevates any experience.”
Alaska’s Top Attorneys and Docs!
I
n the August issue of Alaska Business magazine, we’ll be debuting Alaska’s Legal Elite, the top lawyers in the 49th state, as nominated by their peers. It’s a new feature we’re excited to release because it will provide you with a great resource to know which peers attorneys highly recommend in a variety of categories. We are offering attorneys selected to the list an
opportunity to be profiled in this issue. The survey process is completed, and watch for it in our August magazine.
section in that issue. You can learn more about our Top Docs feature by visiting akbizmag.com/topdocs.
Speaking of new features, we are excited to announce another brand new feature in Alaska Business magazine set to publish this December—Alaska’s Top Docs! We have partnered with an independent research firm to survey statewide doctors to determine who they recommend among their peers across a wide range of medical specialties. Only active instate members of the Alaska Medical Board are allowed to vote, with voting taking place between June 26, 2023, and August 9, 2023. The results of Alaska’s Top Docs will be published in our December magazine, a perfect complement to our healthcare special
If you are with a healthcare facility, are a medical professional, or do business with the healthcare industry and would like to stand out in our December magazine by advertising, please contact us for more information!
–SP ON S OR E D
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Charles Bell Vice President of Sales & Marketing 907-230-8213 cbell@akbizmag.com
CON T E N T –
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ASRC Energy Ser vices
OIL & GAS
A
SRC Energy Services (AES) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Arctic Slope Regional Corporation and has provided service to the energy industry for more than forty years. AES’s oil field services range from asset management, drilling, and remediation to staffing, equipment and maintenance, construction, and environmental consulting. Over its forty years, AES has received a number of awards for excellence. Since becoming the subsidiary’s president and CEO in 2018, Christine Resler has expanded AES beyond its core business areas and, at the same time, created a culture that fosters the innovation for which the company has become known. “When I walked in the door in 2018, we had a great core team,” says Resler, “and we’ve grown from there in a natural way.” That expansion of services has had two key components: a culture where people feel free to speak about their ideas and a look at both the present and future of energy.
Innovative Thinking
Arctic Innovations ASRC Energy Services diversifies into technology solutions By Alexandra Kay 94 | July 2023
“Without the right culture, you won’t have innovation,” says Resler. “Our safety culture is part of our core values, and you have to take that everywhere. And to have a culture where you take care of your team is a key component of the recipe.” In 2019, more than 1,000 employees took part in a yearlong effort to define the company’s business culture. “We made the decision that we really wanted our teams to understand who and what we are,” notes Resler. The company uses the acronym ASPIRE to describe the values and purposes participants identified, which include Absolute integrity, Safety, People first, Iñupiat heritage, Resilient family, and Exceptional service quality. Company workers take those values with them everywhere they go. And AES walks the walk with programs like “Excellence in Action,” where employees are free to send Resler an email about something great that happened in the field. “I always send a personal note to an employee to thank them,” says Resler. “It creates a culture where people want to do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do.” Another innovative way in which the company operates is to consciously adopt the procedures and language of any client company. “We work to make sure our procedures and programs are compliant with our partner’s culture, so we use the safety procedures, programs, terminology known to the people there,” notes Resler. Finally, the company fosters a learning culture rather than one that blames. The company regularly plans “Hazard Hunts,” where teams look at incidents or near misses and submit a presentation with their solution to the issue. A small panel of judges, including a client representative, decide on the most effective solutions, which are then distributed to the field.
Three Paths to Progress When Resler became AES president and CEO, she collaborated with her team to develop a three-part plan for progress. The first part involved sustaining the company’s core operations, which means sustaining the Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
oil and gas industry in Alaska for as long as possible, which includes a focus on carbon reduction. Resler explains, “We are an Arctic technology solutions provider, with a goal to reducing the carbon footprint and extending the life of the hydrocarbon industry in Alaska.” The second part involved the company looking at opportunities in Alaska that align with its expertise—or where it could gain expertise: things like coiled tubing, plugging and abandoning old wells, and the installation of facilities. “There was room for another North Slope construction company,” says Resler. “We also had bid on some really interesting work, and winning that work allowed us to have an infrastructure of people and do well design and planning and plug and abandonment work.” The third part of the plan was diversification: “We’re supporting more organizations that are outside of oil and gas,” says Resler. An example of this is the company’s
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expansion into environmental remediation, specifically PFAS.
Innovative Technology In the process of testing technologies to better manage drill cuttings, AES discovered that one system they were evaluating could also remove PFAS contamination from soil. PFAS are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances that have been widely used in products like fire-fighting foam, personal care products, water-resistant fabrics, and non-stick cookware since the ‘50s. Long thought to be safe, scientific studies have shown that exposure to these chemicals may be linked to adverse health effects in both humans and animals. Because of this, lands and waters that are contaminated with PFAS need to be remediated. PFAS are notoriously tricky to clean up, but AES found a way. “To the best of our knowledge, we’re the only ones who can go to a site, remediate the soil, and put the remediated soil right back on the
Alaska Business
“To the best of our knowledge, we’re the only ones who can go to a site, remediate the soil, and put the remediated soil right back on the location… We did our first commercial project down in Valdez a year ago, and we’re bidding on a number of projects, including US military installations.” Christine Resler, President and CEO ASRC Energy Services
July 2023 | 95
See any hazards here? AES regularly conducts Hazard Hunts to review safety incidents or near misses. The solution judged to be the most effective is disseminated to the field. ASRC Energy Ser vices
Employees at AES are free to send an email directly to the CEO to commend something great their team accomplished, a policy called Excellence in Action. ASRC Energy Ser vices
“People first” and “Iñupiat heritage” are two of the values contained in the acronym ASPIRE that defines the business culture of AES. ASRC Energy Ser vices
96 | July 2023
location,” says Resler. “We did our first commercial project down in Valdez a year ago, and we’re bidding on a number of projects, including US military installations. And the technology received the Alaska Safety Advisory Council’s 2021 Governor’s Innovation in Safety Award.” AES has partnered with other remediation technology providers and is now able to treat PFAS-contaminated water, as well. Soil and water remediation isn’t the only way AES is involved in innovative technologies. AES sees opportunity in the shift toward lower carbon emissions. “Wanting to get a picture of the landscape for our clients, many of whom have set their own goals to lower their emissions, we began to delve deeply into these topics because we wanted to be prepared,” says AES project manager Esther Tempel. AES has been part of a working group that put together a framework for legislation on carbon management in Alaska. The company also applied for carbon capturerelated grants, as captured carbon can be injected into wells to help with oil and gas production. Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
The company also won a grant to test compressed natural gas vehicles in Deadhorse—a less carbon-intensive fossil fuel because it comes out of the ground locally and doesn’t need to be refined and shipped. “We’re in the beginning of this and have just purchased the vehicles,” Tempel says. “If successful, there’s a potential to deploy it on the North Slope and maybe even in some of our communities there. Alaska is uniquely situated because many of our communities are not connected to a central grid, so we can test sustainable energy systems on a micro grid system, and that might be able to replace some of the fuel sources in our remote communities.” Finally, AES has been looking into developing a methane monitoring, detection, measurement, and reporting service line for clients because the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of the Interior have both proposed new rules concerning reduction of methane emissions from oil and gas facilities. Although these emissions are in some cases substantially lower in Alaska than in other states, it’s still something the company’s clients will have to look at. “I think one of the interesting components to Alaska and the North Slope is that we are surrounded by seasonally thawing permafrost, which is a known methane emitter,” says Tempel. “This can be monitored by drones, planes, and ground sensors, and we’re setting up a business to advise on that measurement.” It is exactly this diversification and innovation that will position AES for a prosperous future. “We want to be at the table with our existing facilities and provide operations and maintenance. We want to help the [oil and gas] industry in Alaska be successful, and that’s our core,” says Resler, “but we also want to support the transition. When we said we wanted to be the Arctic technologies solution provider in 2018, it was aspirational. But we’ve really passed the aspirational part and moved into it being real.” www.akbizmag.com
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CONSTRUCTION
Flagger Ahead The fine art of traffic control and safety By Terri Marshall 98 | July 2023
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ccording to the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities, the 2023 construction season promises to be robust. More than 140 transportation improvement projects are scheduled for this construction season in Alaska, including airport upgrades, bike lanes, docks, roads and highways, and sidewalks in sixty-four communities. While construction zones are necessary, they often pose hazards to workers and drivers alike. Effective traffic control, signage, and other markings can be the difference between a job safely done and someone getting hurt. Addressing mobility and safety issues surrounding work zones begins with the project development process and continues until the project is finalized. Developing a communications plan for local
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businesses, residents, motorists, and the general public remains key to keeping workers and drivers safe. Road closure details, expected work zone impacts, and changing conditions during the construction project are examples of the information that needs to be communicated throughout the duration of the project. Transportation management plans take several things into consideration, such as anticipated construction conditions, access requirements, and existing road users. Fortunately, Alaska has several companies that are extremely capable of meeting the planning and communication needs of road work projects.
Out of the Fire Jolt Construction & Traffic Maintenance is one of those companies, starting with its origin in the Miller’s Reach wildfire near Big Lake in 1996. “We began providing traffic control for FEMA, residents,
and the like to get in and out of the area as the wildfire clean-up took place,” says Jolt Construction & Traffic Maintenance president Kathleen Cole. “Our business continued from there and eventually evolved into subcontracting for traffic maintenance and traffic control for periods of construction.” Jolt Construction does everything for road construction projects except building the road. As Cole explains, “We do flagging in work zones, striping the roads, hydroseeding, mulching, landscaping, cleaning culverts, and adding markers as needed on the side of the roads.” Keeping the safety of the workers and drivers as the top priority, Jolt Construction begins every job with a solid plan. “We start each project by developing the specifics of routing vehicles and pedestrians through or around the construction zone. We determine if we need flaggers or if we’re going to use an automated device, et cetera, so that we go into the project knowing what signs and
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The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities recently unveiled several new public information tools to inform residents about the improvements planned for their communities through the Alaska Project Exchange (APEX): · 511 Traffic Information: All road traffic impacts from construction projects will now be integrated into the Alaska 511 system, including 511.alaska.gov, the 511 Alaska mobile app, and by calling 5-1-1.
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devices are needed,” Cole explains. “The goal is to try to keep these plans cohesive and uniform as much as possible from project to project so that Joe Public will know what to expect.”
Safety Strategies One strategy to boost safety for all parties is working on roads in times of less volume, such as nights or during the shoulder seasons. “Of course, working in off hours presents its own safety issues, so we make certain to equip the workers with reflective devices and proper lighting to allow them to carry on with their duties bravely,” says Cole. Stacey Coy has been one of the flaggers that drivers might see in the middle of nowhere or the middle of the night. She started in 1995, a few years after the launch of Northern Dame, a subcontractor that provides traffic maintenance and control plans, message boards, and flagger training. Coy became company president in 2017 after her mother-in-law, Doris Coy, retired. Among its services, Northern Dame maintains and rents barricades, traffic cones, and other traffic control equipment. The company also appoints supervisors to set up, take down, and maintain all traffic control equipment and to oversee any flaggers to ensure safe, smooth traffic flow. 100 | July 2023
· APEX map: Throughout the season, the public can access detailed project information including project scopes, timelines, contact information, maps, and links to more information. The map can be accessed at dot.alaska.gov/construction. · Social Media: The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities is increasing the department’s social media presence and utilizing search engines such as Google, in addition to traditional media advertising to keep residents informed.
“Of course, working in off hours presents its own safety issues, so we make certain to equip the workers with reflective devices and proper lighting to allow them to carry on with their duties bravely.” Kathleen Cole President Jolt Construction & Traffic Maintenance
To become certified, a flagger must complete a minimum fourhour course by the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA). The participant must pass the flagger exam based on the state’s requirements and pass all sections of a demonstration test. Upon completion, the participants are issued an ATSSA certification, which is valid for the next four years. When training flaggers, Coy looks for key personality components.
“Being an effective flagger requires confidence. This is not a job for a timid person because you are commanding the respect of traffic. In our classes we tell our students not to be shy; this is not a job for a timid person,” she says. Flaggers manage most traffic control in construction zones, but when a diversion is longer than normal the transportation management plan may call for pilot cars. With a goal of getting vehicles through work zones simply and safely and keeping workers free from harm, pilot cars lead vehicles through lengthy work zones while keeping an eye on potential adverse situations. In urban areas where traffic congestion and high speeds present more potential danger to road construction workers, law enforcement sometimes plays a role. That might be during traffic control setup or removal, night work operations, or brief stoppage of all traffic in one or both directions. Project managers also need to coordinate with emergency services to ensure they can respond throughout the construction. This may require wider lanes than necessary for normal vehicles, turnarounds, or alternate routes.
Taking Care Work on road construction is typically seasonal, with most jobs
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ending before the winter months. But Cole notes that the season seems to be getting longer, and Jolt Construction remains busy all across the state. “We have a job going on currently in every region; we definitely work all over the place,” she says. New challenges arise for projects in remote areas, so Jolt Construction uses creative transport methods to get supplies to the job sites. “Sometimes we fly supplies into the villages, and other times we use the marine highway system, sending supplies on a barge up the Yukon River on a cruise from village to village,” says Cole. “Variety does keep things interesting. With a continuously changing infrastructure, you must stay alert. And when you can meet the needs in remote areas, it’s rewarding. We also find that the folks in the villages are eager to see the projects completed and are willing to help, so we utilize a lot of the local people whenever possible.” Safety challenges vary depending on the location of road work projects and the volume of traffic. In urban settings, the likelihood of distracted drivers is more pronounced, and cellphones are often the culprit. “We constantly must watch for distracted drivers in urban areas. But when you get into more rural areas, people seem to pay more attention and are not as distracted,” Cole says. Coy also sees cellphone usage as one of the biggest challenges when it comes to traffic safety. “We’re always on the lookout for drivers not focused on driving. When drivers focus on their cellphones instead of the traffic surrounding them, it’s not uncommon to have accidents that can sometimes cause chain reactions,” says Coy. Overall, watching out for fellow Alaskans is key to minimizing safety concerns. “If I could offer any advice to motorists, it would be to please slow down when you see those road construction signs,” says Coy. “You just never know who the flagger on the side of the road is, and it could be a friend or family member. We need to take care of each other.” www.akbizmag.com
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A L A S K A N AT I V E
From Village to City to Success How just one employee can help with the heavy lifting By Dimitra Lavrakas
J
eanie Gusty took a winding path from the small rural village of her childhood to selling almost $3 million worth of heavy equipment last year. But it was the path itself that helped Gusty lean into her individual strengths and set her up to be a unique asset and incredible employee. Growing up in a tiny Kuskokwim River village, Gusty and her family participated in the traditional life of subsistence hunting, trapping, and gathering. The residents of Stony River are Athabascan and Yupik. The 2020 census recorded thirty-nine people living there on the north bank of the Kuskokwim River, 185 miles northeast of Bethel. It’s way out in the Alaska Bush, but Gusty says she always had her eye on the big city. She remembers a trip to Anchorage with her first-grade class. “It was going to the big city,” she says. “I knew I wanted to move out of the village.” Why? “I liked running water, TV, going to the movies, dining out.” Gusty grew up in Stony River hunting moose, harvesting berries, and growing vegetables in a garden. While she moved away from the village, she didn’t entirely leave 102 | July 2023
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Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
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the lifestyle behind. She now escapes Anchorage and reconnects to the land at her own property: five acres with a lake tucked in 12 miles west of Sleeping Lady, where she hunts for moose and fishes for trout. The cabin there was built by Gusty’s late fiancé Randy Jaques, and it was a labor of love that she treasures. It’s not the only treasure she’s found outside the big city. She recalls from
her childhood that, in the village, her family had to prime and pump a well for water. One day, it didn’t work, and the mechanism ground to a halt. Her dad took it apart and found what was jamming the pump: a gold nugget. Gusty doesn’t know anyone who has looked for gold in Stony River, much less anyone who can say a gold nugget ever came looking for them.
Training Leads to a Dream Job Gusty, who is Yupik, says her 1996 entrance into the world of business was by way of the Alaska Job Corps, part of the federal government’s nationwide Jobs Corps program that provides free career training and education for people aged 16 to 24. “I went to the Alaska Job Corps for one year to certify as
Working at Yukon Equipment, Inc. brought Jeanie Gusty back to its parent company, Calista regional corporation, which positions her to supply rural villages with machinery they need. Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
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a receptionist,” Gusty says. The Alaska Job Corps not only trained her in her chosen field but also taught her how to transition to city life from village life and navigate Anchorage. “It wasn’t easy,” Gusty says. “The Job Corps paid us every two weeks, and they taught us how to take the bus. And I was just a shy girl always sitting in the back.”
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Although challenging, Gusty persevered, and with a reception certificate and her status as a Calista Corporation shareholder in hand, Gusty landed a position as a receptionist in Calista’s Anchorage headquarters in 1997. She steadily moved up in the organization, taking on roles as an accounting assistant, an accounting technician, and then an administrative assistant.
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She left Calista in 2007 to work for The Kuskokwim Corporation, the joint village corporation for Stony River and nine of its downstream neighbors. “I worked as a contractor on base as the executive assistant to the tribal liaison Jerry Wilton,” Gusty says. In that position, she helped research and document the history of the Alaska Territorial Guard, a
July 2023 | 105
Jeanie Gusty (center) says teamwork makes it possible to connect villages with the right heavy equipment, on time, at a price the customer can afford. Patricia Morales | Alaska Business
project she found very interesting, Gusty says. The Alaska Territorial Guard, also known as the Eskimo Scouts, was a military reserve force component of the US Army organized in 1942 in response to attacks on United States territory in Hawaii and Japan’s occupation of parts of Alaska during World War II. The Alaska Territorial Guard operated until 1947 with an estimated 6,368 volunteers, who were enrolled from 107 communities throughout Alaska and served without pay. Members ranged from 80 years old to those as young as 12, because so many fighting-age men were already in regular military service. 106 | July 2023
Returning to Calista In 2013, Gusty directed her career back to Calista when she was hired as an executive assistant for Yukon Equipment, a subsidiary of Calista’s construction subsidiary Calista Brice. Founded in 1945, Yukon Equipment is the oldest Alaskanowned heavy equipment dealer in the state, selling new and used backhoes, excavators, skid steers, wheel loaders, bulldozers, equipment trailers, forklifts, and tractors. It became part of Calista in 2010 when the corporation bought Brice Inc. and its subsidiaries. “I caught on with equipment and one day decided to reach out to
villages with phone calls, emails, mailings, and cold calls,” she says. Being able to speak Yupik has helped Gusty in business. “I speak a little Yupik and utilize my language to sell equipment,” she says. And sell she certainly does. She sold $1 million worth of heavy equipment in 2020, $2 million in 2021, and close to $3 million in 2022. According to Calista, rural sales represent more than 30 percent of Yukon Equipment’s total equipment sales and accounted for roughly 20 percent of company revenue in 2022. Gusty attributes her sales acumen to not only to her ability to understand a village’s need but also
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understanding her contacts’ dislike of cold calls. She makes the pitch brief and follows up with an email or a mailing. Gusty also credits the success of the department to her co-workers for their support and close working relationship. “It’s a lot of teamwork and good staff that gets the job done,” she says. “When selling heavy equipment, Charles Klever and myself—we make an excellent team.” That cooperation is exactly what is needed given Alaska’s vastness, geography, and lack of roads. “If a village needs a piece of heavy equipment ASAP, it’s flown out, but 90 percent are barged out,” Gusty says, and delivery by water can be tricky. “Like, Allakaket gets only one barge a year.” What is the piece of equipment that her Bush customers want most? “It’s the 821G Case wheel loader,” she says. Answering many villages’ desire for a machine that can do it all, the loader comes with automated bucket controls—such as return-to-dig, return-to-travel, and height control—and four power modes to control speed and power. An electro-hydraulic, load-sensing system allows for precise bucket and loader functions. Gusty says the loader is used to move hefty, heavy containers like Conexes. She says the Case 821G wheel loader can easily handle the load. Every day is a chance to sell heavy equipment, she says, and her success in doing so is a benefit for the purchaser and the company. “Working for a Calista Corporation subsidiary is a great honor,” she says. “I’m very humbled to be working for a company that has been here for over seventy-eight years. I enjoy my daily duties such as building ads that we place in magazines, preparing reports, greeting visitors, and answering phone calls.” She says she has gotten to exactly where she wants to be in life: working for a great company. “It’s a good job, good people, and I’m happy to be here.” www.akbizmag.com
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How to Get What You Want A guide to selfdirected career development By Brian Walch
W
e’re trained to look externally for a path forward from an early age. Go to school, get good grades, land a job, make more money, get promoted, and plan for retirement—all of it to be successful. Success is a moving target, though. Each time you reach a new milestone, success gets redefined. Is chasing success getting us what we want? In January 2022, Gallup reported that Americans’ happiness levels have hit record lows. The American Psychological Association found that our stress levels have been increasing since 2016, well before the pandemic. According to the Work Institute, 34 percent more people quit their job last year than the year before. Unhappiness, stress, and turnover cost businesses in terms of lost productivity, lost efficiency, and 108 | July 2023
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lost opportunity. Individuals bear personal costs, too. Your physical and emotional health suffers when you’re stressed and unhappy. What can you do to change this? Be selfish in your career development. Instead of letting external factors direct you, create a self-directed and sustainable approach to career development. Take the initiative, decide what you want, and go after it.
Use an Incremental Process Self-directed career development is similar to implementing new systems in a business. I once helped an organization implement a new case management system. They had grand ambitions to streamline operations, create transparency, and improve efficiency. The project failed because the administrative staff became overwhelmed with having to re-create all of their processes in the new system at once. An incremental approach would have allowed people to react and adjust as changes were introduced.
The same is true for your career. As you make changes and see results, new possibilities arise. What you want today will change tomorrow. Self-directed career development is a series of small steps executed over and over. Perfecting the process will generate momentum and confidence, allowing you to pursue even greater ambitions that are meaningful to you.
Start with the Hard Part The hardest part of this process is identifying what you want. Here is a simple strategy to help you choose one thing. Start by choosing a category: · Greater Challenge: Use your skills and abilities to your full potential. · Career Advancement: Promotion, a leadership role, or a higher salary. · Career Change: Pursuing something more aligned with your interests or values. · Increased Autonomy: Greater independence over your work and decisions. · Personal Fulfillment: Work that provides a sense of purpose.
Self-directed career development is a series of small steps executed over and over. Perfecting the process will generate momentum and confidence, allowing you to pursue even greater ambitions that are meaningful to you.
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To find time in your schedule, try to consolidate existing responsibilities. For example, do group meetings with your direct reports instead of one-on-ones. You can also integrate new activities with existing ones, such as listening to a podcast when you take a walk.
110 | July 2023
· Work-life Balance: Flexible work arrangements or work hours. · Work Environment: Supportive culture, collaboration, or changes to the physical workspace. · Recognition or Rewards: Bonuses, awards, or public recognition. · Skill Development: Training, mentorship, or continuing education. · Impact and Influence: Positively impact your organization, industry, or community. · Job Security: Increased stability in employment. Then identify one personal thing in the category that would be meaningful to you. Here are some examples: · Leave work at 1 pm every Friday. · Be the team lead on the next big project. · Get a 10 percent raise. Get promoted. · Get a standing desk. Get an ergonomic chair. · Attend a conference. Present at a conference. · Learn a new programming language. It doesn’t matter what it is or how insignificant you think it may be. Remember, this is your first iteration. Write it down.
Have a Purpose Now you need to ensure the goal you’ve just recorded is something you want. Intrinsic motivation is crucial for sustainable results. To do this, you will interrogate yourself to uncover your motivation. Ask yourself why you want the thing you wrote down. Keep asking yourself, “Why is that important to me?” until you get the answer, “Because it makes me happy,” or “Because it makes me feel good.” Here’s a simple example: You say, “I want to leave the office at 1 p.m. on Fridays.” Why? “Because then I can get ready and leave town for the weekend.” Why is that important to you? “Because when our family is out of town for two nights, we relax more.” Why is that important to you? “Because I enjoy relaxing with my family. It makes me happy.”
If you choose something that translates into more money, push yourself to go deeper. What would you do with the extra money? Why is that important to you? If you can’t get to “it makes me happy,” start over and choose a different category. Life’s too short to compromise. If you’re stuck, choose one of your strengths and one thing you could do with that strength. Or use reverse engineering: ask yourself, “What makes me happy?” and pick one thing that would allow you to do more of that. Now, use this information to create a Purpose Statement. Here’s the format. I want [insert what you want] so that I can [insert what you will do with it] because when I [insert your why] it makes me happy. For example: I want to leave work at 1 p.m. on Fridays so that I can go away with my family for the weekend because when I spend time relaxing with my family, it makes me happy.
Plan and Act You have a purpose, and now you need a plan. Creating a plan will give you insights and ideas on moving forward so you’re ready to take action. Here are the six components to consider when creating your plan. · A ctivities: What will you do, and how often will you do it? · T imeframe: How long will you do these activities? When will you review progress? · People: Who in your network can help you with this? · R esources: What other resources are available to you? · A ccountability: How will you hold yourself accountable to progress? · R isks: What risks jeopardize progress, and how can you mitigate them? Now you’re ready to take action and move forward.
Persevere Perseverance is the secret ingredient. Making changes, pursuing dreams, and achieving goals
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isn’t easy, but it is achievable if you persevere. For most people, the biggest challenge is finding the time. To find time in your schedule, try to consolidate existing responsibilities. For example, do group meetings with your direct reports instead of oneon-ones. You can also integrate new activities with existing ones, such as listening to a podcast when you take a walk. Reading your Purpose Statement often will also help you stay motivated. Print it out, write it in your journal, or put it on your computer desktop. Reminding yourself why this is important will help you overcome obstacles and persevere.
Selfish Success We want a rewarding career, healthy relationships, and an enjoyable life. The current model of success, driven by external forces and motivators, isn’t getting us the desired results. It is time to redefine success as a process. I propose this formula: Success = (Purpose + Perseverance)x Start small and choose something you want right now. Create a purpose and a plan to take action and persevere. And the “x” represents repeating again and again for exponential results. Self-directed success will transform you and your organization. It will expand what you believe is possible. It will lead you to a happier and more fulfilled life, which is good for your health, relationships, and community. Who knew that being selfish could be so good for the world?
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BALANCED BOUNDARIES
Confessions and Trendlines Blips happen; watch for themes By Woodrie Burich
I
’ve been teaching work boundaries for more than a decade. I know all the stats—and still I worked right through being sick. It was day two of a cold. I had three major deadlines that week, and while it was relatively easy to reschedule my coaching calls and client luncheons, those deliverables wouldn’t finish themselves. Sometimes there is no other day. Sometimes things can’t be rescheduled. It’s part of the gig. Could I have slept and relaxed? Yes. Would a delay have negatively 112 | July 2023
impacted the work outcomes? Yes. Would it have impacted my and our company’s reputation if I didn’t get those out? Maybe. So I dug deep and worked through my illness. Here’s the deal: there will always be times of hard work. There will always be times when more effort than we want to expend is required. Given my role as a coach in boundaries, it’s easy for others to assume that I am always “balanced” or have perfect boundaries. Being balanced and boundaried is
not the same thing as saying no all the time, or even whenever I want to (needs and wants are not the same thing). It simply means being aligned and making a conscious choice— and being good with the outcome of that choice. When my entire family is sick and my kid is throwing up—we are all just plain miserable—someone still needs to make dinner. Someone still needs to feed the dog. There are some things that still have to happen, regardless of how much I just want to sleep.
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Blip or Theme Here’s the key: What’s my trendline? Is this a momentary blip, or is it a continuous theme? Blip—cool. Theme—problem. If this is a continuous or regular theme, that points to a bigger issue. Possibly the issue is a mindset issue. Possibly the issue is a workload/ work structure or workflow issue. Repetitive or continuous themes point to a bigger problem or an underlying broken structure that needs to be resolved. Blips? Well, that’s just life. It reminds me of a conversation during a group coaching call with some execs from a fast-paced tech company. I asked a woman during the call what helped her when she felt overwhelmed—what tool did she have to support herself when the workload was unmanageable. She paused, looked sheepishly at the camera and all the faces on our Zoom call, and responded with, “Well… I don’t think you really want to know this, maybe I shouldn’t even say it, but—well, I work a Saturday.” I think my response shocked her. It was, “Great! That’s a wonderful tool.” This was a coaching call on boundaries after all. She continued with, “Yeah, but that’s not a good boundary.” Right. Good recognition. However, reality is still reality. And having that as a tool was a good solution in that moment, especially since it provided her some much-needed stress relief. Did it fix the overall problem? No. Did it offer her some immediate relief? Yes. So it was a temporary band-aid. Sometimes we need these. And then I asked the group, “Anyone else here ever work a Saturday?” Every single hand went up.
Tools for Balance Working an occasional Saturday isn’t the problem. It’s working multiple Saturdays. It’s working every Saturday. The problem is when that Saturday becomes your trendline. If you find and use a tool that causes you to extend yourself on occasion that works—fine. So be it. www.akbizmag.com
If that’s the only tool that gets you through all the work, though, that’s a problem. The issue I see is that many of us only have one tool. We only have that Saturday. We only have working late into the evenings or going to work at 6 a.m. every morning for some quiet time. We only have extending ourselves in exchange for getting the work done. We haven’t figured out how to incorporate strategic time or focus time into the midst of our busy days. We haven’t claimed our space or had the crucial conversations that enable us to get that time for ourselves during our regular work hours. We haven’t offered ourselves permission for that cup of coffee to unwind mid-week—even though we worked 50-plus hours just last week. There are multiple tools we can start to incorporate to offer us more relief, help shift our perspectives, and shift our approach to work. There are multiple tools that ultimately help us learn how to change our work structures and figure out what’s truly getting in the way and causing us to work all those Saturdays. That way, the occasional Saturday is just that— occasional. Next time you work through a Saturday, be gentle and offer yourself some grace. And if you work through many of them, be firm and honor your boundaries. Find the balance between these two worlds and recognize that, sometimes, we are going to work when we are sick. Sometimes, we still have to make that dinner even when we feel like absolute crap. And, by golly, that’s a miracle in itself. But next week, I’m taking that day off. And I might even take two. Woodrie Burich is an award-winning executive and leadership coach based in Alaska. She is a member of the Forbes Coaches Council, TEDx presenter, national speaker, and author. More about her may be found at integratingwork.com. Alaska Business
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INSIDE ALASKA BUSINESS Pacific Dataport A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket expended its entire reusable core and two strap-on boosters to lift the Aurora 4A satellite to geosynchronous orbit. The launch from Florida on April 30 positions the satellite more than 22,000 miles over Alaska. The satellite is the key to Pacific Dataport’s “middle mile” communications between small communities and internet trunk lines. The 800-pound satellite built by Astranis is relatively small for spacecraft orbiting so high, but it has the advantage of never dropping below the horizon. auroraiv.com
HEA | City of Seward The electric utility in Seward remains a city department after a May 2 special election saw a sale to Homer Electric Association fail by a margin of 7 votes. Of ballots cast, 58 percent favored the $25 million sale—227 to 162—but the proposition required a 60 percent margin to pass. This is the second time since 2000 the question has been put to Seward voters; since the first, Homer Electric agreed to terms of a sale. However, some Homer residents advocated for a sale to Chugach Electric Association instead. homerelectric.com | cityofseward.us
ANC Airport Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) surpassed Shanghai Pudong Airport (PVG) in the latest tally of world air cargo to claim the slot for third busiest airport in 2022. Airports Council International counted 3,461,603 tonnes of cargo transiting ANC’s runways. Among the top ten airports, ANC had the largest increase since 2019, with 26.1 percent more cargo tonnage, even though volume dropped by 4.3 percent since 2021. Hong Kong International Airport remained in the top rank, with 4.2 million 114 | July 2023
tonnes, followed by the FedEx hub in Memphis, Tennessee, with 4 million tonnes. Shanghai PVG, with the largest year-over-year drop of 21.7 percent, moved a little less than 3.1 million tonnes. Among the top ten for 2022, only Louisville, Kentucky’s airport grew since 2021, up half a percent to rank 5th. For international freight only, ANC ranks 6th, moving 2.3 million tonnes, down 5.6 percent from 2021 but up 21.1 percent from 2019, the largest growth among the top ten. ancairport.com
Sound Publishing The presses have stopped at the Peninsula Clarion, although the newspaper is still being published. The Washington-based owner, Sound Publishing, shut down the in-house press on Friday, April 28, and twice-weekly printings of about 1,000 copies are being outsourced to another vendor. The Clarion’s lone pressman was laid off. Sound Publishing also owns the Juneau Empire and Homer News and announced similar outsourcing arrangements for those papers; contractors were not named. The arrangement follows the Anchorage Daily News decommissioning its press in 2017 and contracting with Wick Communications, owner of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, for print jobs. peninsulaclarion.com
Chugach Government Solutions A subsidiary of Chugach Alaska Corporation acquired a San Diego-based tech firm. Chugach Government Solutions (CGS) is now the parent company of Vector Planning & Services, Inc. (VPSI). Founded in 1997, VPSI specializes in cybersecurity and information assurance, systems engineering and acquisition management, and IT and cloud system integration. CGS will leverage the expanded
technical services expertise to broaden its reach in the federal defense and civilian agency market. VPSI is led by Greg Hammond, who will continue to serve as subsidiary president. chugachgov.com
Alaska Green Capital | Spruce Root The Valdez Native Tribe launched Alaska’s first green bank, Alaska Green Capital (AGC), a standalone nonprofit focused on strengthening energy resilience and energy efficiency. AGC aims to help homeowners and businesses shift to clean energy and provide lowcost loans to entrepreneurs and business initiatives in the green/ blue economy. The Rasmuson Foundation awarded a grant to the tribe to aid the startup. AGC is working to capitalize its inaugural lending programs. The nonprofit business accelerator for Southeast, Spruce Root, is pursuing a similar model through a new partnership with the Washington, DC-based Coalition for Green Capital. alaskagreencapital.org | spruceroot.org
Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. The board of trustees of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation voted in April to end a shortlived foray into in-state business investments. The board set aside $200 million in 2018, and two outside management firms directed the money into ventures such as Macro Oceans seaweed products, Fleetzero electric cargo ships, and the Three Bears Alaska supermarket chain. However, the investments were underperforming the Fund’s out-of-state portfolio and duplicated efforts of the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority. No additional money is being allocated to instate investments, but the current portfolio is being retained. apfc.org
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
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ANCHORAGE FAIRBANKS
RIGHT MOVES Alaska Business This magazine amplified its multimedia presence with a couple of new hires. In the new role of Marketing Assistant, Tiffany Whited not only manages social media feeds but coordinates broader efforts to put Alaska Business in front of as Whited many readers as possible. With a background in social media management and consulting, Whited knows how to captivate audiences and maximize brand exposure. She previously ran a social media consulting business, which led to joining the staff of a construction firm that wanted to boost its social media platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Having previously worked for a publishing company in London, Whited has returned to the world of print. The title of Web Manager encompasses only part of what Patricia Morales does for Alaska Business Publishing Company. In addition to maintaining the Morales website and weekly newsletter The Monitor, Morales assists the art director with photo selections and graphic design. Morales earned an associate degree in graphic design from Tidewater Community College in Norfolk, Virginia. She served in the US Army for five years and trained as a civil engineer. She finished a bachelor’s degree in graphic design from Full Sail University online. Morales was previously a designer for JBER Life, a magazine published by the marketing department of the 773rd Force Support Squadron.
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CIRI Foundation
The CIRI Foundation, the nonprofit educational arm of the Alaska Native corporation for the Anchorage and Matanuska-
Susitna region, has a new President and CEO. The board selected Connie Wirz, an original CIRI enrollee who has previous experience with CIRI’s family of Wirz socially driven enterprises. She was a healthcare administrator at Southcentral Foundation and a tribal representative on the Cook Inlet Tribal Council (CITC) board of directors. In 2015, Wirz joined CITC full-time as senior director of Clare Swan Early Learning Center. Wirz has also served as the executive director of Kenaitze Indian Tribe and Cook Inlet Native Head Start/Early Head Start.
MTA Some changes in the leadership team at MTA. The Palmer-based telecom promoted Ryan Ponder to Vice President of Legal, Regulatory, and Government Affairs. His previous title was director of legal Ponder and regulatory affairs; in his new position, Ponder continues to advance MTA’s tribal and government relations strategies. Ponder is dedicated to navigating the complex regulatory landscape, and his leadership has enabled his team to excel. Jess Gilbert is now Director of Marketing and Communications, after she served as corporate communications manager since 2019. In this new role, Gilbert Gilbert oversees marketing efforts and all external and internal communications at MTA, including initiatives involving the MTA Foundation and MTA Gaming. Carin Yeh, previously a grants officer, is promoted to Manager of Grants and Regulatory Affairs. Since joining MTA, Yeh has
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demonstrated an exceptional level of expertise and dedication to ensuring MTA’s regulatory compliance. The Palmer-based co-op says her new leadership Yeh role will yield opportunities to make positive impacts on the telecom regulatory environment.
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ATIA
A former executive who stepped away from the Alaska Travel Industry Association (ATIA) for a couple of years is back, with a promotion. After a Simpson nationwide search, ATIA selected Jillian Simpson as its next President and CEO. Simpson has worked in the Alaska tourism industry for more than twenty years and spent much of her career at ATIA, from 2004 to 2021, rising from director of travel trade and international marketing to vice president in that time. Simpson began her career in 2000 at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward before joining ATIA in 2004 to manage the travel trade and international marketing program. In 2013, she transitioned to overseeing ATIA’s membership and tourism policy initiatives and was promoted to vice president in 2016 and was tasked with overseeing the State of Alaska’s destination marketing program. Simpson is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Arctic and northern studies at UAF.
Northrim Bank Northrim Bank promoted thirteen of its employees to new management and executive positions. Sean Christian is now SVP, Strategic & Planning Manager. Christian has been with Northrim Bank for nearly eighteen years and has
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RIGHT MOVES IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY NORTHERN AIR CARGO
Committed to the Alaska Spirit 116 | July 2023
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
twenty-three years of experience in accounting. He earned his MBA from UAA. Eileen Kehoe becomes VP, Mortgage Servicing Manager. Kehoe began her career at Northrim in January 2020 and has twenty-one years of experience in the mortgage industry. She attended Iowa State University. James Larson is promoted to VP, Special Credits Officer & Loss Mitigation Supervisor. Larson started at Northrim in 2019. He attended UAA and was part of the inaugural cohort of Northrim Bank’s Management Academy. Joe Moran is now VP, Loan Officer – Construction. Moran has been with Northrim for ten years and has worked in loan servicing, credit administration, and construction lending. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Portland and an MBA from Alaska Pacific University. Heather Rowland becomes VP, Mortgage Applications Manager. Rowland started at Northrim’s subsidiary, Residential Mortgage, in 2006 and transferred to the parent bank in June 2019. Samantha Schemm is promoted to VP, Deposit Applications Manager. Schemm joined Northrim in 2022 and has more than fifteen years of experience in the financial industry. Delores Siah is now VP, Branch Manager at the Fairbanks Financial Center. Siah has been with Northrim for ten years. She holds an associate degree in business administration from Shawnee State University, graduated from the Northrim Management Academy, and won the Customer First Service award. Kristen Bush becomes AVP, Loan Review Officer. Bush joined Northrim Bank in 2016 and has twenty-two years of experience in the banking industry. She holds an associate degree in occupational safety and health from UAA. Megan Liska is promoted to AVP, Lending Applications Manager. Liska joined Northrim as the corporate training manager in 2019. Dorothy MacKenzie is now AVP, Commercial Loan Portfolio Manager. MacKenzie started at Northrim in 2019 as a credit analyst. MacKenzie
has a degree in economics and art history from Smith College in Massachusetts. Kiersten Russell becomes AVP, Loan Officer – Commercial. Russell began her career with Northrim in 2013 and has worked in retail banking and as a credit analyst. She holds degrees in business management and accounting from UAF. Corrine Wiseman is promoted to AVP, Payroll & Benefits Manager. Wiseman joined Northrim as payroll and benefits manager in 2020. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Wiseman won the Northrim Bank President’s award in 2021. Salvador Garcia Cervantes is now Business Applications Project Administrator. Garcia Cervantes earned his MBA from UAA with a focus in business intelligence and analytics. Garcia Cervantes has been with Northrim for four years and was a part of the inaugural cohort of Northrim Bank’s Management Academy.
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RESPEC
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RESPEC welcomes Mike Rabe as the new Director of Transportation in its Infrastructure business unit. In this role, Rabe works out of the Rabe Anchorage office, managing air- and land-based transportation projects. Rabe has thirty years of experience in Alaska infrastructure. He earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from UAA. Rabe takes over from Keith Hanneman, who has served in this position for the past seven years. Hanneman will now focus on technical and business development support for RESPEC’s Transportation market.
Coffman Engineers
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Nielson
An electrical engineer at Coffman Engineers earned her Alaska Professional Engineering (PE) license. Deanna Nielson has been with Coffman’s electrical engineering department for
more than seven years. Nielson was first mentored by Coffman as a high school student through the Anchorage School District’s Gifted Mentorship Program. She interned in the civil and structural departments but settled on electrical engineering. She earned her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering while also playing Division I volleyball for Gonzaga University. Nielson’s background includes designing medium- and low-voltage power distribution systems and industrial instrumentation and control systems, primarily for the oil and gas industry but also for commercial and residential projects.
Interior Gas Utility
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The Interior Gas Utility (IGU) has a new General Manager. The board of directors unanimously selected Elena Sudduth, who has been the utility’s director of Sudduth public relations and customer service. Sudduth has been with IGU for the last three years. In her most recent position, she successfully managed the utility's external communications and community relations. In her new position, Sudduth will oversee all aspects of IGU's operations and administration. Sudduth is also responsible for executing the utility's strategic plan, pivoting to North Slope natural gas instead of supplies from Cook Inlet.
NORTECH
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An engineer in Juneau is moving to NORTECH’s Anchorage office. By relocating, Haley Michael enables the environmental engineering firm to expand its Michael services. Michael directly manages and assists NORTECH’s engineers with spill prevention, control, and countermeasure plans; hazardous materials project design; land farm design; and more. Michael graduated from the Northern Arizona University honors program with a degree in environmental engineering.
Northern Air Cargo is committed to getting your cargo where it needs to be, on time, so you can worry about what really matters.
For more information, please visit us at www.nac.aero. www.akbizmag.com
Alaska Business
July 2023 | 117
ALASKA TRENDS Kiosks. Stands. Shacks. Huts. Whatever they’re called, Alaskans are familiar with the phenomenon: a structure that accommodates one or two people, food and beverage equipment, and a window or two for serving drive-up customers. These types of coffee shops may not be unique to Alaska, but they’ve become ubiquitous along the state’s urban and rural roadways. In Amy Newman’s article “Barista in a Box,” operators from Homer to Kotzebue share what they’ve learned about the quirks of coffee huts. This edition of Alaska Trends surveyed coffee kiosks for a more quantitative perspective. To collect this data, Alaska Business created an online survey that was shared with coffee kiosk owners across the state. Of those invited to take the survey, twenty-three kiosk owners opted to answer. All of the data is from those twenty-three respondents and does not necessarily represent averages or trends for the whole industry. If they aren’t already a part of your daily routine, make sure to visit the coffee huts listed below to join us in saying thank you for their contributions to this big-picture look at an industry characterized by very small footprints.
96% have employees
1/3 raised prices in last 3 mo. due to inflation When we asked our kiosk owners, "When was the most recent time that you increased your prices?" their answers all confirmed our staff's experience of "recently."
10
8
6
4
21 of 23 kiosks are lcoated on land owned by someone else; agreements with the landowners for the space range from a "gentleman's handshake" to paying rent.
2
0
IN THE LAST 3 MO.
IN THE LAST 6 MO.
IN THE LAST YEAR
IN THE LAST 2 YRS.
The number of employees reported by respondents per kiosk ranges from 2 to 16
17% own more than one kiosk
118 | July 2023
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
74% of kiosks source their coffee in Alaska.
2 kiosks report selling CBD products; both say CBD products are purchased daily.
Thank you Aftershock Espresso Toasted Joe’s Latin Drip Cafe Groundz Espresso & Co. Raven Lunatic Espresso Tha Java Junctions
48% reported stocking 1 variety of coffee bean 8
Palmer Coffee Co. Feller's Espresso Wagon
1 variety
3
Coop’s Coffee
5
Goldie’s Coffee Roasters
96% of kiosks sell food.
Habits Coffee Co. Liberty Lattes Seward's Cup
According to our kiosks, the most popular food items are ham & cheese croissants and breakfast burritos.
2 varieties
Lulu's Coffee Stand Lead Dog Espresso Spenard Grinds Wren's Drive Thru Shorty’s Coffee Company
Kiosks stocked up to 10 types of milk; most reported stocking 5 types of milk.
On average, respondents reported using 2,325 pounds of coffee per kiosk per year.
Coho Coffee Co. Heavenly Cup Fresh Start Espresso Java Hut Northern Lights Espresso
3 TYPES OF MILK 8 TYPES OF MILK 9 TYPES OF MILK
Kiosk owners overwhelmingly reported opening a kiosk because "I love coffee. A lot."
10 TYPES OF MILK 7 TYPES OF MILK
4 TYPES OF MILK
16 of the 23 respondents track the number of paper cups they use per kiosk per year; in a year, those 16 combined use almost 600,000 cups.
6 TYPES OF MILK
5 TYPES OF MILK
Coffee kiosks located the furthest north and south were Kotzebue and Dillingham. www.akbizmag.com
Alaska Business
July 2023 | 119
What book is currently on your nightstand? The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut. What charity or cause are you passionate about? Stand for Salmon.
What vacation spot is on your bucket list? Bikepacking in Croatia or Baja [Mexico]. If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be? Who wouldn’t want a T. rex or something? Assume I have enough money to feed it and everything [he laughs].
Photos by Monica Whitt
What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long day at work? Since I am the only person there, it’s not like a 9 to 5. It never ends: no days off, no weekends off. Always thinking about “How can I make the next pet rock?”
OFF THE CUFF
Lance Lekander “S
ometimes it’s like a disease; you have
AB: What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done? Lekander: When I go to someplace and they have big cliffs to jump off into the ocean, I get apprehensive. Like, “This is high.” But then I see a little kid do it, and I’m like, “If they can do it, I gotta go. You know?”
to be creative, you can’t stop,” says
Lance Lekander. He started drawing while growing up in Anchorage, and now it’s his
AB: What are you superstitious about? Lekander: I’m not superstitious, but… I always think, when my ladder’s there, should I walk under my ladder or not? Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. But I always think about that.
living. He confesses to craving a 9-to-5 job with weekends off, but he can’t not be an artist. “Basically, I was destined for it,” he says. His website, Lekander Artworks, is populated
AB: Have you ever had a supernatural experience? Lekander: Not really. Some dreams that have come true; like, you dream something and it happens. But I haven’t seen any ghosts. I would like to see a UFO, but still waiting for that.
with grinning monsters, rockin’ robots, and fun-loving freaks. He sells psychedelic yoga leggings, handmade yeti dolls (resembling his logo for the award-winning hotdog stand Yeti
AB: What’s your favorite local restaurant? Lekander: The first thing that comes to mind is what people always say: Moose’s Tooth and Bear Tooth… It’s certainly good, but I never go there because I refuse to wait for an hour.
Dogs), and a collection of digital typefaces. The mission of his “super-secret underground laboratory” is to make people say, “That’s the gol-darndest art I ever have seen!” Lekander keeps busy with commissions for book illustrations and selling his wares at craft fairs. He was once drawn to architecture as a possible career, but he realized he “didn’t want to get into ‘how much stress this bolt can take.’” He adds that interior design is still an option, and that would be a sight to see: an entire room decorated like counterculture comix and vintage movie posters. Alaska Business: What do you do in your free time? Lance Lekander: I sketch a lot. Work is free time. AB: Is there a skill you’re currently developing or have always wanted to learn? Lekander: I’ve been sewing… I’ve had some of my designs printed on waterproof fabric, so I’ve made dry bags and things. Looking to make backpacks and stuff. AB: What’s your favorite way to exercise? Lekander: I’d rather be out hiking on a sunny day… At the gym, I do Spin class and Group Power… When I do my own workouts, I end up doing things I like, but when I go to Group Power [I do] squats and lunges. www.akbizmag.com
AB: Dead or alive, who would you like to see perform live in concert? Lekander: Prince. AB: What’s your greatest extravagance? Lekander: Lately I’ve been into Converse All Star shoes… I’ve got, like, fifteen pairs now. AB: What’s your best attribute and worst attribute? Lekander: In my job or in life, it’s the same answer for both: I’m so easygoing. Works for me, works against me. People don’t pay me and I’m not all over them.
Alaska Business
July 2023 | 121
ADVERTISERS INDEX 49th State Brewing Company............................ 23
Color Art Printing, Inc........................................ 88
Northern Air Cargo.................................. 116, 117
denalicrowsnestcabins.com
colorar tprinting.com
nac.aero
5th Avenue Jewelers.......................................... 45
Conrad-Houston Insurance Agency................. 27
Northern Industrial Training...............................37
akdiamondco.com
chialaska.com
nitalaska.com
Airport Equipment Rentals............................... 123
Construction Machinery Industrial.......................2
Northrim Bank.....................................................75
airpor tequipmentrentals.com
cmiak.com
nor thrim.com
Alaska Argo Rentals LLC..................................... 96
Cook Inlet Tug & Barge Inc................................ 96
Opti Staffing Group............................................ 83
alaskaargorentals.com
cookinlet tug.com
optistaffing.com
Alaska Dreams Inc.............................................. 94
Copper Whale Inn.............................................. 23
alaskadreamsinc.com
copperwhale.com
Oxford Assaying & Refining Inc....................... 114
Alaska Materials................................................ 106
cowork by RSD................................................... 88
alaskamaterials.com
coworkbyrsd.com
Alaska Native Heritage Center........................... 19
Credit Union 1..................................................... 55
alaskanative.net
cu1.org
Alaska Pacific University................................... 110
Equipment Source, Inc....................................... 39
alaskapacific.edu
esialaska.com
Alaska Procurement Technical Assistance Center............................................. 100
Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation/Alaska Defense Forum.....................3
ptacalaska.org
alaskadefenseforum.com
Alaska Professional Construction, Inc............. 107
First National Bank Alaska.....................................5
apcconcrete.com
fnbalaska.com
Alaska Safety Alliance..........................................77
Fred Meyer Jewelers.......................................... 65
alaskasafetyalliance.org
fredmeyer.com
Altman, Rogers & Co.......................................... 46
GCI...................................................................... 79
altrogco.com
gci.com
American Heart Association............................ 109
Global Credit Union........................................... 43
schwabe.com/locations-anchorage-alaska
hear t.org
alaskausa.org
SES Space & Defense............................................7
Ampersand......................................................... 53
Great Originals Inc............................................. 91
ampersandtech.com
greatoriginals.com
Sheet Metal Inc................................................. 101
Anchorage Convention Centers.........................57
Hecla Greens Creek Mining Company............. 85
sheetmetalinc.com
anchorageconventioncenters.com
hecla-mining.com
Sourdough Express.............................................51
Anchorage Sand & Gravel................................ 104
Hotel Captain Cook.............................................21
tdlstaffing.com
anchsand.com
captaincook.com
Stellar Designs Inc...............................................37
ASRC Construction............................................ 29
Landye Bennett Blumstein LLP.......................... 47
stellar-designs.com
asrcconstruction.com
lbblawyers.com
T. Rowe Price.......................................................17
ASRC Energy....................................................... 52
Lifemed Alaska.....................................................71
alaska529plan.com
asrcenergy.com
lifemedalaska.com
TDL Staffing........................................................ 73
Bernie's Pharmacy.............................................. 83
Lynden.............................................................. 124
tdlstaffing.com
bermiespharmacy.com
lynden.com
Brilliant Media Strategies.................................... 48
Material Flow & Conveyor Systems, Inc............ 99
The Megan Room Conference & Events Center..................................................... 27
www.brilliantak.com
materialflow.com
themeganroom.com
Carlile Transportation Systems.......................... 61
Moore Heating.................................................... 81
Toast of the Town............................................... 86
carlile.biz
mooreheating.com
toastofthetownak.com
Chugach Alaska Corporation.......................... 103
Museum of the North......................................... 19
USI Insurance Services....................................... 25
chugach.com
uaf.edu/museum
usi.com
CIRI...................................................................... 29
New Horizons Telecom, Inc...............................15
Watterson Construction.................................... 50
ciri.com
nhtiusa.com
wat tersonconstruction.com
Coffman Engineers.......................................... 110
NMS..................................................................... 67
Westinghouse Electric Company LLC............... 69
coffman.com
nmsusa.com
westinghousenuclear.com
Parker, Smith & Feek............................................31
psfinc.com PeopleAK........................................................ 9, 59
peopleak.com
FREE
PIP Marketing Signs Print................................... 49
pipalaska.com Providence Health & Services Alaska................ 63
providence.org Ray's Place.......................................................... 83
raysplaceak.com RIM Architects.................................................... 86
rimarchitects.com Satellite Alaska.................................................... 35 Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, P.C.................... 41
sessd.com
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