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CONTENTS FEBRUARY 2020 | VOLUME 37 | NUMBER 2 | AKBIZMAG.COM

FE AT UR E S 8 TELECOM & TECH

18 TOURISM

Trending Technology 2020 will see Alaska fall in step with Lower 48 tech innovations

Iron Dog The long-term economic effects of the world's longest snowmachine race

By Brad Joyal

14 T RANSPORTATION

By Vanessa Orr

24 CONSTRUCTION State and Federal Funding Contribute to 2020 Construction

Routine maintenance of public buildings continues to be deferred

By Vanessa Orr

Keep On Truckin’!

Alaska Trucking Association provides advocacy, education, networking opportunities

By Vanessa Orr

26 INTERNATIONAL TRADE Small Business, Big Opportunity International trade presents exciting options for Alaska’s small businesses

By Alex Salov

32 CONSTRUCTION Winning Contracts and Building Backlog How Alaska's experts handle RFPs

By Brad Joyal

66 ALASKA NATIVE Contaminated Conveyances Determining liablity and finding funds hinder cleanup of ANCSA lands

By Isaac Stone Simonelli

74 OIL & GAS Changing Players in Evolving Oil Fields The North Slope is gearing up for the new decade

Kodiak Island Wildsource

By Amy Newman

80 FISHERIES ©James Wicken

Processing Alaska’s Marine Bounty A big-picture look at the billion-dollar industry

By Isaac Stone Simonelli

QUICK READS 86 BUSINESS EVENTS

90 INSIDE ALASKA BUSINESS

94 ALASKA TRENDS

88 COMMUNITY EVENTS

92 RIGHT MOVES

96 OFF THE CUFF

4 | February 2020

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

CONTENTS FEBRUARY 2020 | VOLUME 37 | NUMBER 2 | AKBIZMAG.COM

A RCH I T EC T U R E & EN G I N EER I N G SPECI A L SEC T I O N 36 THE ART OF ARCHITECTURE

Finding the balance between form and function

Glenn Aronwits

By Amy Newman

46 ENGINEERING PROJECT OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

42 ARCHITECTURE IN ALASKA

52 ENGINEER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

Unique climate and remote communities prompt state to innovate

56 DIRECTORY

By Joy Choquette

Architecture & Engineering

© Kevin G. Smith / Alaska Stock

ABOUT THE COVER

6 | February 2020

American architect Buckminster Fuller said, “When I’m working on a problem, I never think about beauty. But when I’ve finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it’s wrong.”

While beams must be functional, in the hands of a skilled architect, there’s no reason they can’t also be beautiful. In our annual Architecture and Engineering special section, we highlight both individuals and projects in Alaska that could have been basic—but instead are exceptional.

Cover Photo by Glenn Aronwits | Text inspired by Gilbert #Typewithpride

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

VOLUME 37, #2 Published by Alaska Business Publishing Co. Anchorage, Alaska

EDITORIAL STAFF Managing Editor

Kathryn Mackenzie 257-2907 editor@akbizmag.com Associate/Web Editor

Tasha Anderson 257-2902 tanderson@akbizmag.com Digital and Social Media Specialist Arie Henry 257-2906 ahenry@akbizmag.com Art Director

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Linda Shogren 257-2912 production@akbizmag.com Photo Contributor

Kerry Tasker

BUSINESS STAFF President

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ALASKA BUSINESS PUBLISHING CO., INC. 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; © 2020 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.

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FROM

THE

EDITOR

Architecture and Engineering: Form and Function Winter solstice has passed and now in February we’re butting up against the Spring equinox, which means every day is getting just a little bit longer. While most Alaskans are thrilled with this slow march toward long (oh, so long) lingering summer days, I find myself already missing the resplendent, frigid days of winter. I love everything about winter in Alaska—the sparkling ice fog; soft, fluffy snow; the way the evening light turns the white landscape a soft pink; and most of all long, cozy evenings at home with my candles lit, a warm blanket on my lap, and a good book by my side.

I fully appreciate that part of the reason I’m able to enjoy winter the way I do is because of decades of engineering innovations that have ultimately help provide me with a warm, structurally sound building to call home. For years upon years, engineers have been developing smarter design and construction methods to create safe, functional spaces. When we add in the art of architecture, those spaces become beautiful and even inspiring, so whether we’re at home or at work we can meet our potential in beauty, safety, and comfort.

Coincidentally, February is when the nation celebrates engineers with EWeek. This year’s theme, Pioneers of Progress, is particularly fitting for the Last Frontier.

For many, the highlight of EWeek in Alaska is the awards banquet—this year being held on February 22 at the Egan Center in Anchorage—at which the Engineer of the Year is announced. (Get to know the seven 2019 nominees in the Architecture & Engineering special section.) Speaking of engineer of the year, we’d like to take a moment to recognize the 2018 Engineer of the Year, Amy Mestas, a registered civil and structural engineer who works as a senior associate at PDC Engineers leading the company’s structural engineering group. Mestas has thirteen years of structural engineering experience and eight years of multidiscipline project management experience. She’s worked on many important projects across the state, one of her favorites being the new freshman dormitory for the University of Alaska Southeast.

Thank you to Mestas and all the architects and engineers who make living in Alaska luxurious and comfortable—all year round.

Alaska Business

Kathryn Mackenzie Managing Editor, Alaska Business

For years upon years, engineers have been developing smarter design and construction methods to create safe, functional spaces. When we add in the art of architecture, those spaces become beautiful and even inspiring.

February 2020 | 7

TELECOM & TECH

Trending Technology 2020 will see Alaska fall in step with Lower 48 tech innovations

Microcom

By Brad Joyal

A

laska generally isn’t viewed as a hotbed for technology trends.

That will no longer be the case in 2020 and beyond, as new projects level the playing field and help set the state on par with the rest of the world.

From the introduction of the state’s first— and only—terrestrial fiber network to the implementation of increased satellite data bandwidth, Alaskans can expect technology trends to continue to blossom throughout the state.

“Going forward, Alaska can really stay on the same page from a dialogue standpoint with anywhere in the world when they start talking about any type of new technologies or services being deployed,” says Matanuska Telephone Association (MTA) CEO Michael Burke.

“People can now think about and realize that bandwidth constraints and capacity constraints are not an obstacle anymore in regard to Alaska doing pretty much anything from a technology standpoint.”

Capacity Needs MTA has witnessed exceptional growth in the average broadband consumption its customers need.

That led the company to launch AlCan ONE, the state’s first terrestrial fiber network, on May 1, 2019. The project, which includes a terrestrial cable that will bring 100 terabytes per second capacity to Alaska, is on pace to be completed this spring.

“As technology continues to grow and advance, our biggest observation we have in the marketplace from a technology standpoint is the exponential growth in broadband consumption,” says Burke. “Just in the last couple years alone, our average consumption per customer has doubled in terms of the amount of bandwidth they need. That probably isn’t going to slow down or decrease in terms of any kind of volume into the future, so we needed to keep pace with that growth and those demands.”

For years, Alaska relied on four submarine cables between Alaska and the Lower 48. MTA was purchasing bandwidth from those cables, but Burke says MTA decided it needed a new system to keep up with technology trends. “A lot of it is being driven by all of the IoT connected devices that

“We decided to build Pacific Dataport to build and launch the Aurora Project, which would take the technology that we’re using in very limited sections of the state and deploy it on a new satellite that would be purpose built to cover Alaska and bring affordable broadband to all of the state.”

Chuck Schumann, CEO, Microcom

Building a better Alaska Quintillion is laying the groundwork that will drive the future of the U.S. Arctic.

From commercial, energy and resource development to education, telemedicine and national security — we’re building broadband technologies and capabilities that will help improve the lives of Alaskans for years to come.

www.akbizmag.com

Alaska Business

February 2020 | 9

Microcom’s Teleport Satellite Antenna Portal (SAP) field in Talkeetna.

Microcom

“Just in the last couple years alone, our average consumption per customer has doubled in terms of the amount of bandwidth they need.”

about as you start to explore augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and all of these things that are going to be bandwidth intensive.”

A Technologically Reliable Future The AlCan ONE project will allow MTA to stop relying on the four submarine cables connecting Alaska and the Lower 48. Two of those cables are just five years away from reaching their twenty-fiveyear lifespan, so Burke says there was an urgency to establish a new connection that increases the number of terabytes of capacity that can be brought into the state. In doing so, MTA is enhancing fiber capacity throughout the state while also creating an all-terrestrial connection that will open doors for future technological advancements.

“It’s built to feed the broadband fiber needs in our market, but it has almost unlimited capacity going forward,” Burke says. “We’ve now increased the amount of capacity available to Alaska almost 100-fold from where it was before. That fiber capacity can be used for a number of things, whether it’s voice communications or government and military connections in and out of the state.”

Burke notes one added bonus AlCan ONE will provide: route diversity in the event of a significant natural disaster.

“It’s very geographically diverse from the submarine cables that currently come into the state,” Burke says. “They all converge into the Anchorage market in a fairly narrow space, and a major earthquake or some sort of other event could damage them all at once, which would severely hamper the entire state from an operations standpoint. Our route goes hundreds of miles north up through Fairbanks and then down through Canada, so it’s much more geographically diverse and gives some type of protection for the state.”

Microcom

Michael Burke, CEO, MTA

people are putting into their homes or businesses,” he says.

“As people deploy more and more devices that require internet bandwidth to operate and they end up living more and more interconnected lives where all these different technologies really integrate into their daily lives—the way they work and the way they play—we have to make sure that the services and the interactions we have with those customers address those needs as much as possible.”

Until now, Alaska hasn’t had the ability to bring terabytes of capacity into the state. Burke says AlCan ONE will change that landscape and allow Alaskans to take advantage of future technologies as they become available.

“To have an all-fiber terrestrial connection from Alaska down to the Lower 48 enables the kind of bandwidth that people probably take for granted across the country,” says Burke. “You have a lot of fiber infrastructure, you have the ability to easily deploy terabytes of capacity into communities that, in turn, can enable a lot of these future technologies that people are talking

10 | February 2020

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

Creating an Equal Playing Field Microcom Founder and Pacific Dataport CEO Chuck Schumann says he couldn’t take Alaska being left behind when it came to technology advancements, and that is why Microcom decided to found Pacific Dataport in 2017 with the idea of creating an Aurora System broadband network that would provide Alaskans with better and more affordable broadband packages across the state.

“Alaska always suffered by being left out of more of the new projects or new offerings that are available across the Lower 48 and possibly Hawaii,” says Schumann. “Microcom just decided we couldn’t take it anymore, so we decided to build Pacific Dataport to build and launch the Aurora Project, which would take the technology that we’re using in very limited sections of the state and deploy it on a new satellite that would be purpose built to cover Alaska and bring affordable broadband to all of the state.”

Schumann notes that companies that are currently providing satellite services aren’t focused on Alaska. “They don’t look to put a satellite over the Pacific to

For parts of its route through Alaska, AlCan ONE runs along side TAPS. MTA

serve Alaska,” he says. “We’re sort of last on the list, and that’s why we decided to do this. Someone needed to step up and solve this problem.”

The Aurora Project initially started as one satellite before quickly morphing into a two-satellite project. With two satellites, Pacific Dataport can provide its own redundancy and utilize a

phased approach that will allow the company to get into orbit faster while maximizing capacity.

Timing Is Everything The Aurora Project wouldn’t have been possible had it not been for advancements in satellite technology that have taken shape in recent years.

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Alaska Business

February 2020 | 11

“Even in the last five years, the advances in processing and beamforming and microminiaturization have allowed satellite manufacturers to build systems that are a fraction of the size of a traditional satellite with 100 times more capacity at a substantial deduction of the overall price.”

Bruce Kraselsky, Managing Director, Space Partnership International

advancements, the cost of launching satellites into space has also gone down dramatically.”

Kraselsky notes that it wouldn’t have made sense for large satellite manufacturers to invest money and only focus on Alaska. That became feasible for Microcom, which understands the Alaska market and has the ability to cover the entire state, including remote areas.

Services for Everyone While remote parts of the state typically relied on expensive broadband services in the past, Pacific Dataport is determined that its satellites provide affordable broadband options for the entire state, regardless of location. “We’re going to have the highest possible orbital location for a geo satellite,” says Schumann. “With a view over the entire landmass of Alaska, we’ll be able to provide service to almost everyone.”

Microcom will sell direct to consumers and place earth stations

Microcom

“The timing in this project is also very important because the advances in satellite technology over the last five to ten years have been off the charts,” says Bruce Kraselsky, who is on Pacific Dataport’s board of directors and is the founder and managing director of Space Partnership International, which is providing the expertise on the space segment for engineering and regulatory support on the project.

“Even in the last five years, the advances in processing and beamforming and microminiaturization have allowed satellite manufacturers to build systems that are a fraction of the size of a traditional satellite with 100 times more capacity at a substantial deduction of the overall price,” Kraselsky says.

“Whereas the old-fashioned satellites could’ve given you a gigabit and a half of capacity with the entire satellite—which might have cost $150 million to $200 million—now for that same price, you can put 100 to 200 gigabits of capacity.

In addition to the satellite technology

12 | February 2020

on homes or businesses that want direct-to-premises installations.

The Aurora satellites will also allow other companies to take broadband capacity and build wireless systems to deploy that capacity through their existing systems of wires, whether that’s rural telephone companies, cable systems, or other distribution methods. “Pacific Dataport will sell capacity to any company that needs to use it to provide broadband to their subscribers,” Schumann says.

The satellites will also provide backup to existing fiber networks that don’t currently have backups in place and provide services for natural resource development across the state.

“In this day and age, when people invest billions of dollars in a new project somewhere, they’ve got process control that they need,” says Schumann. “If they’re not satisfied with having a single path for those communications, providing satellite as a primary or as a redundancy is really important. The two satellites would allow us to really provide good, quality, secure links for those kinds of solutions.”

The first Aurora satellite is scheduled to launch during the fourth quarter of 2020 on a SpaceX rocket from Kennedy Space Center, after which the project will provide services to numerous verticals throughout the state.

“We’re going to provide services to the aeronautical businesses that are providing services to airplanes that fly across the state—there’s a great need for that and we’re lacking in capacity over the state,” says Schumann. “People flying north from Alaska get into dead zones where they can’t have internet on the airplanes. The maritime industry also needs a lot of capacity. With all the new cruise ships, we also need to serve that industry.”

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

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T R A N S P O R TAT I O N

Keep On Truckin’!

Alaska Trucking Association provides advocacy, education, networking opportunities

By Vanessa Orr

I

f you got it, a truck brought it.

It seems like a simple concept, but the fact is, Alaska—and the nation—would come to a standstill without the trucking industry. From everyday household items to complex machine parts, truck drivers keep the world running.

No one knows this better than the associations that represent trucking companies, including the Alaska Trucking Association (ATA). Established in 1958 to foster and promote the interests of state’s trucking industry, the organization has more than 200 members ranging from single operators to multinational corporations.

In addition to working with local, state, and federal government and regulatory agencies to keep them abreast of issues facing the trucking industry, the ATA focuses on driver safety, provides DMV services, and offers ongoing education and networking opportunities to its members.

“Road safety is one of the major items that we push for; our guys and gals are on the road at all hours of the day and night, so we focus on issues

14 | February 2020

like the plowing and maintenance of roads,” says ATA Executive Director Joe Michel. “Our safety record in Alaska is better than that of almost any other state, despite the fact that we drive on ice and through terrible weather. It’s an impressive statistic, and it’s the result of our members’ commitment to safety.”

ATA is also at the forefront of dealing with issues that affect the industry’s future, including an impending driver shortage. According to Joey Crum, CEO of Northern Industrial Training and past president of the ATA board of directors, the ATA has an important message to share, especially for the younger generation.

“There are a lot of stories, stereotypes, and misconceptions about what truck driving is and the industry that it represents, but those who come up in it know that it provides an amazing quality of life; it’s a good occupation with a lot of career opportunities,” says Crum, whose father was also a truck driver and member of ATA. “It’s more than just a career for men—I want my daughters to feel it is a viable option,” he continues, adding that truck driving is often a legacy career.

“Regardless of a person’s skill level or education, trucking provides a good place to start and gain both.”

Representing the Industry and the State While there are a number of associations that represent the interests of truck drivers, the fact that the ATA focuses on the 49th State sets it apart.

“There is a uniqueness to driving in Alaska versus cruising the nicely paved roads of Arizona,” laughs Michel. “The logistics are quite different. Moving freight here is really quite extraordinary.

From providing gas stations with just-intime delivery to dealing with earthquakes when there’s only enough food on the shelves for three days, we keep the supplies flowing.”

Lisa Marquiss, Carlile Transportation’s corporate director of safety and compliance and past president of the ATA board of directors, agrees.

“We have local challenges and concerns that are unique to Alaska such as extreme weather, extreme heavy haul loads, earthquakes that destroy our roads, line haul trips with little to no roadside resources, a lack

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

The ATA Truck Driving Competition allows drivers to test their skills and provides the chance for companies to network.

ATA

of infrastructure to manage our sets of doubles, and a lack of in-town road structure to manage 53-foot trailers, among others,” she says. “With a local ATA, you can bring your concerns directly to an association that understands those challenges and work together toward solutions.”

The ATA meets with lawmakers to deal with issues that face the industry, including when nationwide regulations don’t apply in a local context.

“Local, state, and federal government bodies don’t always understand that a small regulatory change on a Connecticut toll road has an effect on the highway system in Alaska,” explains Crum. “Only 20 percent of Alaska is accessible by road and many communities are connected to highways via the Alaska Marine Highway.

Yet trucks in those communities fall under the same rules as trucks on national highways.”

Crum adds that because much of Alaska’s land is in federal or private hands, such as the oil fields on the North Slope, it is also hard to justify hours of service regulations and other rules that apply to public highways to those drivers working on private property. www.akbizmag.com

“While the majority of issues are federal, in the state, we deal with more subtle stuff, such as the law legalizing marijuana for recreational use,” he adds. “This was done without enough education or outreach as to what it means for the trucking industry. It is still a Schedule I drug for DOT-regulated industries, so if a driver fails a drug test, they go on a registry and they will miss out on future employment in this field.

These laws are made without enough foresight and communication about the consequences of these actions.”

To this end, the ATA holds out-ofsession “Trucking 101 Presentations” for legislators around the state during which the organization shares the economic and social impacts of trucking. “Every spring, we go to the Capitol to meet in person, and we are active in testifying on policy and the legislative process,” says Crum.

The ATA is in good hands on that front, as Michel, who took the position of executive director in December, served as a legislative aide for thirteen years.

There, he prepared the DOT operating budget for the House of Representatives as well as capital budgets.

“I prepared five DOT operating Alaska Business

budgets, and I’m proud to say that I never laid off an operator,” says Michel, who joined ATA two years ago. “My wife and I were both legislative aides, and after having twins, we realized that we couldn’t be spending that much time in Juneau when a ninety-day session turned into half a year.”

In addition to providing education, ATA’s Truck PAC, the lobbying wing of the association, donates to legislators and initiatives that help to advance the industry in Alaska. “We work with candidates who share like interests, and it’s a very bipartisan relationship,” says Michel. “Trucking affects everything here, and there’s no red or blue about that.

“We are pro-business and pro-safety,” he adds. “When you increase the cost of moving goods to the end user, whether through increased fuel prices or more mandatory regulations, it increases costs to everyone purchasing that product.

Our job is to notify the legislature about these outcomes, which is why we come to the table on issues that affect moving goods throughout the state. We don’t want to be part the problem; we want to be part of the solution.”

According to Crum, this begins by involving ATA and industry experts February 2020 | 15

At the ATA banquet, Alaska West Express went home with the ATA ConocoPhillips Safe Truck Fleet of the Year award.

ATA

before decisions are made. “We want to be viewed not only as the people you call when you have questions about transportation but as a partner in the legislative process,” he says. “We are a legitimate resource. Truckers work on very small margins, so many of our members are exceptional business professionals who understand money, logistics, margins, and more. When there’s a policy being made on road maintenance or any transportation issue, we have a lot more to offer than just bringing in freight.”

Creating Connections and Common Goals In addition to advocacy, one of the biggest advantages of an ATA membership is that it enables members, especially those fairly new to the industry, to make valuable connections.

“It’s nice to know you can call with any questions or concerns you have, and ATA will respond,” says Samantha Brown, manager of health and safety compliance, United Freight and Transport. “Through your membership, you are also linked to a lot of other trucking companies, and you can talk to them as well; it’s a great way to form relationships.”

Networking opportunities are provided through the annual meeting, as well as through Alaska Truck Driving Championships, which bring drivers together from across the state.

“We had drivers compete in the truck championships last year for the first time in a long while,” says Brown. “It brought us together as a company, and our drivers all placed and went to nationals.

It really showed what a tight-knit family ATA is, and I’m extremely grateful to be 16 | February 2020

a part of it.”

Since 1980, when Carlile Transportation’s founding owners Harry and John McDonald first joined the association, the company has appreciated many of the benefits of an ATA membership.

“We have participated in many aspects of the transportation industry through ATA—we’ve flown into Juneau to meet and discuss and educate on our concerns; we’ve taken part in the truck driving championships that bring drivers from across the state to show off their skills; and we’ve taken advantage of educational opportunities such as the National Tank Truck Carriers’ tanker maintenance courses and annual meetings that bring in industry leaders to keep us current on national issues,” says Marquiss.

Preparing for the Future There are several issues currently facing truck drivers, from the implementation of electronic logging devices to the establishment of a drug and alcohol clearinghouse. But perhaps the most important is an impending driver shortage.

“The biggest problem we face is the lack of a workforce,” says Crum. “We’re in a unique situation in Alaska; there are many education providers here that offer CDL training, but we lack a pool of applicants.”

Part of the reason for this is that despite the fact that career and technical education is being promoted in high schools, young people can’t drive interstate commerce until the age of 21.

“Like many trade organizations, our goal is to get young men and women

into the trade before they make life choices that make it harder,” says Crum, adding that the average age of truck drivers nationally is 55.

According to Michel, this is why ATA is working to establish a membership apprenticeship program that will keep prospective drivers in the industry until they can gain a CDL license. “Between the ages of 18 and 21, young people can choose to go down a number of paths; we’re hoping to have them work on the loading docks and in shipping so that they can learn the industry. We have to get young people into the field before they choose a path of drugs and alcohol,” he says.

“Many companies have active apprenticeship programs that provide plenty of incentives and training opportunities,” says Crum, who adds that the field is not limited to those seeking a CDL license. “Nationally, there are four to six people employed in a company for every truck driver; the industry also needs HR specialists, logistics managers, and operational controls experts.”

As the industry continues to evolve, it is especially important that those who know it best become involved at every level.

“There are a lot of untapped companies out there, as well as a number of member companies that we don’t see at meetings or serving on our board,” says Brown. “We want them to understand how important ATA is to the industry and to start taking part.”

Crum agrees. “Any organization is only as good as the members that participate,” he says. “I believe ATA has a very high level of expertise, and that comes from people taking part on a daily basis.”

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

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TOURISM

Iron Dog The long-term economic effects of the world's longest snowmachine race

By Vanessa Orr

18 | February 2020

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

S

to the main event, which travels through rural villages throughout the Last Frontier, the race has also spawned trade and safety expos, ceremonial starts, halfway and final banquets, and other events that attract even more people to spend time and money on the sport.

“The Iron Dog goes through twentyeight communities, and I like to think that there’s a real benefit to the people in those areas,” says Iron Dog Executive Director John Woodbury. “It’s a good way for the racers and the general public to meet, and it has a positive economic impact on the communities.

“There are twenty-nine pro teams riding 2,400 miles across Alaska, as well as fourteen recreational riders traveling half of that, and each person represents one or two or five family members cheering them on, as well as

mechanics, support teams, and even snowmachine ‘groupies,’” he adds. “This influx of people into Alaska in February definitely moves the economic needle, which is especially important in some of the more remote towns we visit.”

A Legacy Event Just like the Iditarod, the Iron Dog is one of the state’s legacy events.

Established in 1984 as a 1,000-mile race from Big Lake to Nome, the length doubled to approximately 2,000 miles during the 10th annual race in 1994.

This year, the pro class racers will have to travel even further: a roughly 375-mile loop around Kotzebue has been added, making an already tough event even more challenging.

This year’s race, which begins February 16 in Fairbanks and ends in Willow on February 22, has increased from 2,050 miles to 2,409 miles and will incorporate the Archie Ferguson/Willie Goodwin Memorial Snowmachine Race course. Recreational riders will travel 1,375 miles from Fairbanks to the halfway point in Nome via Kotzebue.

©James Wicken

nowmachining in Alaska is huge. According to the study Outdoor Recreation, Impacts and Opportunities published by the University of Alaska Center for Economic Development in March 2019, one in twelve Alaskan adults owns a currently registered snowmachine, spawning an entire industry dedicated to meeting their needs for everything from the machines themselves to parts, trailers, trucks, equipment, clothing, fuel, and more.

Nowhere is this love of the sport more obvious than during the Iron Dog, when seventy-two riders set off across the state in one of the longest and most challenging snowmachine races in the world. In addition

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Alaska Business

February 2020 | 19

“There are twenty-nine pro teams riding 2,400 miles across Alaska, as well as fourteen recreational riders traveling half of that, and each person represents one or two or five family members cheering them on, as well as mechanics, support teams, and even snowmachine ‘groupies.’

This influx of people into Alaska in February definitely moves the economic needle, which is especially important in some of the more remote towns we visit.”

John Woodbury, Executive Director, Iron Dog

Family members, friends, and out-of-towners gather at the 2019 finish line in Fairbanks. ©James Wicken

Racers will travel through numerous Alaska towns and villages, including Nenana, Manley, Shaktoolik, Koyuk, Buckland, Noorvik, Ruby, Ophir, Skwentna, and more, with mandatory stops in the towns of Galena, Kotzebue, Nome, and McGrath. Along the way, they will be cheered on by fans and can stock up on food, fuel, and more.

“I anticipate at the Fairbanks start there will probably be 350 people directly related to the riders on-site, as well as a couple thousand more who come out to see it,” says Woodbury. “This will be the first-ever finish in Willow, and in year’s past, we’ve had about 3,000 people at the finish; I’m not sure how many we’ll see this year.”

Visitors to the race, especially those from out of town, require lodging and spend time dining in restaurants, shopping for souvenirs, and taking part in other Alaska attractions.

20 | February 2020

“Galena is our first layover, so their bed-and-breakfasts will see quite a bump, and the racers’ fuel and grocery expenses also add up,” says Woodbury of the effect that the race will have on the small village, which has a population of less than 500. “Racers also have the option of staying in nearly any of the checkpoints on the way back, which affects the food and lodging providers in those towns.”

He adds that riders will also be staying in hotels or bed-and-breakfasts in Kotzebue.

“Nome is where Northern Air Cargo [NAC] is hosting the halfway banquet and where the recreation class finishes,” he adds. “The racers rent hotel rooms there, and because there’s a pretty raucous nightlife in Nome, they’ll definitely invest some money in the city.”

According to Bruce Bustamante, president of the Anchorage Chamber of

Commerce, it can make a big difference for a community’s economy when the race comes to visit, even in a larger city.

“From a support standpoint, a lot of racers get supplies in Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley, so we see an economic bump there,” he says. “People who own snowmachine dealerships can expect to see a spike in business with recreational and professional class racers upgrading machines and getting parts.

“In the past, a number of the races started at Big Lake, and we also had a ceremonial start in downtown Anchorage in 2014, which resulted in an obvious economic impact from all of the racers, support teams, volunteers, and spectators who came to town for that,” he adds.

In prior years, the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport was also the number one access point for Iron Dog participants, so Bustamante

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expects that with Fairbanks being the start this year, it can expect to see an increase in travelers and tourist dollars.

“We’re especially excited about this year’s Iron Dog, including the... extra miles in the loop around Kotzebue, which is requiring even more volunteers to come in to support the event,” he adds. “Hopefully, they will also want to spend time in Anchorage, staying in our hotels, eating out, and going sightseeing.”

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Increasing Reach and Community Awareness While many businesses profit from the actual cash infusion that comes as a part of the Iron Dog, there are other benefits as well, especially for event sponsors.

“There are three real components to the race: first, the racers who risk life and limb; second, the communities and volunteers who help us out; and third, the sponsors who enable us to put this race on,” says Woodbury.

“We have a number of remarkable sponsors, from Spenard Builders Supply and Northern Air Cargo, who have been with us since day one, to Donlin Gold, Hatcher Pass Polaris, and White Spruce Trailer Sales,” he continues. “There’s a laundry list of what these companies provide, from cash to amazing in-kind services like oil from Hale’s Technical Service/VP, fuel from Crowley, and flights from Ravn Alaska and Wright Air Service.”

According to Woodbury, sponsoring one of Alaska’s legacy events provides “absolute marquee value.”

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Mike Morgan signing autographs at Northern Air Cargo’s Customer Appreciation Event in Anchorage in 2019. Morgan and Chris Olds attended as ambassadors of the Iron Dog race.

NAC

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“We think it’s important because it touches a lot of rural communities, including Nome, Kotzebue, McGrath, and Unalakleet, which we fly into... There’s not a lot of entertainment in these villages in the wintertime, and the communities appreciate that we’re bringing them something of value—something that they can get The Northern Air Cargo crew grilling out in the snow at the 2019 Iron Dog start in Willow.

outside and attend.”

Janet Klatt, Director of Sales and Community, Northern Air Cargo

NAC

“It’s a defining event for Alaska character; tough men and women embody this Alaska sport,” he says. “And it’s a good investment for sponsors: we get 1.3 million visitors to our website in February—so many, in fact, that it’s crashed it before.”

The Iron Dog is also broadcast live, which spreads sponsors’ names even further.

“South High School provides live feeds that go around the world; our event is publicized by everyone from the town crier to huge social media sites,” says Woodbury. “Those who share our Alaskana attitude see their dollars getting parlayed into global reach.”

Sponsors can have their names linked to numerous parts of the race. Some choose to donate prizes for the raffle or sell tickets to fund prize money, while others host special events or contribute to the race’s general fund.

“From the largest donor to the guy who loans us his truck for the day in Kaltag, we appreciate each and every one of them,” says Woodbury.

NAC has been an integral part of the race, sponsoring the event itself as 22 | February 2020

well as individual racers. “We think it’s important because it touches a lot of rural communities, including Nome, Kotzebue, McGrath, and Unalakleet, which we fly into,” explains NAC Director of Sales and Community Relations Janet Klatt. “More than anything, it provides positive community relations. There’s not a lot of entertainment in these villages in the wintertime, and the communities appreciate that we’re bringing them something of value—something that they can get outside and attend.

“If we didn’t do the halfway banquet in Nome, for example, the people in that community might not be able to get autographs from their favorite racers,” she continues, adding that other areas of the race are not as open to the public in order to keep the snowmachines secured.

In addition to sponsoring the banquet, NAC also provides a substantial amount of freight credit to Iron Dog that is used to fly machines out to checkpoints and flies fuel and food out to racers at some of the villages. This year, in conjunction with

Safeway, NAC is providing a $500 gift certificate for the first racer into Kotzebue and feeding the racers when they reach that destination.

“We also do something we call the ‘cheerleader effect,’ showing up at the start in Fairbanks and hanging outside with everyone in our boots, hats, and coats, giving out NAC-purchased items,” says Klatt. “In Willow, we’ll be partnering with Safeway again to give out hot dogs for the Iron Dog.” “We did this last year and had a blast,” she continues. “We were all huddling around the grill under this 10by-10 canopy trying to stay warm, and everyone was trying to sneak in to get some heat—it was a ton of fun.”

For the last two years, NAC has sponsored the pro team of Mike Morgan and Chris Olds, who won the Iron Dog in 2018 and 2019. The racers, who are from Nome and Eagle River respectively, appear at NAC’s customer appreciation events and took part in a photo shoot promoting NAC’s theme, “Teamwork that Delivers.”

“Both are wonderful ambassadors for the sport, and our customers like to

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“We’re excited about anything that ties together Alaska and adventure, but the thing that makes it really special is that it goes through so many communities… It’s such a long winter, and it’s nice to have a celebratory activity where people can gather together. It’s important Riders coming into the finish line at Fairbanks during the 2019 Iron Dog.

to have fun.”

Leslie Gustafson, White Spruce Trailer Sales

©Megan Rolinger

come out and get autographs signed by successful hometown people,” says Klatt. “ We have the photos from the shoot in NAC’s hallway, along with a windshield from Mike Morgan. It reminds people that we ship all kinds of things, from snowmachines to food and parts and pieces for construction.”

Mike Morgan and Chris Old, 2019 Iron Dog winners, show off their $10,000 check at the final banquet. ©Aaron Brown

24 | February 2020

Hatcher Pass Polaris has been a sponsor of the Iron Dog since 2010.

“Iron Dog racers and fans are a big part of our community, and we’re proud to support what is one of the toughest, longest races on the planet, because it is a part of who we are and what we do,” says General Manager Chris Graeber. “ We tr y to give back when we can, especially when we can support the sport of snowmachining.”

According to Graeber, the company does see some financial benefit from racers buying parts, and in the past, if a Polaris sled won the race, sales increased. The company’s support of the Iron Dog also helps expand their brand into more areas.

“When racers go through McGrath, we see an increase in calls from McGrath,” Graeber says, adding that the dealership has also seen increased interest from Koyuk and Unalakleet.

“We’re hoping that we’ll hear from more customers in Kotzebue now that the race is taking that route.”

For Leslie Gustafson and the coowners of White Spruce Trailer Sales, being part of the Iron Dog just makes sense for their business, though their reasons aren’t all financial.

“We’re excited about anything that ties together Alaska and adventure, but the thing that makes it really

special is that it goes through so many communities,” she says. “Any time there’s an activity, especially in winter, like the Fur Rondy, Arctic Man, or Iron Dog, it’s good for Alaska communities.

It’s such a long winter, and it’s nice to have a celebratory activity where people can gather together. It’s important to have fun.”

While Gustafson says that there isn’t a rush of people coming into their locations in Anchorage, Wasilla, and North Pole to buy trailers after the Iron Dog, it does help keep them top of mind. “Even if they just remember that we were a sponsor, that’s okay,” she says. “We have a service department, and name recognition helps when they’re looking for someone to service their trailers.”

More important, the Iron Dog provides a way for their business to support the Alaska way of life.

“Any time there are extra people in town, there are always monetary things happening—people are going into the general store, gassing up their snowmachines, using fuel,” she says.

“But there is also a community of people having tea together and visiting.

Just as important as the economic benefit is seeing the cultural side of village life and making that urban versus rural connection.”

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I N T E R N AT I O N A L T R A D E

Small Business, Big Opportunity 26 | February 2020

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International trade presents exciting options for Alaska’s small businesses

By Alex Salov Alex Salov is a Business Advisor at the Alaska Small Business Development Center.

He holds a master’s degree in global supply chain management from the University of Alaska Anchorage and worked at the World Trade Center Anchorage for fifteen years.

A

laska has a long history of international trade and there is a reason for that: the state is located within the transportation “crossroads” of the world. Due to its relative remoteness and isolation from the Lower 48, since the mid-20th century Alaska has been actively positioning itself as a part of the Pacific Rim. Late Governor Wally Hickel famously noted that “Alaska’s political ties are with the United States, but our economic ties are with Asia. Our economy depends on exports.” The Alaska timber industry was successfully selling to Japan in the 1950s; for several decades liquefied natural gas was exported to Japan and coal to Korea; and after the fall of the Soviet Union, Alaska companies were among the first to enter the Russian Far Eastern market. By the beginning of the 21st century, Alaska had international trade offices (similar to embassies) in five countries: Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, and Russia. Many of these fruitful developments have been phased out in recent years due to economic and political changes. For example, the State of Alaska no longer maintains the Office of International Trade or trade representatives overseas.

Alaska’s Exports What does Alaska’s international trade look like? In 2018 Alaska's overall exports overseas accounted for more than $4.8 billion and when final figures for 2019 are compiled, they are likely to be even higher. Generally, Alaska exports raw commodities rather than value-added products, with some exceptions. Alaska’s largest export commodity is seafood (more than 50 percent) followed by minerals and ores (more than 35 percent). The state’s major export partners are China, South Korea, Japan, Canada, EU countries, and Australia.

(Imports are harder to evaluate as the majority of foreign goods arrive in Alaska via domestic ports located in the Puget Sound region and are then considered Washington State imports.)

Some Alaska companies, such as engineering firms, also export their world-class expertise and services; however, since their services are intangible, their export values aren’t documented in the same way. For example, international tourism is also considered an export of recreational goods and services, and according to the Alaska Travel Industry www.akbizmag.com

Alaska Business

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A new business model has been slowly adopted in Alaska: an increasing number of businesses consider overseas clients to be their primary customers… This new mindset creates greater feasibility for Alaska companies, as they can access a market of 3 billion potential customers versus 700,000.

Association, more than 2 million people visit Alaska in one year, with approximately 15 percent of them being foreign tourists.

Alaska ranks 40th among all US states by the value of exported goods; however, on a per capita basis, Alaska ranks 4th.

This means the average Alaskan resident is affected by exports economically more than residents in states with larger populations and developed agricultural

or manufacturing sectors. According to the US Department of Commerce, there are approximately 300 companies that export from various locations in Alaska.

The majority of them are considered small and medium-sized enterprises, classifications that mean they have fewer than 500 employees, which describes most Alaska businesses.

Unique to the state is the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, an

absolute asset for Alaska businesses looking to join international markets. It is the second largest air cargo airport in the United States and the fifth largest in the world. Anchorage is located within 9.5 flight hours of 90 percent of the industrialized world. This important transportation hub serves 54 percent of all US to Asia air freighters. If a company’s products are of high enough value to be shipped internationally via air, Anchorage is a perfect location for that business.

And in fact a new business model has been slowly adopted in Alaska: an increasing number of businesses consider overseas clients to be their primary customers. For those companies, there is very little or no market in Alaska or the United States.

Great examples of such products are salmon roe or cod milt—while generally not used in American cuisine, these ingredients are in high demand in Asia and considered to be delicacies. This new mindset creates greater feasibility for Alaska companies, as they can access a market of 3 billion potential customers versus 700,000.

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Looking at International Trade for Your Business?

If you think your business has the potential to find success in international markets, there are several factors that should be considered.

Step one: determine whether your company is ready for exporting. As a convenient tool, the US Commercial Service identifies four levels of a company’s export readiness: 1) Not a good candidate for exporting— US entities that are not established businesses or do not have an exportable product or service.

2) Not ready to export—entities that are established businesses and have an exportable product but don’t have an international business plan or executive commitment.

3) Ready to export—entities that are established businesses and have an exportable product, executive commitment, and an international business plan but haven’t consummated an overseas transaction.

4) Existing exporters—entities that are currently exporting and seeking to enter new export markets or expand

their exports.

Depending on your company's level of export readiness, there are free or inexpensive local services available. In some cases, your business could qualify for financing or other incentives from government or private entities to engage in international trade.

Be aware that international trade requires a serious commitment of executive time and resources, and you must have a well-developed business plan.

At all stages of doing business, it is important to have established relationships with a banker, an accountant, a lawyer, and an insurance agent. If your company plans to start exporting or importing internationally, you need to work with two additional entities: a customs broker and a freight forwarder.

A customs broker makes sure that your company abides tariff and customs laws, prepares necessary documents, and pays the right amounts of customs duties. If your product requires shipping, a freight forwarder, often called a “travel agent for cargo,” arranges it. In

“Alaska’s political ties are with the United States, but our economic ties are with Asia. Our economy depends on exports.”

Governor Walter J. Hickel

many cases, a well-established freight forwarder will employ a certified customs broker.

When a small business decides to engage in international activities, there is a certain amount of necessary due diligence that the owner or management team must conduct. For example, a business needs to establish ties with its potential customers and understand their business culture and the characteristics of their market.

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At all stages of doing business, it is important to have established relationships with a banker, an accountant, a lawyer, and an insurance agent. If your company plans to start exporting or importing internationally, you need to work with two additional entities: a customs broker and a freight forwarder.

In fact, you should meet with your potential customers or suppliers, especially if the trade is worth significant amounts of money. While some business owners may shy away from the cost of traveling to a foreign country, serious repercussions such as fraud— or even a simple misunderstanding and language barriers—can cost more than a week-long trip overseas.

For example, if you are planning to sell products or services to Korea and therefore work with a Korean company, you should learn about the Korean economy, trade regulations between the US and Korea, and Korean culture—and plan to visit Korea. Even though digital communications in many ways dominate the world today, 30 | February 2020

face-to-face meetings have ongoing relevance in international business.

Asian businesspeople (who are Alaska’s major trading partners), for example, prefer to establish personal relationships with their counterparts rather than dealing with them digitally.

Test it for yourself: try to reach any Asian executive with your proposal via a “cold call” e-mail.

Attending a trade show can be a good way to meet potential customers or suppliers. The US Department of Commerce certifies several overseas trade shows every year and sometimes establishes an American booth or pavilion that US small businesses can use as an inexpensive (or at least less expensive) platform to showcase their goods or services.

You should also review export assistance services offered by the US Commercial Service in the country in which your company is preparing to do business. While a Commercial Service Officer will help you better understand the market, you still need to do your due diligence. It’s common practice for companies that cannot afford an overseas office to hire overseas sourcing agents who help them find potential customers or partners. However, in some cases, they hire people who shamelessly promote themselves, asserting business and government connections, while their only relevant skill is… speaking English.

Support Services

community and the organizations that support it are tightly knit and familiar with each other’s missions and services. If your company sees an opportunity to go international, your first step should be contacting the Alaska Small Business Development Center, World Trade Center Anchorage, or the US Export Assistance Center (or all three). These business development organizations have unique missions, but they are all able to help Alaska companies start or expand international business endeavors. They can all direct your company to the right resources and save you time and money. Also, to find out if your business qualifies for export financing, you should contact the US Small Business Administration office and discuss their export-related loan programs.

Overall, there are endless opportunities for Alaska companies overseas. Alaska products are not widely known around the world; however, our state’s image of pristine and unpolluted land adds to the attractiveness of its food and manufactured products, as customers overseas are increasingly conscious of the health and ecofriendliness of products that they purchase.

Geographic proximity between Alaska and many countries allows for efficient shipping of Alaska products. International trade is a challenging endeavor, but it can be rewarding with the right approach.

Useful information about potential business partners can be found through foreign counterparts of the US Commercial Service or the worldwide network of World Trade Centers. Many countries have government-supported programs that focus on attracting foreign businesses to their markets. Frequently, there are incentives that they will offer to your company if you participate in their activities (for example, if you visit a trade show or a conference they organize). Such incentives can be as significant as an airplane ticket to the location of the event or hotel accommodations.

Many foreign international trade agencies maintain English language websites where they advertise programs and services.

Alaska’s international trade Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

The Arctic is the future What are we going to do with it?

Policy decisions made today will have a transformative impact on the Arctic of tomorrow. From monitoring new shipping routes and improving national security, to infrastructure that supports telecommunications and emergency response mechanisms – the eyes of the world are focused north. It’s our responsibility to speak up, unite as a region and as a state to fight for sound decisions that grow our economy and protect our traditional values.

Our voice. Our vision. voiceofthearcticinupiat.org @VOICE_Arctic

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February 2020 | 31

CONSTRUCTION

Winning Contracts and Building Backlog How Alaska's experts handle RFPs

By Brad Joyal

S

ecuring a design or construction contract can be a complicated, high-pressure process for any company, no matter its size or reputation.

With many companies vying for the same project, and every one of them determined to separate itself from the crowd to be the winning bidder, competition is fierce. So, it’s vital to pay close attention to the project’s Request for Proposal (RFP), which a project owner or developer issues to provide criteria for companies to respond to when trying to secure a potential project.

Before the RFP Is Issued There are various strategies construction companies can use throughout the RFP process to stand out from the competition. It’s important to recognize that RFP criteria differ for each client and project, and each proposal should be crafted to showcase a company’s ability to meet the client’s demands.

Before an RFP is released—or “hits the streets”—there are important steps a company can take to position itself to win a contract. Networking is a crucial component of business development, 32 | February 2020

particularly for small or new companies trying to build their portfolios and bolster their firm experience to compete with larger, more-established companies that have resources devoted solely to responding to RFPs. Although every RFP varies, companies with experience securing contracts stress the importance of following similar methods for each proposal.

“We have an overall strategy that we try to use, and it really starts before the RFP is released,” says Skip Bourgeois, vice president of marketing at Coffman Engineers. “In the best-case scenario, we’ll know that a client is going to release an RFP around a general timeframe and we’ll know what they are going to be looking for in an RFP. We’ll look to position ourselves with the client so they know who we are, they know our capabilities, and they are expecting us to provide a proposal when the RFP comes out.”

Bourgeois notes that it’s essential to establish a relationship with the company or government agency prior to releasing the RFP because once the RFP is out, prospective companies are no longer able to reach out to

the agency. “Once the RFP hits the streets, you can’t talk to anybody on the client’s side,” says Bourgeois.

“You want to do all of that positioning before the RFP is released.”

Often companies are asked to respond to an RFP because of the relationship marketers have already established with the client, even if the company’s portfolio isn’t as impressive as the competition. That is why building an association with government clients is an important step in the RFP process.

“If you want to secure a project with a government client and you’re new or you don’t have any government experience, the best thing you can do is go out and network because Alaska is so small and everybody knows each other,” says Cornerstone General Contractors Business Development and Marketing Manager Pearl-Grace Pantaleone. “It’s all about relationship building. You might get invited to bid on a proposal if a general contractor knows you and puts you on their subcontractor list to send out on bid day. Let the clients know you’re there.”

While social media such as LinkedIn is impactful for companies to introduce

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themselves to government clients, Pantaleone says those channels are not the best way to communicate before an RFP is released.

“In Alaska, companies don’t really use social media,” says Pantaleone. “It’s all about face-to-face contact and letting them know that you’re there.”

Building a Strong Portfolio Few aspects of the RFP process are as critical as creating an eye-catching portfolio. There are several factors government agencies weigh when they determine which company to award a project to, including the company’s reputation and how it will meet any financial obligations. However, for companies with fewer resources or less of a reputation, building a robust and attractive resume is one strategic area every organization hoping to secure a contract should focus on. When government agencies review proposals, they often ask for resumes of the professionals who will be involved with the project.

Marketing professionals can bolster their resumes and separate themselves from the pack by completing certifications, many of which are available through the state. Another is for firms to align themselves with other professionals that have experience completing similar projects.

Go or No-Go When an RFP is released, companies must weigh the pros and cons of responding. This period is often referred to as a “go or no-go” period, as companies determine if this particular RFP calls for a go (responding to the RFP) or no-go (not responding to the RFP) decision. Industry professionals with an established reputation and track record of winning RFP proposals describe this as one of the most critical aspects of the RFP process. At the forefront of the internal debate is considering the likelihood a proposal will lead to securing a contract.

“When you’re deciding whether or not to write a proposal, make sure you have a good chance of winning a contract before you write it,” says Bourgeois.

“Don’t waste your time writing longshot proposals. A lot of times, we’ll hear the technical staff say, ‘Well, we know we’re not going to win the pursuit, but we want www.akbizmag.com

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“If you want to secure a project with a government client and you’re new or you don’t have any government experience, the best thing you can do is go out and network because Alaska is so small and everybody knows each other.”

Pearl-Grace Pantaleone Business Development and Marketing Manager Cornerstone General Contractors

to write a proposal to get in front of the client.’ That’s a huge waste of time in my opinion.”

Bourgeois points out there are better ways to let a client know your firm is interested in working with the client in the future.

“The time would be better served not writing the proposal and having that person get in front of the client and say something like, ‘Hey, we’d love to work with you. We know it’s a longshot to win this pursuit, but we’d love to work with you on future contracts. What can we do to start winning your trust so the next time you release an RFP, we can confidently propose?’ Engaging the client, I feel, is way more valuable than spending time writing a proposal you know you’re going to lose.”

One reason Bourgeois says it’s important to be selective about proposals is the financial commitment they require.

“Each proposal we do costs a ballpark of $10,000 to complete and some are significantly more than that,” he says. “If we don’t feel like we have an 80 percent chance of winning, a lot of times we’ll no-go them.”

34 | February 2020

Ahtna Environmental Inc. Business Development and Marketing Manager Lori Kropidlowski describes the process as a “go/no-go decision matrix” and says there are specific questions they look to answer before choosing to respond to an RFP. As part of the matrix, she says many companies use a scoring process to grade whether an RFP would be a good fit.

“We will go through different questions,” says Kropidlowski.

“Ideally, we will know about projects well in advance before they hit the streets and are due in two weeks.

So, did we know the RFP was coming out? Is the client familiar with us?

Does the client like our team and our work? Do you have a good portfolio of past experience for this project?

“Some firms are very regimented on their scoring. Say you get a 1 through 5 on any one question and you have to score a 45 out of 60 to have it be a ‘go’— that’s in a perfect world. In reality, every company I’ve worked for has talked about doing that and, on occasion for big pursuits, looks at those parameters.

Usually it’s less formal but still a realistic assessment on our ability to win a contract. Ideally, it’s management saying well ahead of time—months or even a year before a contract hits the street—‘Oh, this contract is coming up, it’s going to be due in 2020, and we’re positioning ourselves and assembling a winning team for this.’ This is called capture planning and increases your probability of winning.”

The Debrief – Knowing Where One Stands Regardless of whether a firm wins, it can request a debriefing period to gain insight about how its proposal was scored and how it compared to the winning firm. This process can be tricky, however, because clients won’t award a debrief period until after the contract is signed. It could be as little as a week after a contract is awarded or months later.

For companies that have less familiarity with the RFP process—and even for firms with extensive track records of winning proposals—the debrief period is a critical tool to evaluate what they are doing correctly and where they could improve future responses.

“The debrief is an essential part of the process whether you win or lose,” says

Coffman Engineers Marketing Specialist Katy Kless.

Gaining an understanding of how a client scored a proposal not only provides companies with a better understanding of the proposal process but also affords them vital information that can be used during the go/no-go decision-making process.

“We like to use that debrief information on the next go or no-go decision we’re going to make to work with that client,” explains Bourgeois. “What did they tell us during that debrief period: did they tell us there were a bunch of other firms ahead of us as far as the pecking order of firms that client likes to work with? Or did they say that we were really close?”

Pantaleone says she views the debrief as another opportunity to network with potential clients and enters the debrief period with her own list of questions she says can be a valuable addition to the information a client will provide.

“You can look at their scoresheet to see where you scored in the proposal sections, and usually they have notes about it so you can learn why you scored that way,” says Pantaleone.

“I have a list of questions I like to ask clients: Why did they score us that way?

How can we improve? What were our strengths and weaknesses? Debriefs are very powerful and we do them even after proposals that we win, too.

Debriefs, no matter whether you win or lose, are very important.”

Building Proposal Expertise For companies that don’t have skilled proposal professionals who know how to navigate the requirements, there are many resources available.

“Alaska has a chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services [SMPS] that’s a nationwide organization with tens of thousands of members,” says Kropidlowski.

“SMPS offers a certification called the Certified Professional Services Marketer [CPSM], and it covers six domains, one of which is RFPs,” she says. “I’ve been CPSM certified since 2001, and that has been instrumental in helping me move up the ladder throughout my career.

Since joining Ahtna, I also found the Association of Proposal Management Professionals [APMP] a great resource.”

APMP is a worldwide authority dedicated to the process of winning business

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through proposals and bids. Kropidlowski notes that APMP has a Pacific Northwest Chapter in Seattle and offers three tiers of proposal certification.

Although marketing professionals often spearhead the RFP process, it’s not required for marketers to receive certification. But Kropidlowski says that it helped strengthen her understanding of the proposal and business development process.

“It helped me learn about budgeting, client management, proposal statistics, and what they mean,” Kropidlowski says.

“It gave me an insight to move into a management role.”

According to its website, SMPS is a professional organization for marketing and business development professionals in architecture, engineering, and the construction industries. The SMPS Alaska Chapter provides its members with valuable knowledge and relationships by positioning their firms competitively in the marketplace, and the state’s chapter routinely holds events that bring industry professionals together.

For smaller companies interested in building their business development expertise, the SMPS Alaska Chapter is widely regarded as an asset that provides networking between potential teaming partners and clients. www.akbizmag.com

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Finding the balance between form and function

By Amy Newman

A

rchitects often find themselves facing something of a chicken and egg dilemma. When it comes to design, what takes precedence—form or function?

“It’s a great question, and it’s probably a loaded question,” says David McVeigh, president of RIM Architects. “You can ask ten different architects and get ten different answers.”

Many of the factors that influence those answers land outside the architect’s control. The client’s vision for the building, its location and intended use, the project budget, and whether the design must conform to specific guidelines are all details the architect must consider when determining how much emphasis to place on aesthetics and how much on function.

Finding the proper balance is a “kind of wonderful puzzle,” says Erik Dukes, an architect in Stantec’s Fairbanks office.

When pieced together correctly, he says, it creates a building that benefits both the client and the community.

Form vs. Function?

Whether a building’s design leans more toward aesthetics or function is dependent on the client’s needs.

“A client will come and ask you for a certain project; it could be very utilitarian or they’re going for a certain look,” says Ross Timm, a senior architect in Stantec’s Anchorage office. “We’re always striving to produce an aesthetically pleasing building, but ultimately it’s the client’s needs that will dictate.”

And budget is a significant consideration when finding the right www.akbizmag.com

path toward meeting client needs.

“Budget usually drives a lot, and I think the biggest challenge for architects is being able to design within a budget,” McVeigh says. “A lot of owners have champagne taste, but they have a beer budget.”

The type of client is a primary influencer as to whether the balance tips toward aesthetics or function. Stantec predominantly works with government agencies, Alaska Native organizations, institutional groups, and school districts.

These types of organizations, he says, generally require a more utilitarian aesthetic that adheres to specific design guidelines—village washeterias, aircraft hangars, or schools, for example.

But even when function drives design, aesthetics still plays a part, even if it’s a more subtle part of the overall design.

“Every opportunity is a design opportunity, and it doesn’t have to be a flashy, shiny building,” McVeigh says. “It can be very modest and humble, but a lot of design still goes into it.”

Mark Ivy, owner and principal architect with Ivy & Co. Architects in Anchorage, designs based on the adage “form follows function.” Every project begins with a discussion about the building’s intended use and how the client wants it to flow. The form takes shape alongside the functional design, adding more artistic details that maximize the function and incorporating the property’s unique features into the design. An upward pitched roof, for example, at a Soldotna dermatology clinic offers office workers stuck inside all day better views of the clinic’s Alaska Business

forested lot, he says, while a curved beam at the inside entrance naturally pulls patients into the reception area while providing architectural interest. “[The design] started with function and it ended up with a form,” Ivy says.

Contextual realism also allows architects to blend aesthetics into a building’s design, Timm says.

“We’ll take images that we’re seeing in an area in terms of nature or culture and bring them together in an abstract way,” he explains, such as choosing building materials or an exterior color palette inspired by the surroundings.

Designing Alaska People in the Lower 48 might view Alaska’s architectural style as rural, rustic, and replete with log cabins. And while some developers do want that stereotypical “Alaskana” feel, the reality of design in Alaska is quite different.

“If Alaska is known for one type of architecture, I don’t know it,” Ivy says.

The state’s relatively late urban development, its size, varied climates and cultures, and the cost of construction— particularly in communities off the road system—all contribute to the state’s lack of a defining architectural style.

“Alaska is so big, and as we all know it’s got multiple different regions that have multiple different design parameters and costs associated with them,” Dukes says. “So, to say that there’s just one type of look in Alaska really doesn’t do the question justice. There are a lot of variabilities in the state itself, just from an engineering standpoint.”

Climate is, of course, a primary February 2020 | 37

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The Art of Architecture

ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING SPECIAL SECTION

Part of the Lower Kuskokwim School District, Negtemiut Elitnaurviat (Nightmute K-12 School) incorporates modern design elements and materials to create a school that is both functional and aesthetically interesting.

Glenn Aronwits | GA Panorams

variable. Buildings in communities with heavier snowfall tend to have steeper pitched roofs and are designed to prevent snow dump from blocking entrances and walkways, Dukes explains.

Western Alaskan buildings are designed to withstand heavy winds, something that’s not considered for a Fairbanks building, where winds are negligible, he adds.

The availability of skilled labor also factors into a building’s design, particularly when it comes to projects located in communities off the road system.

“You’re only as good as the craftspeople you have around you,” Ivy says. “When you have something that’s a little unique, it’s not for everybody 38 | February 2020

in terms of builders.” In those cases, he explains, it’s sometimes necessary to rein in the design to accommodate that skillset.

That reining in extends to the type of materials used in the design.

“If you go in and you design something, maybe in a village somewhere, and you pull a material that nobody’s ever seen or understands, you’re taking a great risk that it’s not going to be built or fabricated or assembled the way you’ve intended it to be,” McVeigh says. “You have to be careful in understanding where you’re designing a project. A lot of us will say, ‘Yeah, we have to understand what the environmental conditions are,’ but that’s one that can be missed.”

Alaska’s “boom or bust” history also plays a part in its lack of a distinctive architectural style.

“Each town in Alaska has its own unique history,” McVeigh says. “You can kind of tell by the buildings what historical period [they] came from and that they were worth saving. In Anchorage we have a few, but it’s not littered with historic buildings. Because of that boom or bust cycle, there’s a lot of build and tear down.”

Yet Timm has seen buildings in Anchorage undergo a slow change over the past fifteen years, gaining a more cohesive style and utilizing materials that are better suited to Alaska’s climate.

“Anchorage used to have a lot of

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the buildings what historical period [they] came from and that they were worth saving. In Anchorage we have a few, but it’s not littered with historic buildings. Because of that boom or bust cycle, there’s a lot of build and tear down.”

David McVeigh, President, RIM Architects

buildings that were very functional and not very aesthetic, or just a hodgepodge of different design ideas, or using things from the Lower 48 that didn’t work,” he says. “Now there’s more cohesiveness in a way—using modern materials better, getting a little more high-end looking design, even in some smaller, functional buildings.”

Sustainable Design Ideas about sustainability, resilience, maximizing energy efficiency, and decreasing the carbon footprint in architectural design began circulating here five or six years ago, Dukes says.

At their core, they address the idea of architectural permanence.

“The better you design a building in terms of performance and sustainability, the better it’s going to last in the community and the better it’s going to be for the environment,” he says.

Designing for sustainability has caught on in the Lower 48, with many architects drafting to obtain a favorable LEED (Leadership in Environmental Energy Design) rating.

But it’s been somewhat slow to catch on in Alaska, especially for buildings involving private developers.

“There’s been a lot of push back in Alaska from owners not wanting to pay for that, but it’s starting to catch on more and more,” Timm says. “A lot of government agencies are now requiring buildings to meet at least some certification level.”

Part of the difficulty is that certifications are typically designed for non-Arctic climates, he explains, which means architects must pick and choose what sustainable elements to work into the design. In Alaska, those almost www.akbizmag.com

Alaska Business

February 2020 | 39

ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING SPECIAL SECTION

“Each town in Alaska has its own unique history. You can kind of tell by

ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING SPECIAL SECTION

Form and function work together at the Dermatology and Skin Cancer Clinic of Alaska in Soldotna. Exam room windows were installed at 7 feet to provide patients with privacy and a view to the clinic’s wooded lot, while an upward pitched roof maximizes the views.

Glenn Aronwits | GA Panorams

always focus on increasing the building’s thermal envelope and the efficiency of its heating and cooling system.

The cost of not engaging in sustainable design, however, can add up over the life of the building.

“The cost downstream actually outweighs that [initial] investment,” McVeigh says. “If you have a building that lasts fifty years, that’s a lot of costs if you don’t design for the proper environmental conditions. The structure and the design become a much smaller cost.”

Striking the Perfect Balance From an aesthetic standpoint, architecture is subjective; what one person considers beautiful can be an eyesore to another. Even then, a building that everyone agrees is aesthetically pleasing can fail if it doesn’t work for its intended purpose.

Timm points to the original Loussac Library in Anchorage, designed by a “post-modern” architect from the Lower 48, as an example of a building that failed on all fronts.

“There were lots of elements that met that post-modern look, but it also got some really important things wrong, like the main entry’s exterior stairway, which was famous for people falling on the ice,” 40 | February 2020

he says. The remedy for the dangerous stairway, which was “to put a very ugly canopy over it,” wasn’t an improvement, he adds.

“We’re always striving to produce an aesthetically pleasing building, but ultimately it’s the client’s needs that will dictate [the design].”

Ross Timm, Senior Architect, Stantec

On the other end of the spectrum, the 110,000-square-foot, eight-story Fireweed Business Center in Midtown Anchorage that RIM designed for Cook Inlet Regional Inc., was praised as a building that not only strikes the balance between aesthetics and function but successfully incorporates cutting-edge technology, like the energy-harvesting

photosensitive exterior glass.

“I’m impressed with what it looks like on the outside,” Ivy says. “They broke the box on that one a little bit.”

Timm says the Eielson Visitor Center in Denali National Park, built partially underground, and the Island and Oceans Visitor Center in Homer, situated on the bluff, both strike the right balance of form and function by successfully incorporating their respective locales into the buildings’ aesthetics while still operating as a museum and visitor center.

McVeigh praises some of the newer Native Corporation buildings as well.

“The work that some of the Native companies have done for their headquarters are beautiful pieces of architecture and it’s refreshing to see that,” he says. “It’s refreshing to see people put an emphasis on design and not just the cheapest thing possible.”

Finding that perfect balance between aesthetics and function is the challenge for every architect, Dukes says, and it’s ultimately what sets a successful design apart.

“It’s not all just about function, and it’s not just all about aesthetics,” Dukes says. “It’s the marriage that comes together; that’s what’s defining good architecture.”

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Architecture in Alaska Unique climate and remote communities prompt state to innovate

T

here is a nationwide trend toward sustainable and eco-friendly design and Alaska is helping lead the charge with energy efficient, sustainable architecture.

Alaskan architects have taken that national trend and added aspects unique to the state’s needs such as durability and cost containment measures to create a design that is all-Alaskan.

James Dougherty, managing principal at RIM Architects (headquartered in Anchorage), states that 2018’s November earthquake served as both a reminder and impetus for exceedingly sturdy architecture. Resiliency, says Dougherty, is one of the strongest areas of growth in architecture. He expects this area will continue to grow in the next few years.

“After an earthquake, there is a huge cost in inspecting, repairing, and reoccupying office space, for example,” says Dougherty, who notes that both the cost to a business and the waste a disaster creates are incredible.

In Southcentral, for example, there is a great deal of seismic activity and high winds. This requires resilient design, says Dougherty. “It’s expensive to build because of the cost of materials getting to Alaska,” he notes. “But it’s also 42 | February 2020

By Joy Choquette expensive to build because the buildings have to be extra tough.”

When more resilient methods of design are used, Dougherty believes there is less impact on individuals, businesses, and communities in the wake of natural disasters. He notes that Anchorage, which has more robust infrastructure in place due to more rigorous codes, regulations, and permits than other Alaska locations, also saw much less long-term loss following the 2018 earthquake.

Saving Money with Sustainable Architecture “Most people, when they think about architecture, are thinking about pretty buildings,” says Dougherty. “But Alaskans are really thinking about energy efficiency.” Dougherty points out that more people are interested in spending a little more upfront and then reaping the financial reward throughout the life of the building or project.

Luanne Urfer, principal at Sustainable Design Group, a landscape architecture firm, sees a similar interest in sustainable architecture due to the cost savings it provides.

Urfer, who spends a lot of time with clients who need stormwater solutions among other design work, states that

even if more sustainable design and materials do not seem cost-effective during the construction process, they often lead to much greater savings in the long run. Urfer notes that environmental products used in projects are “extremely low maintenance, and they are very easy to repair” in comparison to more traditional materials.

While cost is always a concern, Dougherty states that there are technologies and processes that can present opportunities to save both money and energy. “There’s a lot of innovation and a lot of it is driven by energy efficiency.”

Most people realize that architects use computer-generated images of what a building will look like when completed. But what they may not be aware of is the important role that computer technology plays in modeling cost-savings for a project. By entering pertinent information, it’s possible for clients to see not only the upfront expenses of a project but also the cost savings gained by using energy-efficient products and materials. This is true not only in the initial build or renovation but over the lifespan of the building, Dougherty says.

There are also more options when it comes to “smart” building materials. Take

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Other Trends in Alaska Giovanna Gambardella, architectural services manager at Stantec in Anchorage, notes that multi-family housing is experiencing a period of growth. She sees more buildings made up of smaller units with more shared common space and storage areas for bikes, skis, and other items. She calls this “flexible design,” and says that the benefits are two-fold. “What this does is reduces the cost of rent,” she says. “But for the owner, there are more units to rent out, which kind of balances out.”

Additionally, Gambardella notes, it offers more areas to socialize within the building, a plus for tenants.

Carel Nagata, senior architect for Stantec, says she’s noticed a lot more interest in mixed-use buildings. For instance, a structure with a coffee shop on the ground floor and apartments above, or the owners of a building live in the lower level and rent the upper level to an artist. “I think that really revitalizes the neighborhood,” Nagata says. She notes that in the past this was the norm and finds it interesting that communities seem to be going back in that direction.

Urfer says a continuing trend in the architecture arena is the use of solar panels. “They are so much more efficient than they used to be,” she notes. To make them even more effective, it’s important that a landscape architect’s design incorporates these types of energy sources as early as possible. “If we don’t talk to the architects or engineers, we run the risk of compromising what they’re doing and vice-versa,” says Urfer. “When we work together, we all get a better product.”

The recent Solarize Anchorage (a joint effort between The Alaska Center and the Alaska Center for Energy and Power to make solar photovoltaic energy systems more www.akbizmag.com

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dynamic windows, for instance, which can automatically adjust light levels and make use of solar energy to improve an office environment while reducing ongoing utility and maintenance costs.

Another example is low-maintenance products like composites. These are not only easy to care for but also save money in the long run because they don’t require painting or other upkeep.

ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING SPECIAL SECTION

accessible and affordable) project has helped in the area of solar energy, Nagata notes, with a huge impact in residential areas in the past year.

“Availability to install smaller systems at a lower material cost for residential customers has dramatically increased, although the federal tax credit incentive is sunsetting,” Nagata states.

This and energy rebate programs are helping educate consumers on the value of alternative energy sources and potential cost savings. “Passive architectural design techniques that focus on reducing demand on energy will always be the better strategy than trying to offset energy demand after it’s consumed,” Nagata says.

Healthly, Eco-friendly Spaces Another benefit that many business owners are taking advantage of when it comes to planning a new space or renovating an existing one is making it healthier for their employees. With the desire to draw high-quality talent, many businesses are making the leap into eco-friendly, sustainable design to create workspaces that are lighter, brighter, and healthier.

“As far as office trends, we see natural light and attention to the wellbeing of employees is critical, especially here in Alaska,” says Gambardella.

“Additionally, space that fosters collaboration, with informal meeting areas and less formal spaces, is very popular and will continue to be so.”

Dougherty agrees, noting that the cost of getting good talent is a challenge and can be expensive.

Once a business has secured that talent it makes sense to retain those talented people. Even employees otherwise satisfied with their workplace may get headaches from flickering lights or be sensitive to light, heat, or cold, leading to discomfort or dissatisfaction at work.

Sustainable buildings offer employers a leg up because good filtration, good temperature, and ventilation in a space lead to higher productivity, fewer sick days, and other benefits. In a competitive job market, businesses can set themselves apart by offering these types of in-house wellness benefits to employees.

Outdoor spaces are also being scrutinized with an eye to both 44 | February 2020

sustainability and comfort for the individuals using them. Urfer says that she was tasked recently with creating an outdoor space between two buildings to break the winter winds. At the completion of the project, more individuals began to use the outdoor space, even during cold weather. “People don’t want to be forced to stay indoors,” says Urfer. These types of architectural projects—while good for the environment—also help individuals to access the outdoor spaces that they love so much, no matter the season.

“As far as office trends, we see natural light and attention to the wellbeing of employees is critical, especially here in Alaska. Additionally, space that fosters collaboration, with informal meeting areas and less formal spaces, is very popular and will continue to be so.”

Giovanna Gambardella Architectural Services Manager, Stantec

Upcoming Trends A focus on sustainable architecture and materials that are ecofriendly is only expected to grow and gain traction in the years to come. There are several reasons for this.

Climate change is at the forefront of many business owners' decisions to use sustainable and eco-friendly building materials. Gambardella notes

that increased social awareness also plays a role. If a product is being produced in unsafe ways and exposing workers to a potential hazard, is it really a product and company that business owners want to support?

This type of thinking requires looking at a deeper level at products and materials, says Gambardella. “The benefits are better health, more connectivity, and collaboration,” she says. “As designers, users, and clients, we are building better communities. Alaska is more responsive to this.”

Being sensitive to local traditions and cultures is also important to architects in the state, says Dougherty. He says that people’s connection to their built environment plays an important part in the quality of life, particularly for Alaskans. Using more natural forms of heat—such as wood pellets, ground source heat pumps, and window power—is just one way architects in the state incorporate more of the natural world and its resources in a less harmful way.

Another area of ongoing growth in Alaska architecture is proper land stewardship. “There’s an awareness of the importance of using land responsibly,” Urfer notes. For example, minimal disturbance versus sprawl; live-work situations and multi-use buildings; and an increased focus on reducing travel expenses and increasing convenience.

“We’re seeing a lot of that as an alternative,” says Urfer. “And it cuts down on a lot of issues, such as overcrowding on roads and wasted resources.”

Preserving outdoor spaces is another area in which Urfer sees continued interest in and focus on. She explains there are “a multitude of reasons to try and preserve open spaces,” such as for recreation, stormwater management, and the creation of wildlife corridors.

Alaska’s appetite for good design is increasing and building owners want more of what they see in magazines, on television, or social media, says Nagata. She predicts that other architectural trends in the state will continue to follow those in Canada and northern Europe because of the similar climate. Nagata says, “We are ahead of the rest of the nation in terms of energy-efficient design and structural performance of buildings out of necessity.”

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Engineering Project of the Year Nominees The following project summaries were submitted by the nominees and have been edited only for length and style. Thank you to the photographers featured in this section who gave permission for Alaska Business to publish their photos. The winning project will be announced at the EWeek Banquet on February 22.

and interior common spaces was to incorporate a natural Alaska feel with mountain, river, and glacier influenced themes. Accomplishing this vision required careful coordination with the owner and architect to provide finishes that accentuate the Alaska concept while using standard equipment. This enabled costs to be minimized due to the budget restrictions associated with this designbuild project.

The parking structure presented its own unique design challenges, due to a combination of the owners’ desire for heightened security, a belowground level, and the existing highwater table. For heightened security, increased lighting levels, access control, surveillance cameras, and emergency phones were provided throughout the structure. To overcome the high-water table issue, a lift station, with water level controls and alarms, was provided to monitor and control against belowgrade flooding.

Jacobs Seward Highway: Dimond Boulevard to Dowling Road Reconstruction

AMC Engineers provided services for the Dr. Katherine and Dr. Kevin Gottlieb building in Anchorage. ©Ken Graham Photography.com

AMC Engineers The Dr. Katherine and Dr. Kevin Gottlieb Building This new 112,400-square-foot facility supports a variety of client groups, including children’s dental, OBGYN, pediatric neuro, and behavioral healthcare clinics. It has an associated 259,000-square-foot parking structure with a three-level skybridge connecting it to the clinic building.

Providing consistency and continuity throughout the building was challenging 46 | February 2020

due to the multiple client groups and their individualized needs. Specialized tasks inherent in clinical environments meant that the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) design was critical for success. Ongoing communication with end users was crucial to ensure the design supported the requirements of each individual group.

Integration of the MEP systems into the architectural elements was a primary consideration from the beginning. The architectural vision for the building

As the only roadway connecting Anchorage to and from the south, Seward Highway serves the Anchorage community and through-travelers as a vital transportation corridor. The central and southern portions of the Anchorage Bowl, as well as the Kenai Peninsula, have experienced significant growth in recent years, resulting in similar traffic volume increases in the project vicinity.

The Seward Highway: Dimond Boulevard to Dowling Road Reconstruction project is the second in a series of scheduled projects to improve safety, capacity, access, and connectivity on the Seward Highway between Rabbit Creek Road and 36th Avenue.

Continuing south from the previous phase, from Dowling Road to Tudor Road, the project expanded the existing highway from four to six lanes from Dowling Road to Dimond Boulevard and built a new, grade-separated undercrossing with roundabouts at 76th Avenue/Lore Road.

Other project highlights include interchange ramp and frontage road improvements as well as the extension of Sandlewood Place to the north, terminating at Lore Road. Large, fish-

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ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING SPECIAL SECTION

passage box culverts spanning the frontage road and mainline facilities were constructed for the north and south forks of the Little Campbell Creek. Bike lanes and varying width sidewalks were also added to the frontage road and new undercrossing roadways, promoting active transport throughout the corridor.

The project went out to bid in Fall 2016 and was substantially complete Fall 2018.

PDC Engineers Kantishna Roadhouse LEED v4 Operations & Maintenance Gold Certification In April 2018, PDC Engineers completed the LEED v4 Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Gold Certification of the Kantishna Roadhouse. This is the northernmost LEED O&M certification in the state and the only Version 4 Certification for existing buildings to date in Alaska. This first-of-its-kind application in the harsh climate on the outskirts of Denali National Park provides guest accommodations with an environmental bill of health. The successfully completed project allows Doyon, Limited to showcase its energy and environmentally efficient policies as well as assist in implementing new processes to utilize products and materials that are better for their employees, guests, and the environment. The project adjusted or developed processes that improve energy use, transportation, purchasing, waste policies, maintenance, renovations, indoor air quality, lighting, and cleaning.

PDC Engineers was able to lead the entire process in-house from development to submittal, ensuring the owner was not mired in certification paperwork. Existing processes and policies were reviewed and PDC was able to assist Doyon with modifications to existing policies or in the development of new policies. The project was completed under budget and in time for the 2018 summer tourism season.

Additionally, PDC provided forms and training for the owner to complete the ongoing requirements for their quinquennial recertification.

Jacobs provided engineering services for the Seward Highway: Dimond Boulevard to Dowling Road Reconstruction project in Anchorage. ŠDavid Song

R&M Consultants | HDR Water Street Trestle #2

PDC Engineers completed the northernmost LEED O&M certification (and only Version 4 certification for an existing building in Alaska) of the Kantishna Roadhouse near Denali National Park.

Built in 1979, Water Street Trestle #2 in Ketchikan was nearing the end of its useful lifespan and was no longer www.akbizmag.com

ŠColin Fay

Alaska Business

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R&M Consultants and HDR provided consulting services to DOT&PF for the Water Street Trestle #2 project in Ketchikan. ©Mike Cameron

capable of supporting heavy loads. For residents living near the trestle, that meant the potential loss of essential services such as garbage trucks, heating oil suppliers, and emergency vehicles.

The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities—along with two consultants, R&M Consultants and HDR—sought to construct a new, reliable trestle that would allow essential services to continue to residences while withstanding the tough Alaska environment for the next seventyfive years. The new 1,000-foot-long hybrid structure consists of a bridge section, a retaining wall, and a steelsupported trestle. Constructing the new trestle required inventing a new “panel launcher” to move the 6-footwide, 25-foot-long precast deck panels into place.

The new trestle is built on the side of a cliff and overcame a tightly confined project site with variable subsurface conditions and drastic construction seasons that prevent paving from September to May. The project team minimized impact to the National Register of Historic Places-listed homes that run adjacent to the trestle, included new sidewalks and updates to meet ADA guidelines, and replaced all utilities.

The $25 million Water Street Trestle #2 project was opened with a celebration in June 2019 that featured local and state officials. In a display of what was previously impossible, the first vehicle to drive across the trestle was a City of Ketchikan Fire Department truck.

Reid Middleton Southcentral Foundation’s Gottlieb Building

Reid Middleton designed portions of the upper floors of Southcentral Foundation’s Gottlieb building to support shallow pools used for physical therapy and rehabilitation. ©Mike Fierro

48 | February 2020

Situated on the Alaska Native Medical Center campus in Anchorage, Southcentral Foundation’s Gottlieb Building is its flagship facility. This medical office building houses a variety of family-oriented medical services, including dental, OB-GYN, maternal fetal medicine, gynecological oncology, and child and family developmental services.

The team designed portions of the upper floors to support shallow pools used for physical therapy and rehabilitation.

Abundant with windows, the exterior is clad with multi-colored panels that suggest a ripple-effect reflection of the Chugach Mountains a few miles east. The south end of the building

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Stantec City of North Pole Water System Expansion The Stantec team leaned on its extensive resources to complete a fast-track design for this community water system expansion to mitigate groundwater contamination from the solvent sulfolane originating at an oil refinery near the City of North Pole. The project includes 34.4 miles of HDPE water main, a water treatment plant expansion, two booster pump stations, and a 0.75 MG treated water reservoir that provides safe drinking water to more than 700 properties. The City of North Pole is a subarctic community, with winter temperatures reaching -50˚F. The buried piping is designed with insulation, water circulation, and heating systems to provide the required freeze protection.

Stantec, with subcontractors Shannon & Wilson and R&M Consultants, provided investigation, surveying, geotechnical work, design, analysis, cost estimating, easement and ROW acquisition, permitting, procurement, and construction support required for the project. All utilities and buildings were designed by Stantec cold regions staff located in Alaska and Canada.

Construction began in March of 2018

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features a large, two-story atrium with a curved, floor-to-ceiling glass exterior.

Above, serpentine roofs step back from each level below, creating a mountain waterfall-style cascade effect. Several tiers also incorporate exterior decks with tremendous views.

The 110,000-square-foot building has five stories above ground and a full basement. The structural system incorporates a ductile seismic resisting system known as buckling-restrained bracing. Strategically located, these braced bays provide excellent stability and performance in earthquakes.

The adjacent post-tensioned concrete parking structure includes seven levels with 499 parking stalls. It was designed to include a mirror image of itself to one side, which will double its capacity—a desired feature as the campus continues to grow.

A three-level skybridge connects the building with the parking structure.

Outward sloping exterior walls and glass reflect the mountains and sky.

Soldotna

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ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING SPECIAL SECTION

and was completed in September 2019, a period of less than twenty months.

Portions of the project required winter construction in regulated wetlands.

To facilitate the early start during subzero conditions, the City of North Pole purchased pipe and stockpiled backfill.

Construction was procured using a qualification-based best-value approach (not low bid) with incentives.

UAA Adjustable Atmospheric Corrosion Test Rack

Stantec completed the City of North Pole Water System Expansion in eight months to provide safe drinking water and mitigate groundwater contamination. ŠJudy Patrick Photography

50 | February 2020

A common assumption is that there is very little to no corrosion in cold environments.

However, previous studies in Antarctic and Arctic regions have shown significant corrosion damage when exposed to cold conditions. The substantial population growth and climate change in the Arctic region pushes for a renewed, better understanding of the atmospheric corrosion mechanisms that can lead to good choice of materials selection and better design practices for infrastructure and other applications.

Modular and adjustable atmospheric

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UAA is using test racks to collect data in three angles for NACE seed grant and NASA research projects to better understand corrosion in Antarctic and Arctic regions.

corrosion tests were designed and installed on the roof of the University of Alaska’s Engineering Parking Garage by Dr. Raghu Srinivasan with the help of ME undergraduate senior design students. Racks are 46-inch by 46-inch and can be adjusted to three different angles (0, 30, or 45 degrees to the horizontal). The angle of exposure affects the snow/ice retention, and this leads to the formation of varying thicknesses of moisture on the metal surface. The angle of exposure also affects the wash off from rain and this could change the atmospheric corrosion mechanisms. This rack helps identify weather parameters by isolating the corrosion inducing variables and their primary effect on corrosion in extreme cold climates. These pilot test racks are currently used to collect data in three different angles for NACE seed grant and NASA research projects. The potential benefits that are realizable from the corrosion research programs in cold regions are great and could inform and stimulate continued innovation and applications for many years through education and outreach.

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Bill McNeal

Engineer of the Year Nominees

The following bios were written by the Engineer of the Year nominees and have been edited only for length and style. Thank you to the nominees for providing this information; the winner will be announced at the EWeek Banquet on February 22.

William “Bill” McNeal is a mechanical engineer with more than forty-seven years of professional design experience.

He grew up in Oregon and earned his manufacturing engineering degree from Oregon State University. While attending college, McNeal was drafted into the US Army and served from 1967 to 1970. He worked as a manufacturing engineer for General Electric before starting his journey at Coffman in 1992 and has managed the firm’s Anchorage Mechanical Department for nearly twenty years. He is a licensed professional engineer in seven states, including the Territory of Guam, where he was instrumental in the startup of Coffman’s Guam office.

McNeal, a lifetime member, joined the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) in 1974. He served on various ASHRAE chapter committees and offices. McNeal has presented a paper at the ASHRAE Biannual Southern Asia Conference about the selection of HVAC equipment for hot and humid climates and led training courses on energy conservation and ASHRAE Std. 90.1.

McNeal has served on trips with Engineering Ministries International (eMi) for projects in Sierra Leone, Belize, and Romania. He is also a member of the eMi Disaster Responders team— which is ready to deploy in as little as two days’ notice to assist in the aftermath of natural disasters. McNeal is currently designing a training course for eMi in support of young engineers and technicians in developing nations.

He plans to travel to Uganda to present the first four-week class.

Bill Mott Bill Mott is the principal chemical and materials engineer and president of Taku Engineering. Mott was born and raised in Montville, Connecticut, but dreamed of living in Alaska as a child. He graduated from the University of Connecticut with degrees in chemical and materials engineering. He joined Ocean City Research Corporation and conducted laboratory studies on corrosion, cathodic protection (CP), coatings, and high cycle fatigue of metals. Mott moved to Alaska in 1990 to assist Alyeska 52 | February 2020

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Alaska Business

DA NN Y KANE

Irene Malto Irene S. Malto is a transportation engineer at DOWL with more than thirteen years of experience in transportation design, utility coordination, stormwater compliance, and project management.

She was raised in G GRE Anchorage after moving from the Philippines at an early age and holds a bachelor of science in civil engineering with minors in

O RY LATREILLE

B

Gregory O. Latreille was born and raised in TT rural northern New York State. He received a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in civil engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2004. He moved to Alaska in January of 2005, immediately after completing college, and has been working as a structural engineer for BBFM Engineers in Anchorage since then.

In 2017, he was named as a Principal at BBFM Engineers.

He has designed and analyzed structures of various construction types and materials, including wood, steel, concrete, and masonry, and he is familiar with the special design constraints and demands of Arctic structures and areas of high seismic activity. Notable projects he has worked on include the Fairbanks International Airport terminal renovation and expansion, the Alaska Airlines Center Sports Arena in Anchorage, the Paul John Calricaraq new clinic and hospital renovation project in Bethel, structural stabilization of the Kennecott Historic Copper Mine mill building in McCarthy, and renovations to the IT

facility at McMurdo Station, Antarctica.

Involvement in the Alaska Society and National Society of Professional Engineers has been an integral part of Latreille’s professional career since it began in 2005. What started as the simple act of raising his hand to volunteer for a committee at an Anchorage Chapter meeting led quickly to him becoming chair of that same committee and embarking on a road of service to the organization that includes serving as statewide treasurer, president, and Alaska’s representative in the NSPE House of Delegates for two terms. He dipped his toe into National activities at the 2010 annual conference in Orlando and thus embarked on nearly a decade of service to the organization at the national level. He has served on various national committees, including the Honors Awards Task Force, the Retention, SelfAssessment, and Recruitment Task Forces, several years on the Membership Committee, serving as chair in 2015-2016, and served two years on the NSPE National Board of Directors, serving as the Director of the Western & Pacific Region.

He is currently serving on the National Membership Committee.

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Gregory Latreille

MO BILL

Danny Kane Danny Kane has more than twelve years of Alaska oil and gas industry experience, most recently as a Senior Drilling Engineer with ConocoPhillips Alaska. He graduated with a bachelor’s in environmental sciences from the University of Virginia and shortly thereafter moved to Alaska to start his career.

Kane has been instrumental in planning for the Fiord West ExtendedReach Drilling project, which will be spud in April using North America’s largest land-rig, Doyon 26, “The Beast.”

He has been busy demonstrating how the drilling envelope can be pushed further by utilizing a combination of new and existing technologies such as tunedcatenary trajectories to reduce targeted drilling loads, real-time torque and drag and mass balance initiatives, directional performance mapping, employing a mud chiller to drill deeper surface holes, and liner flotation technology.

In 2019, Kane led the planning and

implementation of the first North Slope surface hole drilled entirely with a rotary steerable system as well as the floating of a liner that had the longest step-out shoe set from a pad, the first floated liner for ConocoPhillips worldwide.

When Kane isn’t pushing the cutting-edge at work, he keeps busy raising his two children while trying to keep a good work-life balance, helping with his children’s school programs, and always looking for the next mountain to run up.

Kane is currently focused on managing the advancement of big bore liner flotation technologies for ERD well designs.

IL L MCN L EA

Pipeline Service Company (APSC) with managing corrosion on the Trans Alaska Pipeline System. In 2001, he co-founded Taku Engineering.

Mott has designed and led a variety of successful corrosion engineering related projects. Notable projects he has led include TAPS MP 780-800 CP upgrades; APSC tank maintenance program; Nuiqsut Pipeline coating repair; APSC Tank 111 CP system design; and the Red Dog Port impressed current system upgrades.

Mott has become a recognized corrosion control expert over the course of thirty years of practice. He is recognized by the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) as a CP Specialist (CP-4) and senior internal corrosion technologist. He has assisted NACE with the development of new CP Technologist (CP3) and Specialist (CP4) exams. His work has been presented in several NACE and SSPC annual conferences. His articles have been published in World Pipelines magazine and in the Journal of Protective Coatings and Linings. In addition to his work with NACE, Mott currently serves on the Alaska State Board of Architects, Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Landscape Architects.

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mathematics and communication from monitor and inspect the construction UAA. Malto obtained two graduate of water, sewer, and storm drain lines degrees from UAA in 2019, a master during a full road reconstruction.

In addition to her duties as a of science in civil engineering and transportation engineer, Malto another in project management.

As a project engineer at DOWL, Malto mentors junior engineers and is the has led multiple design projects and summer intern hiring coordinator. As taken on several summers of field work. an active member of the Society of Women Engineers, she volunteers Her current projects include working her time to participate in STEM on the November 2018 outreach activities like earthquake repairs project SmartGirls Rock for high to monitor, identify, schoolers, Women in and design repairs Engineering Night for from damage caused college students, and by the earthquake EWeek events. She is and the Old Seward also a member of the Highway and Seward American Society of Highway pavement O Civil Engineers and has preservation projects.

IRENE MALT held various board positions As a certified inspector of including president and chair of sediment and erosion control (CISEC), Malto led the evaluations the PE Refresher Committee for the of more than 300 DOT&PF material Anchorage Branch. sites around the state for stormwater discharge and compliance. Her field Sean Baski work has also taken her up the Dalton Sean M. Baski, a registered civil Highway to monitor riverbank and spur engineer and a senior project manager dike repairs to protect the Trans Alaska in the DOT&PF’s Central Region Pipeline System and to Kodiak Island to Highway Design Section, acquired his

bachelor of science in civil engineering from the University of Alaska Anchorage and has worked in the engineering field for seventeen years.

Baski works on a variety of design projects with wide ranging scopes including bridges, interchanges, divided highways, and more, addressing failing infrastructure, congestion, and safety concerns for Alaska communities. Baski and his team manage more than $700 million in projects, which include some of the largest projects in the state, advertising more than $100 million in projects in the last two years alone, including Seward Highway MP 7590 Rehabilitation Phase 1 and Glenn Highway MP 34-42 Reconstruction Phase 1. Notable ongoing projects under his management include Parks Highway: Pittman to Big Lake Reconstruction; the second phases of the previously mentioned projects; Seward Highway: O’Malley to Dimond Reconstruction; and earthquake recovery design efforts.

Baski is also active in the community.

He is heavily involved with UAA’s civil

Engineering Results for Alaskan Communities Since 1979 Energy Efficiency Regulatory Compliance Support Industrial Hygiene Certified Inspection Services Engineering Design HSE Program Development Environmental Remediation Contingency Planning Hazardous Materials Management Tank Inspections

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S

As the earthquake program coordinator alert system and introducing an for Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, earthquake response training program.

Following the November 2018 7.1 he is charged with ensuring Anchorage earthquake, he that the Trans Alaska organized volunteers to Pipeline System can perform building damage endure the seismic assessments. challenges for which A strong believer in giving Alaska is famous. back to his profession, Strait earned Strait volunteers his time a master’s of civil and expertise in many engineering from UAA areas. He serves as the and has thirteen years of SEA N BASKI chairman of the Alaska Seismic experience engineering Hazards Safety Commission a wide variety of projects throughout Alaska. His experience promoting earthquake safety within state government. He is a member ranges from engineering the of the ASCE 7-22 Rain and Snow Nullaġvik Hotel in Kotzebue Load Code Committee where and teaching structural he works to update snow design courses at load data for Alaska. He is UAA to serving as the secretary and pastthe lead structural president of the Structural engineer and project Engineers Association of engineer for the CD5 Alaska, vice-chair of the and GMT1 drillsite Municipality of Anchorage projects.

Since TE RLI IT Building Board, and serves joining Alyeska in 2017, A NG STR on the NCEES Civil PE Exam he has refreshed their committee where he writes and earthquake program by upgrading the automatic earthquake reviews questions for the PE exam.

Sterling Strait Sterling Strait is a lifelong Alaskan who is passionate about projects that contribute to the wellbeing of the state.

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engineering program, speaking to classes and mentoring CE senior design capstone project teams— now serving as a lead mentor.

Additionally, Baski has volunteered with the EWeek Student Competition event for nearly twenty years and with the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education programs for youth; he also speaks to students for EWeek and serves on ITE’s Scholarship fundraising committee.

Baski served on the Board of ITE– Alaska Section for four years, including the president’s position. He also coaches youth sports including soccer, mountain biking, and hockey.

Baski was nominated by the Institute of Transportation Engineers–Alaska Section, a nonprofit organization established to connect the professional transportation community while providing opportunities for learning and growth.

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Architecture & Engineering Directory ACUREN Frank Noble, Reg. Mgr. AK 7910 King St. Anchorage, AK 99518 acuren.com tthorson@acuren.com 907-569-5000 Materials engineering, nondestructive examination, and integrity management for the oil and gas, power, mining, transportation, and construction industries.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1976/2002 | 4,000+/18

AECOM Bill Craig, Sr. Mgr./Office Lead 3900 C St., Ste. 403 Anchorage, AK 99503 aecom.com 907-562-3366 AECOM Alaska is a team of engineers, scientists, planners, and support staff providing Arctic-smart engineering and environmental services for the complete project life-cycle from permitting for air, water, soils, and solid waste to planning, design, and construction through production and site closure.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1904/1948 | 85,000/267

AESOLUTIONS Chris Hickling, AK Bus. Dev. Mgr. 3800 Centerpoint Dr., Ste. 620 Anchorage, AK 99503 aesolns.com info@aesolns.com 907-865-5992 aeSolutions is a complete system integrator specializing in safety instrumented systems, automation, process safety consulting, industrial cybersecurity, alarm management, and operations and maintenance solutions; supporting all phases of the Process Safety Lifecycle.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1998/2008 | 165/30

AHTNA ENGINEERING SERVICES Timothy F. Gould, Pres.

110 W. 38th Ave., Ste. 200A Anchorage, AK 99503 ahtnaes.com 56 | February 2020

907-646-2969 Ahtna Engineering Services is a selfperforming federal and commercial contractor. The firm performs services nationwide including engineering, construction, environmental, administrative, and professional services. AES is positioned to support nationwide requirements with offices in AK, WA, and CA. Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 2003/2003 | 99/45

AMC ENGINEERS Ken Ratcliffe, Pres.

701 E. Tudor Rd., Ste. 250 Anchorage, AK 99503-7457 amc-engineers.com info@amc-engineers.com 907-257-9100 AMC Engineers is committed to the design of well-engineered and sustainable mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems, supporting the full range of institutional and commercial projects.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1981/1981 | 26/25

ARCADIS Kent Crandall, AK Ops Leader 880 H St., Ste. 101 Anchorage, AK 99501 arcadis.com 907-276-8095 Arcadis is Alaska’s leading provider of construction and program management services and a leading global design, project management, and consultancy firm.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1888/1994 | 33,000/14

ARCHITECTS ALASKA Mark Kneedler, Pres.

900 W. Fifth Ave., Ste. 403 Anchorage, AK 99501 architectsalaska.com 907-272-3567 Architectural design, space planning, interior design, and master planning for commercial, industrial, residential, medical, religious, and educational facilities statewide.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1950/1950 | 24/22

ATC GROUP SERVICES Bobby Toups, CEO 383 Industrial Way, Ste. 300 Anchorage, AK 99501 atcgroupservices.com anchorage@atcgs.com 907-258-8661 Environmental consulting; industrial hygiene services; asbestos, lead-based paint, and mold surveys; asbestos and lead laboratory; due diligence services; EHS training.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1982/201 | 1,900/20

BBFM ENGINEERS Dennis Berry, Pres.

845 K St. Anchorage, AK 99501-3358 bbfm.com cmaynard@bbfm.com 907-274-2236 Structural engineering design and construction admin for new buildings, additions to existing buildings, and analysis of existing buildings, including seismic evaluations and condition surveys, design of tanks, modules, and pedestrian bridges.

Specialize in cold climates: Alaska and Antarctica.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1996/1996 | 11/10

BDS ARCHITECTS Daniel Seiser, Pres.

3330 C St., Ste. 200 Anchorage, AK 99503 bdsak.com 907-562-6076 Architecture, planning, interior design, and roof technology.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1981/1981 | 13/13

BETTISWORTH NORTH ARCHITECTS & PLANNERS Roy Rountree, Pres./Principal Arch.

212 Front St., Ste. 200 Fairbanks, AK 99701 bettisworthnorth.com info@bettisworthnorth.com 907-456-5780 Anchorage Office: 2600 Denali Street, Ste.

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710. Architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, planning, and energy services for healthcare, education, military, housing, libraries, museums, public safety, civic buildings, senior care, commercial development, and recreational facilities.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1976/1976 | 37/37

BLUE SKY STUDIO Catherine Call, Mng. Member 6771 Lauden Cir. Anchorage, AK 99502 callbluesky.com catherine@callbluesky.com 907-727-3185 Architecture with a focus on residential and food service projects.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 2002/2002 | 2/2

BRATSLAVSKY CONSULTING ENGINEERS Tanya Bratslavsky, Pres.

500 W. 27th Ave., Ste. A Anchorage, AK 99503 bce-ak.com mail@bce-ak.com 907-272-5264

Debra Mason

Shane Baird

Cindy Hulquist

Erich Lamirand

Kevin Branson

John Letourneau

A multi-discipline engineering and project management company specializing in full design, value engineering, tenant improvements, facility condition and ADA assessments, permitting, energy upgrades and audits, construction management and inspections, QA/QC, and other services.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1985/1985 | 30/20

BRISTOL ENGINEERING SERVICES CORPORATION Travis Woods, Pres./CEO 111 W. 16th Ave., Third Floor Anchorage, AK 99501 800-563-0013

Helping Businesses in Alaska Since 1969

Civil engineering, permitting, and planning; total project management encompassing planning, design, and construction.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1994/1994 | 50/50

CHEMTRACK ALASKA Carrie Jokiel, Pres.

11711 S. Gambell St. Anchorage, AK 99515 chemtrack.net info@chemtrack.net 907-349-2511 Please check out our Statement of Qualifications at chemtrack.net/about_ us.htm.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1973/1973 | 35/35

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CPAS & ADVISORS

907.272.1571 I thgcpa.com Alaska Business

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COFFMAN ENGINEERS

DESIGN ALASKA

EDC

Tom Looney, VP/Mng. Principal 800 F St. Anchorage, AK 99501 coffman.com 907-276-6664

Chris Miller, Pres.

601 College Rd. Fairbanks, AK 99701 designalaska.com mail@designalaska.com 907-452-1241

John Faschan, Pres.

213 W. Fireweed Ln. Anchorage, AK 99503 edc-alaska.com john@edc-alaska.com 907-276-7933

Design Alaska provides architecture; civil, structural, mechanical, fire protection, electrical, and environmental engineering; landscape architecture; and surveying.

The firm also offers planning, condition assessments, energy modeling, LEED, construction administration and commissioning.

Mechanical and electrical engineering services. Rural water and sewer systems, HVAC and energy, fuel systems, fire protection, piping and pumping systems, facility power systems, SCADA and controls, roadway lighting.

Civil, commissioning, corrosion control, electrical, forensic, fire protection, industrial design, instrumentation and controls, landscape, lighting, mechanical, pipeline integrity management, pipeline and process facility design, project management, structural, sustainable design, energy audit.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1979/1979 | 483/103

COMBS ENGINEERING Chris Combs, PE 503 Charteris St. Sitka, AK 99835-7042 907-747-5725 Mechanical engineer providing HVAC and plumbing design services.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1994/1994 | 1/1

CORVUS DESIGN Peter Briggs, Pres.

2506-B Fairbanks St. Anchorage, AK 99503 corvus-design.com office@corvus-design.com 907-222-2859 Landscape architecture and planning services including landscape design, site planning, waterfront planning, playground design, recreation planning, community engagement, landscape ordinance and permitting, interpretive design, NEPA, and visual simulations. Offices in Anchorage and Juneau.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 2006/2006 | 6/6

CRW ENGINEERING GROUP D. Michael Rabe, Mng. Principal 3940 Arctic Blvd., Ste. 300 Anchorage, AK 99503 crweng.com bmorris@crweng.com 907-562-3252 Civil, environmental, structural, electrical, mechanical, and geotechnical engineering; surveying, permitting, aviation design, and construction management.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1981/1981 | 74/74

DCI ENGINEERS

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1957/1957 | 58/53

DOWL Stewart Osgood, Pres./CEO 4041 B St. Anchorage, AK 99503 dowl.com info@dowl.com 907-562-2000 DOWL is a multi-disciplined consulting firm that has been serving Alaska clients for more than 55 years. We offer a full Ste. of environmental services, including biological and cultural resource surveys, environmental impact assessment and documentation, agency consultations, and permitting.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1962/1962 | 475/125

DOYON ANVIL Terry Caetano, Pres./GM 509 W. Third Ave. Anchorage, AK 99501 doyonanvil.com tcaetano@anvilcorp.com 907-677-3021 Full-service consulting engineering for the petrochemical industry as well specializing in exploration, pre-EIS, and early phase development. Extensive experience in brown field revamp projects.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1984/1984 | 45/45

ECI Brian Meissner, Principal 3909 Arctic Blvd., Ste. 100A Anchorage, AK 99503 ecialaska.com Office@ecialaska.com 907-561-5543

Structural engineering.

ECI is a community minded architectural design strategy firm that focuses on planning and design that strengthens the missions of our clients. We are based in Anchorage and for thirty-eight years have been creating people places throughout the state of Alaska.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1988/2013 | 300/9

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1981/1981 | 18/18

Paul Rogness, Principal 341 W. Tudor, Ste. 105 Anchorage, AK 99503 907-257-2613

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Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1980/1980 | 8/8

EEIS CONSULTING ENGINEERS Richard Button, Principal Engineer 624 W. International Airport Rd., Ste. 104 Anchorage, AK 99518 eeis.net 907-258-3231 Architectural services, structural, civil, mechanical, mechanical process, electrical, and instrumentation engineering.

Projects include camps, office buildings, warehouses, hangars, and various projects for rig and production support.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1989/1989 | 22/20

EHS-ALASKA Robert French, PIC 11901 Business Blvd., Ste. 208 Eagle River, AK 99577 ehs-alaska.com tjuliussen@ehs-alaska.com 907-694-1383 Our staff of engineers and project managers are skilled in hazmat design for building remodel and demolition projects. Asbestos, lead, PCB, and other hazardous building materials identification. IAQ, welding fume, and ventilation studies. MOA third Party Plan Review and ICC and IFC code consulting.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1986/1986 | 5/5

ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEMS David Burlingame, Pres.

3305 Arctic Blvd., Ste. 201 Anchorage, AK 99503 epsinc.com eps@epsinc.com 907-522-1953 EPS delivers complete electric power systems study, planning, design, and construction administration services from prime and emergency power production to final distribution for commercial, utility, industrial, and government clients of all sizes.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1996/1996 | 200/200

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT Larry Helgeson, Principal Eng. 206 E. Fireweed Ln., Ste. 201

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

Environmental and civil engineering, Phase I and Phase II ESAs, asbestos management and design, HUD lead paint activities, UST closure, SWPPPs, SPCCs, GIS mapping, and safety training. A team of dedicated professionals working to make Alaska cleaner and safer.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1988/1988 | 15/15

F. ROBERT BELL & ASSOCIATES Frank Bell, CEO 801 W. Fireweed Ln., Ste. 201 Anchorage, AK 99503-1801 bellalaska.com 907-274-5257 Engineering, land surveying, 3D laser scanning, and UAV services.

OF DESIGN

CONNECTIONS

Civil | Structural | Mechanical | Electrical | Fire Protection | Corrosion Control Project Management | Instrumentation & Controls | Landscape Architecture 800 F Street, Anchorage, AK 99501



907.276.6664



www.coffman.com

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1974/1974 | 34/34

FLUOR ALASKA Wyche Ford, AK GM 4300 B St., Ste. 210 Anchorage, AK 99503 fluor.com Fluor.Alaska@fluor.com 907-865-2000 Fluor provides engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance, and project management services. For more than fifty years, we have served Alaska clients by providing our comprehensive services delivering capital efficiency and project certainty.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1912/1954 | 53,000/2

FUGRO Rada Khadjinova, GM AK 5761 Silverado Way, Ste. O Anchorage, AK 99518 fugro.com akprojects@fugro.com 907-561-3478 Fugro collects data on topography, soil composition, and environmental conditions, both onshore and offshore. We organize the acquired data and add value through processing, interpretation, and visualization.

In addition, we provide geo-related design, asset inspection, and integrity advice.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1962/2003 | ~10,000/2

BUSINESS TRANSFORMED THROUGH MARKETING LEADERSHIP. LEAD THE CHARGE. | JOIN SMPS TODAY.

GOLDER ASSOCIATES Jeremiah Drage, Sr. Consultant/Group Leader 2121 Abbott Rd., Ste. 100 Anchorage, AK 99507 907-344-6001

www.smpsalaska.com

Arctic and geotechnical engineering, groundwater resource development, www.akbizmag.com

Alaska Business

February 2020 | 59

ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING DIRECTORY

Anchorage, AK 99503 emi-alaska.com lhelgeson@emi-alaska.com 907-272-9336

ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING DIRECTORY

environmental sciences, and remedial investigation.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1960/1980 | 6,500/31

sectors.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1947/1969 | 52,000/100

JENSEN YORBA WALL HAIGHT & ASSOCIATES Benjamin Haight, Pres.

526 Main St. Juneau, AK 99801 haight-assoc.com info@haight-assoc.com 907-586-9788 Consulting electrical engineers serving Southeast Alaska since 1980.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1980/1980 | 8/8

HDL ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS David Lundin, Principal/Pres.

3335 Arctic Blvd., Ste. 100 Anchorage, AK 99503 hdlalaska.com info@hdlalaska.com 907-564-2120 HDL provides engineering planning and design services throughout Alaska. This expertise includes civil site, drainage, and water/wastewater design; rural and urban aviation and highway design; geotechnical and hydrogeological evaluations and design recommendations; and construction administration.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 2000/2000 | 90/90

HDR Tim Gallagher, AK GM 2525 C St., Ste. 500 Anchorage, AK 99503 hdrinc.com akmarketinggroup@hdrinc.com 907-644-2000 Comprehensive infrastructure development services for transportation, water/ wastewater, solid waste, power, mining, federal, private land, and oil and gas, including engineering, environmental, planning, permitting, cultural resources, and public involvement. 10,000+ employees worldwide.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1917/1979 | 10,000/115

JACOBS Katie Bloom, Ops Mgr. 949 E. 36th Ave., Ste. 500 Anchorage, AK 99508 jacobs.com 907-762-1500 Jacobs leads the global professional services sector delivering solutions for a more connected, sustainable world.

Jacobs provides a full spectrum of services including scientific, technical, and program management for business, industrial, commercial, government and infrastructure 60 | February 2020

Wayne Jensen, AIA/Pres.

522 W. Tenth St. Juneau, AK 99801 jensenyorbawall.com dan@jensenyorbawall.com 907-586-1070 Planning, programming, design and construction administration for architecture, interior design, space planning, and construction management.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1935/1935 | 10/10

KAE Cyrus Randelia, Principal/Sr. Eng. PO Box 91970 Anchorage, AK 99509 kaeinalaska.com maia@kuskoae.com 907-276-2126 Engineering firm providing civil designs and construction management and contracting services for boardroads, boardwalks, roads, sanitation systems, and water distribution systems. 8(a) and DOT DBE certified.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1997/1997 | 15/15

KINNEY ENGINEERING Randy Kinney, Member 3909 Arctic Blvd., Ste. 400 Anchorage, AK 99503 kinneyeng.com info@kinneyeng.com 907-346-2373 Kinney Engineering is a multi-disciplined firm that provides a wide range of services.

Areas of expertise include traffic planning, analysis, and engineering; transportation engineering; civil engineering; electrical engineering; NEPA documentation; project management; and GIS services.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 2007/2007 | 35/35

KPB ARCHITECTS Mike Prozeralik, Pres.

500 L St., Ste. 400 Anchorage, AK 99501 907-274-7443 An award-winning architecture, planning, landscape architecture, and interior design firm specializing in arctic/cold climate design, K-12 education, multi-unit/multifamily housing, healthcare, and indigenous and culturally sensitive projects for federal, state, municipal, and private clients.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1981/1981 | 17/17

KUNA ENGINEERING Jay Hermanson, GM 4300 B St., Ste. 605

Anchorage, AK 99503 kunaeng.com 907-339-6500 Professional consulting services for energy; water/environmental; civil, electrical, structural and mechanical engineering; surveying; transportation; planning; and construction/program administration.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1981/1981 | 55/55

LANGDON ENGINEERING & SCIENTIFIC SERVICES Albert Swank, PE/Owner 318 W. Tenth Ave. Anchorage, AK 99501 le-m@ak.net 360-620-7046 Engineering, civil, structural, mechanical, machine design, manufacturing engineering, engineering physics, nuclear engineering, accelerators, medical cyclotron developments upgrade and operation, nuclear isotopes. Army, Navy, and DOD systems development and upgrade. Shops and offices in Alaska and Washington.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1980/1980 | 8/2

LCG LANTECH Wallace Swanson, Pres./CEO 250 H St. Anchorage, AK 99501 lcgak.com info@lcgak.com 907-243-8985 LCG Lantech (formerly Larsen Consulting Group) is a multi-disciplined firm providing architecture, structural, civil engineering, land surveying, mapping services, and landscape architecture to our rural and urban client base.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1993/1993 | 15/15

LIFEWATER ENGINEERING COMPANY Bob Tsigonis, Pres.

1963 Donald Ave. Fairbanks, AK 99701 LifewaterEngineering.com Info@lifewaterengineering.com 907-458-7024 Custom fabrication of welded plastic tanks, boats, and other products including sewage treatment plants for man camps, homes, and lodges in the most extreme climates and remote places. For Rough Duty Boats, visit www.Class5Boatworks.com.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1998/1998 | 10/10

LITTLE SUSITNA CONSTRUCTION CO. Dominic Lee, Owner 821 N St., Ste. 207 Anchorage, AK 99501

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING DIRECTORY

littlesu@ak.net 907-274-7571 A general, mechanical, and electrical contractor. Architects, civil, mechanical, and electrical engineers, licensed in twelve states. Construction project management.

Importer, exporter, and global project consultation.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1980/1980 | 20/20

LOUNSBURY & ASSOCIATES Tom Adams, Pres.

5300 A St. Anchorage, AK 99518 lounsburyinc.com info@lounsburyinc.com 907-272-5451 Civil engineering, land surveying, planning, construction management. Servicing local and state government, oil and gas industry, and private development. Offices in Anchorage, Wasilla, Fairbanks, and Kuparuk.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1949/1949 | 45/42

MBA CONSULTING ENGINEERS Bradley Sordahl, Principal 3812 Spenard Rd., Ste. 200 Anchorage, AK 99517 mba-consulting.net 907-274-2622 MBA Consulting Engineers, established in 1989, is a full service mechanical and electrical consulting engineering firm specializing in Arctic, subarctic, and northern maritime design.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1989/1989 | 13/13

MCCOOL CARLSON GREEN John Weir, Pres./CEO 421 W. First Ave., Ste. 300 Anchorage, AK 99501 mcgalaska.com marketing@mcgalaska.com 907-563-8474 McCool Carlson Green is an Alaskanowned architecture, planning, and interior design firm. The firm focus is the design of high-quality educational, civic, commercial, military, and healthcare facilities that flourish in complex environments.

Manufactured in Alaska

SHIPPING AVIATION PRODUCTS & INDUSTRIAL FABRIC PRODUCTS WORLDWIDE

Come visit our NEW showroom and retail location at 2424 E 5th Avenue, Anchorage AK 99501

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1983/1983 | 17/17

MEA Fred Monrean, PE PO Box 9343 Ketchikan, AK 99901 fmonrean@kpunet.net 907-254-8640 Civil engineering, surveying, wastewater design, subdivisions, structural engineering, storm drainage design, foundation engineering, inspections, engineering www.akbizmag.com

www.AirframesAlaska.com 907-331-4480 Alaska Business

www.AlaskaTent.com 907-456-6328 February 2020 | 61

ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING DIRECTORY

reports, marine structures, permitting, etc.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1997/1997 | 1/1

MERRICK ALASKA Chris Sherry, CEO/Pres.

3201 C St., Ste. 105 Anchorage, AK 99503 merrick.com hello@merrick.com 907-341-4720 Merrick Alaska is a full-service, multidisciplinary division of Merrick & Company that offers surveying, geospatial, and engineering services to our Alaska clients, including the oil and gas industry.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1955/2014 | 656/43

MICHAEL BAKER INTERNATIONAL Jeff Baker, Sr. VP/AK Ops Mgr. 3900 C St., Ste. 900 Anchorage, AK 99503 mbakerintl.com 907-273-1600 Engineering: transportation, pipeline, geotechnical, mechanical, civil; GIS and LiDAR; environmental/permitting/NEPA; public involvement.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1940/1942 | 3,000/43

MICHAEL L. FOSTER & ASSOCIATES Michael Foster, PE/Owner 13135 Old Glenn Hwy., Ste. 200 Eagle River, AK 99577 907-696-6200 Full service architectural/engineering firm providing planning, investigation, design, permitting, oil spill cleanup, environmental remediation, construction, and expert witness/litigation support services. Experts in civil, geotechnical, and environmental design and cold regions construction.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1998/1998 | 20/20

MORRIS ENGINEERING GROUP Mark Morris, Principal PO Box 210049 Auke Bay, AK 99821 907-789-3350 Electrical consulting; engineering; design; inspection; construction administration.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1997/2004 | 8/8

NANA WORLEYPARSONS Craig Morrison, Pres.

PO Box 111100 Anchorage, AK 99511 nanaworleyparsons.com info@nanaworleyparsons.com 907-273-3900 NANA WorleyParsons provides 62 | February 2020

multi-discipline engineering and design, project management, procurement, project controls, and construction management for various industries including hydrocarbons, mining, power and telecom, as well as other infrastructure projects.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1997/1997 | 265/265

NEW HORIZONS TELECOM Leighton Lee, CEO 901 Cope Industrial Way Palmer, AK 99645 nhtiusa.com 907-761-6000 Telecommunications design and construction. In-house engineering, installation, and project management services for urban and remote communications facilities, RF, OSP and ISP cabling, and equipment installation and integration, as well as commercial electrical and data design and construction.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1978/1978 | 75/75

Anchorage, AK 99511-3076 907-243-7254 Automotive engineering, accident reconstruction, failure analysis, machine design, stress analysis. Safety evaluation and education.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1991/1991 | 2/2

NORTHFORM ARCHITECTS Robert Meyer, VP 2525 Gambell St., Ste. 404 Anchorage, AK 99503 northformak.com robert@northformak.com 907-339-9200 Architecture services for new construction and renovations, including condition surveys and energy assessments/upgrades.

Interior design, master planning, space programming. Project types: healthcare, labs, K-12 and higher education, cultural, social services, military, mixed-use, housing, commercial offices, retail.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 2017/2017 | 6-8/6-8

NORTECH Peter Beardsley, Pres.

2400 College Rd. Fairbanks, AK 99709-3754 nortechengr.com info@nortechengr.com 907-452-5688 A multi-disciplined consulting firm with registered professional engineers and certified industrial hygienists on staff providing environmental, engineering, oil spill contingency planning, water/ wastewater, compliance, industrial hygiene, and health and safety professional services throughout Alaska.

PDC ENGINEERS Matt Emerson, Pres.

1028 Aurora Dr. Fairbanks, AK 99709 pdceng.com 907-452-1414 PDC is an all-Alaskan multi-discipline firm with five offices across the state. We are aligned with four sectors: transportation, facilities, utilities, and land development services, with civil, electrical, structural, mechanical, fire protection, and environmental engineers.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1979/1979 | 25/25

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1975/1975 | 100/97

NORTHERN LAND USE RESEARCH ALASKA

PM&E SERVICES

Lindsay Simmons, GM 725 Christensen Dr., Ste. 4 Anchorage, AK 99501 northernlanduse.com lja@northernlanduse.com 907-345-2457 National Historic Preservation Act Sec. 106 assessments; identification, evaluation, mitigation services; prehistoric/historic archaeology, historic architecture, cultural landscapes, and subsistence; documents for NEPA and permitting; regulatory compliance; consultation; groundpenetrating radar.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1991/1991 | 7/4

NORTHERN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING Jay Smith, PE/Pres.

PO Box 113076

Damien Stella, Principal 123 E. 24th Ave., #11 Anchorage, AK 99503 907-222-5059 Project management and civil engineering support to a broad range of clients from municipal utilities to commercial and light industrial facilities.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1999/1999 | 1/1

PND ENGINEERS Jim Campbell, Pres.

1506 W. 36th Ave. Anchorage, AK 99503 pndengineers.com 907-561-1011 General civil, structural, geotechnical, Arctic, marine, and coastal engineering; survey; permitting; hydrology; metocean; quality assurance; inspection.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1979/1979 | 106/79

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

Len Story, CEO 9101 Vanguard Dr. Anchorage, AK 99507 rmconsult.com email@rmconsult.com 907-522-1707

ENHANCING LIFE IN RURAL ALASKA SINCE 1995

Civil, waterfront (marine), structural, and geotechnical engineering; land surveying; geology; environmental; transportation and land use planning; construction administration; materials testing; special inspection; hydrology; right of way and lands consulting; GIS services; public involvement.

Tok (home office) Anchorage Fairbanks

scsalaska.com

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1969/1969 | 100/100

• Sales • Ser vice • Par ts

R&M ENGINEERING-KETCHIKAN Trevor Sande, Pres.

7180 Revilla Rd., Ste. 300 Ketchikan, AK 99901 907-225-7917 R&M Engineering-Ketchikan is a civil engineering and surveying company with architectural and structural engineering capacity serving southern Southeast Alaska from offices in Ketchikan and Craig. We also specialize in materials testing and inspection and have an ADEC certified microbiology lab.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1989/1989 | 18/18

907.291.2339 907.563.5675 907.458.7747

Before

Transportation Tank & Trailer SERVICE CENTER

907-451-8265 (TANK) 800-692-5844 3050 Van Horn ~ Fairbanks, AK

After

Service – Contact Timothy Hanson Parts – Contact Tara Hogan • National Board “R” Stamp & DOT Inspections & Certifications • Leak Repairs, Rebarrels & Tank Change Outs • Bottom Loading, Vapor Recovery Conversions, Pumping Systems • Large Parts Inventory

REDPATH USA CORPORATION George Flumerfelt, Pres./CEO 16345 Lena Loop Rd. Juneau, AK 99801 redpathmining.com 907-789-3752 Underground mining contractor. Mine development, construction, and production mining. Hydroelectric tunneling and penstocks, tunnel repair, and rehabilitation.

Alaska Projects: Pogo Mine, Kensington Mine, Allison Lake—Copper Valley, Chugach Lake-Chugach Electric, Sitka Blue Lake, AEL&P Lake Dorothy.

We create places that help communities thrive stantec.com

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1962/1991 | 3,000/30

Nightmute K-12 School

www.akbizmag.com

Alaska Business

February 2020 | 63

ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING DIRECTORY

R&M CONSULTANTS

ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING DIRECTORY

REID MIDDLETON Bob Galteland, Pres.

4300 B St., Ste. 302 Anchorage, AK 99503 reidmiddleton.com 907-562-3439 We offer structural engineering, civil engineering, and surveying throughout all market sectors, including buildings, bridges, and waterfront to public and private sector clients throughout the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and California.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1953/1991 | 76/8

RIM ARCHITECTS Larry Cash, CEO 645 G St., Ste. 400 Anchorage, AK 99501 rimarchitects.com alaska@rimarchitects.com 907-258-7777 RIM Architects has provided excellence in comprehensive architectural design and client service throughout Alaska since 1986.

RIM also has offices in California, Guam, and Hawaii. The firm provides full-service architectural design for projects of all sizes and scope.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1986/1986 | 70/23

645 G St., Ste. 301 Anchorage, AK 99501 salt-ak.com nschmidt@salt-ak.com 907-279-6563 SALT, formerly RIM Design + RIM First People, is a Native-owned, woman-owned small business in Alaska. Comprehensive design services including corporate, retail, healthcare, education, hospitality, FF&E, BOMA, building file management, master planning, facilitation, stakeholder engagement, strategic planning.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1978/1978 | 7/7

SCHNEIDER STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS Steve Cinelli, Office Mgr. 731 I St., Ste. 200 Anchorage, AK 99501 sastructural.com kschaetze@sastructural.com 907-561-2135 Twenty-year-old national firm, with local Alaska roots, partners with AEC Firms to collaborate on structural design for K-12, vertical commercial construction, mixeduse, hospitals, bio-science, oil and gas, military and more.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1999/2003 | 23/6

RPKA is an Alaska Native, family-owned and -operated, civil engineering firm with 39 years of broad-spectrum experience traversing Alaska, specializing in urban and rural infrastructure projects, contract administration, construction administration, bridge inspections, and survey services.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1980/1980 | 14/14

RSA ENGINEERING Roger Weese, Pres.

670 W. Fireweed Ln., Ste. 200 Anchorage, AK 99503 rsa-ak.com info@rsa-ak.com 907-276-0521 Mechanical and electrical consulting engineering services for more than thirty years. RSA specializes in providing mechanical and electrical design solutions that are affordable, maintainable, and sensible for the project location.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1983/1986 | 35/35

SALT Michael Fredericks, Pres.

64 | February 2020

STANTEC Gord Johnston, Pres./CEO 725 E. Fireweed Ln., Ste. 200 Anchorage, AK 99503 stantec.com 907-276-4245 At Stantec we always design with community in mind. We care about the communities we serve—because they’re our communities too. We’re designers, engineers, scientists, and project managers, innovating together at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1954/1972 | 22,000/80

SUMMIT CONSULTING SERVICES David Cramer, Principal HC 72 Box 850 Tok, AK 99780 scsalaska.com 907-291-2339 Remote Alaska community improvement project civil design and construction management services (including force account). Remote community waste management equipment sales and training.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1995/1995 | 13/13

RODNEY P. KINNEY ASSOCIATES Rodney Kinney, Jr. PE SE/Pres.

16515 Centerfield Dr., Ste. 101 Eagle River, AK 99577 rpka@rpka.net 907-694-2332

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1954/1974 | 300/60

SDG Luanne Urfer, Principal/Owner 247 S. Alaska St. Palmer, AK 99645 sdg-ak.com luanneu@sdg-ak.com 907-745-3500 SDG is a woman-owned, small business design firm in Palmer offering innovative land architecture and environmental solutions. Using our specialized process, we create exceptional, high quality, efficient planning and development services integrating our work with cultural and sustainable design.

TAKU ENGINEERING William Mott, GM 406 W. Fireweed Ln. Anchorage, AK 99503 takuengineering.com billmott@takuengineering.com 907-562-1247 An Alaskan-owned and -operated engineering firm dedicated to providing innovative engineering and corrosion control design solutions.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 2001/2001 | 15/15

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 2009/2009 | 5/3

TRIHYDRO CORPORATION SHANNON & WILSON Chris Darrah, VP/FBX Office Mgr. 2355 Hill Rd. Fairbanks, AK 99709-5326 shannonwilson.com info-fairbanks@shanwil.com 907-479-0600 Environmental and geotechnical engineering services throughout Alaska, with offices in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Palmer. Services include geotechnical analysis/design; frozen ground engineering; environmental compliance, assessments/ remediation; earthquake analysis; and other services.

Jack Bedessem, Pres./CEO 312 Tyee St. Soldotna, AK 99669 trihydro.com information@trihydro.com 907-262-2315 Trihydro specializes in strategic project implementation, air quality and process management, engineering and surveying, environmental, water resources, and IT consulting. We serve a diverse clientele: petroleum, federal and state, mining and natural resources, industrial and commercial, and infrastructure.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1984/2015 | 495/8

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

VEI CONSULTANTS

WORLEY

Jenwei T. Chien, Owner/PE 1000 O’Malley Rd., Ste. 200 Anchorage, AK 99515 unigroupengineers.com admin@unigroupengineers.com 907-345-3647

Vern Roelfs, Pres.

1345 Rudakof Cir., Ste. 201 Anchorage, AK 99508-6105 veiconsultants.com vernr@veiconsultants.com 907-337-3330

Jeff Doyle, VP Ops Arctic 949 E. 36th Ave., Ste. 500 Anchorage, AK 99508 worley.com 907-275-5100

Uni-Group Engineers is a small mechanical engineering practice. Since 2002, we have provided mechanical engineering design and construction administration services across Alaska. As a small company, UniGroup is highly efficient and exceptionally dedicated to providing quality service.

Civil and environmental engineering, land surveying for local communities, governments, and private clients. Full range of services from feasibility studies through design, permitting, and construction administration.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 2002/2002 | 6/6

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1981/1981 | 5/5

Our integrated offerings cover full asset management services including engineering, procurement, fabrication, construction, maintenance, modification, operations, wells and fluids, equipment and fleet services, and camp services in support of greenfield and brownfield assets.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 1962/1962 | 60,000/1,000

WILLIAM MERRIMAN ARCHITECTS VALLEY GENERAL ENERGY SERVICES Justin Shields, Pres.

1400 E. Wasilla Shops Cir., Ste. 2B Wasilla, AK 99654 vgesllc.com kdenoncour@vgesllc.com 907-357-8444

William Merriman, Owner/Principal 700 W. 59th Ave., Unit G Anchorage, AK 99518 merrimanarchitects.com office@merrimanarchitects.com 907-929-2950

Consulting, logistics, management, employee placement, procurement, architecture, and engineering services.

Led by Will Merriman, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, William Merriman Architects was founded to be singularly focused on residential architecture in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest in 2013. Licensed architecture practice in Alaska and Washington.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 2016/2016 | 4/4

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 2013/2013 | 2/1

Z ARCHITECTS Marco Zaccaro, Owner/Principal PO Box 842 Girdwood, AK 99587 zarchitectsalaska.com Kalie@zarch-ak.com 907-783-1090 Z Architects is a full-service architecture firm that includes master planning, commercial and residential design, interior design, and permitting services.

Year Founded/Est. in Alaska | Worldwide/Alaska Employees: 2003/2003 | 6/6

The Sway of 15 Seconds

By Christine Merki Account Manager

C

an you be objective? Here’s a test: If you logged onto your website today for the first time, how long would you stay? What, if anything, would keep you looking at your homepage for more than 15 seconds? That’s the challenge that every business with a website today faces. While there are many ways to keep visitors engaged, one of the most

efficient is blogging.

If you haven’t ventured down the blogging road, here are some key benefits to the practice:

connecting with even more people in your network and driving fresh conversations with your target audience.

1. Fresh Content: Simply put, if you want people to keep coming back to your website, you have to give them a reason, and fresh content is king.

While blogging may seem daunting, remember that you are an expert in your field, and sharing that expertise can benefit your audience and your bottom line.

2. Search Engine Optimization: Fresh blogging content added on a regular basis can improve your website search ranking and visibility and gives your brand a voice that sets you up as an expert in your field, helping you stand out from your competitors.

3. Connecting with a Larger Audience: Blog content can be repurposed.

You can slightly modify it or just repost it on all social channels, – SPO N S O R E D C O N T E N T–

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Alaska Business

February 2020 | 65

ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING DIRECTORY

UNI-GROUP ENGINEERS

A L A S K A N AT I V E

Contaminated Conveyances Determining liablity and finding funds hinder cleanup of ANCSA lands

By Isaac Stone Simonelli

66 | February 2020

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

A

lthough the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) was passed in 1972, the conveyance of lands to the Alaska Native corporations formed by that act faces ongoing issues, including the fact that many of the lands were contaminated while not under Alaska Native ownership. The pace at which this is being resolved is unacceptable and unreasonable according to US Senator Lisa Murkowski, who calls it a “raw deal.”

The contaminants on some of these lands—which include arsenic, asbestos, lead, mercury, pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, and petroleum products—pose health concerns to Native Alaskan communities, negatively impact subsistence resources, and hamper economic activity, according to the Alaska Native Village Corporation Association.

“In a settlement with the government, Alaska Native peoples were promised— were promised—certain lands… and then when the conveyance has been made, you then find out that what you have received is contaminated property,” Murkowski says.

“It is damaged goods, effectively.

And you are a small, small village, and you're up against the federal government saying, ‘Hey, don't you have a responsibility to clean this up before you give it to us?’ It is truly a situation that is daunting.”

The transferred lands belong not only to some of the 198 Alaska Native village corporations but also to the 12 Alaska Native regional corporations.

Nonetheless, the costs of cleanup and the federal government’s ties to the liability in many cases have hampered the speed of remedial efforts, according to Murkowski.

“If it had been the private sector that had occupied these lands, contaminated them, and then walked away, you can bet that there would be no end to the repercussions, the financial assessments, the punitive damages. Yet, because it's the federal government, it's kind of like, 'Well, I guess we'll get to that when we get to that.' That's not acceptable and it's not reasonable,” Murkowski says.

In 1971, ANCSA settled Alaska Native aboriginal land claims in exchange for titles to 44 million acres of land,

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a $963 million cash payment from the federal treasury, and additional oil revenue sharing. In an effort to enable statewide economic development, the act also created more than 200 village corporations and 12 regional corporations, some of which have since merged to combine resources or otherwise better serve their shareholders.

“In many cases, the presence of contamination was known by the responsible agency. However, because ANCSA had no provision for considering contamination, the BLM had no mechanism for establishing the presence or absence of contamination on lands to be conveyed.”

Paul Krabacher, Project Lead 2016 Report to Congress: Hazardous Substance Contamination of Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act Lands in Alaska

Congress directed the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to oversee the transfer of federal lands to the thennewly established ANCs. The first Alaska Business

ANCSA conveyance occurred in 1974. To date, about 36 million of the promised 44 million acres have been conveyed.

Though the BLM is not allowed to knowingly transfer contaminated land, which prevents ANCs from returning such land back to the federal government, there were no systems in place at the initial time of conveyance to inform the agency that some of the millions of acres set to be transferred were contaminated.

In 2016, the BLM presented its Report to Congress: Hazardous Substance Contamination of Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act Lands in Alaska. The report included an inventory of all known contaminated sites conveyed to ANCSA landowners, as well as recommendations for cleanup. It came nearly twenty years after a similar 1998 report to Congress.

“There's a lot of contaminated sites that were conveyed and many have been cleaned up in the past,” says John Halverson, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation’s contaminated sites program manager.

“This report is focused more on the sites where contamination remains and sites where prior cleanup efforts may not be sufficient.”

The 2016 BLM report identified 920 contaminated sites conveyed to ANCSA landowners, based on data collected by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and several federal agencies.

“Of those, 328 sites have been cleaned up, 338 sites require additional cleanup, 242 sites have sufficient land use controls to prevent human exposure, and 12 sites have no confirmed release of contaminants,” the report states.

Though the BLM was—and remains— in charge of conveying land to ANCs, at the time when many of the lands were first conveyed to regional and village corporations, the department says it was uninformed of the contaminants.

“In many cases, the presence of contamination was known by the responsible agency. However, because ANCSA had no provision for considering contamination, the BLM had no mechanism for establishing the presence or absence of contamination on lands to be conveyed,” explains Paul Krabacher, the project lead for the 2016 Report to Congress. “We don't have February 2020 | 67

the authority to compel action was the main message that we delivered in that 2016 report.”

Instead of the BLM, the responsibility for ensuring the lands are cleaned up ultimately falls on the shoulders of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Though not responsible for picking up the tab, ADEC does oversee cleanup of all contaminated sites in Alaska, including those identified on land conveyed to ANCs, explains Halverson.

Establishing liability, however, is more difficult, as the lands were managed by various federal government bodies, as well as leased out to private sector operations. One of the many factors stymying efforts to clean up the contaminated lands is compiling a sitespecific history on each property and determining who is responsible.

“Liability provisions in both state and federal laws are broad—and that's by intent so that the burden doesn't fall back to the state or the federal governments to do the cleanups unless they are the responsible parties or liable parties,” Halverson says. “It depends on who caused the release, who owned the land at the time of the release, and what's happened since then.”

However, the liability provisions are even broader than that, extending to current owners and operators, which was one of the challenges with the ANC sites, Halverson says. Up until 2018, the state had some limited liability relief for corporations that received contaminated land.

“That was obviously very concerning for the corporations,” Halverson says.

That changed with the passage of the 2018 Brownfields Utilization, Investment, and Local Development (BUILD) Act, which established that corporations that received land under ANCSA aren't liable for contamination that existed at the time of conveyance as long as they didn't cause or contribute to it.

“For years, it’s been unclear who is ultimately responsible for cleanup of lands conveyed to ANCs that were contaminated by the federal government,” Senator Dan Sullivan says. “[The BUILD Act provision] is a first step in righting a wrong. We aren’t done.

We’ll continue to fight to ensure that federal agencies take responsibility for all 68 | February 2020

lands in Alaska that they contaminated,” Sullivan says.

The BUILD Act is making a significant difference, Halverson says.

“ANCs were hesitant to notify us of contamination because they were concerned that they would then be held liable and have to undertake the cleanup work,” Halverson says.

Prior to the changes, ANCs were ineligible for cleanup grants, such

“If it had been the private sector that had occupied these lands, contaminated them, and then walked away, you can bet that there would be no end to the repercussions, the financial assessments, the punitive damages.

Yet, because it's the federal government, it's kind of like, well, I guess we'll get to that when we get to that.

That's not acceptable and it's not reasonable.”

Senator Lisa Murkowski

as EPA Brownfield grants, because they were responsible parties per the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, explains Alaska Native Village Corporation Association Executive Director Hallie Bissett.

This left them responsible for the cleanup of land they received in exchange for settling land claims.

In some cases, the passing of the BUILD Act was less useful to ANCs, as contaminated land sometimes becomes landfill sites for villages.

“There was a dumpsite and then the local community members just turned that into a landfill,” says Brennan Cain, vice president and general counsel for The Eyak Corporation. “And that's where there is a big problem because through the Native American Lands Environmental Mitigation Program—as far as I understand it—the government wants all the responsible parties to come together, which is challenging for the ANC. Even if you're 10 percent or 20 percent liable, that can still be an enormous bill, especially for a village corporation to have to foot.”

Though the exact cost of the cleanups is hard to estimate, the Alaska Native Village Corporation Association estimates it is in the tens of billions of dollars.

Nearly half (162) of the sites identified by ADEC that still need to be cleaned up were owned or operated by the Department of Defense prior to transfer, according to the 2016 Report to Congress. Many of these were part of the World War II and the Cold War buildups in the Last Frontier. The next largest category was “State of Alaska and state political subdivisions,” which comprises 51 sites.

While gathering the funding necessary for these cleanups is slow, establishing the liable party is much easier for military sites than for the little more than 100 contaminated sites that are considered orphaned. For these sites, the ADEC must identify an existing financially viable liable party or parties.

“For example, where a mining company operated for a period of time and it no longer exists, it may have been purchased by a successor company or it may have simply gone out of business,” Halverson says. “If there's no responsible party that's left, the landowner still would have liability.”

In those cases, ADEC has to establish which federal government agency owned the land or managed it at the time of contamination to establish liability. In other cases, there may be many parties with liability and negotiation is needed

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to determine how to divide up the costs and conduct the cleanup.

Though those cases are particularly murky, others are much more straightforward, such as the Buskin Beach land conveyance.

According to a statement by Natives of Kodiak (NOK), the corporation was allowed to select 23,040 acres of land within “reasonable proximity” of the municipality of Kodiak in lieu of direct cash payments with the understanding that they held significant future economic value.

Limited availability of federal lands within the designated area resulted in the corporation receiving only about 5 percent of the acres promised, among those 743 acres known as the Buskin Beach property.

“In its ongoing efforts to provide financial benefits to its shareholders, NOK has continually sought to develop its Buskin Beach lands as a residential subdivision and commercial property, an obligation ultimately rendered impossible to fulfill due to the property’s serious environmental contamination—which was NOT

PROPERLY DISCLOSED to NOK, by the Federal Government, prior to land conveyance,” the document reads.

The site, which was previously the central headquarters for US Army Fort Greely during World War II, contains various types of contamination as it was an asphalt and metal disposal area and housed an underground storage tank site and grease pit.

“Due to the existence of groundwater contamination, NOK is unable to develop this land or sell it to a third party in its current condition,” the document reads, noting that, despite years of remediation efforts by Army Corps of Engineers, the land remains significantly contaminated.

“Our shareholders have been unduly and unfairly penalized financially by this situation for more than forty years and it is time to permanently and equitably rectify it.”

The corporation continues to get regular updates on the levels of contamination of the property, confirms NOK Vice President David Anderson.

And, despite the significant setbacks, Anderson says that the corporation is moving forward with finding

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development opportunities to better support their shareholders.

Cain points out that several ANCs have not pursued or been able to pursue certain economic opportunities on their land because of contamination.

“Somebody wanted to do a hunting lodge, which can make pretty good money, people spend a lot of money on those trips, but they couldn’t because the land they were considering using was contaminated,” Cain says.

Though such economic impacts are troubling for ANCs, there is more work to be done than money allocated to do it. With limited budgets and cleanup for some sites—such as those with heavy metal contaminants—being decadelong projects, the ADEC is working with various federal agencies and ANCs to prioritize efforts.

Following the 2016 report, the Alaska Native Village Corporation Association formed a contaminated lands working group and continued to work directly 70 | February 2020

with the Army Corps of Engineers with the intent of prioritizing sites for cleanup. Additionally, it’s been working with members to apply for cleanup funds, putting them in partnerships with companies that have significant past performance with environmental cleanup so that they can train their own people locally and gain valuable skill sets where they are needed the most, Bissett says.

“We do try to focus our efforts first on the highest risk sites. Those would be ones where you've got contaminants that people are being exposed to, especially on a regular basis. So, for example, sites with drinking water impacts—those go to the top of the list,” Halverson says. “Or if we have high concentrations of contaminants in, say, surface soils in an area that people use regularly—such as a residential area or a populated area—there’s a greater potential for exposure.”

Another set of factors that are

considered when establishing priorities are the properties of the contaminants, such as how persistent they are and whether they bioaccumulate. Unlike petroleum products, which naturally breakdown over time, heavy metals and PCBs are extremely persistent, making them higher priorities, says Halverson.

“Some of those persistent contaminants also will bioaccumulate in people, wildlife, or plants. So, those are a higher concern than something that doesn't bioaccumulate,” he explains.

Alaska shares a full list of environmental contaminants that pose health concerns to the rest of the country, including heavy metals and organic compounds, says Michael Brubaker, the director of Community Environmental Health for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.

“There are some new actors such as PFAS [perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances] that we are all learning more about right now. And there are the longer

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term, well-recognized sources such as DDT which is no longer manufactured in the US or polychlorinated biphenyls,” Brubaker says. “What is different in Alaska is the routes of exposure.”

For those living in Unalakleet, the exposure to PCBs comes via the Air Force-operated North River Radio Relay Station, which was open from 1958 to 1978.

“When military activities in the surrounding area ended, buildings, debris, and thousands of 55-gallon drums were left behind, saturating the tundra and infecting the local food and water sources,” a Unalakleet statement issued in 2013 reads. “In fact, the land around the former RRS is used for hunting, berry picking, and recreation.

Soil contaminated by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was discovered on the site on July 10, 2003.”

Though cleanup began in 2004, with the Air Force removing 31,350 pounds of contaminated soil, a larger volume than estimated was found and logistical complications prevented the removal of all contaminated soil.

“The contaminated soil still exists with

“Our shareholders have been unduly and unfairly penalized financially by this [contaminated land] situation for more than forty years and it is time to permanently and equitably rectify it.”

Natives of Kodiak

fencing and warning signs around it,” according to the statement.

In 2013, Unalakleet Village

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Transportation Planner Stephen Ivanoff testified in front of the EPA, asserting that PCBs still exist on Unalakleet land.

“Parkinson's disease had not been seen in the Alaska Native population in the past. I believe PCBs and other toxics left behind by the military contributed to the disease I and others have been diagnosed with,” Ivanoff says.

Epidemiological and experimental studies have identified exposure to PCBs as a potential risk factor for Parkinson's disease, according to Association Between Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Parkinson's Disease Neuropathology published by Emory University School of Medicine’s Center for Neurodegenerative Disease.

How contaminated land sites are cleaned once funding is made available varies from site to site, Halverson says.

The first point of division is under which rules the cleanup will be conducted, as there are both federal and state environmental laws. Though any cleanups can be done under state regulations, many federal agencies prefer to work under EPA regulations by following those established through

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“ANCs were hesitant to notify us of contamination because they were concerned that they would then be held liable and have to undertake the cleanup work.”

John Halverson Contaminated Sites Program Manager, ADEC

the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act or Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Either way, the contractor leading the charge on the cleanup will need to conduct fieldwork, taking samples from the soil, groundwater, surface water— whatever is determined necessary to 72 | February 2020

ascertain how far the contaminants have moved in the environment, Halverson says.

The resulting site characterization report is then submitted to the ADEC and in some cases the EPA, which will dictate what needs to be included in the cleanup plan. Once approved, the contractor can move forward with the cleanup.

“The bottom line is that the cleanups take a long time. It's pretty easy to spill contaminants and create a problem, [but] it takes a long time to clean them up, unfortunately,” Halverson says.

After cleanup, similar steps are taken to prove that the cleanup satisfies the agencies’ requirements, Halverson adds.

Cain points out one way for the ANCs to capitalize on contaminated lands is by becoming engaged with the cleanup as contractors, which out of the gate could provide shareholders with additional training.

“There's pride associated with that.

There's employment,” Cain says. “And it could be these companies end up doing more work in Alaska. You sort of help impoverished people, impoverished communities develop an

economic engine.”

However, Cain says that he recognizes there are limited amounts of funds each year to engage with cleanups.

But they must nonetheless be chipped away at.

“It's going to be a long time before all of them are clean, but—sort of like the whole eating an elephant—you got to take it one bite at a time and you've got to keep going,” Cain says.

Murkowski says she sympathizes with the situation the ANCs face.

“You can't take the federal government to court for this. You basically just have to try to make your case for why it's a priority. But we have worked on so many of these different issues over the years. Trying to find, is there a trade that can be made? Is there a way that you can help to offset these costs somehow or reduce the costs that are out there?”

Murkowski asks.

“It is everywhere from Kodiak Island to Point Lay—to all points in between … We are competing [for funding] with many [contaminated sites] across the country and with extraordinary high cost to remediate—but it's gotta be done. We've got the obligation we need to make it happen.”

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OIL & GAS

Changing Players in Evolving Oil Fields The North Slope is gearing up for the new decade

By Amy Newman

Š Gary Schultz / Alaska Stock

74 | February 2020

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

www.akbizmag.com

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February 2020 | 75

“This effort to sell down some of our interests is really a way to better manage the capital requirements that we’re going to need to move forward with all of this work that we have planned in the future. We see a lot of potential in the North Slope, considering that it’s under the current tax regime, so what we’re trying to do is spread out the risk and reward a little bit.”

Natalie Lowman, Director of Communications ConocoPhillips Alaska

76 | February 2020

P

hope to close on the deal during the second quarter of 2020; Alaska law imposes no timeline on when the state must complete its review.

Alaska’s oil and gas industry saw a huge shake-up in 2019 when BP announced the $5.6 billion sale of its Alaska assets to Hilcorp. The sale encompasses BP’s 26 percent working interest in Prudhoe Bay, its non-operating interests at the Point Thomson and Milne Point fields and the Liberty project, exploration leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, its shares of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System, and midstream interests in the Milne Point and Point Thomson pipelines. According to an August 2019 press release, Hilcorp will pay $4 billion in the near-term, with the remaining $1.6 billion paid through an earnout.

State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Commissioner Corri Feige told legislators at a joint session of the Senate and House resources committees in December that the DNR was one-third of the way through its review of the sale; the Regulatory Commission of Alaska is also examining portions of the sale, including ownership transfer of the pipeline.

BP Alaska spokesperson Megan Baldino says BP will continue to operate the Prudhoe Bay assets until the sale is finalized. BP and Hilcorp

The big news from ConocoPhillips Alaska is the planned sale of 25 percent of its working interest in the Kuparuk River Unit on the western North Slope, which includes Alpine and undeveloped acreage in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Natalie Lowman, director of communications for ConocoPhillips Alaska, says the sale will help the company realize the full potential of its remaining North Slope assets.

“This effort to sell down some of our interests is really a way to better manage the capital requirements that we’re going to need to move forward with all of this work that we have planned in the future,” she says. “We see a lot of potential in the North Slope, considering that it’s under the current tax regime, so what we’re trying to do is spread out the risk and reward a little bit.”

Lowman says that ConocoPhillips has been considering a co-venture since it purchased the Kuparuk assets from BP in 2018.

Though she couldn’t discuss which companies, if any, have come forward as potential buyers, Lowman says ConocoPhillips will retain operatorship of the sold assets on top of having a 75 percent majority ownership interest.

In terms of 2020 projects, the most significant is Greater Moose’s Tooth 2 (GMT-2), which has “been in the mix for a number of years” and was finally sanctioned in 2018, ConocoPhillips’ Vice President of External Affairs and Transportation Scott Jepsen said during a presentation to the Resource Development Council in November. Roughly 700 people worked to lay gravel last winter, and work is expected to continue the next two winter seasons to meet the 2021 first oil target.

“This is going to be a pretty big project,” Jepsen said. “It’s a single drill site, but it’s a new field that we’re developing. This is not connected to the Alpine field; it's a standalone reservoir that will produce 40,000 barrels per day gross at peak, with forty-eight wells, and cost over $1

inpointing the exact date new oil operations will come online and their subsequent production levels is an educated guess at best. Even then, access to funding; the permitting process; environmental regulations; changes in local, state, or federal government administrations; or, as is happening now in Alaska, attempts to change the oil tax structure, can all derail those estimates.

Predictions are, as oil and gas executives are careful to point out at investor meetings and presentations, “forward-looking statements” based on the circumstances that exist when the predictions are made and outcomes are, for better or worse, subject to change. With that in mind, here are the 2020 projections for Alaska’s North Slope, from continuations of appraisal and exploration projects begun in 2019 to big changes among the major players.

BP

ConocoPhillips

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billion to build.”

The arrival of an extended reach drilling (ERD) rig from Canada will allow ConocoPhillips to finally begin development in Fiord West, which is in the northwest corner of the Alpine field. Internally called “The Beast,” Jepsen said the ERD rig can cover an area greater than 154-square miles and is capable of drilling more than seven miles away from the pad, triple the area that can be drilled from its existing drill sites.

“We could not develop this area without this rig,” he said. “It’s been on our books for about twenty years or so, but we could never figure out a way to build it economically or get the permits to build the facility even if it made economic sense, because it’s an area that’s pretty environmentally sensitive.”

In addition to these two projects, ConocoPhillips will continue exploration and appraisal of its Willow and Harpoon prospects with plans for seven wells— four appraisal wells at Willow and three exploration wells southwest of Willow at Harpoon, Lowman says. There are also plans to drill additional horizontal wells from the existing Alpine drill site into the Narwhal accumulation.

ConocoPhillips is also in the planning stages for development of the Nuna Prospect, which it acquired from Caelus in 2019. Expansion of the Kuparuk River Unit will allow for production of Nuna through the Kuparuk facilities, making production easier and more cost-efficient, Jepsen said. Lowman says it should take a winter’s worth of work to lay the gravel pad; work in infrastructure tie-ins, modules, and pipe racks; and create space to drill the wells for a projected 2022 startup.

The projects are expected to create 1,300 jobs in capital projects and exploration activities.

“That includes everything we need to execute the entire winter season,” Lowman says. “So that includes building 160 miles of ice roads, supporting the exploration teams, staffing two rigs to drill those seven exploration wells, and continuing construction on GMT-2.”

Greater Moose's Tooth 2 Project

48 WELLS

Thank you, Alaska.

BP has had the privilege of working in this state since 1959. It’s been an honor to be part of your community and your lives.

This state, and these people, will always be part of the fabric of our company.

We sincerely thank you all for the time we’ve shared.

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Oil Search Oil Search continues to move forward with maintenance and development projects in the www.akbizmag.com

Alaska Business

February 2020 | 77

“We could not develop [Fiord West] without this [extended reach drilling] rig. It’s been on our books for about twenty years or so, but we could never figure out a way to build it economically or get the permits to build the facility even if it made economic sense, because it’s an area that’s pretty environmentally sensitive.”

Scott Jepsen Vice President of External Affairs ConocoPhillips Alaska

78 | February 2020

Nanushuk field, part of its 2018 Pikka Unit Development acquisition, along with satellite fields Alpine Fairways and the Horseshoe discovery. In 2019 Oil Search exercised the $450 million Armstrong Energy/GMT Exploration Co. option, which doubled the company’s interests in the Pikka Unit, Horseshoe Block, and other exploration leases, spokesperson Amy Burnett says.

This year Oil Search plans to test Nanushuk analogs in the Mitquq and Stirrup Prospects with a two rig, two drill site exploration program, Burnett says. The Mitquq Prospect is located less than 10 kilometers from the Pikka ND -A Pad; the Stirrup Prospect, located in the Horseshoe Block, is adjacent to and a direct analog to the Horseshoe 1 discover y Armstrong Energy drilled in 2015. The option exists for Oil Search to core and test both in the event of success.

Oil Search is currently undertaking activities to advance an early production scenario, Burnett says.

This would include one drill site and the required roads, pipelines, and other infrastructure needed to support early production of an estimated 30,000 barrels of oil per day in 2022.

“Construction of the gravel roads and pads associated with the early production system will begin this winter,” Burnett says. “This system includes part of the road system and one of the drill sites associated with the full project.” Construction is expected to carry over to next winter, she adds.

In December, as part of the company’s pre-FEED work, resource specialist Ryder Scott conducted an assessment of the Pikka project, which produced welcome news—a revised estimate that the development holds 728 million barrels of gross 2C contingent recoverable oil, a 46 percent increase over the previous 500-million-barrel estimate.

Oil Search expects to enter frontend engineering design (FEED) for full project development scope of the Pikka Project in early 2020, though that is “contingent on a joint venture approval and finalization of several third-party agreements,” the

company states.

Oil Search also plans to divest 15 percent of its 51 percent interest in Pikka and adjacent exploration leases, though even with the divestment, Oil Search will remain the Pikka Unit operator.

A final investment decision for Pikka is anticipated during the third quarter of this year, with first production of an estimated 120,000 barrels of oil per day expected in 2024.

Eni Petroleum Italian energy company Eni will resume operations at its Nikaitchuq North Exploration Project, which is drilled from the Spy Island Drill site, in 2020. Eni had to suspend drilling operations at the site in 2019 due to operational issues. Drilling is scheduled to begin this month, with target depth expected to be reached by the third quarter.

Eni’s plan also calls for drilling a second exploratory well at Nikaitchuq North, along with necessary facility upgrades to support the project.

Hilcorp Hilcorp will be working to take the reins from BP once the Alaska DNR and the Regulatory Commission of Alaska approve the sale. Baldino says she anticipates a transition period once the sale closes.

On top of assuming ownership and operation of BPs assets, Hilcorp plans to expand its polymer injection facility at F pad in the Milne Point Unit, located on the Beaufort Sea, as well as drill six development wells into the Ugnu Reservoir at the Milne Point Unit S pad, according to a permit issued by the Alaska Division of Oil & Gas.

Pantheon Resources Pantheon Resources is seeking a farmin partner for 90 percent to 100 percent working interest in its 177,000 gross acres on the North Slope, which have the potential to recover an estimated 1.2 billion barrels of oil.

Pantheon submitted plans and permitting requests to drill wells in both its Alkaid/Phecda and Talitha explorations last year, with drilling scheduled to begin at the Alkaid discovery in 2020.

Pantheon also plans to drill at Talitha

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during the winter season.

Advancements in 2019 allowed Pantheon to increase both its working interests and its technically recoverable resources.

“Our successful testing of Alkaid upgraded our P50 technically recoverable resource to 100 million barrels of oil [an additional 25 million barrels], and we concluded a transaction to increase our working interest in the Alkaid/Phecda by one-third to 100 percent,” CEO Jay Cheatham said in November.

Pantheon also acquired approximately 27,840 acres in the North Slope Areawide Lease sale held in December.

INTRODUCING THE ELECTRONIC NSTC CARD

88 Energy/Accumulate Energy Alaska Under a plan of operations approved by the Alaska Division of Oil & Gas in November, 88 Energy, through its subsidiary Accumulate Energy Alaska, will move forward with plans for an appraisal well at Charlie-1, part of its Icewine Project. The project’s primary objective is to test and evaluate the Seebee Formation for oil.

Designed as a step out appraisal of the Malguk-1, which was drilled by BP in 1991, a revised petrophysical analysis of the well and 88 Energy’s 2018 acquisition of a 3D seismic drill helped the company identif y what it interprets to be bypassed pay in Malguk. Charlie-1 will intersect seven stacked prospects, four of them believed to be oil-bearing and therefore appraisal targets. Drilling is expected to begin this month and run through April. The total gross mean prospective resource across all seven stacked targets is 1.6 billion barrels.

Operations also include construction and maintenance of 34 miles of ice roads along the Main TWR and Charlie TWR Spur, two ice pads—one drill and one staging—and a possible airstrip.

The project will be conducted under a farm-out agreement between Premier Oil and Burgundy Xploration, with Accumulate Energy in charge of operations and Premier Oil funding the project up to $23 million. Final approval of the project is expected to be granted ahead of the scheduled February spud date. www.akbizmag.com

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FISHERIES

Processing Alaska’s Marine Bounty

Copper River Seafood

A big-picture look at the billion-dollar industry

By Isaac Stone Simonelli 80 | February 2020

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

A

robust seafood processing industry in Alaska brings value not only to the fish being processed but the communities doing the work.

When looking at the Last Frontier’s seafood industry, it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that nearly all those working in it are daringly emptying crab traps or scooping thousands of pounds of salmon out of the ocean. But the reality is that a significant number of jobs created in the industry come from the seafood processing sector.

Statewide Overview Of the about 58,700 workers directly employed by the Alaska seafood industry, about 26,000 of them work in the seafood processing sector, according to the 2019 Economic Value of Alaska’s Seafood Industry study prepared for Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute by the McDowell Group.

The broader seafood industry directly employs more workers than any other private industry in Alaska, is the third-largest overall job creator in the state—including multiplier effects—and accounts for about 8 percent of total statewide employment, according to the report.

It goes on to point out that seafood is an economic cornerstone of many Alaska communities with more than 21,500 rural Alaskan residents directly employed by the industry in 2017-2018.

The impacts on individual coastal communities vary widely depending on what processing plants are set up in the region and what fish they process, as those that focus on only a few species tend to be more seasonal.

“Kodiak is probably the least seasonal place,” state economist Neal Fried explains. “They have a pretty busy processing season all year long. And, as a result, they have the lowest nonresident processing workforce in the state because it's a place where it happens all year long and where you can make a living.”

The flip side of the seafood processing model in Kodiak is that of Bristol Bay. “Some of those processors are only open two or three months out of the year but are still important taxpayers.

Both as a property taxpayer and the fish taxpayer,” Fried says, also noting that processing plants not only provide www.akbizmag.com

Alaska Business

substantial direct employment for those processing the fish but also for maintenance people and many others in the community.

The McDowell Group reports the economic impact on the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands is higher than other communities despite the relatively short season.

With 8,700 workers—full-time work equivalent of 4,800—in seafood processing plants in the Bering Sea and the Aleutian Islands, labor income for those regions is about $235 million annually. The total economic output is about $1.4 billion.

Kodiak processors, which operate nearly year-round and handle a variety of products from salmon to sea cucumbers, generate about $50 million in labor income, just ahead of the $47 million created in Bristol Bay. Despite similarities in labor income, the two headline fisheries in the Last Frontier stand in stark contrast in other ways. Bristol Bay employs more than double the number of people as Kodiak but provides only 100 more full-time equivalent jobs. Bristol Bay, which usually accounts for about 42 percent of the world’s sockeye salmon harvest, has an economic output of $390 million.

Kodiak’s seafood processing economic output sits at about $158 million, according to the report from McDowell.

Southeast is heavily dependent on the seafood industry, with the processing side generating about 1,700 full-time equivalent jobs and an economic value of $265 million.

“Seafood is the largest privatesector industry in Southeast Alaska, in terms of workforce size and labor income. Seafood accounted for 15 percent of the regional employment in 2017/2018, including multiplier impacts,” the report states. “Seafood is an important part of most local economies in Southeast but also provides an economic foundation for Sitka, Petersburg, Wrangell, Prince of Wales Island, Hoonah, Haines, and Yakutat.”

The only other major region for seafood processing in the Last Frontier is Southcentral, which generates an economic output of $323 million with a workforce slightly smaller than Kodiak’s.

Despite the relatively small economic February 2020 | 81

entities,” the report states.

Both the Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation and Yukon Delta Fisheries Development Association own several processing plants and buying stations, providing extensive support to the Arctic-Yukon Region fishing industry.

The total labor income for the seafood processing industry in Alaska totaled about $435 million during the 2017-2018 period.

Alaska Processors

Rockfish being filleted in Kodiak.

Kodiak Island Wildsource

output of $5 million from the ArcticYukon Region, the seafood industry continues to be an important source of cash income for remote communities.

“Seasonal income from seafood supports subsistence lifestyles in many Arctic-Yukon families. ArcticYukon is also home to three (of the six) Community Development Quota

The seafood processing sector varies widely not only between regions but also by type of processing plant, with the general trend in the state moving toward consolidation of independent processors into larger established powerhouses, such as Trident.

In Alaska, Trident has processing plants in Akutan, Chignik, Cordova, False Pass, Ketchikan, Kodiak, North Naknek, Petersburg, Sand Point, St. Paul, and Wrangell.

Additionally, the company has secondary value-adding facilities in Anacortes, Bellingham, and Everett,

Washington; Carrollton, Georgia; and Motley, Minnesota.

Employment numbers, types of fish processed, and processing capacity at Trident’s facilities range from being able to process more than 3 million pounds of raw fish per day at Akutan to Chignik’s beach crew of about thirtyfive people during the summer with processing operations conducted on an offshore vessel.

Small, independent seafood processing plants maintain a friendly, cordial relationship with large local processors, explains Kodiak Island Wildsource CEO Chris Sannito, who is also a seafood technology specialist with Alaska Sea Grant.

“We recognize that they are the main economic engines of our coastal communities. Large processors have made very significant investments in our communities in terms of seafood processing infrastructure and most of us benefit from this in some way,” Sannito says, noting that Wildsource sometimes handles small-batch orders for larger processors.

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Kodiak, Wildsource’s business model is somewhat different than traditional Alaska seafood processors.

“Products generally leave our facility in a higher state of ‘value added’ than most processors that are dealing with larger volumes. Smaller volume processing allows for us to serve niche markets that focus on quality,” Sannito says.

Though each fishery is different, Sannito points out that with red salmon fillets, his company will, in general, triple the value per pound at the wholesale level. This is done through filleting, packaging, and freezing the product.

“Value-added processing takes more time and specialty machinery to produce the products. Much of this type of work has been occurring outside of Alaska in the past by secondary processors.”

Wildsource processes mixed loads of fish, including halibut, black cod, salmon, rockfish, and Pacific cod. However, the company also has expanded its services to meet new demands in the industry.

“We strive to keep our plant busy and provide work to employees—we recently processed seaweed and sea cucumbers,” Sannito says, noting

that the company is run by six fulltime employees. “We will consider processing any seafood resources—as long as there is a market and we have the equipment to do so. Our main products are portion cut, vacuumpacked fresh frozen fillet products.”

Challenges and Uncertainty There is always a little uncertainty for any resource-collection industry, and the seafood industry is no exception.

“Concerns in the coming year are pretty much the same as every year: Will the fish come back and will there be good markets for it,” Copper River Seafoods Chief Development Officer Martin Weiser says.

Smaller returning salmon sizes in recent years have also impacted how some processors do business.

“Small fish negatively affect processing in two ways. They are difficult to run through automatic machines and they are harder to sell,” Weiser says. “Again, this is why you have to create such items as smoked products, canned [products], et cetera.”

Small fish are less valuable than big

“Alaska Seafood remains the top ranked protein brand on menus nationwide, and a recent consumer study of seafood buying trends tells us shoppers are willing to spend more for a protein they know is healthy, fresh-tasting, and sustainably harvested.”

Ashley Heimbigner, Communications Director, Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute

Be a part of getting wild, healthy, and sustainable seafood from Alaska harvesters to consumers worldwide.

Find jobs in Alaska’s seafood industry at jobs.alaska.gov/seafood/

Alaska’s seafood industry is the largest direct private sector employer in the state employing thousands of Alaskans. We are always looking to increase Alaska hire.

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PACIFIC SEAFOOD PROCESSORS ASSOCIATION: ALASKA GENERAL SEAFOODS ALYESKA SEAFOODS, INC. GOLDEN ALASKA SEAFOODS PETER PAN SEAFOODS PHOENIX PROCESSOR LIMITED PARTNERSHIP TRIDENT SEAFOODS CORP. UNISEA INC. WESTWARD SEAFOODS, INC. www.akbizmag.com

Alaska Business

February 2020 | 83

Kodiak Island Wildsource

ones at the docks and once they’ve been processed.

“It is all about having markets,” Weiser says. “We know specific companies that want the smaller fish and that is who we call when we have a load of small fish.

Does it bring a lower sales price? Sure, but it still brings a good price.”

Another solution that helps processors squeeze the most economic value out of each fish is to develop value-added products that utilize smaller fish to increase their value, Weiser says, pointing at jerky, pre-marinated products, and chowder as examples.

Wildsource, under Sannito’s watch, is also eyeing the lucrative pet treat market to cash in on fish processing by-products.

“I think that more companies will look to seafood by-products for the pet food/treat market,” Sannito says. “At Wildsource we are beginning to take note of the value of by-products and alternate markets for them.”

According to its website, the Trident

84 | February 2020

top ranked protein brand on menus nationwide, and a recent consumer study of seafood buying trends tells us shoppers are willing to spend more for a protein they know is healthy, fresh-tasting, and sustainably harvested. Alaska’s seafood processors are an important component to meeting the growing consumer demand for convenient, delicious, and healthy protein.”

Despite positive movement within the industry, there are factors that continue to put pressure on the sector, both legislative and environmental.

Climate change has already started to impact fisheries, change the scientific community is in the midst trying to understand. And what impacts fishermen ultimately impacts the seafood processing sector.

However, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute report notes: “Alaska’s robust portfolio of seafood balances natural fluctuations in wild-capture fisheries. High volume species such as salmon, Alaska pollock, flatfish, and rockfish dominate landings volume while species such as crab, halibut, and sablefish account for high-value contributions to the industry.”

On the legislative side, it can be hard to establish exactly how policies—such as the US trade war with China—have impacted the seafood processing sector. Nonetheless, Weiser points out that certain legislative choices are clearly having a negative impact on coastal communities reliant on the industry.

“There are issues, such as the reduction/elimination of ferry service, that hurt us,” Weiser says. “We move a lot of fish and employees utilizing the Alaska Marine Highway System. Also, the elimination of revenue sharing on the State Raw Fish Tax with the communities that the fish is landed in has led to these communities establishing their own raw taxes. So we are now paying additional taxes on the fish we land.”

Kodiak Island Wildsource

Kodiak Island Wildsource

Kodiak Island Wildsource

Sea cucumbers are one of the less-known species processed in Kodiak.

Cordova North processing plant also creates fish products that perhaps don’t first come to mind when people think of Alaska wild-caught fish. The plant, which focuses on the production of can-packed and skinless-boneless canned salmon, also produces large volumes of wild salmon oil for human health supplements and hydrolysates for animal feed and organic fertilizers.

“The Alaska seafood industry strives to use 100 percent of the harvest to support sustainable production and fully utilize this important resource,” says Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute Communications Director Ashley Heimbigner. “Approximately 10 percent of the fish oil produced in Alaska is used to power generators in shoreside processors and processing vessels to reduce fossil fuel use and increase the value of their harvest.”

Along with fish oil, Heimbigner points out the importance of using by-products in diverse ways.

“Alaska’s seafood processors are investing in new and innovative ways to further utilize the materials remaining after primary seafood processing. Biomedical applications, nutritional supplements, fishmeal, pet food, and a variety of applications for the chitosan from crab shells are a few of the many ways processors are minimizing waste and extending the value of Alaska’s catch.”

Even as processors navigate the sector’s high fixed costs and develop new offerings to maximize profits, their core products remain in demand.

“Research shows us that consumer purchasing trends are in favor of Alaska’s seafood industry. Seafood consumption in the United States is up 13 percent over the last five years and is expected to continue to grow an additional 15 percent over the next five years,” Heimbigner says.

“Alaska Seafood remains the

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BUSINESS EVENTS FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 6-8

Anchorage AEYC Early Childhood Conference Hilton Anchorage Hotel: “One, Two, Buckle My Shoe… Three, Four, Let’s Explore!” Join other early childhood community members to learn new strategies, hear about the latest research, try out a few practical techniques, and discover new tools and resources. anchorageaeyc.org FEBRUARY 7-9

Alaska Pharmacists Association Convention & Tradeshow Sheraton Anchorage: The Alaska Pharmacists Association is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization serving pharmacists, technicians, associates, and students. alaskapharmacy.org FEBRUARY 10-14

Alaska Forum on the Environment Dena’ina Center, Anchorage: The Alaska Forum on the Environment is Alaska's largest statewide gathering of environmental professionals from government agencies, nonprofit and for-profit businesses, community leaders, Alaskan youth, conservationists, biologists, and community elders. akforum.com FEBRUARY 10-14

TWS Alaska Chapter Annual Meeting Atwood Center Rasmuson Hall, APU, Anchorage: This is the annual meeting of the Alaska Chapter of The Wildlife Society and brings together wildlife researchers, managers, educators, students, and administrators. twsalaskameeting.com 86 | February 2020

FEBRUARY 17-19

opportunity for networking and education. alaskacrna.com

Alaska Statewide Special Education Conference

MARCH

Hilton Anchorage: The Alaska Statewide Special Education Conference (ASSEC) is committed to providing high quality professional development relevant to the cultural, rural, and remote characteristics of Alaska. assec.org FEBRUARY 18-20

AML Winter Legislative Meeting Juneau: The Alaska Municipal League is a voluntary, nonprofit, nonpartisan, statewide organization of 162 cities, boroughs, and unified municipalities that represent more than 97 percent of Alaska’s residents. akml.org FEBRUARY 22-25

ASTE Annual Conference Hotel Captain Cook, Anchorage: This is the educational technology conference of the Alaska Society for Technology in Education. This year’s keynote speakers are Kristen Mattson and Jon Landis. aste.org FEBRUARY 26-29

Annual Meeting of the Alaska Anthropological Association

MARCH 12-13

Alaska Forest Association Spring Meeting Baranof Hotel, Juneau: The Alaska Forest Association’s goal is “maintaining healthy forests for today and tomorrow” and its members hold in common general business interests in the timber industry of Alaska. akforest.org

FEBRUARY 29 - MARCH 1

AKANA Annual Meeting Anchorage Marriott: The annual meeting of the Alaska Association of Nurse Anesthetists is an

Embassy Suites Hotel, Anchorage: The annual symposium is designed for tribal leaders, managers, and administrators and transportation staff; transportation and infrastructure professionals; federal and state representatives; and all those seeking to learn more about tribal transportation and transportation challenges in remote Alaska communities. attwg.org APRIL

MARCH 13-15

APRIL 2-3

Alaska Academy of Family Physicians Winter Update

AKHIMA Annual Meeting

Hotel Alyeska, Girdwood: The Winter Update is an opportunity to earn CME credit and learn about a range of topics that interest the Family Physicians of Alaska. alaskaafp.org/2019-winter-update MARCH 20

Meet Alaska Conference Anchorage Marriott: Hosted by the Alliance, this is the largest one-day energy conference in Alaska and includes educational forums and a tradeshow. alaskaalliance.com MARCH 23-26

Westmark Hotel, Fairbanks: The annual meeting includes workshops, an evening reception for information and registration, paper presentations, an awards banquet, and keynote speakers. alaskaanthropology.org

Symposium

American Fisheries Society Annual Chapter Meeting Westmark Fairbanks: Sessions will address the Alaska Chapter of the American Fisheries Society’s mission to improve conservation and sustainability of fishery resources and aquatic ecosystems by advancing scientific research and promoting development of fisheries professionals. afs-alaska.org MARCH 24-26

Alaska Tribal Transportation

The Alaska Health Information Management Association (AKHIMA) is a state organization affiliated with the national organization American Health Information Management Association, an association of health information management professionals worldwide. akhima.org APRIL 2-4

AKMGMA Annual Conference Alyeska Resort, Girdwood: This is the annual conference for the Medical Group Management Association Alaska, and the theme for 2020 is “Healthcare’s a Beach: You Can’t Stop the Waves but You Can Learn How to Surf.” akmgma.org APRIL 24-25

ASRT Annual Meeting and Educational Conference Alyeska Resort, Girdwood: This annual event offers a single location for companies as well as imaging specialists from all modalities to network with the largest captive audience in Alaska. aksrt.com

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

COMMUNITY EVENTS ANCHORAGE FEBRUARY 8

Alaska Marine Gala The Alaska SeaLife Center hosts the annual Alaska Marine Gala at the Dena'ina Center.

This “black tie affair with an ocean blue flair” promises a night of food, fun, and fundraising. Cocktails and a silent auction kick off the night, followed by dinner, the Alaska Ocean Leadership Awards, a live auction, and live music. alaskasealife.org

DENALI FEBRUARY 21-22

Denali Winterfest Denali Winterfest offers loads of outdoor fun and educational events such as dog sledding, a 5k race, snowshoeing, hiking, park ranger programs, and more. This engaging, communityoriented festival starts off with a potluck and ends with a chili feed and cake walk—small town charm in the heart of Denali National Park at Mile 237 Parks Highway. nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/winterfest.htm

FEBRUARY 15

Salute to the Military The Annual Salute to the Military started in the form of multiple Service Balls hosted by the local Navy League. In 1977, the Navy League, with the support of Senator Ted Stevens, worked with the Armed Services YMCA of Alaska to create one annual event to honor all service branches and promote community awareness of military performance and service. Each year, twelve exceptional enlisted service members—representing each of the Active Duty branches, the Guard, and Reserve—are recognized for their outstanding achievements, this year at the Egan Center. www.asymca.org/alaska-salute-tix FEBRUARY 21-23

Anchorage Boat Show Get a head start on summer boating and get out on the water this spring with the boat, equipment, and services needed to make the most of the fishing, hunting, and sailing season.

There will be a host of big boat builders, brokers, and dealers at the Dena’ina Center that can connect prospective owners with the boat of their dreams. anchorageboatshow.com 88 | February 2020

FEBRUARY 21-23

Alaska Salsa Festival This year marks the 9th Annual Alaska Salsa Festival. Professional dance instructors and performers from around the world come together to bring Alaska the best in Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba, and ChaCha dancing. Never danced before? Check out the boot camps. Love the shows and parties? Check out the nightly showcases where champion dancers bring you their very best, and then dance the night away. The festival also includes intermediate and advanced workshops. alaskasalsafestival.com FEBRUARY 22

Ski 4 Kids Ski 4 Kids Day is a festive winter day at Kincaid Park full of events for children up to age fourteen.

Obstacle courses, a mockbiathlon, and series of races tempt and tantalize kids of all ages with the ultimate goal of developing an appreciation of winter outdoor sports and to promote fitness for Anchorage area youth. The event is organized by the Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage, which respectfully recommends a $20 entry donation. anchoragenordicski.com/events/ ski-4-kids/ FEBRUARY 28- MARCH 8

Fur Rondy Come join the iconic Alaska tradition that includes winter sports, native art and culture, and many other events that celebrate life and the frontier spirit of Alaska, all in Downtown Anchorage. furrondy.net FEBRUARY 28- MARCH 8

Silent Sky The year is 1900 and the world abounds with curiosity about

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what lies beyond the clouds.

When Henrietta is given the opportunity to work at the Harvard Observatory mapping the stars, she leaves home to follow her dreams of scientific exploration. ptalaska.org/anchorage/

Community Center. People from all over the Fairbanks area come to read at all hours of the day and night, and callers from around the world join via speakerphone.

The event is also live online for listeners across the globe. Readers of all abilities are welcome. fairbanksshakespeare.org/bardathon.aspx

FAIRBANKS

FEBRUARY 13-22

Yukon Quest

Iron Dog

Taking place every February, the Yukon Quest is a 1,000mile international sled dog race between Whitehorse, Yukon, and Fairbanks. It takes from ten to sixteen days and has been run every year since 1984. yukonquest.com

Iron Dog is the longest, toughest snowmobile race in the world, ranging from the MatanuskaSusitna Valley to the Interior.

Race events include the Safety Expo/Pro Class Tech Inspection and the Halfway Ceremonies in Nome on February 19. The Pro Class start is February 16 in Fairbanks, with a finish on February 22 in Willow. irondog.org

Bard-a-Thon XXI Bard-a-thon is a week-long celebration of the playwright, poet, and wordsmith William Shakespeare. Volunteers facilitate each show and arrange who reads which part from the Raven Landing

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World Ice Art Championships This family-friendly event,

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produced by the World ICE Association, features interactive ice sculptures, multiple ice slides, and ice art exhibitions created by a multitude of artists, all at the Tanana Valley State Fairgrounds. icealaska.org

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Wearable Art 2020: Joie De Vivre This wearable art show benefits the whole community: for artists, it is an opportunity to explore, experiment, and showcase their talent via art on the runway; for audience members it is a joyful, enriching, and invigorating entertainment; and for the Arts Council, it is a fundraising event that supports many programs offered to the community. This year’s theme is Joie “De Vivre.”

Performances are at Centennial Hall on Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. www.jahc.org/wearable-art/

SITKA FEBRUARY 6-8

Sitka Jazz Festival The Sitka Jazz Festival teaches music appreciation, skills, history, artistic expression, and crosscultural understanding through jazz in a supportive environment.

Visiting artists and local educators provide clinics history, jazz theory, jazz improvisation, as well as a variety of individual instrument and section-specific workshops. Student performances are non-competitive, with an emphasis on cooperation and appreciation. sitkajazzfestival.com

VALDEZ FEBRUARY 14-17

Valdez Ice Fest This winter festival features a variety of winter and climbing activities, including a welcome reception, workshops, clinics, dance party, and silent auction. valdezadventurealliance.com

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February 2020 | 89

INSIDE ALASKA BUSINESS DNR Alaska will bring its oil and gas leasing processes into the 21st century under new regulations that allow for online lease applications, bids, and lease payments. Currently, those bidding on the rights to explore, develop, and produce oil and gas on Alaska state land must submit bids on paper in submissions matched with a bid deposit, sealed by the bidder, delivered to the Division, and opened in public, in a system that is virtually unchanged since Statehood.

Online bidding will increase security and reduce time and expense, as bidders will no longer have to prepare paper bids, obtain certified checks for bid deposits, and ensure delivery to the Division office in Anchorage. dnr.alaska.gov

Workspace Alaska In December, Wasilla’s first coworking office space opened on East Paulson Avenue. Owner Amber Lanphier’s goal is to create inspiring workspaces at an affordable rate for creative and service-based professionals. This initial space is 900 square feet featuring natural light and “beautiful, contemporary, and versatile furnishings,” in addition to other modern conveniences. workspacealaska.com

Gondwana Ecotours

Gondwana Ecotours

Gondwana Ecotours and local partners Fred & Janet Vreeman purchased the 8,600-square-foot Alaska Grizzly Lodge in Fairbanks.

90 | February 2020

The new owners plan to renovate all the rooms, add ramps and lifts, and expand the Northern Lights viewing area. Alaska Grizzly Lodge features fourteen rooms with access to private or shared aurora viewing decks. Trails for snowshoeing, hiking, or skiing are easily accessed from the lodge and Gondwana Ecotours plans to expand on-site activity options for tour groups. gondwanaecotours.com

Foundation (RWJF), a charitable organization focused on health, announced the five communities— including Sitka—chosen to receive the 2019 RWJF Culture of Health Prize, which includes $25,000. Sitka is the first Alaska community ever to win the award, which honors and elevates communities at the forefront of advancing health, opportunity, and equity for all. cityofsitka.com

AIDEA

ConocoPhillips Alaska

The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) Board approved a dividend of $14,475,000 to the state general fund for Fiscal Year 2021. The Board determines the amount of AIDEA’s annual dividend that is made available to the Legislature for appropriation. Alaska Statute provides a range for the dividend calculation, and the Board chose to pay the FY2021 dividend at the maximum amount.

Since the dividend program’s inception, AIDEA has declared more than $422 million to the state, including the $14.475 million approved for FY2021. aidea.org

TAPS The 18 billionth barrel of Alaska North Slope crude started down the Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) from Pump Station 1 in Prudhoe Bay at 8 a.m., December 6, 2019.

“This marks another significant operational milestone for TAPS, for Alaska and Alaskans, for the oil and gas industry, and countless individuals whose work carries on the remarkable legacy of this unique infrastructure,” said Tom Barrett, thenpresident of Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, TAPS’ operator. “This milestone brings justifiable TAPS Pride among the smart, tough people at Alyeska Pipeline and our contractors who run TAPS safely every day.” alyeska-pipe.com

City and Borough of Sitka The Robert Wood Johnson

ConocoPhillips plans to sell parts of its Alaska projects, including old, new, and unbuilt projects representing most of Conoco’s Alaska holdings. The assets for sale include interest in the Kuparuk River unit, the newer Alpine unit to the west, and the undeveloped Willow project in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. The sale does not include the company’s 36 percent share of Prudhoe Bay. alaska.conocophillips.com

Doyon | Hilcorp Doyon entered an agreement with Hilcorp for renewed oil and gas exploration in a portion of the Yukon Flats. The agreement covers 1.6 million acres of Doyonowned mineral rights in the Yukon Flats subregion where Doyon has a long-held interest in the oil and gas potential of the area. The agreement with Hilcorp includes an initial airborne gravity survey of the region followed by the opportunity for further exploration in the form of seismic and drilling programs. The initial focus of exploration is in the Birch Creek area.

The agreement is designed to provide maximum participation from the village corporation to provide economic benefits to the area.

Doyon has also signed a cooperation agreement with Tihteeť Aii, Village Corporation for Birch Creek, regarding a joint pursuit of service contracts and shareholder training and hire. doyon.com | hilcorp.com

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

RIGHT MOVES Perkins Coie  Michael O’Brien has joined Perkins Coie in Anchorage as a Senior Counsel in the labor and employment practice.

O'Brien O’Brien’s practice focuses on counseling clients on the range of employment issues affecting the workplace and on conducting workplace investigations. He also possesses indepth knowledge of Title IX and other education laws. O’Brien received his juris doctorate and master's from Vermont Law School and his bachelor's from the University of Montana. He also holds a master's from St. John's College.

McKinley Capital Management  Deborah Lamb, Chief Compliance Officer at McKinley Capital Management, was named the recipient of the Joan Hinchman Award from the National Society of Compliance Professionals.

The award is given to an Lamb individual who displays a strong commitment to excellence and distinguishes themselves as a key figure in the compliance community.

DNR  Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Corri A. Feige confirmed her appointment of Tom Stokes as Director of the Stokes Division of Oil & Gas. As director, Stokes will continue to supervise

exploration licensing, lease sales, unit management, permitting, royalty accounting, royalty audit, resource evaluation, commercial activities, and the State Pipeline Coordinator’s Section.

Before stepping into the director role, Stokes served the department as the state pipeline coordinator.

First Alaskans Institute  First Alaskans Institute (FAI) hired Melissa Silugngataanit’sqaq Borton as its Indigenous Advancement Director. In this role, she Borton will contribute to the longterm sustainability of FAI by utilizing values-based innovations to grow the financial foundation that supports our work. With her experience in the realms of development and leadership, she brings the vision, professional skills, and direct experience to the organization’s sustainability efforts. She is an alumna of the FAI First Nations’ Futures Fellowship.

Cornerstone General Contractors  Cornerstone General Contractors welcomes David LaMont as a Cost Estimator/Project Manager.

In this position, LaMont will LaMont be responsible for pursuing opportunities and managing projects.

He brings more than thirty-seven years of experience in Alaska federal, municipal, and oil field construction.

Before joining Cornerstone, LaMont served as a pipefitter, welder, and heavy

equipment operator before transitioning to cost estimation at several Alaska construction companies.

Coffman Engineers  Coffman Engineers welcomes two new members to the Anchorage electrical engineering instrumentation and controls Vukovich department.

Jason Vukovich is an Instrumentation and Controls Designer with more than ten years of engineering experience in Alaska. His project experience includes rail/truck racks, Coker safety upgrade and remote un-heading, ethanol unloading and storage, refining unit SIS upgrade and Triconex installations, tank high level alarms, onsite small projects, and pipeline heating re-circulation. Prior to starting in the engineering and construction industry, Vukovich was a decorated officer of more than ten years in the US Army and US Army Reserve. He holds a bachelor’s from the University of Illinois.  Ronald Pearson, PE, is a Professional Chemical Engineer working in the Anchorage electrical engineering department.

Pearson holds a bachelor’s in chemical engineering, Pearson minoring in electrical engineering and mathematics from the Colorado School of Mines. Pearson has more than thirteen years of engineering experience in the oil and gas industry.

He has extensive experience with both design of new and renovation of electrical systems for onshore and offshore oil and gas developments.

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Cook Inlet Tribal Council  Cook Inlet Tribal Council (CITC) appointed as its new Chief Operating Officer LeeAnn Cooper Garrick of Anchorage. Garrick brings Garrick more than fifteen years of leadership experience managing operational units and large-scale programs to her new role. Prior to joining CITC, Garrick served the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium as vice president of administrative services at the Alaska Native Medical Center. Garrick completed her undergraduate degree and two master’s degrees with the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Lynn

Lynn joined BNC in 2015, and is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from University of Alaska Fairbanks.

PND Engineers

 Brigham A. McCown was selected as the next President of Alyeska Pipeline Service Company in January 2020.

McCown brings more than McCown three decades of executive management, legal, and operational experience in the infrastructure and transportation industries. McCown has held several posts at the US Department of Transportation, serving as a direct report to both democratic and republican Secretaries of Transportation. In 2013, he retired from the US Navy after twenty-five years of combined active and reserve service.

PND Engineers announced the following new hires.  Kristoff Nystrom, EIT, comes to PND after two and a half years with the UAF Division of Design and Construction, performing project management and design. Nystrom is a 2016 graduate of UAF with a focus on civil and structural engineering. After graduating, he volunteered with Engineering Ministries Nystrom International, where he worked on the design of a hospital in—and traveled to—the Dominican Republic with a team of architects and engineers.  Conrad Smith, EIT, graduated with a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from Brigham Young University and worked most recently for Albert A. Webb Associates in Riverside, California, on site drainage, master plans, and storm water modeling projects. His longterm interest is in structures, and he is currently working Smith in the Palmer office assisting with structural design.

Bethel Native Corporation

Calista Corporation

 Bethel Native Corporation (BNC) promoted Robbie Lynn to General Manager of BNC’s Construction Division.

Lynn will oversee all of BNC’s construction activities and will be the primary interface with the US Small Business Administration for 8(a) program administration and associated endeavors.

 Kristi Williams joined Calista Corporation as the Government Relations Manager.

Williams is well informed on Alaska Native and American Indian issues and has expertise in land planning, government-togovernment consultation, small business and economic development issues, strategic planning, negotiations, and

Alyeska Pipeline Service Co.

www.akbizmag.com

Alaska Business

legislative and appropriations advocacy.

Williams completed her undergraduate work at UC Berkeley and received a JD Williams from the University of New Mexico School of Law where she also completed the Indian Law Certificate Program.

TDX  Tina Woods, PhD, has been appointed as Chief Administrative Officer of TDX Corporation. In her new role, Woods will be responsible for overall leadership of the TDX Support Services Center, providing internal and inter-department support for the executive team, accounting, human resources, Woods and information technology departments.

Woods brings a wealth of experience in public and behavioral health administration.

She was most recently senior director community health services for Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and is a licensed clinical psychologist, practicing at Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium in 2015.

Klondike Promotions  Allison Bendis of Klondike Promotions has earned the certification of Master Advertising Specialist (MAS) administered

by Promotional Products Association International, the largest international not-for-profit association for more than 15,000 members.

The MAS certification is truly the “mark of a professional,” signifying that Bendis an individual has reached and continues to meet a higher standard of professionalism, knowledge, and experience within the industry.

February 2020 | 93

ALASKA TRENDS

A

laska is rich in natural resources, so it naturally follows that exports are a vital part of the state’s economy. Alaska has a long history of strong trade relationships with Asia: its three largest export partners (by value) are China, South Korea, and Japan, which account for more than 50 percent

of Alaska exports according to 2018 data from the US Census Bureau. And relationships in that region continue to grow—the countries to which Alaska increased exports the most in 2018 include Singapore, Indonesia, and South Korea.

By value, the largest Alaska exports are minerals (zinc tops the list, lead is

in the top ten) and seafood (frozen fish meat; frozen fish; frozen Alaska pollock fillets; frozen livers, roe, and milt; frozen sockeye salmon, and frozen cod are in the top ten). The greatest increase in an export (by value) from 2017 to 2018 was "military equipment, not identified," which jumped 325 percent from $4 million to $16 million.

GROWING TRADE PARTNERS Increased value of exports from 2017-2018

NETHERLANDS

$82 M INCREASE

MEXICO

$12 M

SOUTH KOREA

INCREASE

$232 M INCREASE INDONESIA

$4 M

INCREASE

SINGAPORE

$59 M INCREASE

ALASKA TRENDS IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY AMERICAN MARINE/PENCO

AMERICAN MARINE • Marine Construction/Dredging • Subsea Cable Installation & Maintenance • Commercial Diving • Platform & Pipeline Construction, Installation, Repair & Decommissioning

ANCHORAGE OFFICE (907) 562-5420

• Underwater Certified Welding • Marine Salvage

DEADHORSE OFFICE (907) 659-9010

www.amarinecorp.com 94 | February 2020

• NDT Services

Alas ka I C alifornia I Hawaii

• ROV Services • Vessel Support Services

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

ANS Crude Oil Production

TOP EXPORTS BY CATEGORY OIL & GAS

4.8%

30

Zn

OTHER*

2.5%

ZINC

IS AK's #1 EXPORT

01/01/2020

01/01/2014 05/01/2011 09/01/2008 01/01/2006

ANS Production barrel per day 513,998 Jan. 1, 2020

05/01/2003 09/01/2000

0

400,000

800,000

1,200,000

SOURCE: Alaska Department of Revenue Tax Division

MINERALS

36.7%

SEAFOOD

ANS West Coast Crude Oil Prices

48.9%

12/31/2019

FISH MEAT (FROZEN)

IS AK's #2 EXPORT

* Other includes: civilian aircraft, engines, and parts; parts of non-powered and powered aircraft, etc.; exports of military equipment, not identified; coniferous wood in the rough, not treated.

09/01/2012

09/01/2008

ANS West Coast $ per barrel $67.91 Dec.31, 2019

09/01/2004

09/01/2000 $0

$20

$40

$60

$80 $100 $120 $140 $160

SOURCE: Alaska Department of Revenue Tax Division

In 2018 exports of ALASKA POLLOCK grew by 78.9%

Statewide Employment Figures 01/1976-11/2019 Seasonally Adjusted 11/01/2019

Labor Force 348,015 Nov. 2019 Employment 326,668 Nov. 2019 Unemployment 6.1% Nov. 2019

01/01/2010 05/01/2004 09/01/1998

MILITARY EQUIPMENT is Alaska's fastest growing export. It grew by 325% in 2018.

01/01/1993 05/01/1987 09/01/1981 01/01/1976 0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

SOURCE: Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Research & Analysis Section

SOURCE: census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/state/data/ak.html

PENCO • Environmental Response, Containment • Site Support Technicians, Maintenance • Waste Management, Environmental Monitoring • Tank Cleaning, Inspection • Petroleum Facility Maintenance & Repair • Logistics Support • 24-Hour Response www.akbizmag.com

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A la ska I Ca lifornia I Hawaii Alaska Business

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www.penco.org February 2020 | 95

AT A GLANCE What book is currently on your nightstand?

I have a couple things on my nightstand: The Collaborative Way: A Story about Engaging the Mind and Spirit of a Company by Lloyd Fickett and Jason Fickett; The Testaments by Margaret Atwood; Freedom Found: My Life Story, which is Warren Miller’s memoir; and Growing Up by Russell Baker.

What movie do you recommend to everyone you know?

I love The Thomas Crown Affair, So I Married an Axe Murderer, and anything Star Wars.

What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long day at work?

I pick up my daughter and we are off and running to a million sporting events. She plays hockey and soccer, so we’re usually running from one event to another and that’s my weeknights, mostly.

If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?

A fox—I just love foxes—they’re smart, they’re witty, they’re quick, they’re sleek.

Images ©Kerry Tasker

If you couldn’t live in Alaska, what’s your dream locale?

I’d love to live in Germany; my dad immigrated over when he was eighteen and that’s my heritage.

OFF THE CUFF

Carrie Jokiel C

arrie Jokiel grew up playing with Lincoln Logs on the floors of ChemTrack’s Anchorage

office, which was founded as a construction company in 1973 by her father and transitioned into an environmental services and engineering company in 1985. Jokiel became the company’s majority shareholder in 2010 and has led the company since. “I love who I work with and I am so grateful for my team,” she says. Jokiel is passionate about the positive impact that engineering can have for Alaskans: “I love our state and that [ChemTrack] gets to be part of the mission to make our state safer and the kind of state that we want to raise our families in.”

Alaska Business: What do you do in your free time?

Carrie Jokiel: I love to go to Girdwood. I have an A-frame cabin there, and I love spending time in the mountains.

AB: Is there a skill you’re currently developing or have always wanted to learn?

Jokiel: I’m learning to play golf, and I’m super falling in love with it and trying to become better.

AB: What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done?

Jokiel: Owning my own business is wild and pretty crazy and challenging and it takes a lot of moxie, though I don’t know if it’s daring. I’m pretty risk-averse anymore, though I did go heli-skiing a bit ago and that felt pretty daring.

AB: What’s your go-to comfort food?

Jokiel: Lasagna—I save up for it and I have it almost every Sunday night at Little Italy.

AB: Other than your current career, if you were a kid today, what would your dream job be?

Jokiel: I’m really falling in love with Danish and Scandinavian furniture, just the clean lines and the craftmanship of it—I’d either make furniture or be some sort of purveyor of furniture. www.akbizmag.com

AB: What’s your favorite way to exercise?

Jokiel: I have a gym that I enjoy going to, Elite Sports Performance. I love skiing, I love playing hockey, and I love going for a run every now and then.

AB: Dead or alive, who would you like to see perform live in concert?

Jokiel: Tom Petty would have been pretty amazing; I’m really bummed I missed him.

AB: What’s your greatest extravagance?

Jokiel: Travel, especially foreign travel, and I really love a long meal: having the salad, having the cheese platter, having the dessert, the whole thing. I enjoy fine food and spending time enjoying it with company.

AB: What are you superstitious about?

Jokiel: [When I play] hockey, I always set out my equipment the same way before I put it on.

AB: What’s your best attribute and worst attribute?

Jokiel: For my best, I’m a people person and I enjoy collaborating, I enjoy really listening and conversations and connecting people. I’m a 30,000-foot-view thinker, so I would say my weakness could be wanting to skip past the details and get to the big picture and maybe thinking things can move faster than they should. I want everyone to be really high tempo and not everyone always is and that’s okay, sometimes there’s a purpose for taking time… but I tend to be like, “Okay, got it. We’re doing that.”

I’m also working on honoring success and not being so quick to move on to what’s next.

Alaska Business

February 2020 | 97

ADVERTISERS INDEX Airframes Alaska.........................61

Construction Machinery Industrial (CMI).............................2

North Slope Telecom................11

airframesalaska.com

Alaska Communications.............3

cmiak.com

acsalaska.com

Northern Air Cargo............. 92, 93

Design Alaska.............................57

nac.aero

Alaska Mergers & Acquisitions....11

designalaska.com

fink@alaska.net

First National Bank Alaska (FNBA)............................................5

Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.............................. 100

fnbalaska.com

anthc.org

Fountainhead Hotels................ 82

Alaska PTAC............................... 35

fdialaska.com

ptacalaska.org

Great Originals Inc................... 43

Alaska Safety Alliance............... 79

greatoriginals.com

alaskasafetyalliance.org

HDL Engineering Consultants, LLC....................... 55

NSTIAK.com

Oxford Assaying & Refining Inc.................................21 oxfordmetal.com

Society For Marketing Professional Services – Alaska...59 smpsalaska.org

Span Alaska Transportation LLC................... 29 spanalaska.com

Stantec........................................ 63 stantec.com

Pacific Pile & Marine................. 91 pacificpile.com

Stellar Designs Inc.................... 88 stellar-designs.com

Pacific Seafood Processors Assoc...................... 83

Summit Consulting................... 63

pspafish.net

T. Rowe Price............................. 99

Parker Smith & Feek................. 87

uacollegesavings.com

altrogco.com

hdlalaska.com

psfinc.com

The Plans Room........................ 35

American Marine / Penco.....94, 95

Island Air Express...................... 89

PDC Inc. Engineers................... 49

theplansroom.com

amarinecorp.com

islandairx.com

pdceng.com

Thomas Head & Greisen..........57

Anchorage Sand & Gravel....... 69

Lynden Inc.................................. 85

Personnel Plus........................... 89

Altman Rogers & Co................. 43

anchsand.com

lynden.com

AT&T............................................ 23

Matson Inc..................................17

perplus.com

att.com

matson.com

BP..................................................77

Michael Baker International.... 49

PND Engineers Inc.................... 41 pndengineers.com

bp.com

mbakerintl.com

Carlile Transportation Systems.... 25

Microcom................................... 10

Quintillion Networks...................9 http://quintillionnetworks.com/

carlile.biz

microcom.tv

Central Environmental Inc. (CEI).... 71

MTA...............................................13 mta-telco.com

Coffman Engineers................... 59

New Horizons Telecom Inc.... 39

coffman.com

nhtiusa.com

Conrad-Houston Insurance Agency..................... 55

Nortech Environmental & Engineering................................ 54

chialaska.com

nortechengr.com

thgcpa.com

Tutka LLC.....................................51 tutkallc.com

United States Census Bureau..73 https://www.census.gov/

Voice of the Arctic Inupiat.......31 voiceofthearcticinupiat.org

R & M Consultants Inc............. 45 rmconsult.com

cei-alaska.com

www.scsalaska.com

West-Mark Service Center...... 63 west-mark.com

Resolve Marine Group............. 50 resolvemarine.com

Westmark Hotels - HAP Alaska..... 21 westmarkhotels.com

Samson Tug & Barge................ 79 samsontug.com

World Trade Center Anchorage....28 wtca.org

Shannon & Wilson.....................61

Yukon Equipment Inc................33

shannonwilson.com

yukoneq.com

VOTE FOR YOUR CHOICE OF BEST OF ALASKA BUSINESS AWARDS Remember to vote for the 5th Annual Best of Alaska Business awards.

Winners will be announced in the July 2020 issue of Alaska Business, on our website, and on social media.

BEST OF ALASKA BUSINESS CATEGORIES:

BEST

Accounting Firm Air Charter Company Auto Mechanic Brewery Business Lunch Business Printing Cannabis Retailer Catering/Delivery Cellular Service Provider Coffee Shop Corporate Citizen/Editor’s Pick Design/Creative Agency Florist Fundraising Event

Furniture Store Gym Hospital Hotel Large Event Venue Law Firm Place to Work 1-250 Employees Place to Work 250+ Employees Pizzeria Real Estate Firm Salon/Barbershop Small Meeting Venue Staffing Agency Swag Supplier

Voting Opens Feb. 24

akbizmag.com 98 | February 2020

Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com

HIS LOVE OF FISHING TAKES THE RIGHT LURE. And you won’t find it in a tackle box. Save a PFD for his future.

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Formerly the UA College Savings Plan.

Go online or call the number listed above to request a Plan Disclosure Document, which includes investment objectives, risks, fees, expenses, and other information. You should read the Plan Disclosure Document carefully before investing. | Offered by the Education Trust of Alaska. T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc., Distributor/Underwriter. *Certain restrictions apply; visit Alaska529plan.com for complete rules.

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