vessel allows Liquid Adventures to offer visitors and locals the opportunity to forego a crowded water taxi ride and enjoy a small group boat ride in search of remote glacier kayaking and standup paddle boarding experiences. The Oceanna will launch Liquid Adventures’ newest trip, the Aialik/Northwestern Explorer, the first guided, glacier kayaking day trip to the Northwestern Fjord—known by locals and experienced kayakers as one of the most scenic, pristine, and remote kayaking locations in the Kenai Fjords. The new catamaran provides the opportunity for small groups to kayak either Aialik Bay or the Northwestern Fjord, wherever the paddling is best for the day. liquid-adventures.com
Explore Fairbanks
EXPLORE FAIRBANKS
Alina Xiang, President/CEO, East West Marketing (left); Governor Bill Walker; Deb Hickok (right).
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xplore Fairbanks President and CEO Deb Hickok signed a contract with China-based East West Marketing Corporation under which the firm will represent Explore Fairbanks in the rapidly growing China-to-Alaska outbound tourism market. The contract was finalized during Governor Bill Walker’s “Opportunity Alaska” China Trade Mission in May. East West’s services for Explore Fairbanks include conducting sales calls and developing travel trade relations in China’s major cities, as well as coordinating tourism sales missions for Explore Fairbanks and Alaska visitor industry partners, providing airline development support, assisting with planning familiarization tours for China-based travel trade and media to come to Fairbanks, and conducting marketing campaigns through Chinese social media channels. “We are thrilled to have a firm of East West
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Marketing’s caliber represent us in this important market,” said Hickok. “We’ve seen significant growth from China over the last few years, primarily due to our reputation as an aurora destination from the period of August 21 to April 21, and having this on-the-ground representation in the market will help us build on that success.” explorefairbanks.com
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UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA
he University of Alaska (UA) initiated efforts to obtain a Domestic Maritime Center of Excellence designation, a distinction that would expand its capacity to train domestic maritime workers. President Donald Trump signed legislation authorizing designation of community and technical college Domestic Maritime Centers of Excellence in December. If chosen as a designee, UA could access federal funds to use toward admitting more students, training faculty, and expanding maritime training facilities. This would provide a significant benefit to the university’s ability to increase student success and provide a skilled workforce for Alaska’s maritime industry, which supports more than 70,000 jobs and is the state’s largest private sector employer. UA says it is well qualified to receive the designation, given its history of providing maritime training and Alaska’s prominent maritime industry. UA has collaborated with maritime industry representatives, state agencies, and entities across the state since 2012 on the Fishing, Seafood, and Maritime Initiative to assess, develop, and deliver training programs; raise awareness; and increase research to prepare Alaskans to meet current and emerging workforce, economic, and scientific needs. Between 2014 and 2016, the number of maritime-related training classes in Alaska increased sharply with class completion rates growing by 171 percent. alaska.edu
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DOWNTOWN EDGE
he developers of Downtown Edge at The Rail, a townhouse-style condominium project in downtown Anchorage, officially launched construction in May with the demolition of a large building on the site on the corner of West 2nd Avenue and Christensen Drive. Downtown Edge will consist of up to thirtyfive condos featuring a modern industrial design.
Due to the natural North facing slope of the property, all homes will feature views overlooking the historical Anchorage Tent City, the railroad, inlet waters, and Mt. Susitna. Downtown Edge is the first phase of The Rail, Anchorage’s newest mixed-use project. It is situated on more than eleven acres of Alaska Railroad land and, conceptually, will include luxury townhomes, apartment suites, retail and restaurant space, an outdoor performance venue, and park connected to the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. downtownedge.com/the-rail
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BAMBINO’S BABY FOOD
nchorage-based Bambino’s Baby Food, an Alaska grown and made baby food distributor to families across Alaska and in all fifty states, received the 2017 Made in Alaska Manufacturer of the Year Award from the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. Bambino’s was selected from numerous Made in Alaska permit holders because of its substantial growth, extensive community outreach, and considerable use of Alaska produce and seafood. bambinosbabyfood.com
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US COAST GUARD
aptain Phillip Thorne transferred command of Coast Guard Sector Juneau to Captain Stephen White during a change of command ceremony in May at the Alaska State Museum in Juneau. As the sector commander, White serves as the Captain of the Port, officer in charge of marine inspection, federal on-scene coordinator, search and rescue mission coordinator, and federal maritime security coordinator for all of Southeast Alaska. The Coast Guard’s 17th District also conducted a change of command ceremony: Rear Admiral Michael McAllister transferred command of the Coast Guard’s 17th District to Rear Admiral Matthew Bell. As the 17th District commander, Bell is responsible for all Coast Guard operations throughout Alaska, the North Pacific, and the Arctic, duties that include protecting life and property, enforcing federal laws and treaties, preserving living marine resources, and promoting national security. Headquartered in Juneau, the 17th District encompasses 3.8 million square miles and more than 47,300 miles of shoreline. pacificarea.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/District-17 R
July 2018 | Alaska Business
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