Alaska Business Monthly articles from April 2004

Alaska Business Monthly archives from April 2004

Correction.(Correction Notice)
April 1, 2004... Curt Stoners name was misspelled in an article titled "Alaska Freight Just Keeps on Going and Going" in the March 2004 issue. Stoner is Alaska sales manager for Totem Ocean Trailer Express Inc.

Cal Worthington adds Mercedez-Benz dealership.(Retail)(Worthington Auto Group purchased Mercedez-Benz dealership)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Anchorage's Mercedez-Benz dealership is now part of the Worthington family of car dealerships, made famous by Cal Worthington and his various dogs, all named Spot. The name of the company will remain the Mercedez-Benz of Anchorage. ...

Alaska second most popular destination.(On The Move)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... While the latest reports may suggest that the weak U.S. economy is recovering, Americans are still on the move, and in 2003, Alaska was the second most attractive state for inbound population changes, according to Allied Van Lines' 36th Annual...

ABM takes first-place award for cover.(Applause)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The Portland Graphic Arts Association, a chapter of the International Association of Printing House Craftsmen, has announced the results of its annum print quality competition for 2003. Alaska Business Monthly won first place in the four-color...

Anchorage Sand & Gravel grabs Diamond award.(Construction)(National Asphalt Pavement Association's Diamond Achievement Commendation )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The National Asphalt Pavement Association recently announced that Anchorage Sand & Gravel has earned NAPA's Diamond Achievement Commendation for excellence in Hot Mix Asphalt Plant/Site Operations. The commendation is designed to recognize...

Salmon forecast looks good for 2004.(Fishing)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The Alaska Department of Fish & Game announced the Alaska statewide commercial salmon harvest is projected to increase during 2004. The pink salmon harvest is expected to be slightly lower than 2003 while sockeye and chum salmon harvests are...

Q & A with chancellor Lee Gorsuch: after 28 years at UAA, Gorsuch will retire in June, leaving behind a list of accomplishments that include adding new dorms and working to keep young Alaskans in state.(University of Alaska: Anchorage)(Interview)
April 1, 2004... Few people have contributed more to the development of higher education in Alaska than University of Alaska Anchorage Chancellor Lee Gorsuch. In a career at the university that has spanned 28 years, the last 10 of which have been spent at the...

Arctic voice systems: "your professional voice".(Business Profile)(Advertisement)
April 1, 2004... Arctic Voice Systems is locally owned and operated. Businesses, yours and ours, fuel the economy of this nation and Alaska. With Arctic Voice Systems as your business partner, administrative assistant, personal assistant, office assistant, or...

Cellular service Alaska style: usage of cell phones is high in Alaska ... and new technology, such as camera phones, is bringing Alaska on par with the rest of the nation.
April 1, 2004... That wireless device known as a cell phone (poking out from the user s pocket or purse, clipped to a belt, or likely held to his or her ear) is changing. And no place are the changes more evident than in Alaska. Cellular service in the state,...

Alaska DigiTel wireless communications.(Business Profile)(Company Profile)
April 1, 2004... If you've been thinking of taking the plunge and investing in a new cell phone, upgrading your present service or switching to a new service provider, you need to consider Alaska DigiTel Wireless Communications. Alaska DigiTel is a...

Undiscovered resources: future of oil and gas looks hopeful: from Bristol Bay to the Interior, from Cook Inlet to the North Slope, oil and gas exploration opportunities abound.
April 1, 2004... In Alaska, it's taken as a given that the state has huge untapped oil and gas resources. Estimates are that 35 billion barrels of oil remain to be discovered, as well as 100 trillion cubic feet and more of natural gas. But these estimates...

Gentle yellow giants: prowl the Arctic: CATCOs: truly a cat for all seasons.
April 1, 2004... CATCOs might be described as gentle yellow giants; with eight big, soft paws that love the environment, they might also be de scribed as the ultimate all-terrain vehicles or rollagons. Crowley Co. owns nearly two dozen of these vehicles;...

April 2004 calendar of events.(Calendar)
April 1, 2004... ANCHORAGE 1-4 21st Annual Great Alaskan Sportsman Show Alaska's largest annual sportsman and outdoor show offers everything for the sportsman and outdoor enthusiast with demonstrations and clinics. Thursday, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday,...

Three decades of fantastic Alaska Folk Music: 30th Alaska Folk Festival to be held April 12-18 at Juneau's Centennial Hall.(Alaska This Month)
April 1, 2004... It was 30 years ago when a group of Southeast Alaska musicians decided, half tongue-in-cheek, to hold the First Annual Southeast Alaska Folk Festival. Three decades later, it is a charming, growing event with international flare and still...

2004 Corporate 100: Alaska's economic powerhouses.(Alaska Business Monthly's 2004 Corporate 100)
April 1, 2004... The state has thousands of worthy businesses operating from Southeast to Barrow. How does one go about selecting the top 100? It's not an easy task. First we had to decide whom to invite to be a part of this special listing. For the past 12...

2004 Corporate 100: listed by industry.(Alaska Business Monthly's 2004 Corporate 100)(Directory)
April 1, 2004... COMMUNICATIONS * ACS * AT&T Alascom * GCI CONSTRUCTION * Aurora Electric Inc. * CONAM Construction Co. * Davis Constructors & Engineers * Neeser Construction Inc. * New Horizons Telecom Inc. *...

Alaska's economic powerhouses.(Alaska Business Monthly's 2004 Corporate 100)(Directory)(Illustration)
April 1, 2004... ALASKA BUSINESS MONTHLY'S 2004 CORPORATE 100 Alaska's Economic Powerhouses (1) ACS Stock Symbol 600 Telephone Ave. ALSK Anchorage, AK 99503 Phone: 297-3000 ...

Lynden: 50 years a legend in Alaska.(2004 Corporate 100 Profile)
April 1, 2004... The Lynden family of companies' role in pioneering the development of Alaska goes back to territorial days, and is one of quite remarkable history and adventure. It dates from February 1954, when the first of two Lynden Transfer Inc. specially...

Klebs Mechanical Inc.: growing company offers unique lineup of services for residential and commercial applications.(2004 Corporate 100 Profile)(Company Profile)
April 1, 2004... When Gary Klebs, president and founder of Klebs Mechanical Inc., moved to Alaska in 1.981, he hadn't envisioned owning his own business. "It was the early '80s and things were booming," Klebs recalled. "Banks were loaning a lot of money." This...

ASRC Energy Services Inc.: this company, which employs 2,700 in Alaska, specializes in energy and industrial projects.(2004 Corporate 100 Profile)(Company Profile)
April 1, 2004... As a wholly owned subsidiary of Arctic Slope Regional Corp., the Native corporation owned by the Inupiat Eskimos of Alaska's North Slope, ASRC Energy Services takes great pride in the heritage and traditions of the Inupiat culture. As a growing...

SGS/CT&E Environmental Services Inc.: this company is celebrating 40 years in Alaska and is a global leader in analytical testing and data management.(2004 Corporate 100 Profile)(Company Profile)
April 1, 2004... It's hard to believe that more than 100 years ago, SGS (Societe Generale de Surveillance Group), the parent company of SGS/CT&E Environmental Services Inc., started off as a grain inspection house in Europe. Today, they are the world's largest...

Looking out for business ... a report from the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce--The Voice of Alaska Business.
April 1, 2004... With 40,000 regulations in Alaska and 93% of all regulations proposed becoming law, it is important for business to watch exactly how regulations are formed, enforced and reviewed to ensure we are able to navigate the system. Senator Gene...

A grand experiment: a private port at Hoonah: new Cruise ship stop opens soon to the delight of visitors, but other Southeast towns may feel the pinch of fewer visitors as a result.
April 1, 2004... When the Royal Caribbean/ Celebrity cruise ship Mercury calls at Icy Strait Point near Hoonah in Southeast Alaska on May 11, the visit will signal a first-of-its-kind attraction in the state--a private port purposely built to attract ship...

Work safe. Save money: safety is essential in the workplace and impacts the bottom line.
April 1, 2004... If employee safety is not a high priority in your company, it should be. It's not just a touchy-feely, do-gooder issue; employee safety directly impacts your bottom line. "A happy, healthy work force will be more effective," said Chris...

Flying high: Alaska's passenger/air cargo service companies: span the great land.
April 1, 2004... Whether flying cargo, mail, passengers or parts, Alaska's air cargo and passenger service companies remain flexible, meeting the diverse needs of the people of Alaska. Many operate 24-7 and are available at a moment's notice. Here's a sampling...

Personal finance for executives: typically, the needs are the same for all investment customers. It is simply the scale of available resources that differs.
April 1, 2004... Perhaps the scale is different. And the reporting requirements require a little extra consideration and scrutiny. But beneath the power suit and tie, today's business executive (whether public or privately employed) is still a general investor...

Are you on the right financial road to retirement? Americans are living longer, enjoying longer periods of retirement. However, this opportunity only raises the ante, requiring careful planning and investing for the financially comfortable future we all want.
April 1, 2004... A prosperous, comfortable retirement must be one of the most cherished chapters in the American dream. It means an opportunity to travel, to spend more time with family and friends, and to enjoy sports events and restaurants. No matter...

The wide wide word of ecotourism: many environmentally conscious visitors want to travel Alaska without leaving a mark on the land.
April 1, 2004... Ecotourism--the word itself conjures up a variety of images. For some, ecotourism is an offshoot of the 1960s where people claimed to be living off the land in San Francisco and other locations throughout urban America. For others, it's a way...

Ecotourism facts: the following is the findings from a recent two-part study conducted by National Geographic Traveler for the Travel Industry of America.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... * One-third of all travelers are influenced by a travel company's actions to preserve the environment and/or history and culture of destinations, indicating that travel companies' geotourism efforts do get noticed by a good portion of...

The dark side of wireless: wireless is convenient, but beware, if not used properly it can open up your network to the outside world.(Editorial)
April 1, 2004... Would you take your most sensitive business data--financial records, private correspondence, customer account information, even user names and passwords-and throw it out your window for any passerby to read? Would you install an Ethernet...

Alaska's high cost of substance abuse: what is substance abuse costing alaska businesses? The problems--and possible solutions.(related article: What you can do to protect your business.)(related article: 'off the street and into treatment'.)(related article: Seeking Solutions: an interview with U.S. senator Lisa Murkowski. )
April 1, 2004... Silver Bay Logging Co. has always had a strict no alcohol, no drugs policy, maintaining this policy for the health, safety, security and success of both employees and the company itself. Substance abuse takes a toll on a company's bottom line,...

The fabulous Alaska ESOP: there are benefits in providing your company with an employee stock ownership plan.
April 1, 2004... Not to be confused with Aesop's Fables, this is the tale of the fabulous Alaska ESOP. Just what is an ESOP? Where does one learn about ESOPs? How and why would one form an ESOP? What companies in Alaska have gone ESOP? What's so fabulous about...

Steady decline in unemployment rates throughout Alaska and the United States: January 2003 to January 2004.(Alaska Trends For April)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The unemployment rates throughout Alaska and United States have steadily declined throughout the period of one year. The unemployment rate in Alaska was 8.9 percent in January 2004, compared to 9.7 percent just one year prior. This indicates an...

Alaska trends for April sponsored by Waste Management of Alaska.(Illustration)
April 1, 2004... ALASKA TRENDS FOR APRIL SPONSORED BY WASTE MANAGEMENT OF ALASKA Indicator Units Period GENERAL Personal Income--Alaska Millions of $ 3rdQ03 Personal...