Alaska Business Monthly articles from August 2007

Alaska Business Monthly archives from August 2007

The Alaska food chain links up.(From the Publisher)
August 1, 2007... Just as some observers had begun to sense a cyclical end to the once popular business and commercial trade show and exposition, along comes Robin Richardson and her Global Food Alaska Conference and Trade Show in Soldotna, sponsored by Global...

Alyeska Resort begins $8 million upgrade for hotel, ski facilities.(CONSTRUCTION)
August 1, 2007... Alyeska Resort has started an $8 million renovation project, which will update hotel rooms, meeting space, a mountaintop restaurant and skiing facilities. Upgrades to the 304-room Hotel Alyeska in Girdwood will total about $3.5 million and...

CIRI, partner will build Southcentral wind-energy facility.(ENERGY)
August 1, 2007... Cook Inlet Region Inc. has partnered with a wind-energy operations company, enXco Development Corp., to build and operate a wind farm on Fire Island. Wind Energy Alaska LLC will be the state's largest wind energy project. Several Railbelt...

First National Bank Alaska boosts salmon gift to Iraq.(DONATIONS)
August 1, 2007... First National Bank Alaska donated $1,000 to help Kenai Peninsula salmon reach U.S. troops serving in Iraq. The effort was originally organized by Soldotna Mayor Dave Carey and his brother, Mike Carey, a Vietnam veteran. Their project stalled...

Pioneer Alaska businessman donates $2.6 million to UAF.(DONATIONS)
August 1, 2007... Longtime Alaskan Ronald F. Cosgrave donated $2.6 million to the University of Alaska. The donation marks the single largest gift ever given to the university by a living alumnus, according to UA officials. The funds helped purchase 30 acres of...

Denali Park bus operator offers new tour to Kantishna.(TOURISM)
August 1, 2007... Visitors to Denali National Park & Preserve can choose a new bus trip to the end-of-the-road mining town of Kantishna. The 12-hour roundtrip tour, featuring narration by a driver guide and a National Park Service ranger, is offered by park...

National magazine picks Spinell Homes as a Top 400 home builder.(APPLAUSE)
August 1, 2007... Spinell Homes of Anchorage was selected for the Top 400 list of the nation's largest home builders. This marks Spinell Homes' 12th consecutive appearance on the list, which is published by Professional Builder magazine. This year Spinell ranked...

Usibelli Coal Mine, Fairbanks CVB win Governor's Exporter Awards.(APPLAUSE)
August 1, 2007... Gov. Sarah Palin chose two Interior Alaska companies to receive the Governor's Exporter of the Year Awards. Usibelli Coal Mine Inc. of Healy was honored for its international coal-shipping efforts. The family owned company has shipped more...

First National Bank donates to Junior Achievement.(DONATIONS)
August 1, 2007... First National Bank Alaska donated $10,350 to Junior Achievement of Alaska. The donation will support programs in Anchorage, Bethel, Cordova, Eagle River, Fairbanks, Homer, Juneau, Kenai, Kodiak, the Mat-Su Valley, Seward, Sitka, Soldotna and...

Northern Air Cargo adds 737-200s to its cargo fleet.(TRANSPORTATION)
August 1, 2007... Northern Air Cargo, the state's largest all-cargo air carrier, has started service using its first two converted Boeing 737-200 freighter aircraft. The company plans to add another similar aircraft pending Federal Aviation Administration...

A successful trio: three unique businesses thrive and provide tourism opportunities at a small complex in Anchorage.
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In addition to a sound business plan, adequate capital and hard work, innovative ideas can make the difference between good and great. Three Anchorage businesses, the recipients of such ideas, are reinventing...

Fear not! A business audit doesn't have to be the end of the world.
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] According to Wikipidea, the earliest account of any type of audit can be traced back to 1314, in England, where a public official was tasked with auditing government expenditures. We can travel even further back to...

A season of promise: oil and gas projects result in near-record levels of activity on North Slope.
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Oil and gas activity has been at near-record levels on the North Slope in the last half year, with major projects under way to replace the Prudhoe Bay crude oil transit pipeline system and a project by Pioneer...

Good old-fashioned country fun: smells, tastes--delight of state fairgoers.(Alaska This Month)
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Memories of state fairs tickle the senses. Once again, this year fairgoers can savor and smell outdoor vendors' hamburgers or kettle corn, stroke goats or sheep at a petting zoo and hear carnival ride sounds mingled...

August events calendar.(Calendar)
August 1, 2007... ANCHORAGE 1-5 Hullabaloo A hysterical, historically accurate history lesson on Alaska with spoofs on Sonny and Cher and more. This family friendly program provides a great nightlife atmosphere and "Edutainment." Located at Platinum...

A hand up: 'Individual Development Accounts' help people save for homes, businesses and education expenses.
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It wasn't so long ago that Norma Jean Esmailka and her family lived in a makeshift shelter in the woods near the University of Alaska Anchorage. These days, a pretty door with a stained-glass window and a...

Protecting native lands from modern waste: Larry Zirkle of total reclaim teaches villagers better ways to deal with hazardous materials.(ABM'S 2007 ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIAL SECTION)
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When Larry Zirkle first watched the video Exporting Harm: the High-Tech Trashing of Asia, he thought that the images of tires, refrigerators and computer waste scattered across the land looked familiar. But it wasn't...

More Alaska businesses going green: from using energy-efficient bulbs, to recycling, to developing wind farms, companies see cost savings and benefit in 'green'.(ABM's 2007 ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIAL SECTION)
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Increasingly, more Alaska businesses are going green--not just for the sake of the environment but to benefit their bottom line. Companies historically have adopted environmental conservation measures as simply...

Garbage, garbage everywhere: environment a concern as trash piles up at landfills.(ABM's 2007 ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIAL SECTION)
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Where do you put 3.7 million pounds of trash? And that's just the tip of the iceberg or the top of the garbage heap. The early spring Anchorage citywide cleanup effort netted a total of 1,875 tons of trash during...

ABM's 2007 environmental directory.(Directory)
August 1, 2007... Alaska is ripe with resources. It is also a beautiful state, full of majesty and rich with an abundance of trees, rivers, lakes and mountains. The age-old dilemma has been how to extract the resources that make our economy prosper, without harm...

Driving the financial highway: good roadmap will help avoid potholes.
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The old adage "If you shoot for nothing, you'll likely get it" accurately sums up financial planning. Without a roadmap for the future, you'll wind up like a tourist who packs a suitcase in his car and leaves home...

Drug and alcohol testing in the workplace: prevent problems before they get out of hand.
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Workplace managers in Alaska, a state with a reputation for drug tolerance, are paying up-front for programs to help identify applicants or employees whose drug or alcohol use could represent significant job safety...

Drug facts.(Survey)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... While the Alaska Supreme Court has upheld the right of adult Alaskans to possess up to four ounces of marijuana in their homes for personal use, the move did not immunize state residents against federal law making it illegal to possess, use,...

More than a century of work: this tunnel to somewhere is idealistic, but possible.(BUILDING ALASKA)
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It is tantalizing, that small stretch of water between Uelen, Siberia, and Wales, Alaska, with the two Diomede Islands between them, all seemingly just waiting to be connected. The idea of connection is more than...

Fewer hammers, nails and saws: down, but not out, new housing market looks to rebound.(BUILDING ALASKA)
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ahhhhh... Home Sweet Home. Hold everything. That old adage may not apply to homebuyers in the Anchorage area searching for new housing for very long. The good news: The Anchorage Home Builders Association...

A bold, new presence: Anchorage's Ted Stevens International Airport, top-ranked cargo airport in North America, gains new cargo facility.(BUILDING ALASKA)
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Lee Nunn, president of Anchorage Global Logistics Airpark Development Inc., has been receiving favorable comments about the new cargo facility that AGLAD Postmark LLC is developing at the airport. "Air carriers...

LEEding the way in Alaska: more and more, Alaska is seeing 'green' in its building designs.
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Two buildings under construction in Alaska couldn't be more different, yet both embrace the same principles of green building. The 14-floor JL Tower will cater to Anchorage's business suit crowd while the new Eielson...

Stamp of approval: Michael Baker Jr. Corp. makes its mark on buildings, roads and even coins.(BUILDING ALASKA)(Company overview)
August 1, 2007... How many engineering companies can you name that have their work stamped on a U.S. coin? Give up? The answer is two. In 2005, the corporation of Michael Baker Jr. Inc. was selected to have its design of a bridge minted on a...

CSA Community Citizen Award.(Right Moves)(Certified Senior Advisors)(Senior Care of Alaska )(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Kevin Turkington of Senior Care of Alaska was chosen to receive this year's Society of Certified Senior Advisors Community Citizen Award. Turkington was nominated by Dr. Ray Clements, executive director of the Older Persons Action Group Inc.,...

Waste Management of Alaska Inc.(Right Moves)
August 1, 2007... Waste Management, a leading provider of hazardous and non-hazardous waste shipping and disposal services, recently announced the addition of Paul Nielsen to its Alaskan team as a project manager. Nielsen will join Mike Holzschuh in...

Rasmuson Foundation.(Right Moves)(Diane Kaplan )(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Diane Kaplan, president and chief executive of the Rasmuson Foundation, was chosen Distinguished Grantmaker of the Year by the Council on Foundations of Washington, D.C. The award is the highest honor bestowed annually by the Council on...

Anchorage Convention& Visitors Bureau.(Right Moves)
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Julie Saupe was promoted to president and chief executive for the Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau. For five years she served as vice president of ACVB's community and visitor relations department. She also has...

Bradshaw & Associates Inc.(Right Moves)
August 1, 2007... Ken Bradshaw, owner of Bradshaw & Associates Inc., received the Northwest Walls and Ceiling Bureau Project of the Year Award for work on the Mat-Su Regional Hospital. Bradshaw's award is the first bestowed to an Alaska contractor by the...

The University of Alaska Fairbanks.(Right Moves)
August 1, 2007... The University of Alaska Fairbanks has awarded its 2007 Emil Usibelli Distinguished Teaching, Research and Public Service awards to Yelena Matusevich, A. David McGuire and Shirish Patil. Matusevich, an associate professor of French, received...

NACLink.(Right Moves)
August 1, 2007... Shiloh MacCabe was hired as the operations supervisor for NACLink, Northern Air Cargo's freight-forwarding division. MacCabe has 14 years of customer service and operations experience in the Alaska transportation industry. She will oversee...

Michael L. Foster & Associates Inc.(Right Moves)(appointment of Loren Leman )(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Former Lt. Gov. Loren Leman has joined Michael L. Foster & Associates Inc., an architecture and engineering firm, as vice president. Leman, a registered professional civil engineer, was a project manager for CH2M...

Tryck Nyman Hayes Inc.(Right Moves)
August 1, 2007... Tryck Nyman Hayes Inc. has hired several new employees at its Anchorage office. Pierre Stragier is a senior engineer in the civil department. Stragier, who earned a degree in civil engineering, is a registered engineer and land surveyor in...

Carlile Transportation Systems Inc.(Right Moves)
August 1, 2007... Carlile Transportation Systems Inc. has chosen Terrance B. Smith as the company's new chief financial officer. Smith previously served as vice president and corporate banking executive for KeyBank North America in Anchorage. He has more than 15...

Olgoonik Development.(Right Moves)(appointment of Steve Heath )(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Steve Heath has joined Olgoonik Development as network technician. He is responsible for managing the computer needs for seven subsidiaries, as well as planning and implementing information technology efforts and network monitoring tools. He...

Wells Fargo.(Right Moves)
August 1, 2007... Wells Fargo has chosen Bethany Alexander and Jeff Orcutt as relationship managers for its Institutional Trust Services division in Anchorage. Alexander previously served as an institutional trust operations manager and customer service...

The Bureau of Land Management.(Right Moves)
August 1, 2007... The Bureau of Land Management in Alaska has appointed John Gould as manager of the Alaska Fire Service in Fairbanks. He started his BLM career in 1976 as a firefighter in Glennallen and later worked as a smokejumper in Fairbanks. He most...

Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation.(Right Moves)(appointment of James King )(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... James King has been selected as the new director of the state Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation. King, a Juneau trails advocate, has experience in recreational resource management, transportation planning and trail construction. The...

Anchorage Community Mental Health Services.(Right Moves)
August 1, 2007... Dr. Carey Edney was hired as the new director of care management for Anchorage Community Mental Health Services. Edney is responsible for quality assurance, utilization review, evaluation/research and outcome management.

University of Alaska Anchorage.(Right Moves)
August 1, 2007... Kristin A. Owens has been chosen associate dean of the University of Alaska Anchorage's Community and Technical College.

ASCG Inc.(Right Moves)
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ASCG Inc. hired Diana Rigg as senior environmental scientist/planner. Her professional experience includes more than 20 years with the Alaska Departments of Transportation and Public Facilities, and Natural...

Anchorage Economic Development Corp.(Right Moves)
August 1, 2007... Heather Gould joined the Anchorage Economic Development Corp. as its new communications director. Gould will direct AEDC's marketing, advertising, communication and investor relations efforts. She previously worked as an account executive at...

Carol Neeley: turning tragedy to profit: woman takes reins of Glennallen business after loss of husband.(ABM's 2007 TOP WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS)(Cover story)
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] One would describe Carol Neeley as a jack of all trades and a master of all. She's a strong woman, a pioneer of sorts, who had to take over the family business after her husband, Sy, passed away almost three years...

Beacon Occupational Health and Safety Services: team players: Holly Hylen created a one-stop shop for her associates.(ABM's 2007 TOP WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES)
August 1, 2007... Holly Hylen, founder and owner of Beacon Occupational Health and Safety Services Inc., www.beaconohss.com, started her career with hopes of becoming a doctor. She says, "I graduated from Creighton University (in Omaha, Neb.) with a biology...

Top women-owned businesses directory.(Directory)
August 1, 2007... Above and Beyond Communications Inc. 3705 Arctic Blvd., Suite AA Anchorage, AK 99503 Phone: 336-4508 Fax: 336-450 E-Mail: info@aboveandbeyondcomm.com Web Site: www.aboveandbeyondcomm.com Owner: Milisa Mae Zornes,...

Get out! Experience your own backyard: tips for planning weekend getaways in the 'Land of the Midnight Sun'.
August 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With the sun still in the cusp of summer, the urge to make the most of every moment of luxuriant, coatless daylight rises in Alaskans like sap in trees. Weekend trips are a great way to escape the city, the...

The Big Alaskan 3: employment trends in oil, fishing and tourism (June 2005--May 2007).(Alaska Trends For August 2007: Alaska Trends, an outline of significant statewide statistics, is provided by the University of Alaska Center for Economic and sponsored by American Fast Freight.)
August 1, 2007... Employment in the three industries commonly associated with Alaska--oil/gas, fish, and tourism--has followed a clear movement over the past two years. The leisure & hospitality industry, presented here as a measure of tourism employment in...