Alaska Business Monthly articles from February 2004

Alaska Business Monthly archives from February 2004

ASCC 2004 legislative priorities.(Looking out for business ... a report from the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce--The Voice of Alaska Business)(Advertisement)
February 1, 2004... ASCC is actively lobbying for positive and productive legislation on issues of importance to business. Following is a summary of the issues identified by our statewide membership as the highest priorities for legislative action in the 2004...

Build Alaskan Gas Pipeline to continental U.S.(Looking out for business ... a report from the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce--The Voice of Alaska Business)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
February 1, 2004... ASCC supports passage of legislation by the US Congress and the State of Alaska for a permitting process and a tax mechanism that will support development of an Alaskan Gas Pipeline along the Southern route through Alaska, and passage by the...

Juneau Access project.(Looking out for business ... a report from the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce--The Voice of Alaska Business)(Juneau Access Environmental Impact Statement)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... ASCC urges the legislature, the administration, and the federal government to work together cooperatively to bring the Juneau Access EIS to completion, and, after doing so, to implement the alternative which is best suited to provide the...

Superior education.(Looking out for business ... a report from the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce--The Voice of Alaska Business)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
February 1, 2004... ASCC recognizes the need for Alaska Schools to provide "excellence in education" so students are enabled to make successful career choices. ASCC urges the Administration and legislature to support a responsible increase of funding for K-12...

Fiscal plan.(Looking out for business ... a report from the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce--The Voice of Alaska Business)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
February 1, 2004... ASCC agrees with many other organizations throughout Alaska that the Legislature should be encouraged to work with the Administration during the upcoming session to develop a comprehensive, long-range fiscal plan for the state and pledge to...

PFD determination.(Looking out for business ... a report from the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce--The Voice of Alaska Business)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
February 1, 2004... ASCC recognizes the current "Realized Earnings" method for determining distributions from the Alaska Permanent Fund is an out-of-date system originally designed to calculate distributions when the Fund's principal was 100% invested in...

All-Alaska gas pipeline is gaining high test support.(From the Publisher)
February 1, 2004... A financial genius, a legislator visionary and the Anchorage Daily News, god love 'em, together with a small army of others, have seen the blue flame at the end of the pipeline turn to green. In so many words, they suggest it is high time for...

Arctic Transp. Services.(Right Moves)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Arctic Transportation Services' (formerly Ryan Air Service Inc.) board of directors recently named Wilfred Ryan as president and CEO of the company. Ryan previously served as chief pilot and director of stations for the organization. He has...

WPX Delivery Solutions.(Right Moves)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Sacha Frackman joined WPX Delivery Solutions as a sales executive and account manager for the Alaska region. Frackman most recently called Anchorage home while working on the North Slope.

Chugach Alaska Corp.(Right Moves)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... The Chugach Alaska Corp. shareholders' recent annual meeting included the election of Sheri Buretta, Donna Platt and Seraphim Meganack as directors on the board. The Chugach board of directors' meeting then resulted in the re-election of...

Wells Fargo Bank Alaska.(Right Moves)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Wells Fargo Bank Alaska named Steve Taylor and Michael Rzeszut as business bankers in the commercial banking group. Taylor will oversee a team of bankers managing commercial portfolios/ relationships. He has served Wells Fargo Bank Alaska...

Mad Dog Graphx.(Right Moves)(won awards in Element K Journal's 2003 Annual Design Competition)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Mad Dog Graphx recently won three first-place awards in the Element K Journal's 2003 Annual Design Competition. In addition, Mad Dog Graphx' entry in the annual report category will be the subject of an article examining new layout trends, in...

Alaska Growth Capital.(Right Moves)
February 1, 2004... Barbara Gill joined Alaska Growth Capital as a loan officer. Gill, who has more than 20 years of experience in the banking industry, recently relocated from Rapid City, S.D. There she was a commercial loan officer for First Western Bank and...

Whale Pass Lodge.(Right Moves)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Bob and Denise May were awarded with the 2003 Alaska Federation of Natives Presi-dent's Small-Business Award during the 38th annual AFN convention. Wells Fargo Bank Alaska sponsors the award, which includes $1,000 and a plaque with Native...

COUNTRY Insurance.(Right Moves)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... COUNTRY Insurance & Financial Services Agents Dale Dickson and Lyndsay Smith, both of Anchorage, recently received the National Multiline Sales Award for helping clients secure the right insurance products to cover their financial risks. The...

Anchorage Press.(Right Moves)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Anchorage Press reporter Tony Hopfinger became acting editor of the Press on Jan. 15, taking the place of former editor Robert Meyerowitz, who has accepted a new position as editor of Honolulu Weekly, in Hawaii. Press staff writer Amanda Coyne...

Spenard Builders Supply.(Right Moves)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Spenard Builders Supply promoted Dan Furlong to millwork area manager. Furlong previously sewed as millwork manager of SBS' Kenai millwork shop. Prior to SBS, Furlong spent 22 years with Doors/Windows Unlimited Inc.

AT&T Alascom.(Right Moves)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Jodi Partain Phelan recently joined AT&T Alascom as an account executive, Growth Markets. She recently worked for Northrim Bank as vice president, electronic banking manager, and has more than 20 years experience in information services and...

First National Bank Alaska.(Right Moves)
February 1, 2004... First National Bank Alaska recently announced several changes at the Home Loan Center. Carolyn Marks recently transferred from Fairbanks to Anchorage and was promoted to supervisor of the processing unit. She has 17 years of mortgage...

Alaska Airlines.(Right Moves)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Alaska Airlines named Andrew Harrison as managing director of internal audit. Harrison joins Alaska from KPMG Seattle, one of the nation's largest public accounting firms. At KPMG, Harrison was a senior manager, directing the auditing and...

FNW/Alaska Pipe.(Right Moves)(Achievements)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Louis Strahler and Gray Mesick of FNW/Alaska Pipe were named Ferguson 2003 President Circle winners by company President/CEO Chip A. Hornsby. FNW/Alaska Pipe is merging with its sister company Ferguson Enterprises Inc. Strahler has more than 35...

Northern Schools FED. C.U.(Right Moves)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Jim Carter joined Northern Schools Federal Credit Union as vice president of consumer lending. Carter is a 22-year Alaska resident and returns to Fairbanks after three years in Kenai where he was the director of the Kenai Peninsula Economic...

Alaska USA Trust reaches $3 billion.(Finance)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Alaska USA Trust Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Alaska USA Federal Credit Union, recently surpassed $3 billion in assets under administration. "Institutional and individual investors depend on Alaska USA Trust Co. for a variety of...

Alaska Contractors win construction awards.(Construction)
February 1, 2004... Some of Alaska's top construction jobs were recognized recently by the Associated General Contractors of Alaska at the group's annual conference. Osborne Construction of Anchorage won honors in the more than $5 million category for the...

Mercury Data partners with Sun Microsystems.(Technology)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Mercury Data Group Inc. announced the addition of Sun Microsystems to its list of partnerships. By becoming Alaska's only Sun iForce Channel Partner, MDGI is seeking to expand its capabilities and offerings beyond traditional small and medium...

Governor fights Bristol Bay legal fees.(Fisheries)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Gov. Frank H. Murkowski has requested Attorney General Gregg Renkes argue that outside plaintiffs' attorneys who lost the Bristol Bay "price-fixing" lawsuit should not receive $12 million for their work. Murkowski said the money should instead...

Alpine reaches 100 million barrel mark.(Oil & Gas)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) and Anadarko Petroleum Corp. (NYSE:APC) recently announced that the Alpine oil field has produced its 100 millionth barrel of oil since the initial start up in 2000. Originally estimated to produce 80,000 barrels...

Cancer care now closer to home: whether you live in rural Alaska or the state's largest city, there is likely some type of cancer care available to you if you need it.(Providence Alaska Medical Center provides cancer treatment services)
February 1, 2004... Cancer. It's a diagnosis that no patient ever wants to hear. Yet with all of the advancements that have been made in the care and treatment of the disease, more people are surviving the battle than ever before. Better screening protocols have...

Technology helps Mother Nature on North Slope: ice and plastic are used to build temporary roads to oil exploration sites.
February 1, 2004... Temporary roads to oil exploration sites on Alaska's North Slope have, in the past, proven to be painful to Mother Nature. They also have brought frowns to the faces of the oil company management, who have had to pay big bucks for environmental...

A buyer's market: though interest rates are rising, there are still plenty of reasons to invest in the Alaska housing market.
February 1, 2004... Graced by the advantage of unusually low interest rates the past several years, the real estate industry nationwide-and corresponding lenders--have burned the midnight oil to keep up with demand. Now, with rates rising again--if relatively...

Taking the surprise out of hiring: she wore a business suit to the interview and a sleeveless dress yielding tattoo-covered arms her second day of work. He seemed kind and mild-mannered at first meeting, but later was found to have anger-management issues. What do you do to prevent such outcomes?(ABM Quarterly Feature)
February 1, 2004... We've all hired the disaster employee. Perhaps you hired the man who interviewed like an ace yet fumbled every project you handed him. Or the well-dressed interviewee who traded the business suit she wore for tight, sleeveless blouses that...

Integrated Business Solutions: one-source business solution in Alaska.(Business Profile)
February 1, 2004... I.B.S.--A NEW TWIST TO A BASIC BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Genuine Parts Company (NYSE: GPC), the parent company for NAPA Auto Parts, is now offering Alaska businesses an on-site inventory management program that can significantly reduce your...

Turning a cold climate into cold cash: Fairbanks is doing research that is leading the way to economic benefit from its Arctic environment.
February 1, 2004... In Fairbanks, severe cold-climate temperature is just another vehicle for more economic development. The Fairbanks Economic Development Corp. has ramped up its recruitment of severe-climate vehicle testing teams. FEDC discovered long ago that...

Engineer of Year Nominees, 2003: these men and women bring honor and skill to their career fields.
February 1, 2004... Curtis G. Blount Nominated by the Alaska Society of Petroleum Engineers For more than 18 years, Blount has been actively involved in coiled-tubing tool research and applied-technology development. His involvement in technology...

Engineers and surveyors in demand in Alaska: getting that engineering degree makes good cents in Alaska.
February 1, 2004... With engineering schools clamoring to fit the demand, it's a good time to be an engineer or surveyor in Alaska. Though elsewhere, the picture is not so rosy. Down south, as the nation ramps up slowly to economic recovery, industry watchers...

A history lesson: engineering in Alaska has come a long way.(Engineering history celebrations)
February 1, 2004... Engineering history establishes that it is the second-oldest professional association. The association, formed in 1848, was called the Boston Society of Engineers. The name was later changed to the American Society of Engineers and then to...

Engineering plans change at Anchorage airport due to Sept. 11: safety is of the utmost concern, and AMC Engineers is designing with that measure in mind.
February 1, 2004... Imagine a horse race. The finish line is in sight, the pace is fast and furious, and you can smell victory. Then everything comes to a screeching halt. The track gets redesigned, the horses and riders have to put on armor to finish the race,...

Alaska Business Monthly's 2004 Engineering Directory.(Directory)
February 1, 2004... Alaska Anvil Inc. 509 W. Third Ave. Anchorage, AK 99501-2237 Phone: 276-2747 Fax: 279-4088 www.anvilcorp.com Engineers: 53 Year Established: 1984 Disciplines: Electrical, mechanical, civil, structural,...

February 2004 calendar of events.(Calendar)
February 1, 2004... ANCHORAGE 1 Ski for Women The largest women's ski event in North America. This year's event will take place at Kincaid Park. The event encourages women to participate in Nordic skiing, while raising money for Abused Women's Aid in...

The succulent sounds of seafood: despite difficulties in the industry, the Alaska Symphony of Seafood celebrates all our fisheries have to offer.(Alaska This Month)
February 1, 2004... For more than a decade, fisheries and seafood promoters have found an original venue for introducing Alaska's seafood to culinary experts, distributors and food writers around the country. The Alaska Symphony of Seafood has grown annually into...

Unit company: its secret is to combine commitment with quality, and a proven ability to perform.(ABM's Pick for Contractor of the Year)
February 1, 2004... A recipe for success in any business is difficult to find, especially in the construction industry. Competition among contractors is about as fierce as a couple of hungry grizzly bears vying for 10 pounds of prime rib. Unit Company, named...

Native contractors enjoying success: Alaska Native construction companies help to build Alaska.
February 1, 2004... Alaska's construction industry did well last year and looks forward to another successful year in 2004. That includes Native owned construction companies, an integral part of the Native business community overall that has served to maintain the...

A golden anniversary: Craig Taylor Equipment Co. turns 50 this year and celebrates in style.
February 1, 2004... Alaskan-owned and -operated Craig Taylor Equipment Co., which was founded in Anchorage in 1954, is observing its 50th anniversary this year. "In June, we're doing a celebration," said Lonnie G. Parker, general manager and vice president of...

Commuter rail makes commute easy for Valley residents: when completed it will offer more than travel between Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley. It will also offer commuter service between downtown Anchorage, the Dimond Center and the airport.
February 1, 2004... The summer of 1963, when I was 15, I rode my bicycle to the (Ted Stevens) Anchorage International Airport regularly from my home on Fireweed Lane. I was working at the tourist information booth at the airport, and I was preparing for a bike...

Fuel cells: technology of the future?
February 1, 2004... Alaska's rural communities and remote development projects provide ample opportunity for future commercial use of an emerging new energy resource--fuel cells. Leading the fuel cell research effort within the Last Frontier is the University...

Alaska Native Heritage Center: building for the future: this nonprofit organization promotes cultural diversity and celebrates Alaska Native traditions.
February 1, 2004... Heritage Road curves through the Alaska woods in northeast Anchorage until the Alaska Native Heritage Center stands before you. Once inside, you stand by the balcony to view Alaska Native dancers, with a background view of a lake and...

Bankruptcies from October 2002 to October 2003: bankruptcies rose during 2003, but decline from month-to-month comparison from 2002-03.(Alaska Trends for February)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... There has been a significant decline in the number of bankruptcies filed by individuals (non-businesses) within the state of Alaska. The total number of bankruptcies filed throughout the state of Alaska declined from 173 in October 2002 to just...

Alaska trends for February.(Illustration)
February 1, 2004... ALASKA TRENDS FOR FEBRUARY SPONSORED BY WASTE MANAGEMENT OF ALASKA Indicator Units Period GENERAL Personal Income--Alaska Millions of $ 2ndQ03 Personal...