Alaska Business Monthly articles from June 2006

Alaska Business Monthly archives from June 2006

In remembrance ...
June 1, 2006... We are sad to report the death of B. Therese Engman on May 14, 2006. As an advertising account manager for two-and-a-half years, her smiling face and winning personality will be remembered by all with whom she came in contact, and by all of her...

Correction.(Correction notice)
June 1, 2006... In the April 2006 issue, in an article titled "Credit Products Vital to Business Success," a statement by Larry Cooper of Wells Fargo was incorrectly quoted. It should have read "One such service is Wells Fargo's central treasury option."

Pastiche *: whatever happened to the $15 business lunch?(From the Publisher)
June 1, 2006... The legendary two-martini lunch fell from favor years ago and now, apparently, so has the $15 business lunch. Once the hallmark of networking and fellowship, the casual, collegial, informal institution seems to have gone the way of...

GeoEngineers acquires Oregon Company.(High Desert Geo-Technologies Inc.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... GeoEngineers, a local Anchorage earth science and technology company, announced it has acquired High Desert Geo-Technologies Inc. High Desert is a Bend, Ore., company that specializes in custom GIS solutions and services for property, asset and...

Alaska international exports stay strong.(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... The governor's office said international exports of Alaska goods continued to show record growth, increasing 14 percent in 2005 to a total of $3.6 billion. International exports grew by $435 million from the 2004 total. "Improving international...

Site offers one-stop resource for fishermen.(FISHING)
June 1, 2006... Commercial fishermen and seafood processors now can turn to a single Web site, aptly called AlaskaFishBiz.org, for information and resources about financing, small business development, education and training, and other seafood industry...

Organization honors youth-friendly businesses.(APPLAUSE)
June 1, 2006... A statewide nonprofit organization called Spirit of Youth is honoring Alaska businesses that promote and support youth efforts in the business world. "Our primary mission is positive recognition for youth in the state of Alaska," said Cher...

Beverage distributors to promote responsibility.(COMMUNITY SAFETY)
June 1, 2006... Alaska Distributors Co.; K&L Distributors; The Odom Corp.; the Alaska Cabaret, Hotel, Restaurant & Retailer's Association (CHARR); and national beverage alcohol manufacturers have joined together to help provide Alaskans with resources to make...

Alaska Sales & Service celebrates valley opening.(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Alaska Sales and Service unveiled its newer, larger Palmer dealership to the public recently during a grand-opening celebration on Blue Lupine Road. Diana Pfeiffer, president, hosted the ribbon-cutting ceremony before a gathering of...

Alaska's urban real estate markets: housing market brisk, commercial market brings in new names.
June 1, 2006... Alaska's urban real estate market is cooling, but still strong overall, experts say. Residential real estate remains brisk, despite land shortages, as well as steadily rising interest rates, construction costs and housing prices. On the...

Neg Regs increases diesel fuel costs: ultra-low sulfur diesel will be required soon, raising costs even more at pumps.
June 1, 2006... The world is changing for fuel distributors and retailers this year, and for Alaska refineries who sell their products in the state. New rules for ultra-low sulfur diesel are coming into effect. Big changes are in store for the entire fuel...

Giving Bock to Alaska ... The Rasmuson Foundation: four generations supporting the people of Alaska.
June 1, 2006... A half-century of philanthropy will be marked in June when the Rasmuson Foundation concludes a yearlong observance of 50 years of giving back to the people of Alaska, its charitable institutions and worthy causes. Like so much that is...

Cordova spill response facility nears decision: environmentalists vow lawsuits to halt construction.
June 1, 2006... After 10 years of studies and another five of agency and public review, Cordova's Shepard Point Oil Spill Response Facility may finally be taking a giant step toward reality. OVERVIEW Ordered by a federal judge in 1993, the project was...

The wonderful (and profitable) world of geoducs: the bottom line is good for this Southeast shellfish.
June 1, 2006... Along the ocean floor of Southeast Alaska--or rather under it--lives the world's largest burrowing clam: a behemoth bivalve that can dig itself down into the bottom up to 5 feet. From there, the clam extends a foot-or-longer neck out of the...

2006 June events calendar.(Calendar)
June 1, 2006... 3-4 Spirit Days A free event to promote pride in the rich and diverse cultural heritage and traditions of Alaska Natives and the Native American people. Located at West High School, begins at 10 a.m. For more information, phone 258-2672 or...

Alaskan colors flourish at Alaska Botanical Garden Fair: the 9th Annual Garden Fair and Garden Art Show, which takes place during the peak of the summer growing season, promises plenty of visual and horticultural treats during the June 24 to June 25 event.(Alaska This Month)
June 1, 2006... Taking in the best of Alaska's summer beauty at once is like trying to wade through a six-course gourmet meal, followed up by an impossible choice of rich desserts. It takes planning, patience and a love of the best and simplest things to get...

Gateway to the world: Alaska's transportation companies meet customers' needs with old-fashioned hard work and innovative ideas.(ALASKA BUSINESS MONTHLY'S 2006 TRANSPORTATION SECTION)(Cover story)
June 1, 2006... What do the transportation companies servicing the largest state in the U.S. have in common? A combination of hard work and innovative ideas. Often added to that formula is a sense of employee ownership, even when the company is privately...

A new owner, a new face: NAC celebrates a half-century in Alaska.(Northern Air Cargo Inc.)(Company overview)
June 1, 2006... Reaching a 50th birthday is a milestone in anyone's life. But when a company turns 50-especially one that has survived in an industry that is among the toughest and most competitive in Alaska-it is truly a reason to celebrate. In 2006, Northern...

A ferry tale: roads and shuttles designed to connect Southeast towns bring much controversy.(ALASKA BUSINESS MONTHLY'S 2006 TRANSPORTATION SECTION)
June 1, 2006... With a winter of rough waters behind it, the state's vision of a mix of roads and ferries for Southeast Alaska has been mired in a turbulent storm of public controversy, with the editorial pages of the region's newspapers clogged with...

Changing with the times: frontier flying service finds new ways to conduct business in the face of steep competition.(ALASKA BUSINESS MONTHLY'S 2006 TRANSPORTATION SECTION)
June 1, 2006... As we waited for our flight out of Nome, Frontier employee Pat Eckroate tallied the passenger weights and yelled out to the baggage handlers that they might be able to take the mail after all. Grabbing earplugs on our way out the door, we...

'Handle With Care': customer service is guaranteed at Georges Courier Service.(ALASKA BUSINESS MONTHLY'S 2006 TRANSPORTATION SECTION)
June 1, 2006... Ask any business owner what separates him or her from the competition, and chances are pretty good most of them will say their customer service. Lisa Howe, owner of the Anchorage-based Georges Courier Service LLC, is no different, and she...

Transportation: from Alaska to the world.(ALASKA BUSINESS MONTHLY'S 2006 TRANSPORTATION DIRECTORY)(Directory)
June 1, 2006... Our cover this month illustrates how much Alaska relies on transportation. Pictured is a globe of the world, with Alaska positioned at its center, and a train, plane, barge and truck encircling the globe. Without worldwide transportation...

Anchorage Chamber of Commerce.(Right Moves)
June 1, 2006... The Anchorage Chamber of Commerce announced the recent hire of Mindy O'Neall as membership director. O'Neall came to Alaska in August 2004 with a B.A. from Iowa State University in journalism and mass communication for public relations. ...

Peninsula Airways.(Federal Aviation Administration)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Peninsula Airways was presented a Diamond Award of Excellence by the Federal Aviation Administration for achieving 100 percent participation in the agency's Aviation Maintenance Technician Safety program. The award means that all of...

BRP honors two Alaska companies.(Bombardier Recreational Products)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP) announced that Alaska Mining and Diving of Anchorage received the 2006 Ski-Doo National Dealer of the Year Award-U.S. The annual award was presented before hundreds of Ski-Doo dealers and BRP...

PSI.(PSI Environmental and Instrumentation LLC hires Keith Guyer)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... PSI Environmental and Instrumentation LLC hired Keith Guyer as senior program manager. Guyer is a former business owner and senior program manger for multiple government and private industry projects throughout the state of Alaska and in the...

University of Alaska.(Right Moves)
June 1, 2006... Mary K. Hughes of Anchorage was elected chair of the board of regents of the University of Alaska. Hughes was appointed to the board in 2002. She also serves as a trustee of the University of Alaska Foundation and Willamette University....

University of Alaska Fairbanks.(Right Moves)
June 1, 2006... The University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Management and the UAF Associated Students of Business have selected Jim Lund as this year's recipient of the business leader of the year award. Lund is northern Alaska district president for Wells...

ASCG.(Right Moves)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... ASCG Inc. was awarded two of 17 awards in the Southwest Contractor's Best of 2005 Awards. ASCG won the best civil and infrastructure project for its college pump station for the City of Albuquerque and tied for first place in the interior...

Wells Fargo Home Mortgage.(Right Moves)
June 1, 2006... Sue Winters was named Alaska reverse mortgage consultant for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, a division of Wells Fargo Bank N.A. Winters will work exclusively with senior homeowners seeking a reverse mortgage, a home financing program that allows...

Alaska Business Monthly's 2006 oil and gas directory: Service & Support Companies.
June 1, 2006... In the May issue, in the Alaska Business Monthly 2006 Oil & Gas Directory, under the section subtitled "Services & Support Companies," some businesses had the wrong services and notable clients listed with their entries. Due to a technical...

The Institute of Social and Economic Research: this research facility, located at the University of Alaska Anchorage, has its heartbeat on the business community.
June 1, 2006... How important is good information to your business? Whether you are in the public or the private sector, information is a crucial ingredient in good decision-making, and ultimately, in whether you succeed in reaching your goals. Providing...

Building Alaska's future: apprenticeships and school programs designed to train skilled construction workers.
June 1, 2006... In 2006, more than $2.6 billion will be spent on construction in Alaska, 13 percent more than was spent the previous year. Construction jobs are projected to grow by 4 percent. Despite the increasing number of projects available, there's still...

Native Business key to Alaska's Oil Patch: Native oilfield contractors impact industry in Alaska.
June 1, 2006... Increased activity in Alaska's oil and gas industry, particularly on the North Slope, has translated into additional opportunities for the state's Native regional corporations participating in that sector of Alaska's economy. Established...

Turning the customers' dreams into reality: R-PLUS homes: modern technology to help energy dilemma.
June 1, 2006... Energy conservation is now more than a fact of life for Alaskans. With the price of oil busting through the $75-a-barrel mark in April, conserving energy has become a way of life. One primary area of concern, related to energy in Alaska, is...

VoIP for business: call anytime anywhere for less.
June 1, 2006... STARTED WITH ALEXANDER The telephone system is a part of life, and has been since Alexander Graham Bell invented it in 1876. Now, with the advent of the Internet, the communications traveling over the "plain old telephone system," or POTS,...

North slope spot price: drastically increasing.(Statistical table)
June 1, 2006... North Slope Spot Price: Drastically Increasing (April 24, 2005 to April 24, 2006) Yearly Change: North Slope Spot Price (Gulf) 2005 51.26 2006 69.28 Comparing Two Months: North Slope Spot Price (Gulf) Mar-06...