Celebrating 100 Years by David A. James

Staying on Track with Construction Projects by Rachael Kvapil

UAF/UAA Steel Bridge Teams’ Success

Haydn Shaw to Speak at AGC of Alaska Annual Conference by Rindi White

Graham Industrial Coatings by Heather A. Resz

Precision Cranes by Vanessa Orr

Span Alaska by David A. James

Fast Response Keeps Freight Moving by Amy Newman

President’s Message by Brian Midyett

Executive Director’s Message by Alicia Amberg

Event Calendar

Welcome, New AGC Members

2023 Construction Leadership Council Grill & Chill

2023 Anchorage AGC Golf Tournament

2023 Fairbanks Golf Scramble

2023 Sporting Clays Shoot

2023 Safety Fair

HR Update by Skeet Black

Contractors & the Law by Anne Marie Tavella

Occupational Health by Christina Lien

Member News

Advertisers Index

Jenith Ziegler
ChemTrack Alaska, Inc.

Pearl-Grace Pantaleone
HDR Alaska Inc.

Alicia Amberg
Associated General Contractors of Alaska

Christine A. White
R&M Consultants, Inc.

Heather Sottosanti
Big State Mechanical, LLC

Brian Midyett
STG Pacific, LLC

Johnathon Storter
Meridian Management, Inc.

Rindi White
Editor

Monica Sterchi-Lowman
Art Director

Fulvia Lowe
Art Production

James K Brown
Graphic Designer

BUSINESS STAFF
Charles Bell
VP Sales & Marketing
907-257-2909 cbell@akbizmag.com

Janis J. Plume
Senior Account Manager
907-257-2917 janis@akbizmag.com

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Senior Account Manager
907-257-2911 cmerki@akbizmag.com

The Alaska Contractor is published by Alaska Business Publishing Co. Inc. for the Associated General Contractors of Alaska. Contents of the magazine are not necessarily endorsed by AGC of Alaska or Alaska Business Publishing Co. All rights reserved. Copyright 2023 by the Associated General Contractors of Alaska. For information about articles in this edition or for permission to reproduce any portion of it, contact Alaska Business Publishing Co.

Spreading the seeds for future industry leaders today

n the first column of my presidency, I briefly mentioned an objective related to AGC’s strategic plan to address the severe qualified-workforce shortage facing our industry, which is spearheaded by our Education, Training & Workforce, or ETWD, committee. As I write my final column, I’m excited to update you on recent WeBuildAlaska efforts and how we are elevating the image of construction careers while activating the next generation of Alaska’s construction industry workforce.

In 2022, AGC launched our new workforce development website, WeBuildAlaska.com. The site is designed to be a “one-stop shop” for info, training, and job opportunities for joining Alaska’s construction industry. In tandem with the website launch, WeBuildAlaska has continued to focus on increasing campaign awareness and expanding online presence across the three platforms of current focus: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.

Federal regulation updates and how they impact the 49th state

n mid-September, Associated General Contractors, or AGC, of Alaska leaders traveled to Washington, D.C. for the AGC National Chapter Leadership Conference and to meet with the Alaska Congressional delegation to talk over issues of concern—as usual, there are many. Here is what topped our to-do list.

hundred years in Alaska is significant,” Clark Hopp says, remarking on the centennial anniversary of the Alaska Railroad. “There’s not a lot of things in Alaska that are a hundred years old. So that milestone is always a chance to stand and look back, think about what you’ve done, and think about how you’re moving forward.”

Looking backward while planning forward is precisely what the railroad has been doing this year, says Hopp, chief operating officer with the Alaska Railroad Corporation, or ARRC. The railroad, he stresses, has been and will continue to be a vital link in Alaska’s economic development. At this summer’s public celebration in Nenana marking the anniversary, Hopp recalls, “I think it was said several times from the stage that nothing big has ever happened in Alaska in construction and transportation that hasn’t involved the Alaska Railroad.”

he blue and yellow Alaska Railroad Corporation, or ARRC, locomotives symbolize Alaskans’ tenacious, hardworking, and ingenious spirit. From its humble beginning in 1903 as Alaska Central Railway, ARRC quickly became key in transporting passengers and freight across Alaska’s vast landscape.

ARRC locomotives and railcars traverse Alaska regularly, adding daily wear and tear to much of the corporation’s infrastructure, which in turn means consistent maintenance. And though ARRC has an internal team that handles many repairs, the yearly workload means ARRC needs additional support from outside contractors.

ain for Rent has more than sixty locations in North America and Europe. The location covering the largest amount of territory is, of course, in Alaska.

A leading provider of temporary liquid-handling solutions including pumps, tanks, filtration, and spill containments, the company sells and rents equipment for projects ranging from flood relief to construction site dewatering, sewer bypasses, and industrial plant turnarounds, as well as oil and gas production.

ince Doug and Priscilla Graham started their family-owned and operated industrial coatings company in 1997, it’s been the sort of place where the office is full of family, children, and dogs. The couple raised their three daughters in Fairbanks while operating their business, relocating the business and their family to Palmer in 2009.

These days, Priscilla is CEO and 80 percent owner and functions on a day-to-day basis as the controller of the fifteen- to thirty-person company. Doug is the COO, and daughter Noelle handles contract administration, with daughter Megan handling accounts receivable, accounts payable, and payroll. Noelle is now mom to baby Emmett, who joins her at work most days as the third generation of this family business.

he UAF and UAA student Steel Bridge teams took first and second place at the 2023 Pacific-Northwest Regional competition, held at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana, in April. The two teams then placed tenth and eleventh overall in the national competition, held June 3 at the University of California, San Diego.

Students were tasked with creating a hypothetical crossing for the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge that would allow users access to trails and also allow park service vehicles to cross. The yearly competitions are overseen by the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Institute of Steel Construction.

Port Progress

ort of Alaska has served Alaska communities for more than six decades. Businesses, military personnel, and residents rely heavily on the port for access to supplies including building materials, cars, consumer goods, and food.

“Port of Alaska has three core functions,” explained Port of Alaska Deputy Director Jim Jager. “It supports local, statewide and national commerce by enabling efficient fuel and cargo shipping into, around and out of Alaska. It is one of eighteen US commercial strategic seaports that supports Defense Department missions in Alaska and around the world. And it is critical infrastructure that government agencies need to provide timely and effective response to major natural disasters—think earthquakes—in Southcentral and most of Alaska.”

Experience: the Best Teacher

hough the two current owners of Precision Cranes, Inc. have run the business for almost twenty years, they credit their longevity to the fact that they and their employees have been working in the industry even longer.

“When we first started this business, we realized that we had more than 100 years of operating experience sitting at the table because we were fortunate enough to have a number of elite operators at the time through Local 302,” explains Fred Kuykendall Jr., referring to the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 302. Kuykendall Jr. owns Precision Cranes with his father, Fred Kuykendall Sr.

he Associated General Contractors, or AGC, of America does not sit idly by when it sees the need to train members.

AGC of America, parent organization of AGC of Alaska, recently launched a twelve-part training course entitled AGC Emerging Contractors Education Series, which seeks to provide a solid foundation for basic contracting business knowledge in an easy-to-use online video format. The training series is free to members and available for a modest fee to nonmembers.

he construction industry has always been a dynamic and complex sector, characterized by its constant need for skilled labor, flexibility, and profit margins from project to project.

Recently, the concept of a contingent workforce has gained traction within the construction realm, offering both employers and workers a range of benefits that contribute to increased efficiency, reduced costs, and improved project outcomes.

hen it comes to bringing large volumes of freight into the 49th State, Span Alaska is a top choice for many companies.

“We consolidate and aggregate loads for customers in Alaska,” Fairbanks Sales Manager Joan Johnson says. “Anything from 500 pounds to 60,000 pounds at a time. We work with businesses from retail to manufacturing to oil and gas, fabrication, mining, animal supplies; we bring in products for the big box stores as well as the small business owners.”

illions in federal funding will flow to Alaska in the coming years, thanks to the passage of legislation aimed at getting the American economy moving and shoring up infrastructure along the way.

But the number of job openings in the construction industry outpaces the number of workers lining up to work. In June, the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics released a labor turnover survey that showed construction industry job openings increased by 129,000 in February while hiring decreased by 18,000.

Attracting new workers, and especially encouraging young workers and second-career employees to consider construction, is the focus of many Associated General Contractors, or AGC, of Alaska members, volunteers, and staff.

ederal contracts issued after June 2, 2023, include a new Federal Acquisition Regulation, or FAR. The regulation, FAR 52.204-27, prohibits the TikTok application on devices used in the performance of a federal government contract. Although the prohibition took effect immediately, the new FAR clause results from an interim rule issued June 2, 2023. No final rule has been issued yet, as the federal government invited public comment through August 1, 2023.

The interim rule prohibits the presence or use of TikTok, or any successor application, on information technology equipment used by federal contractors, including technology owned or managed by the government, used or provided by the contractor under the applicable contract, and equipment provided by the contractor’s employees. The government has clarified this includes devices such as cell phones and laptops provided by a contractor to its employees for use on a federal contract, as well as employee-owned devices used in the performance of a contract.

s the sole means of overland transport between Fairbanks and Deadhorse, the 414-mile Dalton Highway, also known as the Haul Road, is a vital link for resource development operations on the North Slope, allowing large commercial vehicles to deliver materials, equipment, and other supplies to mining, oil and gas, and support services companies.

When on June 7 the Sagavanirktok, or Sag, River washed out a portion of the highway ten miles south of Deadhorse at Milepost 403.5, it risked disrupting not just ongoing projects beyond the washout but the businesses and services that support them as well.

perating a forklift is a critical task that requires experience, precision, and an unwavering focus on safety. While these machines provide operators with substantial power and an exceptional range of capabilities on a job site, it is important to acknowledge the skills required to operate safely to avoid damage and injury. Here are five tips every operator should know when utilizing a forklift. By following these tips, you can create a safer workplace, reduce accidents, and improve productivity.