ith a rich history dating back to the ‘60s, Brice Engineering is an Alaska company that has evolved from a family-owned construction firm to a powerhouse in the engineering and environmental services sector.

Today, Brice Engineering boasts a diverse portfolio of successful projects spanning Alaska, Hawaii, and the Pacific Rim, demonstrating a commitment to excellence and innovation. A subsidiary of Calista Corporation, Brice Engineering stands as a testament to Alaska’s ingenuity and resilience.

“Employees are looking for companies that work with purpose, provide purpose, and do things to help,” says Brice Pacific Regional Director Makenzie Wing. “We’re doing work that is hugely important.”

In recent years, Brice Engineering has spearheaded several high-profile projects that underscore its expertise and dedication to quality. One such project is the Short-Term Fuel Pier Repairs at Eareckson Air Station, or EAS, on Shemya Island, where Brice Engineering swiftly addressed the station’s critical infrastructure needs to maintain operational readiness.

Brice also completed a two-phase project at Shemya, repairing the waste heat loop system, which involved meticulous site preparation, installation of new piping and mechanical components, and careful testing. Despite the island’s remote location—approximately 1,500 miles southwest of Anchorage at the very end of the Aleutian Chain—Brice coordinated personnel and material transport effectively. The repairs addressed leaks in the closed-loop piping system, ensuring uninterrupted heat distribution from the power plant’s engines and generators to onsite buildings.

Brice Engineering also oversees a project at Wake Island Airfield, situated between Hawaii and Guam, which functions as a crucial refueling station for military planes and facilitates Missile Defense Agency testing. The project requires continuous operational support with a fully staffed office, equipment yard, and a 39-person man-camp.

“Brice has solutions with every setback and goes above and beyond to keep the customer happy,” says Scott Kendall, Environmental Engineering Supervisor for US Army Corps of Engineers Alaska District.

Founded in the early ‘60s by Helenka and Luther Liston Brice, Brice Inc. started as a family venture in Fairbanks. Over the years, the company transitioned into the hands of successive generations, with sons Andy and Al Brice assuming leadership roles in 1992. Today, the company is led by Sam Robert Brice, representing the third generation of Brice family leadership. It employs more than 200 staff members, with 77 of those dedicated to Brice Engineering.

In 2010, Brice Inc. was acquired by the Calista Corporation, marking a significant milestone in its journey. Under Calista, Brice Engineering emerged as a key player in the engineering and construction landscape, leveraging its expertise to tackle complex environmental and infrastructure projects.

“Our growth has been exponential,” Wing says. “The Brice family’s willingness to adapt and innovate propelled us to new heights. Today, with the support of Calista, we are further than we ever imagined.”

Eric Sumpter, a senior project manager at Brice Solutions, emphasizes the company’s commitment to excellence.

“Working for Brice is like cutting a diamond: it’s multifaceted,” Sumpter says. “While many companies do the same thing over and over, one of the best things about Brice is we rarely do the same thing twice. Every project is different, and we do them for a multitude of clients. One day we may be working on a demolition project, or an electrical infrastructure improvement project, a remedial excavation project, a remote contaminated site investigation, a pier repair—the list goes on. The types of projects we do are endless, and we do them at some very cool, remote, logistically challenging locations. The team and the culture we have here at Brice is why I show up every day, but the variety of projects we work on is what keeps me excited about construction and environmental work.”

Brice Engineering’s expansion into environmental services has been a game-changer, allowing the company to address emerging issues such as per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, contamination. With patented PFAS soil washing technology, Brice Engineering is at the forefront of environmental remediation efforts, providing innovative solutions to mitigate environmental risks and protect communities across the country.

The treatment and disposal of PFAS contaminated soil stockpiles at Eielson Air Force Base is a recent example of Brice’s expertise in environmental remediation.

The beddown of F-35A fighter planes at Eielson Air Force Base necessitated the construction of numerous facilities and infrastructure over the past four years. Each project involved varying amounts of soil excavation, leading to the accumulation of contaminated soil stockpiles. To address this environmental challenge, the US Air Force developed an approach for the on-base management and treatment of affected soils, enlisting the expertise of Brice Engineering.

Brice Engineering was contracted to characterize and treat 133,000 cubic yards of soil from various stockpiles associated with the F-35A construction projects. Leveraging its PFAS soil washing technology, Brice Engineering embarked on a mission to separate soil fractions and substantially reduce PFAS concentrations, ensuring the environmental integrity of the site.

“We’re not just a construction engineering company trying to make big business dreams come true,” says Wing. “We’re out there making sure that communities have access to clean drinking water.”

The importance of industry collaboration cannot be overstated, Wing says. Brice Engineering recognizes the value of its partnership with the Associated General Contractors, or AGC, of Alaska.

“The events that AGC puts on as an industry allow us to engage with industry and talk about big topics and issues,” says Wing.

AGC’s role in providing a platform for dialogue and collaboration has been instrumental in fostering a culture of excellence within the industry. By offering opportunities for networking, knowledge sharing, and professional development, Wing says AGC empowers companies like Brice Engineering and several other Calista Corporation subsidiaries to stay up to date on industry trends, tackle complex challenges, and drive collective progress. As Brice Engineering continues to thrive in its mission-driven approach, its partnership with AGC serves as a cornerstone for sustained growth and innovation in the engineering and construction sector.

“AGC is providing opportunities for people to engage and working behind the scenes to try to make our lives easier,” says Wing. “As a business, we’ve got to take advantage of these platforms.”