PM, Inc. is built on five core values: collaboration, drive, family, integrity, and safety. Founded in 2017, HPM’s leadership team wanted a company with a different philosophy—one focused on collaboration; that considers the success of its clients, partners, and employees integral to its own; and that strives to make the workday enjoyable, as opposed to a burden.

“We wanted to start a new company with a different culture that was more focused on the people,” says JT Wilhelm, senior vice president of HPM’s Alaska office. “We want to make sure our employees can work a day and then still go spend time with their families.”

Almost a decade later, that philosophy has helped make HPM one of Alaska’s go-to general contractors.

“They’re one of our preferred providers,” says Samson Electric Project Manager Rick Novotny. “If we have a client looking for a general contractor, HPM is one of two or three that we push them to.”

“We do everything, but our bread and butter is federal work,” Wilhelm says.

“We work out on bases across the nation, everything from civil infrastructure to barracks and hangars.”

A subcontracting opportunity at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson facilitated the opening of the Alaska office in 2021, Wilhelm says. When the company opened an Alaska office, it also became an Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Alaska member. As it built its federal résumé, HPM Alaska branched out into local projects, including security upgrades for the Anchorage School District, renovations to ENSTAR Natural Gas Company’s headquarters, and the new, 64,000-square-foot Seward cruise ship terminal, which broke ground in March 2025 and is scheduled to open in April.

“That’s the most exciting one we’ve done since I’ve been here,” Wilhelm says.

“It was just kind of a compressed schedule, but working with our partners at Turnagain Marine, it was a really smooth process.”

“Alaskans are a tight-knit community,” he explains. “That’s why we’ve been intentional with who we hire. We are committed to our community—and that means hiring local Alaskans. I want to make sure we have the local Alaskans; people who are from here, raise their families here, and are a part of the community. That also means everybody we’re working with knows our people.”

Building a homegrown team meant the office had a near-immediate level of trust within Alaska’s broader construction industry.

“We know almost everyone at HPM from their previous employment, and we worked with a lot of those folks on a lot of projects,” says Jason Gamache, principal architect with Explore Design, which worked with HPM on the ENSTAR renovations, the Seward Cruise Ship terminal, and recently contracted them to head its office renovation project. “We had such an excellent experience, we kind of, for lack of a better term, followed them, because the people are so awesome to work with.”

AGC membership furthers those connections, among other benefits.

“AGC provides access to industry best practices, safety resources, and education that help us strengthen our teams and stay current with evolving regulations and standards,” Wilhelm says. “Beyond the technical benefits, membership connects us with a broader network of contractors, owners, and partners, which supports collaboration and shared problem-solving.”

Novotny and Gamache say HPM’s emphasis on collaboration is just one aspect that sets the company apart.

“What makes them different from a lot of general contractors is that JT [Wilhelm] brings on his preferred team early,” Novotny says. “We work through the process from 35 percent design through to installation, which is good for us because that gives us a chance to control the design and the budget, and it helps with the progression of the schedule.”

HPM is currently in negotiations for several Anchorage projects, including some “exciting” opportunities at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, Wilhelm says. He hopes the company will be involved in future tourism and oil and gas industry projects, as well as healthcare and infrastructure in rural Alaska, where he spent his early childhood. His goals all circle back to HPM’s people-first mindset.

“As we continue to expand our operations in Alaska, we want to continue providing future generations of Alaskans the opportunity to advance our state,” he says.