Docks Delivering by Victoria Petersen

Legislative Wrap-up? Not Quite Yet
by AGC Legislative Affairs Committee and AGC lobbyist Dianne Blumer

Safety Stand Down Week

Slow Down, Plan Ahead by Audrey Hunt

Trailercraft/Freightliner of Alaska by Jamey Bradbury

Pacific Pile & Marine by Amy Newman

Loken Crane, Rigging and Transport LLC by Matt Nevala

UNIT COMPANY Hustles for On-Time AIH Opening by Kevin Klott

President’s Message by Gary Klebs

Executive Director’s Message by Alicia Siira

New Members

AGC Scholarship Winners

Ice Fishing Tournament

Calendar of Events

Taking Pride in What We Do

Agency Day/Spring Board Meeting

Human Resources Update by Paula Bradison

Contractors & the Law by Eric P. Forner

Financial Services & Contractors by Jeremy Pletnikoff

Occupational Health by Kristen Connors

Safety Report by Chris Ross, CSP, CPLP

Member News

Advertisers Index

Jenith Ziegler
ChemTrack Alaska Inc.

David Haynes
First National Bank Alaska

Pearl-Grace Pantaleone
Cornerstone General Contractors

Gary Klebs
KLEBS Mechanical

Aspen Knight
Coldfoot Environmental Services, Inc.

Alicia Siira
Associated General Contractors of Alaska

Christine A. White
R&M Consultants Inc.

Rindi White
Editor

Monica Sterchi-Lowman
Art Director

Linda Shogren
Art Production

James K Brown
Graphic Designer

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

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

Christine Merki
Advertising Account Manager
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 2020 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.

o our members, our staff, and to everyone else reading the latest installment of The Alaska Contractor Magazine, I’d like to thank you for your continued resilience.

The past year has been nothing short of historic, and the way you’ve persevered has been equally notable. As we head into summer and prepare to put these challenging times officially behind us, I’d say we’re all due for a little celebration. And while spirits are high, I believe now is an appropriate time to tell you a little more about the guy who feels so lucky to be serving as this organization’s Board President.

I was born in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, a small town that isn’t famous for much, but once proudly displayed a welcome sign that read: “Home to 14,000 Busy Beavers.” When a popular adult magazine took a picture of the sign and shared it in their publication, our sign was quickly removed.

e’ve made it through the hardest part. And it would appear that good things do, in fact, come in threes: Businesses are open, masks are off, and the summer construction season is well underway in Alaska.

With the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act and the impending boost in federal infrastructure funding, our government officials are looking at a major opportunity to inject some much-needed life into the state’s economy. But along with this opportunity comes an important set of questions and answers that will surely have some major implications. Among them: How should this funding, to the tune of just over $1 billion, be allocated?

Advocating for shrewd investment in private industry has always been—and will always be—one of our primary motivations at AGC of Alaska.

hile cruise ships will bring decidedly fewer tourists to Alaska this year, other tourism sectors have projects underway that are sure to attract visitors to the state while benefiting local economies.

e’ve all been there: It’s 8:47 a.m. and the meeting location is almost 15 minutes away when you get stuck in a stop-and-go bottleneck of vehicles waiting to get through an active road repaving project. Suddenly you’re next in line to go through the construction zone when the flagger rotates the “slow” sign around to “stop.” Stuck. It’s tempting to hit the gas and catch up with the vehicle ahead, to leave the bottleneck behind and make it to that meeting on time. But in addition to risking the life of the flagger you’d whiz by, you’re risking your own life and the lives of the workers who are operating equipment within the construction zone. Is it worth it? Never.

In 2019, 842 people in the United States were killed in roadway work zones, according to the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse. Of that number, 135 were roadway workers. The rest were other motorists, passengers, or pedestrians.

ocks and ports across Alaska are being revitalized and expanded. Many projects seek to welcome a growing number of tourists who travel to Alaska via cruise ship, while others will make transporting fuel, food, and consumer goods more efficient.

In 2020, Icy Strait Point in Hoonah claimed the Port of the Year award at the 14th annual Seatrade Cruise Awards. However, no tourists had the chance to cruise to the facility last year, since the COVID-19 pandemic halted cruise ship travel to Alaska. A normally buzzing Inside Passage, full of thousands of visitors from around the world, was quiet.

For communities that normally welcome cruise ship guests—Southcentral Alaska, throughout the Interior near Denali, and especially in Southeast Alaska communities—a second season without large ship cruise travel significantly impacts an already fragile tourism industry, says Jeff Samuels, director of policy and communications for the Alaska Travel Industry Association.

hen web browsers made the internet accessible to the masses, tech companies predicted a completely paperless society. But thirty years later, that vision has gone the way of the flying car into the science fiction realm, as businesses and organizations still need high-quality print materials from a reputable commercial printer. Service Business Printing knows the value of tangible marketing materials and works closely with its clients to develop real-world branding solutions.

“It’s hard to capture everyone’s attention,” says Onnie Kendall, district manager for Service Business Printing. “Digital formats are just one option. But between spam, texts, and emails, I think there is a real mailbox moment when the customer has a postcard in their hand. Down the road, that moment will prove to be more valuable.”

alls from elevation are a leading cause of death for construction employees. In 2019, 1,062 construction fatalities were recorded in the United States, according to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Of those, 401 were due to a fall from elevation.Each year, Associated General Contractors of Alaska participates in a Safety Stand Down event, encouraging member companies to discuss proper safety at elevation in an effort to stop fall fatalities and injuries.

This year, the Safety Stand Down week was May 3-7, which coincided with Construction Safety Week. Both efforts are aimed at making sure workers are present, focused, and safe on the job, so everyone can return home safely at the end of the day.

n May 16, I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. I finished with a 4.1 GPA and completed two capstone projects my senior year, one for civil engineering and one for my sustainability studies minor. I learned so much about myself, including how to continue pursuing my passions in the industry. I am looking forward to applying the skills I have learned and am confident that these skills will help me be successful in my future occupations.

It has been an amazing four years and I could not have done it without Associated General Contractors of Alaska’s investment in my education. Having scholarships made it possible to choose an internship that I was truly interested in and later, it gave me the flexibility to focus on school when I couldn’t make the time for school and work in my last semester.

hanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual Bowl-A-Thon held in Fairbanks was placed on hold. But the Associated General Contractors of Alaska Fairbanks Task Force debuted a new event on March 27: An ice fishing tournament held at Birch Lake.

The event drew twenty-nine teams, who competed to win awards for the longest or heaviest fish. While it’s not clear if the tournament will become an annual event, organizers say everyone had a lot of fun.

hanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual Bowl-A-Thon held in Fairbanks was placed on hold. But the Associated General Contractors of Alaska Fairbanks Task Force debuted a new event on March 27: An ice fishing tournament held at Birch Lake.

The event drew twenty-nine teams, who competed to win awards for the longest or heaviest fish. While it’s not clear if the tournament will become an annual event, organizers say everyone had a lot of fun.

ven without a global pandemic, Alaska’s economy has cycled through unexpected highs and lows. But under the helm of owner Lee McKenzie, TrailerCraft Inc./Freightliner of Alaska hasn’t merely weathered economic uncertainty; Alaska’s premiere Freightliner dealership has seen consistent growth, thanks to the company’s diversity of products and services.

“That’s the ace up our sleeve,” says McKenzie. “We’ve got it all.”

A fixture in Alaska’s trucking and commercial vehicle industry, TrailerCraft started as a manufacturer of crash-resistant bumpers for North Slope vehicles. But key product lines soon helped transform and diversify the company’s sales and service.

hen the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation, or YKHC, decided to renovate and expand its primary care center in Bethel, the board of directors and administrative leadership considered the best way to represent Yup’ik culture through service model and facility. They referred to the teachings of the late Dr. Paul John, a founding YKHC board member who authored several books about traditional ways of life and the Yup’ik teachings of ‘calricaraq,’ a word that translates to the ‘well-being of families and communities.’ After five years, the Paul John Calricaraq project is complete and will improve healthcare for nearly 30,000 people in the region.

“This project has tripled the size of the hospital floor space,” says Dan Winkelman, YKHC president and CEO. “It will allow us to increase capacity and provide access to healthcare at the level it should be.”

arah Dow has been working in the construction field in the State of Alaska for twenty-four years and now holds the title of Health, Safety & Environmental superintendent for one of the state’s largest road construction contractors, QAP/Colaska. In March, the Associated General Contractors of Alaska highlighted Dow at an event celebrating Women in Construction week. Dow was recognized for her outstanding ability to bridge the gap between safer work environments and production goals. In this interview, she shares some of the knowledge she gained while serving as superintendent and offers tips for staying safe in construction work zones this summer.

Q: How long have you been working construction in Alaska?

A: I’ve actually been working in construction since 1997, it was June of that year.

he annual beluga whale migration through Cook Inlet is a highly anticipated event. It is also a critical component of the environmental management efforts for heavy civil and marine contracting company Pacific Pile & Marine (PPM) which is building the Port of Alaska’s new Petroleum and Cement Terminal (PCT).

Federal law prohibits the incidental harassment of marine mammals, which includes any activities that could potentially injure or disrupt their behavioral patterns. Beluga sightings within the vicinity of the areas determined to be influenced by construction activities require a work stoppage to prevent potential harm. To ensure compliance, third-party observers stationed around Cook Inlet sounded the alarm whenever a beluga was spotted during pile-driving activities last spring.

“The acoustical vibration of the piles as during installation causes [the belugas] distress,” says PPM Project Surveyor Sean McCord. “Any sightings shut down our pile driving operations. At times we were down for a half day, and at times a full day, because the whales migrated into Cook Inlet, and then into Ship Creek to look for fish, before coming back into the Inlet to play around for hours.”

t is apparent that Alaskans are getting back to work. You can tell by the lines at my favorite food truck and the parking lots of favorite restaurants.

Uniquely, many clients have reported that getting back to work means something very different. Over the past year, many AGC of Alaska member companies and their employees were considered “essential” and they didn’t miss a beat, while others may have been out of work for months.

In either case, it is also apparent that construction and road season is upon us and the need for clear and quality communication is as important as ever—from risk mitigation to job satisfaction, a focus on quality means a focus on communication.

Photos courtesy of Aaron Plumbing and Heating Co.

ndoor air quality is a trending topic as people transition back to their regular workspaces amidst the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. More than a year ago, many Alaskans began working from home as a safety measure or to monitor their children’s distance learning environments.

Face masks, social distancing, and vaccines provide layers of safety, making it more possible for people to gather in enclosed spaces. Businesses and commercial building owners can add one more layer of protection by improving indoor air quality with proper air filtration.

“All commercial buildings should already have proper HVAC systems to provide proper ventilation,” says Tom Fisher, president, co-owner, and general manager of Aaron Plumbing and Heating Company. “By code, there are specific ventilation requirements depending on the type of use and occupancy classification of a business.”

n the final day of the regular session—as set by the Alaska Constitution, not the ninety days set by state statute—the state legislature finalized passage of a number of bills and agreed to disagree on the budget at that point.

The Alaska Senate passed its version of the budget, and the State House failed to concur, which means they must come together in conference committee to settle the differences between the two documents. They planned to do so during the first of two special sessions called by the governor; the first began immediately upon adjournment from the regular session and was called to finalize the budget and address the Permanent Fund Dividend, or PFD, payout. A second special session, planned for August, would address COVID-19 aid appropriations, proposed changes to the state spending cap, and an appeal by Governor Dunleavy to have voters approve new taxes, along with an act that relates to increasing state revenue.

House Bill 69, the Senate’s omnibus budget bill, incorporates the operating budget, capital budget, supplemental budget, and federal funds coming from Alaska Recovery Program Act (ARPA). It authorizes $4.43 billion in state unrestricted general funds for operating expenses during fiscal year 2022, and nearly $275 million in capital budget spending, which leverages nearly $1.9 billion in federal funds for roads, bridges, and other infrastructure.

laska Industrial Hardware (AIH), one of Alaska’s oldest businesses, expanded its brand to South Anchorage this spring by opening its eighth location in the state.

AIH is owned by Bering Straits Native Corporation, which purchased and remodeled the building formerly occupied by Sam’s Club at 8801 Old Seward Highway in Anchorage and opened for business on April 1. The 152,620-square-foot building serves as a retail store, a fulfillment center, and headquarters for the company, which has been in business since 1959.

“I think they made a good decision with what they did by reusing an existing structure,” says Dave Gage, project manager for UNIT COMPANY. “They filled it up and utilized every square foot.”

everal Alaska statutes protect a contractor’s right to payment for work performed on a project. Perhaps the broadest and most common of these are the mechanic’s and materialman’s liens (AS 34.35.050), which allow a person supplying labor, equipment, materials, or services for the improvement of real property to record a lien against the property, securing their rights to payment.

Two other laws, which function in a similar manner, are Alaska mineral lien statutes (AS 34.35.125 – 34.35.170) and the Little Miller Act (AS 36.25.020). Like mechanic’s liens, these statutes provide a mechanism for contractors to secure their rights to payment for work on a project. In the case of mineral liens, payment is secured against the mine, well, or the minerals themselves. Under the Little Miller Act, which is applicable to public projects, payment is secured against a payment bond.

Although these three mechanisms are conceptually similar, their interpretation and application can vary widely, often in unexpected ways. For instance, the Little Miller Act and mining lien statutes each allow a contractor to secure payment for labor on a project, but courts interpreting those laws have defined the scope of such labor differently between them.

few years into owning his own well-respected construction company, Tyler Loken saw an opportunity—the chance to rise up, so to speak.

Loken Crane, Rigging and Transport LLC, or LCRT, came to life and has lent a lifting hand in Alaska—around the Kenai Peninsula, Southcentral, and the Interior—ever since.

“There is always a big, educated guess that exists when branching out,” says Loken. “But I always knew our own crane services would allow our construction company to do things safer and faster. Also, there weren’t a lot of these specific services being provided for other contractors, so with a love for hydraulics and guidance from above, LCRT was created.”

his will not be another article about the “new normal” or how things have changed for bankers in these unprecedented times. The focus of this article is to assist you in being a better prepared loan applicant.

If there is anything that should have been more evident as a result of the pandemic it is that having a relationship with a banker (among other professionals) is crucial. Being able to pick up the phone and call a lender when the Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, was rolling out, or needing to strategize on how to navigate the unknown proved to be crucial for many businesses. Many community bankers who are used to taking jabs about working banker’s hours did the opposite over the previous twelve-plus months. There was a need to step up and assist the business community and many local bankers did just that.

It is likely that many lenders are still inundated with pending and new loan files. If you are preparing to submit a loan application or are thinking about requesting a meeting with a lender, here are some basic tips to use when trying to get a loan approved quickly.

he idea of “first aid and CPR training” seems simple enough. When faced with a real-life medical emergency, however, responding and making split-second decisions in an attempt to save someone’s life may not seem so simple. Ensuring your team has members who are prepared and well-rehearsed in basic lifesaving skills can make a huge difference when faced with a sudden, stressful emergency. This can be even more important on remote job locations throughout Alaska, where help is often far away.

Most employers train their workers to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) Automated External Defibrillator (AED) use and first aid as a way to ensure a first level of immediate response to an illness or injury while waiting for professional first responders or rescuers to arrive. Whether ten people or 100 are working there, the location of a remote job site and contingency plan of a medical situation should be a top consideration when planning for remote work. For the employees who will actively be working on a remote job site, training programs will not only drill action steps needed to provide help in a CPR/AED/first aid situation—the programs will also cover the environmental awareness needed for the area in which help is given. This includes providing lifesaving skills in areas where wildlife and weather could pose added dangers, and extends to include teaching trainees how to respond without putting themselves in harm’s way.

lthough the trend in workplace fatalities in Alaska has not been positive (thirty-five fatalities in 2016, up to fifty-one fatalities in 2019), unfortunately workplace fatalities are just the tip of the iceberg and represent only a fraction of preventable deaths in our state.

The most recent preventable injury-related death data from the National Safety Council in 2019 are shocking. There were 173,040 preventable injury-related deaths in 2019 and 167,127 in 2018; an increase of 3.5 percent in just one year. But there were 86,777 in 1992, indicating a 99 percent increase over twenty-seven years! The number of nonfatal, preventable injuries is even more staggering. In 2019, 48.3 million in the US—about one in seven people—sought medical attention.

Comparing 2019 to 2018, home deaths increased 4.9 percent, public deaths increased 4.7 percent, while work-related fatalities increased 1.8 percent. The only sector experiencing a decrease in 2019 was motor vehicle-related incidents, which were down 0.8 percent.

Associated General Contractors of Alaska member companies 3-Tier Alaska and Travis/Peterson Environmental Consulting merged February 1, expanding and deepening the group’s civil, environmental, and land surveying services across Alaska.

Jim Ringstad started 3-Tier Alaska in the early ‘80s, specializing in land surveying and civil engineering. His son, Nick Ringstad, took over the company in March 2018 and grew it from two to twelve full-time employees.

Michael Travis and Larry Peterson formed Travis/Peterson in 1998. The company specialized in environmental engineering and consulting. Travis/Peterson currently has seven employees, a mix of engineers, biologists, geologists, and environmental scientists, as well as seasonal staff.