About the Cover
George and Peggy Brown, owners of the Lucky Wishbone restaurant in Anchorage,
received the Small Business Persons of the Year award by the Alaska Small
Business Administration recently as part of National Small Business Month. The
story begins on page 28.
6 From the Publisher
8 Inside Alaska Business
22 Events Calendar
41 Required Reading
76 Right Moves
77 Market Squares
78 Biz Buzz
80 Alaska Trends
82 Advertisers Index
Finance
12 Budget Basics for Business Loans
You should talk to your financial advisor even before you need that business
loan. By Tracy Barbour.
Mining
17 Donlin Creek Gold Deposit Joins Exclusive Club
This find ranks as the 22nd largest gold deposit in the world. By
Curtis J. Freeman.
Tourism
18 Alaska Visitor Industry Plans for Tough Tourist Season
Terrorist attacks bring travel numbers down. By Vanessa Orr.
Alaska This Month
26 Saturday Open-Air Market Begins May 18
During the peak days of summer between 15,000 and 20,000 individuals visit this
market daily. By Steve Pilkington.
National Small Business Month Special Section
A Family Affair
28 Lucky Wishbone Founders George and Peggy Brown received this year’s Alaska
Small Business Persons of the Year award. By Melissa Campbell.
32 Realizing the Dream: Steps to Starting Your Own Small
Business
Starting your own business has its risks. By Ron Veltkamp.
38 Alaska Manufacturing Contractors Meets Housing Needs of
Rural Alaska
This Mat-Su Valley company designs and builds homes and ships them to Bush
Alaska. By Vanessa Orr.
42 Glacierview Sales and Service Adapts to Changing Market
When the spruce bark beetle took out a Kenai Peninsula company’s logging trees,
owners reacted and still made a profit. By Joan Pardes.
Oil & Gas
44 North Slope Exploration on Decline for 2002
The oil industry is investing more than a billion dollars on capital
expenditures this year, but only a fraction of that is for North Slope
exploration. By Patricia Jones.
Real Estate
50 Alaska’s Largest Landlord: Weidner Investment Services Inc.
This company is celebrating its 25th year in business and owns nearly
2,300 apartment units. By Vern McCorkle.
Building Alaska
54 Building Boom
Alaska will see nearly $5 billion of construction work this year. By Melissa
Campbell.
60 Work Begins on Missile Defense Site at Fort Greely
Site preparation is under way; construction may begin this summer. By Peggy
Frank Freeland.
64 Made in Alaska Makes the Big Box
Supply chain stores seek out products made, grown and manufactured by Alaskans.
By Melissa Campbell.
68 Construction Industry Offers Good Jobs, Good Benefits
A construction professional can bring in an annual salary that ranges from
$40,000 to $60,000, plus benefits. By Joan Pardes.
72 Total Environmental Restoration Contracts
An interview with Pat Roth, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Charlie Rives,
Jacobs Engineering. By Nicole A. Bonham.
