“I was thrilled to hear we were selected for this award this year. Last year was our first time we encouraged employees to participate in the Best of Alaska Business Awards and we were happy to win the Foraker Award for our category. This year, we were over the moon when we heard we were awarded with the Denali Award.

Working at PDC Engineers feels like we say goodbye to our real families in the morning and head to the office to spend eight hours with our work family. Training and development is strongly encouraged and there is always another fun, interesting project to work on around the corner. The work is enjoyable and everyone genuinely cares about the people they work with.

I am very happy to hear so many of our employees feel the same way and demonstrated that with their vote this year.”

—Max Frey, Marketing and Communications Coordinator

“Verizon is celebrating its twenty-year anniversary in 2020, and there’s never been a better time to become a customer. From our committed leadership in public safety to innovating business communications with One Talk desk phones to discounts available for first responders, military, nurses, teachers, and students, Verizon is proud to present Alaskans with choices and quality services they can depend on.”

“Thank you to all of the readers who voted for us. The Sisters of Providence first came to Alaska to provide care to gold-rush era Nome in 1902. Their mission of compassion and commitment to providing high-quality care continues today in providing care for all in the communities we serve, especially the poor and vulnerable.

This recognition speaks to the importance of community partnerships. Healthcare continues to change and working with those who share our vision is key to bringing new services and identifying innovative solutions that improve access to care. For example, ExpressCare and ExpressCare Virtual opened in 2019 following conversations with the Public Education Health Trust and a shared commitment to provide better value to consumers.

We believe healthcare is a human right and we are grateful to all those who support our Mission. We will continue our work to ensure Alaskans get the care they need, when and where they need it.”

“The biggest key to PIP’s success is one thing, our people. For more than forty years we’ve invested in the people that make our company great. Passion, dedication, and a fierce regard for creativity infuses everyone at PIP—and everything its employees do.”

“The key to Kendall Auto Alaska’s success has been having a clear mission that all team members understand and believe in—to deliver an unrivaled customer experience. Through our highly motivated, knowledgeable, and caring team of professionals, we pledge to listen and respect our customer’s needs. Doing the right thing means more than selling and servicing vehicles. It means being exceptional stewards of the communities we operate in and going above and beyond every day for the people who mean so much to us—our customers.”

“The key to our success directly traces back to our amazing staff. Without them, neither of our awards would have been possible. Our staff make our firm such a great place to work, and they regularly provide input on how to continue to improve the work environment. Their insight and feedback have led to increased retention and morale, and this in turn allows us to provide exceptional client services as noted in our “Best Accounting Services” award. I want to thank all of the readers who voted for us in the “Best Place to Work” and “Best Accounting Services” categories.”

–Grant Todd, CPA

“At First National, we know that prioritizing the health and happiness of our employees is a key part of our success. Our employees are the heart of the bank. They come to work every day with a positive attitude and commit to providing the best banking solutions to their fellow Alaskans, no matter what the challenge. This is especially apparent this year. Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, our employees have stepped up like no other year before to find creative solutions to keep the bank open and moving forward.”

–Betsy Lawer, Board Chair/CEO

“Rust’s Flying Service has been exploring Alaska since 1963 and much of our success is due to the support of our local friends, partners, and neighbors. Our founder, Henry “Hank” Rust, would be proud to know that our community still recognizes us as one of the best more than 55 years later. This is a great honor for the Rust family and dedicated team. Thank you, Alaska Business magazine—and thank you, Alaska! We hope you’ll visit us soon!”

“Being born and raised Alaskan has taught me many things about adapting, being tough, and rolling up my sleeves when it is needed.  COVID-19 devastated our catering business in ways we never imagined. But living in Alaska we saw so much support and love from our fellow neighbors. The community came to our brand-new restaurant that opened in January 2020 and helped us grow and keep our staff working. It is a blessing we will never forget and will be forever grateful for. We also partnered with other businesses to help promote their products with ours, such as local breweries in our fish batter for Fish FryDay and adding desserts from Lucy Mae’s. In my opinion Alaskans are the best people, who love their state and love to support local.”

 –Kimberly Fischer, Co-Owner (with Bill Fischer)