♦ February Special Section ♦

Architecture & Engineering

From Cash to Cannabis: Catalyzing Cafeteria Construction
El Green-Go’s food truck is moving into the former East Anchorage bank that Catalyst Cannabis renovated into a food court. Learn about the complexities of installing special air ducts and why the drive-through window is only halfway open. .

GDM & Alaska VA Mental Health Clinic
GDM Architects and Engineers lent its services to the Alaska VA Mental Health Clinic in Anchorage. Learn more about the thoughtful design employed for this essential project.

Surveying
Surveying measures and maps the features of a physical area and is an essential step for a range of projects, from accurately gauging property boundaries to gathering information for engineering down the road. Get the details on who’s surveying Alaska.

Nvision Architecture
Nvision Architecture has been providing services to Alaskans for more than forty years and is growing, having just opened an office in Palmer and looking to expand its team. Learn more about the home-grown architecture firm.

Engineer of the Year
Every year during eWeek, Anchorage celebrates local engineering talent through the Engineer of the Year awards. Get to know a little more about this year’s nominees.

AIA Design Award Winners
The American Institute of Architects Alaska every year holds a competition to recognize exceptional architectural design in the state. Learn more about the winners

Oil & Gas: North Slope Gas Moves South
In October 2025, the first shipment of LNG from the North Slope arrived in the Interior, a milestone in the decades-long dream of finding ways to get North Slope gas to market. Learn more about the project and its benefits.

Mining: Nome Gold Dredging
Reality show “Bering Sea Gold” follows the activities of those dredging for gold offshore of Nome. While the show covers the drama, what are the details? How is this particular mining activity regulated, and how are those regulations ensuring the protection of the environment and the community?

Tourism: Conference Amenities
Hosting a conference or convention in Alaska can give attendees an opportunity to meet with local experts and experience Alaska’s varied and majestic beauty. Experts in the convention and conference markets provide us with an overview of what amenities (hotels, convention space, event planning vendors) are available in Alaska’s largest urban centers.

Transportation: Cargo Drones
Alaska is a leader in drone development and technology, specifically in how drones might be used to deliver cargo, perhaps providing an essential service to remote and rural Alaska.

Retail: Patching the Fabric Hole
When JoAnns closed all of its stores, including three in Alaska, sewers and crafters immediately felt the loss of one of the few options for buying fabric and related notions and accessories. In the meantime, a few entrepreneurs have started to try to stitch the market back together.

Education: Geophysical Institute Growth
The Geophysical Institute at UAF has experienced significant growth over the last several years, expanding its research capabilities, equipment, areas of study, and impact on Alaska as it provides critical information to government, businesses, and the public.

Retail: Amazon’s Fairbanks Delivery Station
In October 2025, Amazon invited the media to its Fairbanks delivery station for a first-hand look at how the company delivers packages to Alaska’s doorsteps.

♦ April Special Section ♦

Corporate 100

Corporate 100
Meet the 2026 Corporate 100, the largest businesses operating in Alaska as ranked by number of Alaska employees.

Alaska’s Most Common Occupations
This article reveals the most common occupations in Alaska and gets insight from those who work in them. A few contenders: retail salespersons, RNs, stockers and order fillers, home health aides, and maintenance and repair workers.

Keeping Focus
Local expert Woodrie Burich shares her insights on how companies can support their employees in keeping focus and paying attention in “an AI-isn’t-going-away environment.”

Energy: POLAR Project
The POLAR project is a large-scale pumped thermal energy storage system in Healy supporting renewable energy integration and grid reliability. Led by Westinghouse and Golden Valley Electric Association, the project received US Department of Energy funding and is designed to store electricity as heat in concrete blocks, with a planned capacity of 1.2 GWh.

Finance: CU1 Merges and Expands
Credit Union 1 is merging with MAC Credit Union and is significantly expanding its business account services and business lending to serve small business needs statewide.

Healthcare: New Leaders
Meet Alaska’s new healthcare leaders at Alaska Regional, Providence, and Mat-Su Health Foundation.

Mining: Contango Silver & Gold
A merger with Dolly Varden Silver plugs Contango Ore, with several Alaska exploration projects in development, into a direct shipping ore business model. Say hello to Contango Silver & Gold, a unique multi-asset producer for North America.

Real Estate: Buy, Build, or Lease
Is it better to buy, build, or lease a commercial building? There are various pros and cons that potential real estate owners need to consider.

Nonprofit: Feeding Clare House
Every day, every week, all year, local churches prepare a meal to feed the residents of Clare House, an emergency shelter for women with children and expectant mothers. This article highlights the cooperation of many nonprofits to provide an essential need.

Nonprofit: Association Growth to Benefit Members
The goal of every professional organization is to benefit its members, often through advocacy, engagement, and information. Many organizations seek to grow their membership numbers or expand to new locations: how does this growth benefit current members, and how do associations plan their growth strategies?

Media & Arts: Developing Photography
Local businesses are responding to a renewed interest in film photography from hobbyist photographers. New businesses are offering goods and services, as well as building community around this developing interest.

Manufacturing/Retail: Moving into Stores
Once local manufacturers solve challenges related to creating their product, they’re immediately confronted with how to sell it. While some opt to pursue their own retail operations, others work with established retailers to get their production on already-built shelves. What’s the value of selling wholesale, and how do manufacturers convince sellers to make space for their products?

Leadership: Doing Good by Being Good
This is the fourth of twelve articles by guest author Lincoln Garrick that explore key characteristics that good leaders avoid, with local leaders weighing in with their own experiences. For April: Disconnectedness.