Building Alaska and a solid business: second generation deeply involved in operations.

• Author: Stomierowski, Peg
• Position: 2008 Alaska's Top 49ers: North to the Future

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The story of Ken Brady Construction Co. Inc. is intertwined with more than half a century of Anchorage's growth and commercial development that includes retail, education, transportation, church and civic projects. Tim Brady, president and CEO, is proud of how deeply his family legacy is steeped in this community's history.

This Top 49er firm reports its sales volume rose from $25 million in 2006 to $43 million in 2007. There are 75 employees, and to hear Tim tell it, their longevity is an ongoing source of pride; General Manager Jim Conway has been around for decades and Regina Kent has managed the office for 17 years.

Other company values include integrity, safety, quality, unpretentious spirit and old-fashioned hard work.

Since 1980, this general contractor reports having completed more than $650 million in projects, including an impressive roster of facilities in Anchorage. Its buildings include: Anchorage Regional Hospital, completed in 1976; Anchorage Museum of History and Art, 1983; Nesbitt Courthouse, 1996; and, Northstar Treatment Facility, 2006.

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It also has built a handful of Wal-Marts around the state--Anchorage, Kodiak, Fairbanks, Ketchikan and Wasilla. Schools, churches, justice facilities, hotels, restaurants, high-rises, parking garages and aircraft hangars are among the other projects successfully completed. Over the years, Ken Brady has developed experience in fast-track and design/build methods, as well as traditional public works projects.

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The company's property on Turnagain Boulevard includes a 4,000-square-foot office, CAD systems, drafting, plotting and reproduction equipment, two-and-a-half acres of equipment and storage areas, and a maintenance shop. With so many vendors originating from the Pacific Northwest, for 34 years, an office on Mukilteo Speedway in Seattle has served as a procurement and expediting center.

SECOND GENERATION JUST AS TOUGH

Founded by Tim's parents, Ken and Dorothy Brady, the company has been in business for 54 years. The late Ken Brady was a carpenter when he brought his bride to Alaska from Arkansas, hit the pavement and began knocking on doors in Anchorage in search of work. Eventually he moved from household repairs to remodeling projects and from there to commercial construction.

Tim asserts it is one of the rare companies to successfully transition to a second generation of family management. Mike...