ALASKA TRENDS.

• Date: 01 October 2023
• Published date: 01 October 2023

Even accounting for inflation over thirty-eight years, the Top 49ers have shown incredible growth. In 1985 the combined revenue of all Top 49ers was $2.7 billion, worth about $7.8 billion in today's dollars. That approximates the combined gross revenue of this year's #1 and #2 by themselves.

The first #1, Carr-Gottstein Foods, reported $335 million in gross revenue, or just over $1 billion adjusted for inflation. On this year's list, five companies earned more.

The inaugural Top 49ers covered a broader variety of industry sectors compared to the ranks today, which are dominated by Alaska Native corporations. Two major disruptions explain the change. First, Alaska Native corporations have grown to contain diverse business lines on their own. Second, after the 1985 economic crash, nine of the original 49ers dropped out, never to be...