Baidarka Corporation.

• Position: Construction firm in Anchorage, Alaska - Company profile

"Baidarka." A word with strength behind it. A baidarka is a kayak-type craft used by Aleut whale hunters and proven to be a superior design for withstanding the often harsh waters of the Aleutian Islands. Baidarka is also the name of a dynamic new construction firm eager and able to match the combined experience of its leaders with the most challenging construction projects in Alaska.

Baidarka is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Aleut Corporation, a regional Native corporation. Although the name and the business entity itself are new, collectively the staffs of Baidarka and The Aleut Corporation have been in the construction business for more than a century.

Formed in April of 1990, Baidarka is certified by the state of Alaska and the Anchorage municipality as a Small Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE). Baidarka's goal is to provide extensive expertise and professional management of construction projects to the private sector, government agencies, and military in Alaska.

Alice Petrivelli, president of the firm, says another goal set by Baidarka's leaders is providing The Aleut Corporation's shareholders with opportunities to train in the construction field and to learn a variety of skills required in the construction business. "We want to provide shareholders with jobs and skills in construction on projects ranging from simple construction to complex projects," Petrivelli explains.

"Another very real strength we offer is the knowledge of The Aleut Corporation's region," she adds. This area ranges from Port Moller on the Alaska Peninsula to Attu Island and the Shumagin and Pribilof islands.

Howard Strenger, chief executive officer, brings more than 30 years of construction experience to the firm. "I've spent the past 15 years working and managing construction projects here in Alaska," Strenger says. "A substantial number of those have been oilfield development projects on the North Slope."

Joining Strenger and Petrivelli at Baidarka's helm are Wayne Johnson, Bill Welch, Monie Peterson, and Ron Lee all professionals with extensive Alaskan expertise in the fields of job estimating, building systems management, project management, and finance and accounting. Together, these construction specialists have more than 100 years of experience in the profession.

Among Baidarka's current projects are a road construction contract at English Bay for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, a new gym...