Design Alaska.

• Position: Business profile

It all began two years before Alaska statehood. In 1957, Design Alaska (then Gray Rogers & Associates) opened its doors at 601 College Road in Fairbanks. Two major name changes, several economic upheavals and 40 years later...the company operates within those very same doors-providing architectural, engineering and land surveying services to clients throughout the state.

Current president Jack Wilbur, Jr. came onto the scene as a mechanical engineer in 1975, when the company was owned by Ellerbe. In 1985, the national office of Ellerbe decided to divest itself of its regional offices. Wilbur was one of 6 employees who decided to buy out Ellerbe instead of letting the company close its doors. And "Design Alaska" was born.

"The sale went fine," Wilbur explains, "but the transition into the business aspects of buying and owning a company was a challenge - especially when the economy crashed." Almost immediately after the sale, Design Alaska had to trim its staff of 30 down to 20 to get the company on good financial ground. It worked. Slowly the company rebuilt its staff of architects, engineers and surveyors.

Today, Design Alaska has a total of 32 employees and is one of the most successful firms of its kind. Actually, it's the only firm of its kind in the Interior. Design Alaska provides complete design services-architecture; civil, structural, electrical and mechanical engineering; and surveying - all under one roof.

The company is a leader in arctic design and serves clients throughout the state, from Barrow to Ketchikan and out onto the Aleutian chain. In fact, Design Alaska currently has 120 active projects in 45 different Alaska locations.

Among the company's 40-year history of successful projects is Alaskaland - the official exposition site for the Alaska State Centennial Exposition in 1967. This 45-acre tract of land is now visited by thousands each year and is one of Fairbanks' top attractions.

The Fairbanks Federal Building is a good example of the broad scope of services offered by Design Alaska. Produced in 10 competitive bidding phases, this 70,000 s.f. facility includes office space, courtroom facilities, cafeteria, shop and laboratory areas, parking for 252 cars (a portion of which is heated with waste heat recovered from the office building), a motor pool maintenance garage, and extensive landscaping. They did it all.

Design Alaska also created the North Pole High School - an award-winning facility featuring mountain views, an...