A golden anniversary: Craig Taylor Equipment Co. turns 50 this year and celebrates in style.

• Author: Cutler, Debbie

Alaskan-owned and -operated Craig Taylor Equipment Co., which was founded in Anchorage in 1954, is observing its 50th anniversary this year.

"In June, we're doing a celebration," said Lonnie G. Parker, general manager and vice president of CTE. "We're having a customer appreciation day at our facilities on Saturday and we're having our manufacturers' reps here. We'll probably do a big barbecue, that type of thing."

CTE, which is mainly a heavy-equipment contractor, first began operations at a store located at Concrete Street and Commercial Avenue, on property leased from Art Waldron, owner of Anchorage Sand and Gravel, according to author John Strohmeyer in his book "Historic Anchorage: An Illustrated History," in a chapter titled "Craig Taylor Equipment." Craig Taylor took on the task of representing the John Deere Industrial Co. line in Anchorage, said Strohmeyer.

Taylor had moved to Alaska with his wife, Thelma, from Boise, Idaho, (via Whitehorse, Yukon Territory), in 1953. They had one son, Mike. Taylor's first job in Alaska was with Northern Commercial selling heavy equipment, but as history tells it, soon he was on his own.

He moved to his current property at 733 E. Whitney Road (two acres in the Ship Creek area) in 1956 and the company now has additional stores in Fairbanks, Soldotna and Wasilla. The Anchorage store is the corporate head quarters and houses 32 of the businesses' 62 employees. Craig Taylor died on Nov. 18, 1987, and the company is now owned by his wife, who is CEO/president. Mike Taylor, a co-owner, is multi-tasked and does whatever job that needs done.

Revenues for CTE for 2002 were $19 million. Revenues for 2003 were projected to be about $22 million to 23 million in mid-December. The company, for 2003, had about $16 million in rental fleet equipment and $3 million to $4 million in retail sales equipment.

According to the company Web site, customers "range from major oil companies to construction contractors as well as individual homeowners.... " CTE, it adds, is an authorized dealer for more than 15 manufacturers, which include Dynapac, Bobcat, John Deere and Komatsu. Other manufacturers include Skytrak, Tow Masters Trailers, Lister/Petter, Liftking, Sullair, GME, Sioux, Yamaha, Holder, Sweepster, Screen Machine and...