Kake Tribal leads with diversity.

• Author: Bonham, Nicole A.
• Position: Kake Tribal Corp. - Company Profile

Little more than a quarter-century ago, a youthful Gordon Jackson was coming of age on Kupreanof Island in Alaska's Southeast. He had vision of the region's potential, but surely could not have forecast the evolution to come.

"I always come to a quote I heard a long time ago: 'Dreams will remain dreams, until you put them into goals,' Jackson mused, recently. "That makes sense."

Now at the helm of Kake Tribal Corporation, the 51-year-old CEO and president has witnessed that village corporation develop into an economic player in Alaska, with a diverse portfolio of region-wide holdings and interests.

"I think when I took over we had 30 to 50 employees and virtually all (of them) along the lines of Kake Tribal logging," Jackson said. "I think this year we're going to reach over 500 with all our ventures."

In perhaps its most spectacular and high-profile move yet, Kake Tribal acquired seafood processor Pelican Seafoods in 1996, at the same time rescuing the company-town of Pelican from an uncertain future.

"We really believed that a way to balance our Kake Fisheries was to find a facility that was just a hook-and-line operation that caught money fish," Jackson said. The corporation saw profits from the company last year and projects a similar revenue picture again in 1997.

"Of everything we've done...the put chase of Pelican Seafoods was a hard, cold business deal for Kake Tribal Corporation. But a secondary aspect is the outpouring of affection from people that basically thanked us for doing it," Jackson said. "The community continues to roll out the red carpet for our people. I've never experienced anything like it in my entire life."

In another show of aggressiveness, Kake Tribal has taken on development of a 400-plus acre golf course and residential community on the west end of Juneau's Douglas Island. Pending the appropriate permits, the corporation hopes to break ground next year on the massive project.

With revenues...