Trade associations: good for Alaska businesses and the economy; they lobby legislators, support industry-favored candidates, promote business in Alaska, provide educational opportunities and much, much more.

• Author: Orr, Vanessa

Whether a company ships petroleum, builds bridges or welcomes tourists to Alaska, there is a trade association within the state that represents that industry's interests. Despite the fact that each of these associations may differ in what they offer their members or in the complex issues that they seek to resolve, their success is based on a simple concept--the power of strength in numbers.

Some associations, like the Alaska AFL-CIO and the Alaska Support Industry Alliance, primarily serve a political purpose, lobbying legislators and supporting industry-favored candidates. Others, like the Resource Development Council and the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce, work with government agencies to make it easier to do business in Alaska. And still others, like the Alaska Oil and Gas Association, work within their own industry to troubleshoot potential problems and share the latest technologies.

Of course, companies who join these associations reap other benefits as well. In addition to added political clout, members of the Associated General Contractors can take advantage of training opportunities and group discounts on numbers-driven amenities like health insurance. Even more important, trade association members are given the opportunity to network with others in a variety of different businesses, in a safe, non-competitive arena.

INFLUENCING THE POLITICAL AGENDA

"If the owner of a construction company speaks to the Legislature about an issue, they will listen, but likely won't be persuaded," explained Dick Cattanach, executive director, Associated General Contractors of Alaska. "But when AGC speaks, we have a much louder voice." Now in its 54th year, AGC represents more than 600 companies in the construction industry.

In 2002, the association was instrumental in stopping the implementation of Garvey Bonds, a form of revenue-anticipation bond. "The idea was to take the majority of highway projects planned for the future and move them forward, borrowing money now in anticipation of the federal money that was scheduled to be received in future years," Cattanach explained. "This meant that when it came time to pay that money back, there wouldn't be money for other projects, and that the contractors who had invested in equipment for the boom years might find themselves unable to pay off their loans when construction slowed down. We came out against it, and because we didn't support it, the bond issue died."

The Alaska AFL-CIO is another trade association that wields big political clout. An umbrella organization for all nationally chartered unions in the state except the National Education...