Michael L. Foster & Associates Inc.: Proud to provide quality engineering and construction services.

• Author: Pielli, Brooke
• Position: Organization overview

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We're a different kind of animal in a different kind of world, explained Michael Foster, owner of Michael L. Foster & Associates Inc.

Located in Eagle River, in the Anchorage Bowl area, the company known as MLFA was established in 1998. Its mission at that time was to provide quality planning and engineering services to Alaska clients while emphasizing client satisfaction and project performance. While its mission has not changed, those services have expanded over the years to include the resources and skills of Alaska Construction Equipment Inc., Northstar Trucking Inc., and Michael L. Foster Properties LLC, all owned by Foster.

With the combined resources of all four companies, MLFA can, and does, service its clients from the inception of the idea to its ultimate completion. Foster believes that this positive response to clients' needs is a tribute to the economic climate in Alaska, as well as to the careful planning and professionalism of MLFA.

"The market is so good here," states Foster, "although reputation, service and innovation are critical to success."

Over the past nine years, some of MLFA's projects have included HTRW remediation projects for the DOD, design/build of a state-of-the-art maintenance facility, and water and sewer improvements for rural Alaska communities. MLFA additionally offers its consulting services for cold regions, environmental and geotechnical engineering for investigation, design and construction projects, preparation of documents for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, geodetic surveys and mapping, as well as litigation support.

All this didn't just happen. It is the end result of a professional lifetime of understanding the business needs of clients, as well as a unique familiarity with Alaska.

Michael Foster grew up in the Glennallen area during the pre-pipeline years. Fresh out of high school, he went to work on the trans-Alaska oil pipeline as an equipment operator. "It was during this project, that I knew I wanted to be an engineer."

He went on to earn a bachelor's degree in civil/structural engineering from Oklahoma State University and a master's degree in Arctic Engineering from the University of Alaska Anchorage.

For a number of years he was employed with the Dames and Moore Group, an international engineering and consulting company, where he served as a senior vice president and corporate officer.

When Dames and Moore was acquired by URS, Foster thought...