Industrial strength market movement mergers, acquisitions alter Alaska businesses.

• Author: West, Gail
• Position: FINANCIAL SERVICES

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Although Alaska has in large part managed to avoid the Great Recession that shook the rest of the country, it hasn't been immune to many of the mergers and acquisitions that accompanied the economic slide. Over the past several months, industries ranging from oil and gas to waste management have seen several consolidations and title transfers.

SHIPPING

Not all of the acquisitions have been comparable to larger fish gobbling up smaller fish for economic reasons. For the Pacific Alaska Freightways purchase of Southern Alaska Forwarding, it means SAF's owner will be able to retire. For PAE it completes a circle that began in 1979 when Alain Smith and Ron Sears first established SAR

Over the years, SAF expanded its coverage and operations to include Kenai and Cordova. In 2000, the company divided into two separate companies, with PAF picking up freight from Anchorage, and SAF handing its transfer and delivery to Kodiak. With the merger of these two firms, effective Jan. 1 of this year, the circuit becomes whole again, says Bill Meszaros, vice president for PAF. "It completes the picture for Alaska for PAF. There will be no interruption to service--it's business as usual. It does mean, though, more buying power, updated technology and a larger equipment pool for PAF. Jobs stay steady. It is a natural fit."

A second acquisition, that of Alaska Ship and Drydock Inc. in Ketchikan by Vigor Industrial of Portland, Ore., received approval from the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority for transfer of ASD leases at AIDEA's Ketchikan Shipyard and became a Vigor company Feb. 29. The new entity, Alaska Ship & Drydock LLC, is now a subsidiary of Vigor, and all ASD employees and customers will notice little change in day-to-day operations, according to Randy Johnson, a Ketchikan resident who has directed operations at the shipyard since 1994.

Johnson will continue with the company, becoming ASD vice chairman. "The purchase will (allow ASD) ... to significantly participate in exciting new markets emerging in the North Pacific and Arctic oceans," Johnson says. Vigor Industrial currently owns and operates leading maritime services in the Pacific Northwest at facilities from Portland to Puget Sound and supports customers from the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard to commercial fishing and cargo fleets, to ferries and oil transportation companies.

SOLID WASTE

A California firm, Waste Connections Inc., announced its intention to...