Alaska Business Monthly presents: Alaska's 2003 Top 49ers: sharpshooters of Alaska Business.

The Alaska 49ers, an Anchorage-based, single-action shooting club, is as devoted to the Old West as Alaska Business Monthly's "Top 49ers" are to Alaska business.

While the Alaska 49ers dress the part of shoot-em-up cowboys and gun-totin' dance-hall girls, ABM's "Top 49ers" take on the role of being the top 49 Alaskan-owned and -operated, for-profit businesses in the state.

These two groups came together Sept. 29 at the ABM/ Anchorage Chamber of Commerce annual "Top 49ers" awards luncheon, held at the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel. The Alaska 49ers greeted guests while the "Top 49ers" were ranked from No. 1 to No. 49, based on 2002 gross revenues.

This is the 19th year ABM has honored these successful businesses, which employ a total of 27,184 individuals and have combined revenues of more than $5.5 billion. The bulk of the list, a whopping 43 percent (based on revenues), is comprised of Native organizations that had a total of $2.4 billion in gross revenues for 2002. These Alaska companies, most of them formed as a result of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971. employed a total of 13,746, consisting of more than 50 percent of the total number of employees represented by this listing.

The F.I.R.E industry, better known as the finance/insurance/real estate sector, had the second-highest revenue total at $919.79 million, about 17 percent of the pie. Next came the construction sector with $788.39 million in total revenues, representing about 14 percent of the total revenues on the list. These top three were followed by the transportation, utilities, retail trade, services, wholesale trade, oil and gas, and mining industries, respectively.

Leading the list for the past nine years is Barrow-based Arctic Slope Regional Corp., with its 6,000 employees and 2002 gross revenues of $973.67 million. In years prior, ASRC's revenues topped the $1 billion mark. Coming in second is Anchorage-based VECO Corp. with 2002 revenues of $505 million and 4,200 employees. It was followed by Anchorage-based transportation giant Lynden Inc., which had revenues of $400 million and 1,500 employees.

There are eight new corporations that made the list this year. These are: Chugach Electric Association Inc. ($173.4 million, 8th position), Alaska USA Federal Credit Union ($140 million, 10th ranking), Matanuska Telephone Association Inc. ($75 million, 15th place), The Wilson Agency LLC ($71.7 million, 16th position), UNIT Company ($43.1 million, 32nd place), Aurora Power Resources ($31.24 million, 42nd ranking), Alaska Petroleum ($29 million, 44th position) and Alaska Electric Light & Power ($27 million, 47th place).

Several of these new qualifiers are not-for-profit businesses that did not qualify in years prior. This year we decided to redefine our for-profit requirement to include those not-for-profit organizations that earned enough profit to provide members and their general public a limited line of fairly definite benefits, such as dividends.

Ranking 49th this year is Usibelli Coal Mine Inc. with revenues of $26.7 million. Last year, Mr. McKinley Bank took 49th position with revenues of $13.14 million. Several who made the list last year did not quality this year because they did not have the revenues to meet the increased benchmark.

Each company that made the list deserves the special recognition they received. Each was awarded a special plaque and honored at the ABM/Chamber luncheon. To the 2003 "Top 49ers," Alaska's Top Guns of business, we salute you.

ALASKA BUSINESS MONTHLY PRESENTS: TOP GUNS * ALASKA'S TOP 49ers 1 Joyce Helens "La Mujer Loca" Arctic Slope Regional Corp. Employees: 6,000 1230 Agvik St. Barrow, AK 99723 Year Established: 1972 Phone: 852-8633 Fax: 852-5733 49er Rank Last Year: 1 Internet: www.asrc.com REVENUE: (Millions $) TOP EXECUTIVE: Jacob Adams, Pres./CEO 2002 973.67 2001 1,061.00 2000 1,034.00 1999 885.47 1998 887.51 Change From 2001 -8.23% MAIN BUSINESS: Native Organization PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES: A diversified holding company with businesses in commercial construction, resource exploration and development, petroleum refining and product sales, government contracting, automotive merchandise sales, oil field support, hotel, tourism, engineering, consulting, environmental remediation. telecommunications and cable operations. SUBSIDIARIES: Alaska Growth Capital, ASRC Energy Services, ASRC Aerospace, ASCG, Eskimos Inc., Petro Star, SKW/Eskimos Inc. and Tundra Tours. NOTEWORTHY EVENTS IN 2002: Consolidation of Anchorage subsidiary operations into single site, establishment of service center for support functions, restructuring wireless investments, closure of manufacturing operations and growth in government contracting activity. 2 R.J. Gryder "Oracle" VECO Corporation Employees: 4,200 3601 C St., Suite 1000 Anchorage, AK 99503 Year Established: 1968 Phone: 264-8100 Fax: 264-8130 49er Rank Last Year: 3 Internet: www.veco.com Info E-Mail: veco@veco.com REVENUE: (Millions $) TOP EXECUTIVE: 2002 505.00 Bill Allen, Chairman/CEO 2001 501.00 2000 518.00 1999 325.00 1998 316.00 Change From 2001 0.80% MAIN BUSINESS: Construction PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES: Engineering and design, construction, equipment, operations and maintenance, and oil field services. SUBSIDIARIES: VECO Alaska, VECO Canada, VECO International and VECO Continental U.S. NOTEWORTHY EVENTS IN 2002: Alyeska Pipeline engineering contract, BP engineering contract, BP O&M contract for Prudhoe Bay, Forest Oil production and process facility and BP well and facility maintenance. 3 Woody Quackenbush "Dutch Montana" Lynden Inc. Employees: 1,500 6641 S. Airpark Pl. Anchorage, AK 99502 Year Established: 1954 Phone: 245-1544 Fax: 245-1744 49er Rank Last Year: 4 Internet: www.lynden.com Info E-Mail: info@lynden.com REVENUE: (Millions $) TOP EXECUTIVE: 2002 400.00 Jim Jansen, Pres./CEO 2001 420.00 2000 388.00 1999 330.71 1998 305.00 Change From 2001 -4.76% MAIN BUSINESS: Transportation PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES: Trucking (less-than-truckload and truckload), scheduled and charter tug and barge transportation, scheduled and charter Hercules L-382 air cargo operations, air and ocean forwarding, dry and liquid bulk material transfer and transport, sanitary (food grade) bulk transport and Bush Alaska construction projects. SUBSIDIARIES: Alaska West Express, Alaska Marine Lines, Lynden Air Cargo, Lynden Air Freight, Lynden Transport, Lynden Logistics, Lynden International, Knik Construction, NANA/Lynden Logistics, Alaska Hovercraft, Bering Marine, Alaska Marine Trucking, Alaska West Training Center and Alaska Railbelt Marine. NOTEWORTHY EVENTS IN 2002: Began service to Cordova. Launched "Southeast Provider," third in a series of railcar/container barges on April 13, 2002. 4 Don Neal "Trooper John Smith" Brady & Company Inc. Employees: 70 P.O. Box 107502 Anchorage, AK 99510-7502 Year Established: 1977 Phone: 276-5617 Fax: 276-6292 49er Rank Last Year: 5 Internet: www.bradycompany.com Info E-Mail: info@bradycompany.com REVENUE: (Millions $) TOP EXECUTIVE: 2002 390.00 Carl Brady Jr., 2001 279.00 Chairman/CEO 2000 181.00 1999 146.00 1998 132.00 Change From 2001 39.78% MAIN BUSINESS: Finance, Insurance, Real Estate PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES: Insurance brokerage services, risk management and employee benefits coverages. 5 Brett Luna "Red Goat Jackson" Chugach Alaska Corp. Employees: 3,024 560 E. 34th Ave. Anchorage, AK 99503-4396 Year Established: 1971 Phone: 563-8866 Fax: 563-8402 49er Rank Last Year: 6 Internet: www.chugach-ak.com Info E-Mail: bwelty@chugach-ak.com REVENUE: (Millions $) TOP EXECUTIVE: 2002 354.36 Barney Uhart, Pres./CEO 2001 278.64 2000 135.00 1999 135.00 1998 115.00 Change From 2001 27.17% MAIN BUSINESS: Native Organization PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES: Government service contracting, construction and construction management, environmental management services, vocational training and job placement, temporary employment services, hazardous material (oil) spill response services, information technology and telecommunications. SUBSIDIARIES: Chugach Development Corp., Chugach Management Services Inc., Chugach Support Services Inc., Chugach Systems Integration LLC, Chugach Telecommunications and Computers Inc. and Chugach McKinley Inc. NOTEWORTHY EVENTS IN 2002: Started construction of a new 28,000-square-foot, four-story office building which was completed in September 2003. 6 Denise Larsen "Leona Lou" NANA Regional Corp. Inc. Employees: 1,600 1001 E. Benson Blvd. Anchorage, AK 99508 Year Established 1972 Phone: 265-4100 Fax: 265-4123 49er Rank Last Year: 7 Internet: www.nana.com REVENUE: (Millions $) TOP EXECUTIVE: Marie Greene, Pres. 2002 202.00 2001 172.00 2000 176.23 1999 135.11 1998 65.40 Change From 2001 17.44% MAIN BUSINESS: Native Organization PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES: Oil-field services, mining industry services, hotels/tourism, personnel services, government contracting and engineering. SUBSIDIARIES: NANA Development Corp., Houston/NANA JV, Manillaq Ltd., NANA/COLT Engineering LLC, NANA Management Services LLC, NANA Sodexho Services, NANA Corporate Services, NANA Training Systems, Purcell Services, NANA Oil-field Services Inc., WorkSafe Inc., Professional Training Systems, NANA Dynatec, NANA Atlas, DOWL LLC, NANA/Lynden Logistics LLC, Arctic Caribou Inn Ltd., Inu*Craft, Nullagvik Hotel, Tour Arctic Inc., Courtyard by Marriot, Springhill Suites by Marriott, Residense Inn, AKIMA Inc., Kotzebue Properties, NANA Pacific, Ki LLC, NANA Services and TKC Communications. 7 Roger Ranch "Bonesetter" Bristol Bay Native Corp. Employees: 525 800 Cordova St., Suite 200 Anchorage, AK 99501 Year Established: 1972 Phone: 278-3602 Fax: 276-3924 49er Rank Last Year: 9 Internet: www.bbnc.net REVENUE: (Millions $) TOP EXECUTIVE: Hjalmar Olson, Pres./CEO 2002 181.75 2001 150.00 2000 132.00 1999 132.00 1998 88.05 Change From 2001 21.17% MAIN BUSINESS: Native Organization PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES: Diversified holding company: architectural design, cardlock fueling, corporate services...