Price Gregory International Inc.: North America's largest pipeline construction company ranks as one of Alaska's top companies.

• Author: Orr, Vanessa
• Position: ALASKA BUSINESS MONTHLY'S 2009 CORPORATE 100 - Company overview

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In 1974, the H.C. Price Co. began working in Alaska, constructing section three of the trans-Alaska gas pipeline. For the next 35 years, the company immersed itself in the development of the Prudhoe Bay oil field, completing more than half of all the pipeline construction work and a quarter of the facilities. Today, with the recent merger of H. C. Price Co. and Gregory & Cook Construction of Houston, Texas, the company, now called Price Gregory International Inc., is positioned to play a major role in Alaska's oil, gas and construction industries far into the future.

Now, North America's largest pipeline construction company, Price Gregory offers an array of infrastructure services, including construction of gas, oil and products pipelines; installation of metering and valve stations; cleaning, repair, State Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) hydrostatic testing and maintenance; erection of power-generation facilities, pump and compressor stations, fiber optic and communications installations; and road-boring horizontal directional-drilling for pipelines.

"In Alaska, the majority of our business is divided into two areas--Arctic pipeline construction and large industrial mechanical/electrical complexes," said David Matthews, vice president and Alaska area manager for Price Gregory International Inc. "In fact, we built the last three large power plants in the state--one hydroelectric, one coal and one gas."

Price Gregory's ability to diversify into different areas and to work with different clients are reasons why the company is now ranked among the state's Top 100 businesses.

"In the mid-80s, we started a building and construction trades division as a joint-venture with CIRI Native Corp., Matthews said. "In this capacity, we were responsible for installing many of the large sealift modules that are in operation in Prudhoe Bay today.

"When the price of oil fell below $9 a barrel in the 1980s, we reacted to this economic downturn by broadening our client base to include working with military bases and companies in the private sector," he said. "We worked on upgrading the powerhouse at Eielson Air Force Base and on infrastructure projects at Fort Wainwright; we were also awarded a contract to complete a hydroelectric powerhouse and substation facility at Bradley Lake."

The company also became involved in disaster relief efforts in the 1990s, when it was awarded a contract by the Federal Emergency...