Alaska support industry alliance: advocating for Alaska's resource industries.

• Author: Barbour, Tracy
• Position: ASSOCIATIONS

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The Alaska Support Industry Alliance is a nonprofit trade association representing Alaska businesses whose livelihoods depend on a healthy oil and gas industry and investment climate. As indicated by its slogan, the Alliance is a staunch advocate for the responsible development of Alaska's oil, gas and mineral resources.

"We do that in four ways: by messaging within the general public, by having a strong government-relations program, by helping our members maintain a well-equipped work force and by providing our members with a competitive business edge," explains General Manger Rebecca Logan.

The Anchorage-based Alliance represents nearly 500 companies and 40,000 Alaska workers, providing goods and services to the oil, gas and mining industries. These support-industry members run the gamut, ranging from architects and engineers to construction and transportation workers. Logan characterizes the Alliance as a "great" organization with a "very much respected" list of members. Longstanding members include Udelhoven Oilfield System Services, Carlile Transportation Systems and Lynden Logistics Inc. Recent additions to the group are AAA Fence Inc., United Rentals Northwest Inc. and Fairbanks Fuel Distributors Inc.

In addition to having a strong membership base, the Alliance has an extensive history in Alaska. It was founded in 1979 by Paul Harding, Dave Harbour, Bob Ryan and Joe Mathis, who envisioned creating an organization that could effectively unite oil patch businesses to deal with industry challenges. Their successful legacy thrives today.

LEADERSHIP CHANGES

The Alliance has undergone several recent changes within its membership. Logan officially assumed the general manager's position in November, replacing retiring Paul Laird. A University of Oklahoma graduate, who's lived in Alaska for 20 years, Logan served as president of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Alaska from 2004 until recently. The former small-business owner is currently completing a term on the Chugach Electric Board. Now at the helm of the Alliance, Logan says her job is to continue keeping the organization on its current path and to make it even better than it already is.

In October, the Alliance also elected four Alaska business leaders to new three-year terms as directors. They are Reed Christensen, general manager of Dowland-Bach Corp.; Bob Dickson, past director of the Alliance and a member of Atkinson, Conway & Gagnon; Doug Smith...