New and Rising Top 49ers

CRMC and its sixteen subsidiaries have prospered rapidly. The company reports $318 million in gross revenue for 2023.

“We are continuing to look at our growth potential as we assess our vision for the Copper River Family of Companies,” says CRMC CEO Kevin McLaughlin. “Focusing on diversifying income is part of it, with goals of growing in industries such as IT, healthcare, maritime, and more. Our goal is to get to $500 million in gross revenue.”

CRMC’s sixteen subsidiaries are Copper River Information Technology; Copper River Infrastructure Services; Copper River Cyber Solutions; TACG; Moss Cape; Reconcraft; Copper River Enterprise Services; Copper River Data Solutions; Coho Construction Management; Coho Technology Solutions; Coho Consulting Group; Copper River Technologies; Coho Integrated Solutions; ReconIndustrial; Copper River Shared Services; and Copper River Government.

CRMC subsidiaries have received noteworthy recognition this year in several categories: USA Today Top Workplace 2024; The Washington Post Top Workplace 2024; Military Friendly Employer 2024; and Inc. 5000 2024 for Copper River Information Technology, Copper River Cyber Solutions, Copper River Infrastructure Services, and Reconcraft.

While accolades and financial goals for tribal members are important, McLaughlin believes giving back to the village is equally important. “Six months ago, the Cordova school system’s budget was cut, requiring several extracurricular courses to be cut,” explains McLaughlin. “For example, the meal program that students relied on for breakfast and lunch was cut. Through our funding, we were able to replenish the money lost and continue to offer these valuable programs.”

Revenue generated from CRMC serves the mission of diversifying NVE’s ability to facilitate economic development, land conservation, and preservation of the tribe’s culture and heritage. The revenue also aids in funding health and social services, natural resource and environmental education, and enhancing the physical and spiritual well-being of tribal members.

Moreover, “The whole community of Cordova benefited from the donations given to the school system, and the Native Village of Eyak continually enriches the City of Cordova with its presence and its strong sense of community,” says McLaughlin. He adds that CRMC is also able to help fund healthcare initiatives and cultural awareness programs for numerous tribes to come together and celebrate their heritage within the Native Village of Eyak.

Intertwined with Communities

Cordova also is the hometown of Grant Aviation’s new president and CEO, Gabriel Kompkoff. That background gave him an intimate understanding about the importance of air transportation for remote communities. “We view our service as something that’s essential to life in rural areas,” says Kompkoff. “We’re part of the communities we serve, and we take that last mile essential service provider piece very seriously. It’s a privilege to do what we do for those who live in rural Alaska.”

Established in 1971 as Delta Air Services in Emmonak, Grant Aviation has grown to include operations in Anchorage, Bethel, Cold Bay, Dillingham, Dutch Harbor/Unalaska, Kenai, and King Salmon, as well as its home territory throughout the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Recognizing that air travel in Alaska isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity, Grant Aviation remains committed to meeting the transportation needs of Alaska communities, including ambulance services through a contract with LifeMed Alaska.

“We’re intertwined in the life of our communities,” says Kompkoff. “We serve as a school bus that takes the basketball team to their next game. We’re the provider of groceries and baby formula to remote communities. It’s a fun place to work because of our community-oriented focus.”

Grant Aviation continues to expand its fleet and schedule. As a result, gross revenue reached $92.9 million in 2023.

Kompkoff prefers to focus more on the service the company provides. “One thing that comes from our growth that I’m really proud of is the ability to add more direct flights,” explains Kompkoff. “Because of our scale, we’ve been able to improve service for community members, especially when it comes to healthcare needs.”

The most recent expansion for Grant Aviation was along the Anchorage to Kenai route—a community the company has served for many years. “We have more than doubled our schedule on that route,” shares Kompkoff. “In the summer you’ll see an increase of tourists, sports fishermen, and whatnot. For the people that live on the Peninsula, we’ve been able to provide a more steady operation to meet their needs.”

Grant Aviation continues to expand throughout Alaska, but that isn’t the company’s top priority. “We don’t have a need to expand at all costs,” says Kompkoff. “The most important thing is to continue to improve our service to the communities by improving our turnaround times and improving the utilization of our fleet. We also hope to continue being a profitable organization that will be around for a long time.”

An Island Alone

Alaska has an abundance of successful companies, but not all of them made the Top 49ers in 2024. However, expect a future list to include an up-and-coming standout like NIMA Corporation.

Incorporated in July 1973 as the joint village corporation for Nunivak Island and Mekoryuk, NIMA serves as the parent, investment, and holding corporation for four companies: Etolin Strait Development Group, Integrated Training Solutions and Services, Nash Harbor Solutions, and NIMA Store.

The corporation reported $68.5 million in gross revenue for 2023. In any other year, that figure would’ve ranked among the Top 49ers.

With corporate headquarters in Anchorage and a local office in Mekoryuk, NIMA remains true to its vision of being an Alaska Native corporation that is the standard for economic success, corporate growth, and cultural preservation. NIMA president and CEO Terry Don holds those goals close.

When NIMA was founded in 1973, Don was a little boy. “I would have been 5 at the time,” he recalls. “I noticed that there were more and more of these meetings that my parents would go to. At the time, I never honestly thought I’d end up in this position.”

While several Native villages chose to combine resources with nearby villages to form joint corporations, the Cup’ig people of Nunivak Island stood alone as the only village on the island. “While I agree it’s a good move to pool resources, we only had ourselves,” shares Don.

Don’s road to becoming the president and CEO of NIMA began in a local school district. “I was working as a business manager for a small rural school district when people found out what I was doing for a living,” recalls Don. “The board of directors had a resignation and needed to fill the vacancy. When they approached me, I agreed to step in and participate.”

Prior to Don’s involvement, there had been several failed attempts with expanding, which is a common story for small village corporations with limited resources. “I quickly realized that, if we were supposed to be a for-profit corporation, we needed to start expanding our profit activities beyond the original NIMA store on the island,” Don says.

Don served for twenty-two years as a board member and has been a NIMA employee for the last four years. During this period, NIMA has realized significant growth. But Don knows the future requires more ideas and more planning. “We have been involved in IT and training support services, which include providing helicopter training support for the [US] Department of Defense,” he says.

On the horizon, NIMA is considering potential sustainability by educating the next generation about reindeer husbandry. “Reindeer could become a sustainable food source for Alaska residents,” explains Don. “Our tribe owns a reindeer herd on the island, and we believe passing the knowledge of reindeer husbandry to the next generation could benefit our tribe and all of Alaska.”