Despite what you may have heard (CNBC recently ranked Alaska at the bottom of its list of America’s Top States for Business 2021), Alaska is the place to do business and where investors see opportunity. With several noteworthy projects underway and more to come that will boost the economy and super charge several industries, Alaska presents a unique opportunity that investors are noticing.
I had the opportunity to moderate a recent webinar with several Alaska business leaders representing different sectors of the state. Greg Chapados, President & COO of GCI; Robert Gillam, CEO of McKinley Management, LLC; and Bruce Dingeman, EVP & President of Alaska BU at Oil Search Limited all spoke about current projects, expected outcomes and why they believe investing in Alaska is critical. It was exciting to see how our great state is home to several different extensive investment efforts, crossing industries and geographic areas.
How do we keep those investments coming and continue to show that Alaska is open for business? The biggest challenge is to be able to attract outside capital and to be able to talk about potential projects in a way that financial audiences will understand. We need also to put our money where our mouth is and have strong local investment, further validating the opportunity. And finally, we need Alaskan businesses who can act as key partners with outside capital sources and bring local and operational expertise to the project.
The current landscape and projects discussed are promising and will continue to make Alaska a more attractive place to do business. Thanks to McKinley Management, Oil Search, and many others helping to put Alaska on the map for high return, low-risk investments.