Calista Corp., the second-largest of the 13 Alaska Native regional corporations, grew substantially during the past year, providing new sources of revenue as well as opportunities and employment for its 12,000 shareholders.
The regional corporation for the 46 incorporated communities of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Region in western Alaska paid its shareholders and descendants record dividends of $4.3 million in April, bringing to more than $22.3 million dividends and elders benefits distributed since 1994. In addition, Calista has provided more than $3.2 million in scholarships to students from the region.
The performance reflects an especially productive year in 2012 when Calista’s total annual revenue hit a new record at $404 million, up 34.5 percent from the previous record of $300.49 million in 2011.
New environmental venture
Calista oversees 17 subsidiaries that provide a range of services, including heavy equipment sales, information technology, telecommunications and marketing services, construction and facilities management.
In December, the corporation reported the formation of E3‐Environmental LLC, a company established to meet energy, engineering and environmental needs and serve clients throughout Alaska and beyond.
“E3‐Environmental is an exciting opportunity for Calista to further diversify its portfolio and build a homegrown business, which also can add value to our region,” said Calista Chief Operating Officer and E3‐Environmental President Christine Klein. “The Alaska environmental consulting company also will provide needed professional options for our region and for the state.”
Klein said the firm’s key services include project planning and regulatory analysis, environmental permitting and impact assessments, stakeholder engagement, agency coordination and consultation, and regulatory compliance management and audits.
E3‐Environmental’s newest team members are Rosetta Alcantra, general manager, Traci Bradford, a chemical and environmental engineer with more than 15 years of experience in project management, site assessments, sampling, environmental analyses and site remediation and Natalie Hanson, a lifelong Alaskan raised in Bethel and hydrologist who will provide support as an environmental scientist for the company.
Meanwhile, Calista’s longtime subsidiaries report significant business activity and growth. In September Redstone Defense System, a joint venture between Calista subsidiary Yulista Aviation, Inc. and Science and Engineering Services, Inc. won a $4.5 billion competitive federal contract to develop rapid-response hardware for the U.S. Department of Defense. The JV, Yulista Management Services, has spent 10 years in partnership with SES working on the Prototype Integration Facility. The new contract, PIF II, is a three-year base contract with an option of two additional years.
New vessel for Brice
Brice Marine, one of the Brice Companies that Calista acquired in 2010, recently christened the “Alulaq-Drift River,” a new articulated tug and barge that is designed to maximize speed, fuel efficiency and safety for both crew and cargo. The two vessels are connected with large hydraulic rams instead of a tow wire.
Brice Marine gives the Brice Companies the opportunity to pursue coastwise and shallow-river barging support work in Alaska. An area in which Brice foresees increased demand in the future is support services for mining, environmental restoration and oil/gas resource exploration and development.
With 82 percent of Alaska communities in the state’s off-the-road system, according to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, the shallow draft capabilities of the Alulaq-Drift River is expected to significantly increase business opportunities for the company. Alulaq means “to steer,” in the Yup’ik language.
