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PETROLEUM DIRECTORY: Alaska Dreams Inc. Steel construction specialist-adventurer-entrepreneur lives his dream Susan Braund Petroleum Directory Contributing Writer
Alaska captured the fancy of Meini Huser as a young boy growing up in Switzerland. As he devoured books about Alaska, his spirit of adventure grew.
The independence and work ethic he learned from Swiss farm life evolved into a life of adventure and entrepreneurship. Not one to sit still, he charges forward and channels his endless energy, like climbing Mt. McKinley solo — twice.
For many years, Huser specialized in building tramway towers and overhead power lines at remote ski resorts and dam sites all over Europe.
In 1976 his Alaska dream began to unfold when he came to the state for the first time. “I had been bumming around Portland after teaching skiing in Colorado. I was bored, so I bought a women’s three-speed bike for $50 and rode it to Anchorage! I arrived with a backpack, a few clothes and the bike. I met some nice people, who convinced me to come back.”
Continuing his infatuation with the state, Meini spent several summers in the Brooks Range — hiking, mountain climbing and testing sporting goods from various European vendors. Then, back home, he presented slide shows about Alaska to promote the products at dealer fairs.
“That’s really where the first version of Alaska Dreams started,” recalls Huser.
“There was so much interest in Alaska that I started a guiding business for Swiss, German and French clients, taking them to the Brooks Range and the Yukon.”
Building the dream Huser’s experience with remote sites and steel construction was a good fit with Alaska’s rugged terrain and challenging building environment. After selling his numerous business enterprises in Switzerland, he moved to Alaska in 1984 and started the next phase of Alaska Dreams — developing and implementing industrial building solutions.
Recognizing a good market for steel buildings and easily assembled portable buildings, he staked his claim in the North. Now he’s been in business more than 30 years and there’s been no shortage of work, challenge or excitement, reports Huser.
“We’re not afraid to try new things. That’s what sets us apart. We’re not routine, we’re modern-thinking. We’re small enough to be innovative and quick to respond. For me every project is a challenge; making the customer happy is a challenge.”
Alaska Dreams Inc. is a multi-faceted business supplying and erecting steel and portable structures throughout the state. “In Alaska you need to stand on several legs,” says Huser. “We provide rental buildings for remote site camps, special events and temporary storage and we custom fabricate for many applications. We are the Alaska dealer for Rockford steel buildings and represent Modular Transportable Housing, a Washington company that converts refrigerated cargo containers into structures for housing and other commercial uses.” Shop in Fairbanks Alaska Dreams has a 6,000 square foot shop in Fairbanks, with plans for building a 3,000 square foot office complex soon. Huser runs the business with his wife, Anna Marie. They employ up to 20 employees, depending on the season and the job.
“We’ve built a good reputation and have a good track record,” says Huser. “We’re a small company, so I’m amazed we can deal with multi-billion dollar oil companies, be respected and have them come back and ask us for help! For our small size, we’re doing very well at $2 million gross.”
After a serendipitous introduction, Alaska Dreams has also found a good niche with Alaska Cover-All LLC, the local dealer for innovative and efficient polyethylene fabric-covered, galvanized steel frame portable buildings manufactured in Canada.
“When a truck on its way to Prudhoe with one of our buildings went off the road near Fairbanks, Meini happened to be with one of his friends in the tow truck that came to pull it out,” says Alaska Cover-All’s CFO An Nelson. “The structure caught his attention and he contacted us in Anchorage, saying he had a lot of experience with steel buildings and would be interested in putting up ours. Paul invited him down to help work on a building. He worked for free, liked what he saw, then he and Paul shook hands and Meini has been putting up our Cover-All buildings ever since.” Dry dock a unique challenge Huser is a certified erection specialist and field tester for the company and collaborates with dealer Paul Nelson on new design ideas and improvements. Alaska Dreams is currently overseeing construction of Nelson’s 70 by 20-foot warehouse/office/showcase building in South Anchorage.
In Seward, the 110-foot wide by 210-foot long and 109-foot tall dry dock project was a unique challenge for both men.
“A 50-foot tall foundation was already in place. We engineered and pre-built the elements and lifted whole sections at a time,” enthuses Huser. “And, to avoid a major revenue loss, the dry dock continued to operate below us while we erected the building ... we pioneered that one!”
The two companies are also expanding their ventures to the Russian Far East.
“We built a 100-foot by 200-foot repair shop for heavy equipment in Chayvo Bay, Sakhalin Island last winter and another repair shop for a platinum mine on the Kamchatka Peninsula for a Russian-owned mining company, plus there are two more buildings ready to be shipped out soon,” says Huser. “There’s a big market with lots to catch up on, lots to do. We got in on the ground floor.”
A clear example of Alaska Dreams’ fabrication capabilities was the custom derrick tower enclosure, roofs and wind walls custom-made in Fairbanks for the Anadarko Hot Ice project.
“It was fun, something totally new — no one had built an offshore platform on shore before. There was advanced thinking behind the whole project, with an emphasis on minimal impact, all elevated, off-ground — a good learning experience.
“For us the oil companies have been a great partner. The environment is a big concern ... I see them putting a lot of effort into finding new ways to get the job done in a low impact way. I see more junk in Fairbanks back yards than all the oil fields combined!”
Continuing the dream “My continuing Alaska Dream is that I’m using all the experience I’ve ever had, it’s all coming together, and there are plenty of built-in challenges, lots of room for creative thinking,” reflects Huser. “But it’s not just about constructing another building ... it needs to be a safe, fun, work environment for my guys — keeping that spirit going is a really big deal to me, so it’s not just a place to work. The whole atmosphere is better if they like what they are doing and are proud of it. I want to continue doing what we’re doing on a professional level and have a good time at it!” l
Alaska Dreams, Inc.
907-455-7712
[email protected]
Editor's note: Susan Braund owns Firestar Media Services in Anchorage, Alaska.
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