Alliance celebrates 20 years in Alaska; Meyers injects humor at 20-year annual meeting

Kay Cashman

Despite statewide concerns about the acquisition of Alaska’s second largest oil company by its largest oil company, keynote speaker Kevin Meyers managed to draw a chuckle on the subject from the trade organization most impacted by BP Amoco’s acquisition of ARCO.

In the midst of his speech to the 20th annual meeting of the Alaska Support Industry Alliance, Meyers slipped his resume into his slide presentation.

Meyers, president of soon-to-be-absorbed ARCO Alaska Inc., had announced a few days earlier that he had turned down an opportunity to work for BP outside Alaska. He said he is staying in Alaska — and looking for a new job.

The acquisition of ARCO by BP Amoco was recently approved by the shareholders of each company and is awaiting regulatory approval before it becomes final.

Karen Cowart, general manager of the Alliance, said the Sept. 9 annual meeting and dinner at the Anchorage Hilton had one of the largest turnouts in the 20 year history of the organization. Three hundred and sixty members attended the three and a half hour event, which Cowart was pleased to say adjourned early.

Cowart’s reaction to the acquisition of ARCO by BP? “I am sure there are going to be a lot of changes,” she said. “I am trying to keep a very upbeat attitude. ... When Alaska resources become more competitive globally that will ... encourage new operators to come to the state.”

She also said that the divestiture of acreage by BP would “encourage more operators to look at Alaska. “More operators means more contractors — and more new opportunities for existing contractors to concentrate on.”