2004 Corporate 100: Alaska's economic powerhouses.

The state has thousands of worthy businesses operating from Southeast to Barrow. How does one go about selecting the top 100?

It's not an easy task. First we had to decide whom to invite to be a part of this special listing. For the past 12 years, we have been compiling names, watching those in business around the state, and adding names and numbers to our database. This year was no different. In addition, a special database was purchased to help us ensure we missed nobody worthy of the honor. In all, more than 200 surveys were sent out to leading businesses all across Alaska.

Once surveys were returned, it took a panel of six many hours to peruse through each survey and select the best of the best. The results are impressive. There are 18 companies in the services sector, reflecting the growing importance this sector has on our economy. In fact, it is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the state. There are 17 in transportation also an important industry to the state. Without those who transport goods to and from Alaska, there would be no commerce. There are 11 each for Native businesses and those in the finance/insurance and real estate sectors. And there were 10 in the oil and gas industry, still the leading industry in the state. Nine were in construction. Five each were in tourism and retail trade. The remaining were in mining (four), communications (three), industrial services (three), health care (two), manufacturing (one) and wholesale trade (one).

These companies were selected based on employment, revenues, products/services, contributions to the state and impact on the areas they do business in.

Here's a quick look at our Corporate 100 leading companies for 2004.

STOCK MARKET PARTICIPATION

You can own a piece of any of 29 of the 100 because they are publicly traded on NYSE, NASDAQ and Toronto exchanges. Only three of the 29 are wholly Alaskan-owned.

PARENT HEADQUARTERS LOCATION

Alaska has proven to be a good place for corporate expansion; 37 of the corporations opened Alaska operations but maintain parent headquarters outside of Alaska. Houston Texas, and Seattle, Wash., are tied with four each for the most headquarters in any outside city. One is located in Canada. Seventy-seven of the 100 have their Alaska headquarters in Anchorage, with Fairbanks having six corporate headquarters and Juneau with two headquarters.

YEARS IN ALASKA

Alaska Commercial Co. says it first established itself in Alaska in 1867, making it the oldest for years operating in Alaska at 137 years. Following closely is Providence Health System with 102 years, beginning in Alaska in 1902. Nine of the corporations have operated in Alaska for more than 75 years. Ten of them are in their fifth decade of operating in Alaska, while 47 of them are between 25 and 50 years in Alaska. There are eight who have less than 10 years of Operation in Alaska.

AGE OF COMPANY

Wells Fargo Bank, headquartered in San Francisco, is the oldest company of the 100 operating in Alaska; it was founded in 1852. It is followed by the Alaska Commercial Co., established in 1867, and Marathon Oil Co., of Houston, Texas, with its founding year of 1887. Familiar to all Alaskans along the Yukon River and to Alaska seaports is Crowley Maritime, founded in San Francisco in 1892, and its competitor in the ocean traffic business Foss Maritime Co., headquartered in Seattle and who first put its rudders in the ocean in 1892.

REVENUE EARNED IN ALASKA

Many of the corporations cannot disclose the revenue collected from their Alaska operations for competitive or proprietary reasons. However, 58 of the 100 reported to ABM collective revenues in Alaska of $8.74 billion during 2003.

EMPLOYEES IN ALASKA

More of the corporations are less confidential about the numbers of employees in their Alaska operations, and here 99 corporations list a grand total of 50,124 employees n the Great Land. Fifteen corporations listed more than 1,000 employees on their payrolls, with Providence Health System, the state's largest private employer, employing 3,600 health workers, followed by Carrs Safeway and their 3,450 clerks, stockers and managers. Up north, headquartered in Barrow, Arctic Slope Regional Corp. employs 3,100 folks around Alaska. Another 15 corporations employ between 500 and 1,000 workers and 38 more employ 100 to 499. Services, the largest business type represented with 18 companies in that class, has a total of 8,208 employees, followed by transportation's 17 companies with 6.763 engaged in moving goods around Alaska.