Building Opportunity in Western Alaska
In early 2025, Stanley Tyler Huntington, a Tribal member of Galena Village (Louden Village), founded Hog River Construction in Fairbanks, Alaska. After years of hands-on experience in the trades, Stanley made the leap from part-time contractor to full-time business owner, aiming to address the critical infrastructure needs of rural and Tribal communities across Alaska while building local economic opportunities.
Securing capital for a new, Native-owned contracting business can be challenging, especially in its earliest stages. The Alaska Tribal State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) Program made a pivotal difference for Hog River Construction by providing an 80% guarantee on a loan from $50,000 with Northrim Bank, ensuring Stanley could secure the working capital needed to fulfill a significant construction contract with the Chinik Eskimo Community in the Norton Sound region.
The project included heating system upgrades, cabin expansions, concrete pad installations, garage door retrofits, and foundational site preparation, all of which directly improved safety and living conditions in the community. The Tribal SSBCI-backed loan guarantee, provided through Northrim Bank, gave Stanley the working capital needed to purchase materials, mobilize quickly, and hire additional labor,ensuring the project was delivered on time and met community expectations. He explained, “Working with all the Northrim Bank employees has been very helpful and has made everything easier and quicker for me.”
“We are putting up a steel building with a concrete pad in which will be heated throughout the winter to store their critical life saving search and rescue equipment. When a search and rescue is launched, every minute counts. Having a heated storage building for their Airboat, Snowmachine, Boats, etc., is extremely important, shared Stanley.
This investment created 8 seasonal jobs, supported the delivery of critical infrastructure in remote Tribal communities, and helped launch Hog River Construction as a fully licensed, Native-owned general contracting business ready to grow and continue serving Alaska.
Stanley remarked, “Starting a new business and securing the proper amount of funding was the most stressful part of the process. The $50,000 loan from SSCBI took a lot of stress off the financial side and allowed me to focus more on all the other aspects of the business. I could not have done this without the support of my family, Dean Peterson, Jeremy Luce, Aaron Burmeister, and the Native-owned accounting firm, Common Cents LLC. Being able to give back to the communities by doing all these jobs with 95% local hire makes it all worth it.”
Hog River Construction’s success shows how the Tribal SSBCI Program, working alongside committed lenders like Northrim Bank, empowers Native entrepreneurs to launch and grow businesses that directly strengthen Alaska’s infrastructure. This partnership advances Tribal economic development by expanding access to essential services, creating local jobs, and ensuring that critical projects are led by those with deep cultural and community ties.
By supporting Native-owned businesses like Hog River Construction, the Tribal SSBCI Program helps build a more resilient and self-reliant future across Alaska.
