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Case studies

Selected work, start to finish.

Alaska projects start to finish, from an emergency earthquake response for Safeway to a remote village equipment building. For each one: the challenge, our approach, and the result.

Emergency Response · Southcentral Alaska

Earthquake Emergency Response, Safeway Alaska

When a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Southcentral Alaska on November 30, 2018, Safeway called Jewel Isaac with one mission: assess every affected store, stabilize the buildings, and reopen them as quickly and safely as possible. There was no time to wait.

Collapsed suspended ceiling hanging into a darkened Safeway store after the 2018 Alaska earthquake — Within hours of the M7.1, a suspended ceiling had come down in the dark

Product thrown across darkened store aisles by the earthquake — Aisles cleared and made safe

Damaged suspended ceiling removed down to the structure — Damaged ceiling removed

Crew installing a new suspended ceiling system at the Eagle River Safeway — New ceiling going in at Eagle River

Restored ceiling and reopened Safeway store — Restored, relit, and reopened

EventMagnitude 7.1 earthquake

DateNovember 30, 2018

ClientSafeway

Stores11 inspected & repaired

Mobilization4 to 40 crew in under 24 hrs

Reopened10 of 11 the next day

The challenge

The quake damaged stores across Anchorage, Eagle River, Wasilla, Palmer, and Girdwood. Every hour a store stayed closed meant lost revenue and a community cut off from its grocery store. Success would come down to leadership, rapid decisions, logistics, manpower, and the ability to execute under pressure.

Our approach

Before our crews even reached Anchorage, we were already mobilizing people, equipment, tools, and materials. A four-person Anchorage operation became a forty-person emergency response team in less than twenty-four hours, deploying multiple crews across Southcentral Alaska in close coordination with Safeway's operations team.

The result

Ten of the eleven stores reopened the very next day, and the final store reopened just six days later. At the Eagle River store, where the suspended ceiling failed, we removed the entire damaged ceiling to make the building safe, then returned to install a completely new ceiling system. Safeway recognized our performance, and the relationship has continued ever since.

Emergency response capabilities

Rapid statewide mobilization
Emergency facility stabilization
Structural and interior repairs
Temporary and permanent restoration
Multi-site project management
Self-perform carpentry, drywall, ceilings, framing, and finishes
Coordination with owners, insurers, and facility managers

When your facility can't wait, neither can your contractor. When emergencies happen, we rise to the occasion.

Commercial · Fairbanks, Alaska

Fairbanks Laundry

A $5 million ground-up commercial laundry, engineered against the Interior winter from the slab up: 8-inch ICF walls, R-70 in the ceiling, and a double vapor barrier with only three penetrations through the entire roof.

The finished coinless laundry with rows of commercial washers — The finished, world-class coinless laundry

The finished Fairbanks Laundry building exterior with signage — The completed building

8-inch ICF walls and wood roof framing during construction — 8-inch ICF walls go up

ICF interior walls with the double vapor barrier — ICF interior and vapor barrier

R-70 insulated roof structure over ICF walls — The R-70 roof structure

Contract value$5.0M

LocationFairbanks, AK

BuildGround-up · 2022–2023

Walls8" ICF blocks

CeilingR-70 insulation

RoofDouble vapor barrier, 3 penetrations

The challenge

A commercial laundry has to perform in Interior Alaska's deep cold, so the building had to be engineered against it from the slab up. Then, mid-project, the local concrete plant closed early for the season, leaving slabs to pour with winter already setting in.

Our approach

We built the envelope for extreme cold: 8-inch ICF walls, R-70 in the ceiling, and a double vapor barrier with only three penetrations through the entire roof. When the concrete plant shut down, we engineered a way to place and cure our slabs through the Fairbanks winter rather than lose the season.

The result

The envelope came together as designed and the slabs went in despite the cold. The finished building is a world-class coinless laundry with commercial laundry pickup and delivery, built to run efficiently through the hardest Interior winters.

Engineered for the extreme cold, from the slab to the roof.

Commercial · Fairbanks, Alaska

Summit Chiropractic

A $3 million transformation of a former Denny's restaurant into a modern chiropractic, physical therapy, and massage clinic, taking the building back to its bones and rebuilding it as a healthcare space.

Summit Chiropractic exterior, a former Denny's converted to a clinic in Fairbanks — The former Denny's, reborn as Summit Chiropractic

Open physical therapy gym with equipment — Physical therapy gym

Chiropractic treatment room — Treatment room

Clinic patient corridor — Patient corridor

New ADA restroom — ADA restroom

Contract value$3.0M

LocationFairbanks, AK

Completed2023

ScopeDenny's-to-clinic conversion

Self-performDemo, HVAC, finishes

UseChiropractic, PT, massage

The challenge

Summit needed a full-service chiropractic, physical therapy, and massage clinic, but the building they had was a former Denny's restaurant. Turning a diner into a healthcare facility meant gutting it and re-engineering nearly everything behind the walls and above the ceiling.

Our approach

As prime contractor we self-performed extensive demolition to take the restaurant back to its shell, then rebuilt it as a clinic: a new HVAC system throughout, new layouts for exam and treatment rooms, an open physical-therapy gym, and full interior finishes.

The result

A dated diner became a bright, modern clinic with dedicated chiropractic and treatment rooms, an open therapy space, and a clean, welcoming patient experience across chiropractic, physical therapy, and massage.

From a Denny's to a modern healthcare clinic.

Commercial · Fairbanks, Alaska

Matt Raymond State Farm

A $1.1 million ground-up office for a Fairbanks State Farm agency, built for the extreme cold. We came in as the lowest of three bidders, hit the construction deadline, and finished with zero change orders, only the upgrades the client chose to add.

Finished Matt Raymond State Farm office building in Fairbanks, Alaska — The finished State Farm office, built ground-up for the Interior

Finished open-plan State Farm office interior with reception — The open, high-ceiling office interior

Contract value$1.1M

LocationFairbanks, AK

BuildGround-up · 2025

BidLowest of 3 bidders

ScheduleMet client deadline

Change ordersZero (client upgrades only)

The challenge

The agency needed a brand-new building that could stand up to Interior Alaska's climate and open on schedule, on a competitive budget, with no surprises along the way.

Our approach

We won the work as the lowest of three bidders and built it for the cold from the ground up, self-performing and coordinating the trades to protect both the budget and the calendar.

The result

We met the client's construction deadline and delivered with zero change orders; the only additions were upgrades the client chose along the way. The result is a polished, energy-efficient State Farm office ready for Fairbanks winters.

Lowest bid. On deadline. Zero change orders.

Industrial · Minto, Alaska

Minto Heavy Equipment Building

A pre-engineered steel building to house and protect heavy equipment in the remote Athabascan village of Minto, built with our partners at Minto Development Corporation.

Working in Remote Minto, Alaska

MarketIndustrial

LocationMinto, AK

Completed2024

Contract value$1.7M

PartnerMinto Development Corp.

ScopeFoundation to enclosure

The challenge

Minto sits deep in Alaska's Interior with limited road access and a short building season. Materials and crews had to be planned and mobilized well in advance, and the finished building had to stand up to year-round Interior weather.

Our approach

Working through our Minto Global North partnership, we erected a pre-engineered red-iron steel system, from foundation through frame and enclosure, that goes up efficiently and seals tight against the cold.

The result

Minto gained a durable, weather-tight home for its heavy equipment, built for year-round Interior operation. Watch the iron go up in the project film above.

Commercial · North Pole, Alaska

North Pole Coffee Roasting Co.

Phase 1 of the North Pole Coffee Roasting Co., turning an existing warehouse into a working roastery and a community gathering place.

North Pole Coffee Roasting Co.

MarketCommercial

LocationNorth Pole, AK

Completed2024 (Phase 1)

ScopeWarehouse remodel + new office

Self-performFraming, carpentry, finishes

Contract value$1.8M

The challenge

An existing warehouse needed to become a functioning coffee-roasting facility and a welcoming space for the community, complete with new office space and the build-out a production roastery requires.

Our approach

We remodeled the existing shell and built out a new office, self-performing the framing, carpentry, and finishes and coordinating the trades that bring a production space online.

The result

Phase 1 delivered a revived community gathering place and a working roastery for North Pole, with the building set up to grow in future phases.

Demolition · Downtown Fairbanks, Alaska

Alaska Motor Inn Demolition

Safe demolition of a long-vacant, blighted building in the heart of downtown Fairbanks, clearing the way for revitalization.

Alaska Motor Inn Demolition

MarketDemolition

LocationDowntown Fairbanks

Completed2024

ScopeDemolition + site clearing

Contract value$150K

CoverageMust Read Alaska

The challenge

The Alaska Motor Inn had sat vacant for years in the center of downtown Fairbanks. Taking it down meant working safely in a busy, occupied area and protecting the public and neighboring buildings the whole way.

Our approach

We planned and carried out a controlled demolition and site clearing, sequencing the work to keep downtown moving and the public safe while the structure came down.

The result

A long-standing eyesore is gone and the site is cleared for redevelopment, a visible win for downtown Fairbanks. Read the op-ed on why it matters →

Let's build it

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