HC Contractors has completed a project to repair the military taxiway, apron and hardstand at King Salmon’s airport, which is a hub for the Bristol Bay region. The company has a long track record working on military facilities. “It’s always gratifying to see how our work impacts communities and also supports our nation’s military efforts,” said Travis Malin, HC Contractors General Manager. For the King Salmon project, HC Contractors worked as the main subcontractor, facilitating all construction activities in support of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center.
King Salmon has no road connection to the rest of Alaska, so equipment and supplies had to arrive by barge. HC Contractors brought entire production facilities to King Salmon, including a commercial asphalt plant, an industrial rock crusher, a concrete batch plant, and a materials wash plant. That allowed the crew and subcontractors to crush rock, batch concrete, and produce asphalt on-site, then place it directly on the airfield.
“This was a unique project for us, since we typically operate on the road system,” said Malin. “It’s not every day that we barge in an asphalt, concrete and wash plant to complete a project.” In all, the company produced and placed 7,800 cubic yards of concrete and 11,400 tons of asphalt. The project included 900 linear feet of 8” waterline, cipp (cured-in-place pipe lining) of the existing sewer main, new airfield perimeter fencing, striping, and new airfield lighting, signs and fiber.
Malin explained that the project is also a good example of UIC companies working together. “Bowhead Transport brought our production facilities and heavy equipment to King Salmon in 2025, so everything was staged on-site and ready to go. That let us complete the work in the 2026 season before freeze-up.”
Successful completion of remote construction projects requires a dedicated and experienced crew, said Malin. Project Manager Thomas Sasser and Superintendent Shelby Smay led the work in King Salmon. Subcontractors and partners under their direction included JCC, B&B Electric, Northwest Contracting, Rady Concrete, Nu Flow, ChemTrack Alaska and Valley Fence.
HC Contractors, based in North Pole, Alaska, was founded in 1993 and acquired by Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation in 2022. It operates within the UIC Commercial Services Alaska Civil Construction group.