The number of businesses that manufacture products in Alaska is small, but a new association hopes to change that. Alaska Manufacturing Association, or AKMA, is building a business to business directory, in an effort to make it easier for businesses to produce products locally.
Megan Militello, the association’s managing partner, said the directory will connect businesses with manufacturers, and find solutions to common problems.
“These are people that are invested into manufacturing in Alaska,” she said. “We just got to get into a space where we can make some changes actually happen, like very action driven is the goal with the directory.”
High shipping costs are a major hurdle for Alaska manufacturers, but Militello said businesses can get creative to save some cash by combining freight. Another challenge for the sector is adequate staffing, she said, which many business owners are experiencing.
Militello used to own Elevated Oats, an Anchorage-based oat and granola company. Manufacturing her own product in Alaska, she said, gave her insight into the challenges businesses face when it comes to manufacturing locally, and the opportunity.
“You're not really able to just find other people making things that you may need. I think that we could have people that really rely on each other and can support each other's businesses, more than I'm going to this marketing agency that's in the lower 48,” Militello said.
A major resource for local manufactures will close next month. The Alaska Manufacturing Partnership (MEP) provides training, technical assistance and development opportunities to manufacturers across the state, but that organization is shutting down June 30.
She said the new association will fill the gap.
“We're doing something completely different, which is bringing the power to the people, not just consulting or giving you a connection to a vendor that can help you out,” said Militello, who works at the Alaska MEP as a supply chain optimization manager. “It's like, how can I just get you guys in the same space together?”
There are more products manufactured in Alaska than many people realize, she said, from machines for airline runway cleaning, to tortillas and alcohol-infused cookies.
