2004 Corporate 100: Alaska's economic powerhouses.(Alaska Business Monthly's 2004 Corporate 100)

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 …