This story originally ran in the Alaska Journal of Commerce on March 31, 2003.
Name of the company: Arctic Wire Rope & Supply
Established: 1983
Focus of the product: Arctic Wire Rope & Supply provides custom-made wire rope and nylon slings and harnesses. The company does on-site fabrication and testing of harnesses, braces and slings for use in an industrial environment such as an oil rig, said Eric McCallum, the company's owner and president.
History of the company: Arctic Wire Rope & Supply grew from the need for a personal change, McCallum said.
"It was one of those situations where I was looking for a job and I preferred to work for myself," he said.
McCallum, who had experience selling industrial equipment, teamed up with a partner, whom he declined to identify, and opened the company.
Originally, the pair focused on wire slings and lifts that allow large loads to be lifted by a crane. That changed as technology, and the quality of nylon products, improved.
Arctic Wire Rope became the state's first on-site sewing loft for the design and fabrication of specialized nylon slings and lifts in 1985.
Within a year, McCallum bought out his partner and took over complete control of the company.
The Exxon Valdez spill took Arctic Wire Rope from a small company to the state's leading custom rigger and manufacturer, McCallum said.
Arctic Wire Rope bought and moved into its current facility in 1990.
In 1998, the company added round slings -- which are made by filling heavy-duty nylon tubes with industrial-grade rope --to its sales list.
Today, the oil industry accounts for most of Arctic Wire Rope's business, McCallum said.
The company also serves the fishing and logging industries, the government, construction companies, utility groups, the mining industry, and local residents.
Major accomplishments: When it comes to Arctic Wire Rope's achievements, McCallum said his greatest success is his business model.
"We give our customers what they want when they want it," he said. "And, we're doing it locally. It's neat to be hiring local people to make something in the state.
"You're bringing something up from Outside and you're adding as much value as possible," he said.
Major players: McCallum, who moved to Alaska from Seattle, was born and raised in Ohio. He has a teaching certificate from Akron State University, but began selling industrial equipment after he student taught.
McCallum began his career in Akron as a salesman for B.F. Goodrich Inc., but was ultimately transferred to Washington. From tires to wires, he moved to Alaska when he changed jobs and accepted a position working for an Anchorage-based industrial rigging company.
Article and photo by Regan Foster, Alaska Journal of Commerce.
Eric McCallum can be reached via email or at http://www.arcticwirerope.com.
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