City of Wasilla, Lead Dog Enterprises, named Businesses of the Year at Chamber’s annual awards

WASILLA — Everett’s Mat-Su Valley Resort was one of more than 50 new businesses that came on board with the Greater Wasilla Area Chamber of Commerce in 2017, and for the second straight year, the venue hosted the annual Wasilla Chamber of Commerce Awards.

Those awards went to: Stu Graham for Volunteer of the Year; Lead Dog Enterprises snow removal services won the honor of Small Business of the Year; the Mat-Su Food Pantry won for Non-Profit Organization of the Year, and Business Partner of the Year went to the City of Wasilla.

Wasilla Mayor Bert Cottle accepted the award shortly after giving his presentation to the chamber, in which he told the chamber and its many business-minded members in attendance that Wasilla continues to grow as a marketplace.

“We have more jobs in the the city limits of Wasilla than people who live in the city limits of Wasilla and that’s a good problem to have,” Cottle said, pointing out that the addition of businesses like the new bingo parlor on Parks Highway and the new Smashburger in town center have helped drive the number of business licenses up by 100 in 2017, and add 109 new residential units in city limits.

Cottle also said that adding 350 senior housing units in the city has proven to be a great benefit to local businesses. He said that as a whole, on the other hand, the Mat-Su Borough is still short 500 senior housing units.

“Seniors shop local. My dad’s 87 and I don’t want him driving anywhere,” the mayor joked about his father Ben Cottle, in attendance for the chamber luncheon, as he is just about every Tuesday.

Cottle also reported that by the year 2022, the City of Wasilla will be debt free, and that the city hopes to soon incorporate 44 lots in the city ranging from the location of the Mat-Su Resort to Peck Street.

Prior to Cottle’s address, chamber members heard from Bill Popp, the Executive Director of the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation, who presented his group’s findings as to the economic outlook of Anchorage and the Mat-Su.

Popp said that the city of Anchorage and Alaska, as a whole, are likely to face another year of recession, but that it should be the last. He said it was the AEDC’s position that the recession would have only lasted two years, but for the inability of the state government to pass a budget that would lend some stability for Alaska businesses and consumers.