The Alaska Contractor: Fall 2006

MEMBER PROFILE
Neal & Company By LAURA BRUCK
Excellence in construction
In the small town of Homer there is a company
that has been around for more than 35 years with
a mission statement that is straightforward; excellence
in construction.
This simple thought has turned a little known
construction company into one of the most profi table
outlets for commercial construction in Alaska. Neal
and Company Inc., operated by Tony and Aurora
Neal is the model of a small business enterprise.
It all started when Tony Neal was in college at
Iowa State University working on a bachelor’s of science
degree in construction engineering. During his
summers off from school, he worked for Green Construction
in Juneau.
After graduation Neal joined the U.S. Army for a
brief time. After being discharged from the Army he
moved to Sydney, Australia and started a home construction
business he named NCI – Neal and Company
Incorporated.
Alaska seemed to call him back and in 1968 he
returned to the Last Frontier to work for Green Construction
in both Petersburg and Delta Junction.
In 1969, Neal decided to move to Homer and reestablish
NCI in Alaska. This proved to be a positive
move for both his business and personal interests.
Enter Aurora Raitor, his soon to be signifi cant
other.
In 1983, NCI was awarded a contract to build the
new South Peninsula Hospital on the Kenai Peninsula.
Subsequently, they needed a new job site secretary
and Raitor was hired. After working in Homer
for more than a year she moved to Adak Island where
NCI had been awarded a bid to run the Adak General
Contractors Camp for the Navy.
When Neal visited Adak to check on the new
project, a romantic link was born. They married in
July of 1985 and after more than 20 years of marriage
and three kids later their love is still in bloom.
Neal and Co. had a lucrative business developing
and building commercial facilities for a myriad
of businesses both domestically and worldwide. The
most notable have won Department of Defense contracts
in Guam, Adak, Kodiak, Russia, Saipan and
Hawaii.
At the high point in the 1980s NCI employed
more than 700 people while completing large-scale
heavy commercial construction. The business currently
has seven full-time employees. This small staff
count is not due to a dwindling economy but rather
to the fi nal stage in the Neal’s construction career.
With the ending of the Cold War with Russia,
From left to right: Jean Hughes, Aurora Neal, Chris Moran,
and Tony Neal. PHOTO: COURTESY OF NEAL AND COMPANY
fewer DOD contracts were being awarded. This resulted
in less lucrative military work contracts while
shifting to more environmental building focus.
This change in environment caused the Neals to
move most of their business focus away from heavy
commercial construction to residential development
with the focal point of the business happening mostly
in Homer and the surrounding area.
One of Tony and Aurora Neal’s favorite projects
was the Wally Noerenberg Hatchery, which is located
in Lake Bay on the southern end of Esther Island
about 20 miles from Homer.
This transfer of interests allowed a new dream to
be born and NCI purchased 17 acres in Homer with
plans for a condominium development project and a
38-acre subdivision.
For the last three years NCI has primarily focused
on their Quiet Creek Community condominium and
subdivision development project.
Their brochure for the Quiet Creek Community
pitches the sites to would-be buyers as offering
“stunning views of Kachemak Bay, maintenance-free
living, spacious, elegant interior design, and an ‘away
from it all’ feel.”
The Neals say AGC membership is a great networking
tool for their business that also helps them
stay in the know about what is going on with construction
in Alaska.
Aurora Neal cited four reasons why AGC membership
is important:
1) professional affi liation,
56 The Alaska CONTRACTOR Fall 2006