Tikigaq Technologies Services LLC closed its doors Jan. 10, according to its employees.
First started as a technology, software and desktop support center, and later phased into an 8(a) corporation, the company ceased operations in early January. Located at 2121 Abbott Road in Anchorage, Tikigaq had a total of 10 employees.
"The shareholders voted to shut down the company," said general manager Mike Insalaco. "Apparently they thought it was a financial burden to the rest of the village corporation."
The Tikigaq Corp. is an Alaska Native village corporation for the village of Point Hope that had five U.S. Small Business Administration 8(a)-certified subsidiary companies: Aglaq Construction Enterprises LLC, Agviq Environmental Services LLC, Tikigaq Engineering Services LLC, Naniq systems LLC and the now-defunct Tikigaq Technology Services LLC.
The 8(a) program is run by Small Business Administration. Named for a section of the Small Business Act, and is a business development program created to help small disadvantaged businesses compete in the American economy and access the federal procurement market.
Point Hope is a village of 850 residents. Its corporation has a total of 1,000 shareholders.
Insalaco said that the company's management was notified before Christmas that they were no longer needed.
The technology company had sales increases of more than 2,800 percent in the last three years, Tikigaq has closed only its wireless security camera systems and WiFi networking. Officers with the company refused to comment about the closing of the wireless division, but said that the technology subsidiary was still in business.
Rob Stapleton can be reached at rob.stapleton@alaskajournal.com.
