Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation | 9
bile and helicopter manufacturers. Dodson
believes Fairbanks is positioned with polar
potential for further growth in this industry.
BLOSSOMING
OPPORTUNITY
Of course, not every day is a snow day in Fair-
banks and during summer months, the sun
can be seen shining 21 hours a day. While
that sunlight has proven fertile to the for-
mation of numerous cultural festivities and
sporting events (such as midnight baseball),
it has also nurtured the potential in what
Dodson describes as one of the most flavor-
ful new business opportunities to ever blos-
som in Fairbanks. It turns out that Fairbanks
annually grows a bumper crop of blueber-
ries which are just as blue and bursting with
berry sweetness as any variety one might
find in leading states of harvest like Oregon
or Maine. However, the Alaska blueberry
is quite different. It contains 200% more
antioxidants than other blueberries, which
means, these provide 200%more health ben-
efits. These berries can’t be grown to achieve
the same results elsewhere as they are not ge-
netically modified. Researchers believe the
blueberry is somehow bolstered by the short
growing season and extended hours of sun-
light uniquely found in Fairbanks. “There’s
a seven billion dollar health industry primed
for this product,” says Dodson. “The health
industry is growing in leaps and bounds, and
we can offer a product that provides two
hundred times more health benefits than
the blueberries consumers demand.” Now,
there’s a berry enriched with sweet potential
for profitability. Discoveries involving the
Alaskan Blueberry were made by a team of
analysts at the University of Alaska at Fair-
banks, a research-driven academic environ-
ment recognized as Alaska’s oldest institu-
