Nikola Bezmalinović, known as Nick Bez (25 August 1895–1 February 1969), was the founder of fishing, canning, and shipping companies in Juneau, Alaska.
[2][3] Nick Bez (Nikola Bezmalinović) was born on the island of Selca, Brač in the Adriatic Sea, in Croatia (then Austria-Hungary) in 1895.
[6][7] After buying P. E. Harris & Company in 1951, Bez renamed the firm Peter Pan Seafoods.
P. E. Harris & Company packed salmon products: Peter Pan, Gill Netters Best, and Sea Kist.
The United States Defense Plant Corporation, sponsored by the War Food Administration, gave a $2 million loan to the Pacific Exploration Company, part of the World War II Pacific Fishing project.
The loan was to transform the 423-foot World War I ship Mormacrey into a modern fishing boat with a cannery on board.
The Pacific Explorer's floating cannery stayed off the Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica for five months, and 10 fishing ships provided 2,250 tons of tuna.
Nine fishing boats supplied king crab, flatfish and cod for the Pacific Explorer: the Bear, Sunbeam, Borris, Tordenskjold, Kiska, Mars, Foremost, Jeanette F and Pearl Harbor.
[9][10] After the two fishing trips and the plan having been successfully implemented, the Pacific Explorer was put into a reserve fleet.
According to its system timetable, in 1968 West Coast Airlines was operating Douglas DC-9-10 jets, Fairchild F-27 turboprops and Douglas DC-3 prop aircraft as well as small Piper Navajo prop aircraft with scheduled passenger service to destinations in California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah and Washington state as well as to Calgary, Alberta in Canada.
Between 1929 and 1932, passengers could fly between Juneau's waterfront and downtown Seattle on scheduled weekly flights of Alaska-Washington Consolidated Airways.
Juneau's harbor was home to three pioneer flying companies that offered commercial air service in the early 1930's.
After Alaska Airlines purchased the local flying companies, the major carrier announced plans to discontinue regional floatplane service.
In the late 1970s, Southeast Skyways moved to the airport and Wings of Alaska took over the waterfront-based tourist trade.
In 1944 the Nornek cannery was sold to Intercoastal Packing Company and opened in 1947 and operated under the name Columbia River Packers Association.
Intercoastal Packing Company operated ships for the World War II effort.
[26] Intercoastal Packing Company ship Ogontz was used to help the World War II effort.