If you want Mike Ledger to create your next tattoo, get in line. He is booked for the next two years, with a waiting list. His elaborate tattoos can take months and many repeat visits to complete, but his fans value his eye for detail, years of diverse experience and his knowledge of Polynesian tattoos. “The designs I do are…
What it’s worth? $1,500 Hawaii’s royalty were prolific writers, penning official orders, personal correspondence and literary efforts in their elegant, old-fashioned script. While much of this written history is in museums and other collections, a fair amount remains available for sale to the public. One major source is Hawaiian Islands Stamp & Coin. This document from King Kalakaua, although undated,…
How can something as perfect as a Spam musubi possibly get any better? The answer: batter it, deep-fry it and drizzle it with homemade teriyaki sauce. Chefs at Da Kitchen on Isenberg Street, next to the Saint Louis Alumni Clubhouse, sell nearly 400 of the panko-crusted favorite every week for $4.50 a pop. “People like it so much that they…
“These coins have little to no financial value,” says Denny Watts, “but they have a lot of value because each one of them represents someone that I’ve met, the units that they ran or something unique. All have been an interesting story.” The president of Watts Constructors has been involved with military construction projects throughout his career. Since early on,…
Rick Blangiardi, general manager of Hawaii News Now, was named 2011 “Salesperson of the Year” by the Honolulu chapter of Sales & Marketing Executives International. Blangiardi talked with Hawaii Business publisher David Tumilowicz about his strategies for success and his start in sales 34 years ago, after he had served as associate head football coach for UH. Here are excerpts…
There’s no question that business booms at Kailua’s Island Snow shave ice and surf wear store whenever President Obama and his entourage are in town. But those well-publicized visits have left a long tail of increased year-round sales and revived a local brand. Each time Obama vacations at a rented estate a few blocks away in Kailua Beach, he visits…
It’s no coincidence that Terence O’Toole is a veteran triathlete and successful business attorney. Both roles demand stamina and a strong will, with commercial litigation often requiring a marathonlike fortitude. The characteristics have helped him earn a prestigious accolade: He has been named “Bet-the-Company” Litigator of the Year for Hawaii by “Best Lawyers,” a respected guide that helps people find…
Straub Clinic and Hospital and Kauai Medical Clinic say they are the first healthcare facilities in the state to allow patients to access their medical records from an iPhone, iPad or iTouch using a new, free mobile app called MyHealthAdvantage. Patients can view test results, send secure messages to their physicians, manage appointments and review a list of their medications….
At first glance, the ingredients in Grower’s Secret seem more like a mai tai mix than a plant-growth energizer designed to work with fertilizers. Derived from a brewing process involving Maui pineapple juice, pureed papaya, molasses and mushroom, Grower’s Secret is the brainchild of Maui mushroom farmer and biologist Brian Hiromoto and plant pathologist Dr. Wesley Chun. Their company, Advanced…
A few years after Chee and his partners launched Locations in 1969, they quietly computerized the local MLS listings – giving Locations a big edge over the competition and helping turn it into one of the top real estate firms in the state. Here he talks about being on the bleeding edge of change. Were you into technology then? It’s…
Leaders of Hawaii small businesses can now enroll in training similar to an executive MBA program – and get the $10,000 program for free. The six-month E200 Leadership Initiative is aimed mostly at minority-oned companies that have at least one employee, are at least three years old, have annual revenues of more than $300,000, and want to grow or improve….
Q. As a small-business owner, what are my options to pay for a photovoltaic system? A. Photovoltaic systems are expensive and complex to finance. A typical PV system for a small business could run anywhere from $10,000 to more than a million dollars. Your financing options depend as much upon your ability to take advantage of the tax credits and depreciation…
The Japanese love all things Hawaiian – from hula to music to fashion – which makes Japan an attractive market for Hawaii companies. But Japan is a complex business environment. “That means a company must be serious about wanting to increase the Japan portion of its customer base,” says Dave Erdman, founder and president of PacRim Marketing Group. Erdman has…
As Kakaako transforms from an industrial area into a work-play-and-live neighborhood, small business owners saw the need for a cohesive business organization in which they could network and promote themselves. Spearheaded by Susan Snyder, an aesthetician who opened Susan Snyder Facials and Massage Therapy in the area several years ago, theKakaako Today Business Network has 37 members and is growing. Here…
Rich taking GPS point at site, View to West/NorthwestDon Morrison Can readily list the equipment and vehicles his Kapolei company purchased in recent years. Morrison, CFO of Pacific AquaScapes Inc., says money was available for the acquisitions because of the company’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan, which shields the company from federal and state income taxes. It allows the company to reinvest more of…
These are the 2011 winners of the Small Business Administration Awards in Hawaiʻi.
Local Whey 9:00 A.M. Wednesday Meadow Gold Dairies, Honolulu Photography by Olivier Koning >> Joshua Kauwe of Meadow Gold stirs cottage cheese curds while it drains liquid, called whey. Approximately 20,000 pounds of cottage cheese is made a week. The 104-year-old company manufactures a number of dairy, ice cream and juice products. Categories: Media, Parting Shot
Students who clustered around the Hawaii Business table during February’s career fair at the UH Shidler College of Business were especially focused on one issue of the magazine. They were checking the list of companies named in our annual Best Places to Work issue. Not surprisingly, those companies at the career fair that were on the list got more than…
Ho is also chair of the Hawaii host committee for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Honolulu this November. The weeklong series of APEC meetings and seminars will be capped by a summit of the 21 leaders of Asia Pacific economies hosted by President Obama. Q: Is the community ready for this meeting and do you think it is…
It seems like a contradiction: The traditional hotel business in Hawaii is shrinking even while the hospitality industry recovers from the recession, more visitors arrive and they pay more per room than last year. The relative decline of stand-alone hotels is a trend that has persisted for years and will stretch into the future. Over the past decade, hotel rooms…
OVERALL WINNER JON DUARTE DESIGN GROUP In creating work space for the Jon Duarte Design Group’s eight employees, the firm wanted a “collaborative environment” that was warm and welcoming, where designers could work together easily but also meet casually. Dark wood tones are accented by shiny aluminum striping and doors of layered acrylic to capture light. BEST VIEW HAWAII FOREST…
Tal Ziv lives a double life and feels he serves a noble cause in each one. He works fulltime at Sopogy, helping develop micro-concentrated solar-power technology for a renewable energy future. And several times a year, he wears the uniform of the 154th Wing, Hawaii Air National Guard and helps protect his country. It’s not for the money. After years…
Modern etiquette test: Using your smartphone in a business meeting shows that you’re: a. Connected 24/7 and responding instantly to clients; b. Rude, distracted and about to get fired; c. Under 30 or working for a tech company; d. Assuming all the old rules have changed. It’s probably happened to you already, whether you’re the CEO of one of…
Travel by private jet – a leading economic indicator for lifestyles of the rich and famous – increased by double digits at key Hawaii airports last year, which was great news for dozens of local companies that fuel, feed and ferry these wealthy fliers. During the recession, the sector was dragged down by a combination of financially required thriftiness and…