Kaimuki Auto Repair Offers Straight Talk and Fair Prices
2025 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Owner and mechanic Alan Nakamura works to earn customers’ trust in the family business.
New Stories
Jams World Features Colorful Textiles Turned into Unique Clothing
2025 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award Hall of Fame: Pua and Heather Rochlen run the family business started in 1964, with six stores across three islands.
B. Hayman Offers Industrial Mowers and Strong Customer Service
2025 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: President Al Kakazu says his main job is to make the customers’ job easier.
Roy Sakuma Ukulele Studios Shares the Joy of Music with All Ages and Abilities
2025 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Roy and Kathy Sakuma operate four studios on O‘ahu, and would “never say no to any parent.”
Nisshodo Candy Store Blends Local Favorites with New Flavors
2025 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award Hall of Fame: Michael and Ursula Hirao make and sell mochi and other Japanese treats from their Iwilei facility.
Natsunoya Tea House Has Been a Gathering Spot for More Than a Century
2025 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Awards Hall of Fame: Lawrence Fujiwara is the third-generation owner of this historic landmark in ‘Ālewa Heights.
Lonohana Estate Chocolate Is Committed to Ethical Farming and Manufacturing
2025 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Co-founders Lawrence Boone and Seneca Klassen grow cacao trees on O‘ahu’s North Shore for their chocolate bars.
Our Surveys Asked Hawai‘i Residents: What Is the State of the State?
37% of businesspeople say Hawai‘i is stagnant, and 33% says we’re in real trouble.
YWCA of Hawai‘i Island Aims to Transform Its Historic Hilo Campus
The nonprofit has so far received $2.8 million of its $6 million Phase 1 goal.
Hawai‘i’s Public Schools Are National Leaders in Academic Recovery. Can They Keep Up the Momentum?
Here’s how three Title I schools are making improvements, including expanded assessments, tutoring, and after-school and summer learning.
Di Salas
Di Salas is a seasoned marketing and communications leader with more than 15 years of experience in brand strategy, business development, and community engagement. She currently serves as Director of Marketing & Communications at Hawaii Dental Service (HDS), where she…
Melanie Quon
Melanie Quon, CQA, CMQ/OE, PMP, is an accomplished leader in compliance, quality improvement, and organizational development with over 15 years of experience spanning healthcare, nonprofit, and educational sectors. She currently serves as the Director of Compliance and Privacy Officer at…
Dr. Vinh Tran
Dr. Vinh Tran recently joined Hawaii Dental Service (HDS) as dental director, bringing a wealth of experience in both clinical practice and dental education. With a career spanning private practices and community health centers across Hawaii and the mainland, Dr.…
Brad Inovejas
Brad Inovejas, AIA, LEED AP, has been promoted from Senior Architect to Associate Principal at AHL. With over 25 years of experience, Brad specializes in architecture, planning, and design for large-scale resort and urban hotels, restaurants, commercial mixed-use developments, and…
Ross Morishige
Hawai’i design firm G70 has announced the promotion of Ross Morishige to principal. In this role, Morishige will provide strategic leadership, support the firm’s growth through business development and strengthen client relationships. He will also continue to oversee key projects…
Lists & Rankings
Hawai‘i’s Best Places to Work 2025
90 Companies and Nonprofits Where Employees Thrive.
Black Book 2024: 410 Executives of Hawai‘i’s Most Influential Organizations
Profiles of business and nonprofit leaders in every sector, from construction and energy to education and health care.
Hawai‘i’s Most Charitable Companies 2024
107 organizations donated more than $300 million to help Hawai‘i’s nonprofits, with a significant portion going to support Maui’s recovery.
Hawai‘i’s Most Profitable Companies 2024
The No. 1 company earned $297 million in profit last year; the last-place company lost almost as much.
Hawai‘i’s Top 250 Companies 2024: List Now Available
The 41st annual ranking of the state’s largest companies and nonprofits shows revenue was up, but the Lahaina catastrophe was widely felt – especially among small and medium businesses with Maui operations.
Top Performers in Real Estate 2024
Hawaii Business Magazine identified the leading real estate companies and invited them to submit their Top Performers. This page profiles many of these Top Performers in real estate. Consider these agents and companies when preparing to make your next real estate transaction.
Leadership Conference
Hilton Hawaiian Village
July 25, 2025
Excellence in Business Awards
Location TBD
September 2025
Wahine Forum
Hilton Hawaiian Village
October 24, 2025
Partner Content
2024 Community Health Snapshot
Kaiser Permanente Hawaii helps build healthier communities for all
Shidler College Hosts 64th Annual Business Night, Honoring Student Achievement
Nearly 500 students and professionals gathered to celebrate mentorship and student excellence
Applications Now Open for WE by Rising Tide
A Program Built for Women Ready to Grow
Shaping the Future of Hawai‘i’s Construction Industry
Introducing the next generation of construction leaders
Building a Brighter Future for Hawai‘i, One Smile Maker at a Time.
Beyond dental plans, HDS is deeply committed to improving oral health throughout Hawai‘i, especially in underserved rural communities.
An Old Family Recipe Remains a Classic at This Līhu‘e Restaurant
Tip Top Motel, Cafe & Bakery’s bestselling oxtail soup uses Chinese and mustard cabbage, long rice, bamboo shoots, green onion and plenty of meat.
This Honolulu Store Specializes in the Warm, Retro Look of Film Photography
Rainbow Photo Video caters to amateurs and pros who love the traditional film-processing method.
The Future of Hawai‘i’s Last Sugar Mill
Pu‘unēnē Mill on Maui was bought by Nan Inc., though much of it may be demolished.
Art + Flea: Where Creativity Meets Community
O‘ahu’s original makers market offers original items from illustrators, clothes makers, woodworkers and others.
This Century-Old Company Keeps Rolling Out Its Iconic Crackers
But have you tried Diamond Bakery’s ube, liliko‘i and Kona coffee shortbread cookies?
AccesSurf Helps Everyone with Disabilities Enjoy the Ocean
AccesSurf’s Ann Yoshida, left, a training specialist and the only adaptive athlete inducted into the Hawaii Waterman Hall of Fame, and AccessSurf Executive Director Cara Short helped run the 2022 Hawai‘i Adaptive Surfi ng Championships in June. It was the…
My Job Is Sharpening Hawai‘i’s Saws, Scissors and Knives
From his Kalihi workshop, Dexter Freitas has sharpened blades for cooks, print shops, furniture makers and others since 1988.
My Job Is Helping People Destress Through Forest Bathing
A certified forest-therapy guide leads visitors and locals into the woods.
My Job Is Repairing Rare Stringed Instruments
Ki-Lin Reece is a luthier at KR Strings, where he restores family heirlooms and old Hawaiian instruments.
My Job Is Helping Grieving Families Through Their Loved One’s Final Days
Joseph Eppink is a death doula, a gift he discovered as a hospice volunteer during the AIDS crisis.
My Job Is Running a Successful Calligraphy and Bottle-Painting Business
Michelle Clemen left a nursing career for creative work, and assures the skeptical that “you can make a living from being an artist.”
My Job Is Figuring Out What’s Causing Dizziness and Vertigo
Shannon McCormick says hearing tests and hearing aids fittings are just part of her duties as a doctor of audiology.
In-Depth Reports
Hawai‘i’s Public Schools Are National Leaders in Academic Recovery. Can They Keep Up the Momentum?
Here’s how three Title I schools are making improvements, including expanded assessments, tutoring, and after-school and summer learning.
Seeking a Way Forward on Ceded Lands
The standoff at Maunakea helped spur a new effort at finding solutions after more than a century of mismanagement of the Hawaiian Kingdom’s ceded lands, often called Kingdom Lands.
Native Hawaiians Don’t Own Many Local Hotels. Here’s Why That May Change.
While the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and ali‘i trusts collect land rents from 18 hotels, some Hawaiian groups are aiming for ownership.
More Guns, More Gun Violence in Hawai‘i
Firearm registrations are up 280.5% since 2000, with gun deaths rising sharply as well. Should Hawai‘i be doing more to control firearms?
Navigating Hawai‘i’s Family-Leave Maze
Rules and policies can leave parents broke and jobless, or push them back to work long before they or their infants are ready. Can the system be fixed?
The Governor’s Choice: Hawai‘i’s Undemocratic Cycle of Influence and Power
The governor’s power to fill vacant seats in the state Legislature has been used at least 82 times. Some appointees then launched big political careers.
Special Advertising Section
Making Business Simple for Hawaiʻi since 1969
1969 In 1969, Bill Guss opened Labor Services Inc. to provide a flexible, on-demand workforce to O‘ahu warehouses, trucking companies, contractors, and naval shipyards. From his office across the street from Waikīkī Beach, he would raise a blue flag to…
The 2025 Guide To Hawai‘i’s Shipping, Air And Transportation
Shipping companies are start of operations at the new Kapalama Container Terminal beginning in the fall, slow revenue growth, probable rate hikes, and more sustainable shipping practices. Although the numbers fluctuate somewhat month…
Better Business Bureau: Trust Drives Growth
When customers trust your business, they choose you – and they keep coming back. For over a century, BBB has helped businesses build credibility and stand out with confidence. Hawai‘i’s most successful companies prove that earning customers’ trust is the key to lasting success.