Hawaii Business Magazine - November 2012

World-Class designs from acme studio

If you are a connoisseur of unique and well-designed pens, you’ve probably heard of ACME Studio. But you may not know that the company’s factory and headquarters have been on Maui since 1988. ACME Studio was founded in 1985 in…

Olson works to create a legacy

With the wealth he amassed during a successful business career, Edmund C. Olson could afford to treat the rest of his life like a vacation. Instead, the 81-year-old Hilo resident continues adding to his significant Hawaii Island land holdings and…

Hostess of south kona turns 105

83 years after opening her business, Mary Shizuko Teshima still loves company. Mary Shizuko Teshima probably holds the Hawaii record for business longevity: 83 years after opening on her property in Honalo, she still lives behind the family restaurant and…

My Job: Archaeologist

Name: Windy Keala McElroy Job: Archaeologist Years of experience: More than 10   STARTING OUT: When Windy Keala McElroy enrolled at Windward Community College, she quickly discovered a passion for anthropology, and went on to get bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate…

From Mars to the Streets of Honolulu

Sam O. Hirota Inc. has a high-tech answer to Oahu’s pothole problems. The local company has contracted with the city of Honolulu to create 3D images of thousands of miles of city streets using technology derived from NASA’s Mars Rover.…

Pet Burials

We love them like family when they’re alive, so why not treat them the same way in death? A cemetery burial for your pet at Valley of the Temples in Kaneohe gives you a way to recognize that affection. Pet…

Pau Hana With Bill Riddle

Bill Riddle doesn’t sleep much. That’s how the president and CEO of Visitor Video Hawaii, which produces in-room videos for more than 30,000 hotel rooms across the state, is able to write a book, make wooden ship models, invent a…

Calming and fragrant

Waikiki chef James Aptakin has taken an enticing, sweet fragrance commonly used in perfumes and added it to flan, shortbread cookies, savory cornbread, mojitos and pineapple cobbler. The secret ingredient: sugar infused with oil from vetiver, a grass grown in…

Ask SmallBiz: Expansion

Q: I have a successful company and am thinking of expanding to another island. What should I consider before taking the leap? A: The desire to grow is imbedded in the DNA of most business owners. Of course, any kind of expansion…

Ecotourism on Hawaii Island

Rob Pacheco walks up to what looks like an immense empty bathtub amid a desolate volcanic landscape dotted by ohia lehua and pukeawe trees. “This is my favorite place,” he says, pointing to the ancient Kaupulehu Crater, which descends hundreds…

Parting Shot: Kamehameha Schools

  11:37 am, Thursday Warehouse in Kakaako Photographer: David Croxford >> Nuulani Atkins works on Kamehameha Schools ahupuaa-themed float, “Kuu Home, Kulaiwi Aloha.” Atkins’ father helped design the float, which was presented at the 66th Annual Aloha Festivals Floral Parade on Sept. 22. The…

Innovation: iRun Earphones

Three Styles: iRun Performance is a short-wired earphone for iPod Shuffle users who wear hats or shirts while they train. iRun Advantage is for those who strap smart phones to their arms or attach iPods to their sports bras. iRun…

Hawaii's Public Schools Leave Best and Brightest Behind

The grand ambition of the No Child Left Behind law was proudly contained in its name: Everyone deserves a chance to succeed. That meant teachers, principals, school administrators and taxpayers should give every child – rich, poor or in-between –…

A Computer For Every Student

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ANDREW J. CATANZARITI Peek into Lorelei Saito’s seventh-grade social studies class at Punahou’s Case Middle School and you’ll see students sitting in front of personal laptops, completing multimedia projects to share with students in a classroom halfway around…

Startup Weekend Honolulu condenses entrepreneurship into 54 hours

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GREG YAMAMOTO Startup Weekend Honolulu condenses entrepreneurship into a fast-paced weekend of networking, programming, design and business development. Red Bull is optional.   Four weeks after being laid off, 27-year-old Bryan Butteling stands before a crowd of entrepreneurs, software developers, designers…

Hawaiʻi's Most Charitable Companies 2012

You might think that compiling a list of the most charitable companies in Hawaiʻi would be straightforward. After all, you just have to ask: How much money does your company and its employees donate to charity? But, it isn’t that simple.

5 Ways Companies Support Charities

Hawaiʻi's corporate foundations bring some stability to local giving. But foundations aren’t the only way for big corporations to give. And many companies supplement their cash giving with donations of time, resources and services.