Hawaii Business Magazine April 2011 - Hawaii Business Magazine

Pau Hana with Denny Watts

“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…

Monster Musubi

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,…

What it's worth?

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…

Tattoo Legend

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…

Ask SmallBiz: Paying for a PV System

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…

Advanced Training for Small-Business Leaders

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…

Bill Chee CEO of Prudential Locations

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…

Plant Energizer Born on Maui

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…

Mobile Medical Records

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.…

Company on the Line? Bet on Terry O’Toole

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…

Obama’s Kailua Stimulus Program

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…

Coaching was a Solid Foundation for Salesperson of the Year

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…

5 steps to marketing in Japan

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…

Launching a Business Group

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…

Owned and Operated by Our Employees

Don 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…

SBA Award Winners 2011

These are the 2011 winners of the Small Business Administration Awards in Hawaiʻi.

Parting Shot: Meadow Gold Dairies

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…

Editor's Note: Best Places to Work draws positive attention

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…

Talk Story with Peter Ho

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…

Timeshare in Hawaii: Build it and They Will Come

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…

Hawaii’s Coolest Office Winners

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…

Hawaii Business Magazine - April 2011