Fernandez Entertainment Has Brought Fun to Hawai‘i for 121 Years
SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Awards Hall of Fame: CEO Linda Fernandez oversees a large family enterprise founded by the “Barnum of the Pacific.”
Small Biz Editor’s Choice Awards
Noh Foods Blends the Flavors of Asia into Sauces and Seasoning Mixes
SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Awards Hall of Fame: Raymond Noh took over the small family business in 1983 and turned it into a global food brand.
GoLeanSixSigma Trains Teams Across the Globe to Quickly Improve Processes
2024 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: CEO and founder Karlo Tanjuakio operates his successful online training business from its Wai‘anae headquarters.
Kona Boys Leads Big Island Visitors on Ecotours on and in the Water
2024 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Co-CEOs Frank Carpenter and Brock Stratton are working to protect Kealakekua Bay’s natural and cultural treasures.
Still & Moving Center Focuses on Mindful Movement for All Ages
2024 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Renee Tillotson opened her Kaka‘ako studio after falling in love with Nia, a holistic fitness practice.
A-1 Auto Repair Wins Loyal Customers with Honesty and Reliability
2024 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Owner Bubba Smith, a former Navy aircraft-engine mechanic, works on everything from Hondas to Ferraris.
Enviroservices & Training Center Helps Clients Navigate Complex Environmental Rules
2024 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: From a two-person startup, founders Mike Yee and Gregory Perry built an environmental consulting firm with global reach.
East West Marketing Imports Filipino Food Products with the “Taste of Home”
2024 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Melody Calisay started selling dry foods from her car to support her doctoral studies. It’s now a $4 million business.
Simonpietri Enterprises Turns Demolition and Construction Waste into Energy
2024 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: President Joelle Simonpietri helps supply O‘ahu with renewable gas and jet fuel, with new ventures on the way.
Fly Shuttle & Tours Is Rapidly Growing, But the Owners Still Get Behind the Wheel
2024 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Brothers Tim and Thai Lai started with two vans and now oversee a giant fleet, tire sales, a repair shop and more to come.
535 Plumbing Offers High-Quality Repairs, with No Surprises
2024 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Founder Shane Mizusawa says service costs are “very transparent and upfront.” Some are even free.
Lights On Helps Independent Hotels Manage the Business Side of Hospitality
2024 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: CEO Will Song and President Patrick Ahler use revenue management and digital marketing to keep rooms filled.
Symbrosia Harvests Seaweed in an Innovative Strategy to Slow Climate Change
2024 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Founder Alexia Akbay says its nutritional supplement for livestock dramatically cuts their methane emissions.
The Best of Small Business in Hawaiʻi 2023
Profiles of 12 local companies that won our 2023 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Awards for their ingenuity, grit, service, perseverance or all of the above. Plus two inductees into the 2023 Hawai‘i Small Business Hall of Fame, each more than a century old.
Fujikami Florist Has 104 Years of Experience Expressing Emotions Through Flowers
SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Awards Hall of Fame: Eileen Miura continues a proud family legacy at Hawai‘i’s oldest florist in Downtown Honolulu.
Tip Top Motel, Café & Bakery Preserves a No-frills, Family Atmosphere on Kaua‘i
SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Awards Hall of Fame: Fourth-generation owner Jonathan Ota maintains the spirit of the original Līhu‘e breakfast spot started in 1916.
Aloha Revolution Turns a Small Online Store into a Major Shirt Brand
2023 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Owner Ed hopes to spread his aloha with unique designs and special fundraiser shirts.
Islander Sake Brewery Produces Traditional Sake with Some Local Flavors
2023 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Chiaki Takahashi and Tama Hirose operate Hawai‘i’s only licensed sake brewery and a new sushi restaurant.
Island Pet Movers Is Happy to Transport Your Aardvark
2023 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Owner Kari Mendoza’s company moves 5,000 pets a year, and sometimes more exotic creatures.
Keaau Filipino Food Store Offers Specialty Products and Freshly Made Desserts
2023 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Maria Tereza Gacula and Mitchell Gacula expand the small-town grocery started by their parents in Puna.
Creative Design Hawai‘i Thrives Making Branded Merch for Local and Mainland Companies
2023 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Owner Tiana Gamble wants to keep breaking down “the barriers of expectations.”
Missing Home, the Chefs of Istanbul Hawaii Recreate the Flavors of Turkey
2023 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Mother and daughter team Nilgun Yildirim and Ahu Hettema source local ingredients at their Kaka‘ako restaurant.
Waltz Engineering Finds Its Niche in Industrial Laundry Equipment and Boiler Plants
2023 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Owners Dick and Lorinda Waltz serve Hawai‘i, Pacific islands and U.S. Navy bases around the world.
Wasabi Tours Hawaii Introduces Visitors to the Big Island’s Natural Beauty
2023 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: This top-ranked company focuses on small-group tours and low-impact experiences, says co-founder Jay Geng.