When Todd Yamanaka joined Island Insurance 11 years ago, the company’s website,www.islandinsurance.com, was essentially a tool that shared basic information about the company’s products. That was it. Needless to say, the site didn’t rank at the top in search results,…
First Place: Baldridge & Associates Structural Engineering Inc. OVERALL WINNER - THE FOOSBALL HIJACKING Victim: STEVE BALDRIDGE, president, BASE Pranksters: BASE EMPLOYEES BASE employees wanted a foosball table, so when president Steve Baldridge was gone on a business trip, they bought a used table.…
Joe Perez has one of the toughest jobs in Hawaii, and finds his release in kickboxing. “There’s something about hitting that bag after a tough day,” says Perez, executive director of the Hawaii Meth Project. “I hear such emotional and…
Hawaii Business magazine’s mission is to cover big issues affecting our Islands’ economy and businesses in a way that is useful and accessible to readers. Although our main vehicle is a print magazine, we understand the importance of reaching and…
On weekends, Jeffrey Shonka likes to rip along the south shore of Oahu in his 20-foot Seaswirl speedboat. “Fifty-six [mph] is the fastest I’ve had it up to,” says Shonka, CFO of First Insurance Co. “At that point, my wife,…
Sexton has been with Xerox for more than 30 years, guiding the Hawaii branch through dramatic changes in business and technology, and one of the greatest tragedies in Hawaii history: the mass murder at the Xerox warehouse in 1999. We talk with Sexton…
Bruce Johnson CEO, Fresh Island Fish Co. and Uncle’s Fish Market and Grill Johnson always loved fishing, but, as a young entrepreneur, he worked multiple jobs to make ends meet. Today, he owns a wholesale fish company and a seafood…
While leading friends down 18,500-foot Mount Elbrus in Russia several years ago, Djuan Rivers slipped from a snowy ledge and plunged 300 feet down a steep embankment. He stopped his fall by stabbing his ice axe into the snow, avoiding…
“Past is prologue.” – William Shakespeare Darrell Hamamura punches his code into a keypad, pulls open the door to the vault and steps back into the past. As the land information systems manager for Kamehameha Schools, he tracks the endowment’s…
Just when you thought you had perfected your company’s website, many consumers are turning to mobile apps for information, interaction and convenience. Brian Dote, the founder of Tapiki, a mobile-app development firm, provides these tips to help create an app…
Problem: “Where did those shots come from?” Even on today’s high-tech battlefield, it’s often hard to tell. That’s why Honolulu-based Oceanit developed FLASH – Fast as Light Assessment of Snipers and Hostile Fire – which uses infrared sensors and high-speed processors.…
Snap roll. Hammer head. Cuban eight. The aerobatic maneuvers that pilot Bruce Clements teases from his vintage biplanes may sound gut wrenching, but this is one of the most pleasant thrill rides you’ll find. “You’re sitting in the open and…
“Without Bill Evans there would have been no Keith Jarrett, and Keith Jarrett is god,” says Maggie Herron. Well, then, without Keith Jarrett, there would be no Maggie Herron, the Big Island’s jazz goddess. Herron’s newest CD is “In the…
Teri Orton caught the triathlon “bug” about 15 years ago. Today, she’s accomplished something that few athletes around the world have: She is an Ironman. Orton, VP of condominium resort marketing for Outrigger Enterprises Group, completed the Ironman Canada on…
“Social media is a marathon, not a sprint. You just have to start,” says Toby Tamaye (@atmarketing), president of AT Marketing. He outlines five social media platforms that can help you connect better with your customers. On Facebook, provide content that…
Problem: Piracy costs the U.S. movie industry more than $20 billion annually, according to industry experts, who say illegal downloads and bootleg copies prevent many independent filmmakers from turning their passion into a livelihood. Solution: EggUp.com is a platform created in Hawaii…
When Bob Armstrong moved into his Nuuanu home 20 years ago, he couldn’t tell if there were fish hidden in the muddy water of his backyard pond. He didn’t know it then, but, along with the pond, the CEO of…
Darrin Yakabu-Muramoto and Joie Yuen like their pork rinds, but wanted more than just plain or spicy flavors. They also didn’t like the Mainland varieties, which grew stale by the time they arrived in the Islands, so the two started…
The dog you choose as your best friend can make a big difference on your wallet. One of the most expensive pure breeds is the English bulldog, which can cost $4,000, according to the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association. Bulldogs are…
Years ago, Dave Flintstone worked as a scuba instructor in the Caribbean where “I gathered an appreciation for rum.” He also did his homework and learned how to make sugar cane-based spirits from local distilleries, planning that, one day, he…
Each person’s road to success is unique, but these four women shared similar challenges and goals. Each explains that success has never been about money or power, but about personal goals and helping communities. • Attorney Crystal Rose, chair of Central…
Our scribe explains the practical pros and cons of cloud computing, while our artiste tells the same tale as an epic quest for the holy grail of computer nirvana Arnold Domingo, operations manager of HawaiiPrint, a graphics and textile…
I work and live in the modern world but know that I need to spend more time in a different place. Please don’t misunderstand me. I love the connected universe and I thrive in it. I’m in the information business,…
You can see from his face that Miles Hashimoto loves working, whether it's assembling mobile-phone kits or shredding documents. Both jobs are at Goodwill Industries, and Hashimoto is no ordinary worker. Like an estimated 1.8 percent of Hawaii's population – about 24,500…