The Scott name has long been associated with footwear. “I went online and found out my ancestor, Pembroke Scott, worked in a shoe factory in the 1800s in Massachusetts,” says Steve Scott, CEO and owner of Scott Hawaii. “My grandfather,…
"What I find interesting is the change in laptops and devices I’ve seen people use at the airports since about 2006,” observes Phil Markowski, CEO and co-owner of the five Mac Made Easy computer sales and repair shops spread across…
When General Motors wanted to learn what car models would sell in the Chinese market, they turned to the Honolulu-based OmniTrak Group to get inside consumers' minds. The insight OmniTrak provided, dubbed "The Goldilocks Strategy," helped the North American automaker…
Ever wonder what customers really think of your business, and what sort of service they receive when you’re not around? Mystery shopping firm Insight Twenty20 can tell you. “Michelle Chun and her team understand the hospitality industry and what keeps…
The Montgomery family has been in the motorcycle sales and repair business for more than 70 years. “It all started in the living room of my grandparents’ house in Pearl Harbor housing, back in 1945,” says Ross Montgomery, VP of…
Cindy MacFarlane-Flores loooves the outdoors. “When I was an elementary school teacher at Epiphany Episcopal School (now merged with Mid-Pacific Institute) in the 2000s, they called me ‘Miss Nature,’ ” the owner of Field Trip Friends says with a laugh,…
Ross’ Appliances & Furniture was founded in 1975 by Ross Wigney, an Australian who served as an electrician’s mate aboard Jacques Cousteau’s ship Calypso. “He met a girl on the Mainland, and when the Calypso pulled out of port, Ross…
Many people think of flowers during February because of Valentine’s Day, but Francis Wong, owner of Jenny’s Leis & Flowers, says his busy season actually occurs a few months later. “April through August are very busy for us,” explains the…
When Max Tsai and Matt Cooley were college roommates at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo in the ‘90s, both were “unimpressed” with the customer call center service they received from companies. “Whether you have to call your utility company or cell…
When chef Cary Peterson opened his Kohala Burger & Taco eatery on Hawaii Island in 2010, all the money he had – $80 – was in the register to make change for customers. “I had exhausted every resource available to me,…
Richmond “Rich” Chang always wanted to own a business. “I was a finance major at UH and, when I graduated in 2000, I didn’t know what sort of business I wanted, but I knew I wanted to buy one,” remembers…
The drapery shop is on Beretania Street, across the street from where the original store opened in 1947. Mel Wong has been working for his family’s drapery business since he was in high school in 1969. “I was working at…
It’s like a sickness. It’s very addictive,” says Sandra Kamiyama, giggling as she describes her frequent shopping visits to Mahiku Activewear in Haleiwa. “Their clothes are so comfortable, it’s like they’re made just for my body shape! I can wear…
Ex-Marine captain’s company, Keawe Adventures, struggled for four years until a concierge at the Halekulani gave him a chance. Now his business employs 12 people and focuses on small tours with six or seven visitors at a time. Makani Christensen…
When Billy Ng told his former boss at Island Sign Service Inc. that he and his brother, Min, wanted to eventually buy the business, his boss didn’t think the two would succeed. “Imagine, we were two immigrant boys from Cambodia…
If you coach a local sports team that needs uniforms or run a business that uses logo wear, you probably know about Kenjo Inc. in Kalihi. For 28 years, Sidney Lynch has been the quiet, steady force behind Hawaii’s second-oldest…
For frugal folks, riding a motorcycle or moped is the way to go, says Glenn Koishigawa. “People’s jaws drop when I tell them they can get up to 60 miles to a gallon on a moped,” says Koishigawa, owner of…
It took five years – from test pot to harvest – for a new variety of local Christmas trees to be available this holiday season from Helemano Farms. The Leyland Cyprus, a popular tree usually grown in the U.S. South,…
When Jim Moffat moved his career as a chef and restaurateur from the Bay Area to the North Shore of Kauai, he already knew “sustainability” and “eating local” weren’t just catch phrases, but time-tested concepts he’d seen practiced in Mediterranean…