May 20, 2014 | Small Business
Facebook’s Small Business Boost is coming to Maui! with special guest speaker, Senator Brian Schatz
Through a special partnership with local business organizations, the Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) and Facebook invite you to join experts from Facebook’s Small Business Team as they share best practices, success stories, and strategies for how to grow, manage, and understand your small business identity on Facebook. There are over one billion people on Facebook. Learn how to reach the right audience for your business and turn them into loyal customers.
Location: The King Kamehameha Golf Club (Waikapu Ballroom, 2500 Honoapiilani Hwy) in Wailuku.
Date: Sunday, May 25th.
Time: 4:00 Checkin & Networking 4:30 – 6:00pm Presentation
This is a FREE event!
Register for the event
Mar 12, 2014 | Small Business
At Betsill Brothers Construction Inc., business is more than building affordable homes and buildings. It’s about building relationships, a value inspired by the family patriarch, Doyle Betsill Sr. “We provide excellent service to our customers and our dad, who was a builder, taught us to build a better product for less than our competition,” said Dwayne Betsill, the company president and a board member of the Maui Economic Development Board. “We treat everyone with honor, regardless of their status and always respond to others the way we desire for them to respond to us. In our daily operations we choose to be fair and build a quality product for our customers.”
Betsill Brothers began in the 1970s, with Doyle Betsill Sr., who taught his four sons a work ethic and foundation in the construction industry. The sons – Doyle Jr., Dwayne, Steve and Randy together founded Betsill Brothers on Kauai in 1993 to help repair the destruction from Hurricane Iniki. They moved to Maui a year later and started building 42 homes in Waiehu Terrace. Dwayne operates the company now. Steve died in 2002; Doyle Jr. has retired and Randy moved to Texas about nine years ago. The family business mission remains: To provide affordable housing in the islands. Betsill Brothers does a myriad of construction projects from residential homes to condominiums, commercial buildings and large remodeling jobs. The firm has had as many as 153 employees, many of whom are now subcontractors and vendors who partner on a variety of projects.
Betsill Brothers cut back staff to seven employees in 2007 to deal with an economic crash. Betsill said his company’s role in the economy is to provide jobs, especially through subcontractors. “We have built relationships and made good friends over the last 20 years, and that is our greatest success,” he said. Betsill supports MEDB‘s Ke Alahele Education program because: “I want to see our kids receive their education and return to the island and use their STEM education to improve our island.” The company also supports New Hope Maui, which mentors Maui students, and Feed My Sheep, a feeding program for needy residents. “Life is too short not to give back.”
Feb 19, 2014 | Small Business, Sustainability
On Wednesday, February 26, 2014, Maui Food Technology Center will hold their 1st Annual Supply and Service Expo at the Hannibal Tavares Community Center in Pukalani from 10 am to 3 pm.
This is the perfect opportunity for new or existing food producers wanting assistance with the many challenges of developing a product and getting it into the marketplace, entrepreneurs planning to expand their network opportunities and resources, and consumers interested in attending the tradeshow and hearing the latest from experts in the food manufacturing, distribution and hospitality industries.
A tradeshow comprised of national, state and local service providers will feature manufacturers and distributors of food, ingredients, equipment and packaging supplies; dealers, brokers and traders; business services and educational groups that work with the food and hospitality industries. Entrepreneurs and existing businesses will also have an opportunity to network with brand identity and marketing industry professionals.
Specialized presentations will be held throughout the event. Featured speakers include
- Dr. Aurora Saulo, Professor and Extension Specialist in Food Technology with the University of Hawaii Maui College on “Food Safety Certified: What Does That Mean?”
- Marc McDowell, Executive Chef of Makena Resort on “Developing Local Products From Start To Finish”
- Marty Parisien, Co-Owner/CEO at Singing Dog Vanilla on “Social Media Zen”
- Mike Abrams, President of Flavor Waves, on “Get Out There, Make Friends, and Help People.”
Door prizes will be drawn throughout the event, must be present to win. Attendees are also eligible to win a 32 GB i-Pad Mini, need not be present to win. The first 100 people will receive a free Expo tote. Public admission is free.
Major event sponsors include: County of Maui Office of Economic Development, Fred Baldwin Memorial Fund, and Tri-Isle Resource Conservation and Development.
For more information on becoming an exhibitor and/or attending the Supply and Service Expo, visit MauiFoodTechnology.org or call 888-948-6382.
Jan 29, 2014 | Environment, Events, Small Business
DougMcLeod, County of Maui Energy Commissioner
What will future consumers want and expect from their utility? That is just one question Hawaii leaders and others across the country are expected to tackle at the upcoming conference: “Electric Utilities: The Future Is Not What It Used To Be.” The event scheduled for March 26-28 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center comes at a time when Hawaii is experiencing an unprecedented wave of growth in solar and wind generation. The gathering will provide a forum for open and frank discussions about the rapidly changing energy landscape and its implications for power utilities, policymakers and consumers.
The County of Maui and the Maui Economic Development Board are presenting the conference with the support of numerous partners. County of Maui Energy Commissioner Doug McLeod asks: “The traditional investor-owned utility model has worked in the past, but will it be the right model for tomorrow’s electric utility?” McLeod said he hopes the conference will bring new faces and ideas to Hawaii from Japan and the Mainland. MEDB President and CEO Jeanne Skog said she and her agency are pleased to partner in the event. “As Maui County continues to move aggressively toward clean energy goals, this dialogue will contribute to creating a new template for how utilities will best serve our residents,” Skog said.
McLeod said open and frank discussions are important to understanding the impact renewable energy alternatives are having on electricity usage and electric rates. Conference organizers have confirmed keynote presentations from Hunter Lovins, president of Natural Capitalism Solutions, and Ron Binz, former chief of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. The conference also expects to spur discussions on other questions, including: what are the key drivers shifting today’s energy paradigm; how can states achieve a mix of clean energy to satisfy all stakeholders; and what are the key elements of a 21st century energy utility business model.
To learn more, go to www.hightechmaui.com/energyconference.
Nov 6, 2013 | Small Business
Federal government representatives recently visited the islands to provide Maui entrepreneurs an opportunity to obtain funding for new technology and innovative projects. About 40 people attended the Hawaii Small Business Innovation Research Conference coordinated by Maui Economic Development Board. “It’s not often that federal agencies come to Maui,” said MEDB Business Development Director Mark Todd. He said the conference was a chance for “someone with a great idea to get federal funding and turn it into a reality.”
Businesses like Oceanit and Pacific Biodiesel have received SBIR funding in the past, and Carl Hebron of the U.S. Department of Energy said “chances are good” for more Hawaii companies to get federal support. “Renewable energy is a growing field we’re trying to expand,” Hebron said. He urged conference participants to start the application process as early as possible and to ensure that the correct paperwork is filed. Amongst the top five mistakes applicants make in applying for federal funding is failing to comply with word and page limits and failing to submit a commercialization plan. “If that’s not done, we won’t be able to process your application,” Hebron said.
The Small Business Innovation Research and the Small Business Technology Transfer Research projects awarded as much as $2.4 billion to entrepreneurs nationwide in fiscal year 2012. Aside from the Department of Energy, 10 other federal agencies participate including the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Navy. Hebron said 25 percent of the applicants for renewable energy projects in last fiscal year were first-time applicants; more than 40 percent received federal funding. “I think that speaks for itself,” Hebron said. “SBIR has proven to be one of the most successful federal programs for technological advancements in U.S. history,” Todd said. “It has delivered more than 60 patents and hundreds of valuable innovations in agriculture, defense, energy, health science, homeland security, space, transportation and other fields.”
Sep 11, 2013 | Environment, Events, Small Business
Physical scientist Stacie Williams thrives on learning the latest developments in her field at the annual Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance (AMOS) Technologies Conference presented by Maui Economic Development Board. She especially enjoys a conference feature that offers a day of hands-on science activities for youngsters. “Their engagement is our motivation,” said Williams, a program manager who oversees educational outreach projects for the Air Force Research Laboratory. The lab is actively participating in this week’s AMOS conference at the Wailea Beach Marriott. An international assembly of space situational awareness experts has gathered for events that provide technical interchange on a variety of space-related technologies. In addition to technical sessions, participants are attending a special Space Policy Forum to hear current issues and trends in national and international policies that have impacts on their work.
For Williams, one of the highlights of the conference is welcoming hundreds of Maui youngsters to the conference venue. The students are given an opportunity to learn about space situational awareness topics by engaging in varied activities from viewing celestial bodies through a telescope to maneuvering hand-held spectrometers to determine characteristics of objects in space. The Air Force Research Laboratory’s partners with MEDB in association with the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy, the Maui High Performance Center, Pacific Defense Solutions, and the Boeing Company for the student day activities. “Every year our student activities get more complex and more engaging,” said Williams, who has helped to coordinate the activities for the last four years. “Everybody has embraced this and I think we just get better every year.”
Williams said she’s received overwhelming, positive feedback from scientists and other space situational awareness experts about including students at AMOS. “Bringing in the youth education element provides a wonderful synergy, a rare opportunity that more technical conferences should exploit since we are losing leadership in scientists and engineers to the rest of the world,” a senior project engineer wrote. Williams hopes that the student activities will inspire some of them to consider a career in science and technology. “We really need to get more young people interested.”
Mar 27, 2013 | Community, Small Business
Chad Goodfellow
Whether it’s building communities or battling fires, Goodfellow Bros has maintained an ongoing commitment to social responsibility, according to President Chad Goodfellow. “Our mission is to be the contractor of choice by our clients, employees and the communities in which we live and work,” he said. You’ve likely seen Goodfellow Bros trucks and equipment working on any given day throughout the Hawaiian islands. The 90-year-old company takes charge of projects valued in hundreds of thousands of dollars, most recently constructing a portion of the Lahaina bypass and erecting buildings in the Kahului business park.
Employees work hard to help improve their community, volunteering in a variety of projects. Amongst the most memorable for Maui Regional Manager Ray Skelton, a 24-year company veteran, is his crews’ willingness to support local firefighters battling nearly inaccessible brush fires in South Maui. Goodfellow Bros has on many occasions provided bulldozers and trucks and the manpower to operate them. “If we are really to be corporate citizens who want to help out, we need to respond and work for our community,” Skelton said. At the fires, Goodfellow Bros follows the lead of the Maui Fire Department as they battle blazes. “We work with them at their direction. This is our opportunity to give back,” he said.
Aside from responding to fires, Goodfellow Bros employees have actively participated in local fundraising campaigns, volunteered at schools, served in nonprofit causes and coached in youth sports. Skelton remembers providing labor to build a playground at Kalama Park in Kihei and picking up trash and abandoned vehicles in a Community Work Day project. Goodfellow adds: “By partnering with vital nonprofit organizations, we actively enhance the communities for which we live and work. Inherent to our culture is a sense of pride in making a difference, and we encourage employees to get involved in the causes that touch their own lives.”
Mar 13, 2013 | Small Business
Patricia Boulet
An internship in the Maui Smart Grid project energized three people to launch businesses aimed at helping Hawaii reach its clean energy goals. They are Patricia Boulet, Green Energy Consulting; Stamati Stamatiou, Mati Consulting; and Austin Van Heusen, Van Heusen Energy Consulting. Each of them had been enrolled in the Sustainable Living Institute of Maui program through the University of Hawaii Maui College. And each has a goal to help both residential and commercial clients become more energy efficient.
“Energy efficiency is often overlooked but it is one of the most cost effective ways to reduce your electric bill,” Boulet said. “Getting an energy audit is the first step in understanding your energy use and how to lower your electric bill without reducing the quality of your life.” A certified home energy auditor, Stamatiou said every home audit in the Smart Grid project resulted in finding opportunities for energy savings, many at low or no cost to homeowners. Van Heusen, who now interns at Green Building LLC, said his energy consulting business assesses energy usage and then makes recommendations for energy efficiency upgrades.
Stamati Stamatiou
Stamatiou said he formed Mati Consulting nearly two years ago with a desire to apply the energy efficiency principles and green building concepts he studied in school. “My goal is to be a part of the solution to the issues facing our island and our planet, specifically through promoting the implementation of energy efficiency measures,” Stamatiou said. Boulet said she believes a successful business will mean following her passion — promoting green technology and energy efficiency, and following through — “Making sure that these recommendations make sense to my clients both logically and to their wallets.” Van Heusen said he would like to help build a green work force that is beneficial to both Maui’s economy and environment.
May 2, 2012 | Small Business
Ameritone Maui President, Ruth Nakasone, and daughter, Joni McGinnis, Sales Representative
Before the late Bob Nakasone got his start in politics, winning seats on the Maui County Council and State House of Representatives, he took a risk. Nakasone and his wife, Ruth, used their new family home in 1973 as collateral for a loan to purchase the hardware division of MDG Supply Inc., where Bob worked as store manager. Take that risk, add a lot of hard work and Ameritone Maui has thrived as a small business with mom and pop roots and with pride as the neighborhood paint store.
“At Ameritone Maui, we don’t just sell you a gallon of paint, we become a part of your home, your family and your community,” said owner Ruth Nakasone. She has seen the ebb and flow of the Maui economy in her nearly 40 years of business. “Though change is inevitable for any business to remain viable, it does not mean we have to change our philosophy,” she said. At the core, Ameritone Maui believes it’s important to take care of its employees and treat them like family. Ruth’s two sons, Byon and Vance; her daughter, Joni McGinnis; and granddaughter, Joy Moleta, are all employed in the family store. Long-time employees include Eric Kuniyoshi, Farley Duldulao, Ernest Pascua and Ed Acidera, also help to staff the two stores — one in Kahului, the other in Lahaina.
McGinnis, who serves as a sales representative, said Ameritone Maui has built its success on treating every customer as an individual. “It doesn’t matter how large or small the paint project is, every job has its challenge and reward,” she said. “We take the time to find out what you’re doing before handing you that gallon of paint.” The business’s individual customer service is exemplified by its practice of keeping records of its customers’ paint purchases and colors. Ameritone Maui also has earned a reputation as being the best color matcher on the island. “Our guys have matched nearly everything from red dirt to that certain green in a leaf,” she said. “So, if you have a difficult color to match we’ll give it a try.”
