Maui Has 2,000+ Pacific Islander-Owned Firms, Census

By Sonia Isotov

Maui County was home to 2,111 businesses owned by Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders in 2007, according to new findings released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Conducted every five years, the Survey of Business Owners: Native Hawaiian- and Other Pacific Islander-Owned Businesses provides detailed information on business ownership, including the number of firms, sales and receipts, number of paid employees, and annual payroll.

According to the 2007 Survey, Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders residing in Hawaii owned 11,383 businesses, or 30.0 percent of the national total of 37,957 Native Hawaiian- and Other Pacific Islander-owned firms. Just behind Hawaii was California with 9,255 firms.

Honolulu County had 6,721 Native Hawaiian- and Other Pacific Islander-owned firms; Hawaii County, 1,722 firms; and Kauai County had 850 firms.

Nationally, the number of Native Hawaiian- and Other Pacific Islander-owned firms increased 31.1 percent between 2002 and 2007. In Hawaii, the increase was 36.2 percent for Native Hawaiian- and Other Pacific Islander-owned firms between 2002 and 2007.

It may be interesting to note that comparatively, the increase in the number of all U.S. firms between 2002 and 2007 was 17.9 percent; in Hawaii, the overall increase in the number of all firms was 21.3 percent.

Also, note that nationally the percent increase for Native Hawaiian- and Other Pacific Islander-owned firms exceeded that for all firms (31.1 percent versus 17.9 percent).

In 2007, businesses owned by Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders generated $6.5 billion in receipts, 51.6 percent more than in 2002. In Hawaii, these firms generated $2.4 billion in receipts, 65.6 percent more than in 2002 (not statistically different from the national percentage).

The Survey of Business Owners defines Native Hawaiian- and Other Pacific Islander-owned businesses as firms in which Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders own 51 percent or more of the equity, interest or stock of the business.

The survey can be accessed at: http://www.census.gov/econ/sbo/ .