Mayor’s Small Business Award Nominees Announced

Last year, Joe Rossi (Maui Babe, Inc.) won in the category of Exceptional Small Business (10 or fewer employees). Courtesy photo.

By Sonia Isotov

The Office of Economic Development and the Maui Chamber of Commerce announced nominees for the annual 2013 Mayor’s Small Business Awards.

All nominees will be honored and finalists announced at the Mayor’s Small Business Awards celebration to be held on Thursday, Feb. 21 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Waikapu Ballroom of the King Kamehamaha Golf Clubhouse.

Mayor Alan Arakawa will be giving out 6 awards this year: Three “Outstanding Business of the Year” awards, one for businesses with 0-10 employees, one for businesses with 11-25 employees, and one for businesses with 26-50 employees. An award will also be given for a “Non-Profit Business of the Year” with 50 or fewer employees, a “Young Business Person of the Year” award for business persons under 40 years of age, and a “Lifetime Achievement Award” for a business person with 20 or more years in business.

“Small business is the number one economic engine in Maui County, and this is an exceptional group of small businesses,” said Mayor Alan Arakawa, in a written statement.

“All of them are worthy of the awards. These businesses have weathered a severe recession and have stayed agile enough to still be successful. We owe a debt of gratitude to these and all small businesses in our county who have continued to provide jobs during a very difficult economic environment.”

Mayor Arakawa & Pamela Tumpap, president of the Maui Chamber of Commerce with 2012 winner of “Exceptional Small Business” (26-50 employees) award – Les Tomita & Mariah Brown of Da Kitchen.

The nominee are as follows:

Maui Land Broker & Property Management, Inc.
Kuhina Weddings and Blessings
The Old Wailuku Inn at Ulupono
S. Reeve Designs
Simpatico Ventures LLC dba Cilantro Mexican Grill
Hawaii Tasting Tours
TC Kokua, LLC
Maui Communicators Public Relations
Canoes Lanai Restaurant
Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice LLC
Blue Ginger Café
Kawahara + Company CPAs LLC
Skyline Eco-Adventures, LLC
Ronald A. Kawahara of Kawahara + Company CPAs LLC
James “Jim” Whitcomb of Haleakala Solar, Inc.
Lynn Shue of The Village Galleries Maui
The late Douglas Wayne “Butch” Akina & Sandra Akina of Akina Aloha Tours
Jennifer L. Brittin-Fulton of Exceptional Inc.
Giovanni Steven Cappelli of Casanova’s
Chuck Johnson of West Maui Sailing School, LLC
Dr. Kelly Harnick of West Maui Counseling Center
David “Boze” Kapoi of Pride Ink
Friends of the Children’s Justice Center of Maui
Habitat for Humanity Maui
Binhi At Ani Filipino Community Center
La`a Kea Foundation
Maui Friends of the Library
Maui United Way
Rotary Club of Lahaina/Maui Friends of the Library
Feed My Sheep

The award dinner sponsors include: the Bank of Hawaii, Central Pacific Bank, First Hawaiian Bank, and VIP Foodservice.

Tickets for the event are $60. Reservations can be made for the awards dinner by calling the Maui Chamber of Commerce at 244-0081 or sending an email to [email protected].