Nominees Announced for 2016 Mayor’s Small Business Awards

Small Business Awards group shot of all winners 2015.

The Maui County Office of Economic Development and the Maui Chamber of Commerce today announced the nominees for the upcoming 2016 Mayor’s Small Business Awards.

The nominees include the following:

• Angela Leone
• B.B. Trucking & Storage, Inc.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui, Inc.
• Castaway Construction & Restoration
• Coconut Condos
• Danielle Miller
• Family Life Center, Inc.
• Friends of the Children’s Justice Center of Maui, Inc.
• Hui No Ke Ola Pono, Inc.
• Hui No‘eau Visual Arts Center
• Imua Family Services
• John and Megan Franks
• Jonathan Miller
• Joshua Porter
• Ka Lima O Maui, Ltd.
• Kealopiko
• Kenneth Enriques
• Kupu A‘e Molokai, LLC
• Lifestyle, Inc. dba Lifestyle Maui
• Loren R. Osborn
• Lorrie Betsill
• Management Consultants Hawaiʻi
• Maui Printing Company, Inc.
• Maui’s Angels Destination Weddings and Events
• Maui Arbor Scape
• Maui Computer Care, Inc.
• Maui Land Broker and Property Management, Inc.
• Maui Oma Coffee Roasting Co., Inc.
• Michael and Cheryl Rock
• Mid Pacific Pest Control Inc.
• Pacific Asphalt & Maintenance, Inc.
• Poi by the Pound
• Rick and Kim Herrera
• Skullbase
• Three’s Catering LLC, dba Three’s Bar & Grill
• Wet Geckos LLC, dba Urgent Care Wailea Mākena

The Mayor’s Small Business Awards recognize outstanding businesses in the community that have 100 or fewer employees and have had a Hawaiʻi General Excise Tax license for no less than two years.

Other criteria include demonstrating business leadership in a changing economic environment, creating a quality work environment for their employees, exhibiting the aloha spirit and exemplary customer service, developing partnerships with other sectors of the community, and demonstrating other exceptional qualities or traits.

This year’s event includes the following six award categories:

• Exceptional Small Business of the Year (10 or fewer employees)
• Exceptional Small Business of the Year (11 to 35 employees)
• Exceptional Small Business of the Year (36 to 100 employees)
• Outstanding Non-Profit Business (100 or fewer employees)
• Young Small Business Person of the Year (under age 40 as of March 1, 2016)
• Lifetime Achievement Award (for any individual doing business in Maui County for more than 20 years; no limit on number of employees)

All nominees and winners will be honored at an awards dinner on Tuesday, March 1, 2016, at the Waikapū Ballroom of the King Kamehameha Golf Club.

Tickets are available to the public at $65 and can be purchased by calling the Maui Chamber of Commerce at (808) 244-0081 on or before Monday, Feb. 22. After this deadline, the price of tickets increases to $70.

“Small businesses are the true job generators in our community, and they risk a great deal to open their doors, create jobs, grow and stimulate our economy,” said Mayor Alan Arakawa. “Maui County is fortunate to have many successful small businesses that are known for their entrepreneurial spirit, innovation and ingenuity. I look forward to honoring them through these awards and to sharing their resilience and resourcefulness with others as shining examples of the strength of our community.”

Chamber President Pamela Tumpap praised Maui’s small businesses as being at “the heart of our community.”  She said, “They have gone through a lot these past few years to still be standing,” she noted. “We look forward to giving them well-deserved credit and honoring their tremendous accomplishments and investment in our community with Mayor Arakawa and his team.”