McDonald’s of Maui Owner Earns Lifetime Achievement Award

Winners of the 2018 Mayor’s Small Business Awards were announced during a dinner reception on March 9th at the King Kamehameha Golf Club.

(from L to R) Teena Rasmussen, Office of Economic Development Director; Deidre Tegarden, Nisei Veterans Memorial Center; Mark Redeker, Mid-Pacific Pest Control, Inc.; Pamela Tumpap, Maui Chamber of Commerce President; Erlinda Rosario, McDonald’s of Maui, Hawaiʻi; Kimo Clark, Truth Excavation; John Edellstein, Positive Apparel, Inc.; Mayor Alan Arakawa

The awards dinner was hosted by the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development and the Maui Chamber of Commerce.

Awards were presented in five categories by Mayor Alan Arakawa and Pamela Tumpap, President of the Maui Chamber of Commerce.

The 2018 winners include the following:

Erlinda Rosario – McDonald’s of Maui, Hawaii (Lifetime Achievement Award)

Like many successful business people, Erlinda came from humble beginnings as her family immigrated to Hawaiʻi from the Philippines in the 60s. In 1970, Erlinda first started working at McDonald’s in Kalihi while also being employed at the Dole Pineapple Cannery.

Over the next 20 years, Erlinda learned all the aspects of the McDonald’s franchise. However, as an immigrant and a woman, she was afraid her dream to own her own McDonald’s would never be realized. Despite the negative feedback she received, Erlinda was determined to own her own business. In April, 1990, her dream came true as she was given the opportunity to purchase the Pukalani location of McDonald’s. Twenty-eight years, six Mcdonald’s franchises and 300 employees later, Erlinda still believes in a hands-on approach. She personally trains her staff and gets to know each one as she helps them realize their own dreams. Erlinda also offers financial support, as well as her time, to numerous Maui causes including Maui Adult Day Care Center, Hospice Maui, and the Pacific Cancer Foundation.

Positive Apparel, LLC – John Edellstein (Exceptional Small Business, 10 and fewer employees)

By reinvesting in technology, John of Positive Apparel has diligently worked to change the landscape of t-shirt printing on Maui by offering printing capabilities that cater to both large and small businesses. In addition to assisting smaller companies save money, he also offers eco-friendly, sustainable t-shirts that are made from organically farmed Beech trees and plastic water bottles. In addition, he uses eco-friendly chemicals and non-toxic inks in production. John leads by example, making ethical choices and is currently working with HTDC to conduct a feasibility study to bring farming and t-shirt manufacturing to Maui. He is able to offer his staff more income than the industry standard by taking less pay himself. The company’s slogan “Positive Apparel, fueled by Aloha” is demonstrated by the significant discounts and donations offered to many local nonprofits, including Maui United Way, and various cancer walks, to name a few. John’s partnerships helped to generate 5 million dollars in retail revenue in 2017.

Mid-Pacific Pest Control, Inc. – Mark Redeker (Exceptional Small Business, 11-35 employees)

Mark founded Mid-Pacific Pest Control, Inc. in 1999 and has kept it a family run business ever since. With 27 full time employees and 2 generations of family all working together, Mark has grown their company to service all of Maui County and Oahu. Mark invests in new and innovative ways to control pests effectively in an environmentally friendly and safe manner. This includes purchasing fuel efficient service trucks, airborne drones and a state of the art crane which has allowed the company to take on larger jobs with higher levels of efficiency, shorter turn around, greater safety and customer satisfaction. Mark’s dedication to providing an environmentally safe solution includes the move to zero emission electric motors, minimizing the handling of potentially explosive fuels and lowering the production of toxic fumes from job sites. Each of Mark’s technicians are fully trained and licensed as a fumigator before they begin work on a job and their vehicles are equipped with real time tracking to ensure productivity and combat fraud and waste.

Kimo Clark – Truth Excavation (Young Business Person of the Year)

Kimo founded Truth Excavation in 2011 with just a single backhoe and a single axle dump truck. He’s continued to invest in his company over the years and now has over ten pieces of heavy equipment, while never compromising quality and insisting on hiring and supporting the local community. He believes his employees are his most valuable asset and offers a healthy work atmosphere, competitive wages, benefits and paid training. Kimo’s entire team has a passion for what they do which manifests in their pride and the quality of work they provide, assuring customer satisfaction. Because of the high caliber of customer service, Kimo will sometimes refer customers to a competitor if Truth Excavation is unable to meet the job requirement or satisfy their customer. Their motto of “Honesty, Quality and Passion” is extended through their community outreach. Kimo has provided financial donations, as well as costly services free of charge, to a multitude of projects benefiting Maui County, including many West Side schools, church organizations and community areas.

Nisei Veterans Memorial Center – Deidre Tegarden, Executive Director (Outstanding Nonprofit Business)

The Nisei Veterans Memorial Center was founded by the soldiers of the 100th Infantry Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team as they returned home from World War II as the most highly decorated unit for their size and length of service. To ensure that they gave back to their community, they saved money each month to build a center to be a community resource in Maui County. Their mission encompasses all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, veteran status, gender or national origin. NVMC houses over 200 special collections of Maui’s Nisei (some Sansei) Veterans and an education center. The archives act as a bridge between past, present and future and offer closure to family members who’ve lost a loved one many years ago. NVMC is also home to Kansha Preschool and Maui Adult Day Care’s Program, providing intergenerational programs where children have daily interaction with elders. This provides opportunities for both to learn new skills, have a sense of purpose and share stories. Long-term results include more tolerant, understanding and compassionate young adults, as well as a better quality of life for the seniors.

The awards dinner was sponsored by Gold Sponsor ALTRES; Silver Sponsor Hawaiʻi USA Federal Credit Union; and Bronze Sponsors American Savings Bank, Bank of Hawaiʻi, Employers Options, First Hawaiian Bank, Matson and Maui Electric Company. Applications were scored by judges David Daly, Paul Felix, Debbie Finkiewicz, Susie Thieman and Wayne Wong.