To nominate a business, click here. The deadline for nominations is Dec. 31.

We’re looking for companies that stand out for their products and services, leadership and staff, community impact, and overall excellence.

To be eligible, nominees must:

• Be based in Hawaiʻi
• Have fewer than 100 full-time employee equivalents
• Have been in business for at least three years.

Self-nominations are welcome.

Due to the number of entries received, we are unable to acknowledge every submission. However, leaders of the winning companies will be interviewed, and the companies will be profiled in the May 2026 issue of Hawaii Business Magazine and on our website.

Make your nominations here.

“We’re here to be exemplary models of what responsible tourism can be, what it looks like, and what it is when it’s grown straight from the community we were born in,” says Jacob Kahiapo, co-founder and director of operations.

“Keeping your people and community first in mind, and then allowing people to visit based on that, I believe is really the best way to approach any tourism business.”

The company and its mission were partly inspired by a personal tragedy: the unexpected death of Kahiapo’s close friend Mana.

“That made me realize that not every day can be taken for granted, and every decision you make could be your last. I couldn’t just sit back; I had to step up to the plate and do my best to follow what I thought was right,” he says.

Mana is one of the few words used across all Polynesia, whether you’re in New Zealand, Tahiti, Samoa or Hawai‘i, and holding the same meaning: an unseen and supernatural power that permeates the universe and that we all feel within us. “That’s something that we try to exemplify on all of our charters,” Kahiapo says.

The company has 22 captains, crew members and support personnel and three vessels – the Manakahi, Hilinai and Lanakila – based in Waikīkī and Ko Olina. Lanakila can carry up to six guests, and the other two boats can carry up to 10, says Mash Hatae, co-founder and director of sales and marketing. The trips can include snorkeling, sightseeing, whale and dolphin watching, sailing and fishing.

The small size of each tour group allows for a “genuine, authentic experience, something more personalized and intimate for the people that we meet,” Kahiapo says.

“We make sure that our efforts here, whether through our employees or our givebacks, positively affect our community, rather than just being a business on the water that makes money.”

That means offering metal cups instead of plastic, holding an annual beach cleanup, and giving back to nonprofits and schools through vouchers and donations, among other initiatives, Hatae says.

“The storytelling and knowledge that our team has about every coastline we operate on, whether it’s from Waikīkī or Ko Olina, is passed down from myself and generations before me, as well as cultural practitioners in the area. Whether it’s about Mount Ka‘ala and why it’s flat [at the top], or about Polihua and the navigation that took place there, or even about Waikīkī and why it’s so segmented, the stories behind these places are deeply cultural,” Kahiapo says.

Five years later, she moved into a much bigger space, her current location on Hekili Street in Kailua, across from Foodland. When you walk into her shop, it’s like entering a country garden, with wisteria hanging from the ceiling and floral scents everywhere.

Akamine says she chose Picket Fence Florist as the name of her shop because she loves country gardens and the homespun feel of picket fences. She says she wanted a “nice country place to have friends over” and was inspired by her grandmother who taught ikebana, the Japanese art of arranging flowers.

Her daughter, Asa Voss, along with her other staff – Douglas Scheer, Howard Souza and Kathy Piimauna – have been with Akamine for over three decades.

She says she works with over 30 vendors, some of whom are retirees who sell their own backyard plants. She is currently grieving the death of the “Pīkake Man,” who supplied her pīkake for many years.

Akamine says she tries to use as many locally grown Hawai‘i plants as possible but in recent years has had to get other flowers, like roses, from places such as Ecuador, Thailand and California. She credits other Kailua florists for their support in acquiring flowers for large orders. The different shops “help each other out on a regular basis.”

“The people of Kailua love leis,” Akamine says as she proudly shows me a bright orange ‘ilima lei made with more than 700 flowers. In fact, a third of Picket Fence’s business is creating lei.

Akamine recalls her first job, at age 19; she worked with Greeters of Hawai‘i, handing lei to tourists at the airport. “In those days, you could go up to people as they got off the tarmac.”

After half a century in the floral business, Akamine’s connection to her customers is what keeps her going. “You’re involved with births, graduations, weddings, people coming and leaving. We’re doing a lot of events, so over the years our customers became friends.”

And she’s found many ways to say thank you to her customers and to bring the community together. For instance, for 10 years on “Good Neighbor Day,” Picket Fence would give away a dozen roses on condition that “you keep just one and give 11 away.”

She loves “the immediate gratification” of seeing how her flowers light up faces and places. “This is a very emotional business,” she says.

And it’s a business that keeps evolving. Akamine hands me some of her latest “hits” – big coffee-colored roses. They don’t smell like coffee but they do smell amazing.

The company was created by Yoshiharu Hirota, Fred Nagasawa and Roy Yamashiroya, who took over a defunct print shop on Sheridan Street in Honolulu. In December 2004, Roy Yamashiroya sold the company to his son Dean and five employees. After Dean’s death in 2012, his widow, Kathy, and daughter Jodie took over the business.

Jodie Yamashiroya says the company’s mission has remained the same through the years: to provide outstanding service and high-quality printing at competitive prices.

“We’re not just in sales, we’re consultants as well. We work with our customers and marketing departments to produce the best product that will fit the customer’s needs,” she says.

“The people behind this company are family. We’ve had employees here for 40-plus years, most of whom I grew up around. And so when my dad passed, my mom and I had to jump in.”

One of those long-term employees is Bruce Inouye, who started about 25 years ago as a production worker and worked closely with Dean Yamashiroya. Now he’s VP and a key decision-maker for the company.

“The two of us never worked with my husband but Bruce did. His expertise impacts everything we do,” says Kathy Yamashiroya.

Service Printers has kept evolving to meet challenges that have driven many other printing companies out of business.

“Staying relevant is tough with everything going digital. The equipment is expensive, and with Hawai‘i’s small economy, many print shops have closed since I started. We’re just grateful to still be here,” Jodie Yamashiroya says.

Sustainability helps guide the company, which uses paper partly made from recycled materials and soy-based inks.

And now all the equipment is in a new location. Service Printers Hawaii had been located on Dillingham Boulevard for most of the past six decades, but the rail project spurred a move to a “bigger, brighter” location on Iwaena Street in ‘Aiea, says Jodie Yamashiroya.

In those cases, “It should be about what’s best for the child, and that can be challenging,” says Bennett, founder and lead mediator at Family Mediation Hawaii in Honolulu.

Mediation can untangle complicated custody issues and help couples avoid costly and lengthy court trials.

“People still think they need to lawyer up and protect themselves. But mediation can be more effective because we’re hearing both, not just one side of the story,” Bennett says. “The process is about building trust and rapport and helping clients understand you want them to have a better outcome.”

Born and raised in Nu‘uanu Valley, Bennett is a lawyer, holds a master’s degree in social work from UH Mānoa and has three children. She has taught mediation and regularly mediated for the Hawai‘i Family Court of the First Circuit’s O‘ahu Child Welfare Mediation Program at the Ronald T.Y. Moon Judiciary Complex in Kapolei. That experience, she says, helps her understand the human dynamics in divorce and child custody situations.

Six years ago, Bennett launched her Family Mediation Hawaii business; since then, she’s added six mediators, all lawyers who know their way around a courtroom. They also understand the dynamics of child development, and how issues like substance abuse and power imbalances can play out during a divorce. And as mediators, she says, they are practiced at remaining neutral.

Additionally, comments made in court are available to the public, whereas mediation is a confidential process in which the two parties control the outcome.

Family Mediation Hawaii bills by the hour. “People want to know when is it going to be done and how much it’s going to cost. I say, ‘It depends on how much you fight.’ ”

Most of the company’s clients seek uncontested divorces, and most of the cases are referred to mediation by the court. This means they never step foot in a courtroom; instead, a Family Court judge signs off on their paperwork and enters the divorce decree.

Bennett says people’s behavior runs the gamut, from parents fleeing the country with a child to those who amiably try to sort out school schedules and co-parenting during the holidays.

“We know how kids of different ages deal with separation,” she says. “There’s definitely a place for the legal system, but we can make things happen faster. Even if it’s a partial decision, like who pays for school, it’s going to make the trial go a heck of a lot faster.”

“We won’t try to sell something that isn’t necessary, and we treat each customer as if they were our own family. Our dad, Alan, spends the time talking and answering whatever questions the customers have,” says VP Laurie Marcouiller.

“He will break it down to terms they can understand instead of mechanic verbiage. If we have younger customers, he will talk to their parents and explain to them so everyone is on the same page.”

It’s also that now rare kind of auto repair shop: one that also has gas pumps.

Marcouiller says Kaimuki Auto Repair can provide excellent service because of its employees, some of whom have been with the company for 20 years or more.

“It’s not easy working here since we are usually pretty busy and it’s always fast-paced. Not a lot of people can work as hard and efficiently as our current employees do,” she says, adding that others who could not keep up have left.

Kaimuki Auto Repair has been around for 54 years and Marcouiller hopes it’s open for many more.

“Our grandpa took over the service station in 1971 and our dad was working as a mechanic and eventually took it over when our grandpa passed away. Being a small, multigenerational business, we have seen many generations of customers as well,” Marcouiller says. “Our customers are so loyal and many of them are just like family. We’ve heard many stories from the time our grandpa was alive, which is always nice to hear.”

“It’s resort, it’s fun, it’s colorful,” Rochlen says. “There’s a certain extra intelligence and intensity of color and brush-strokes that we screen print onto our fabric, which makes a Jams print so recognizable. … The way we lay out the art is very intentional, so that it looks the best.”

Jams World is a family-run clothing brand; it opened its first store in the Islands – Surf Line Hawai‘i – in 1964. Founder Dave Rochlen, Heather’s father-in-law, began his line of surf-friendly clothing by asking his wife, Keanuenue Ka‘eo, to cut a pair of pajama pants into shorts.

“And so we came up with the word ‘Jams,’ short for pajamas,” Heather Rochlen says. “And that’s our trademark.”

Jams World is run today by Dave’s son and Heather’s husband, Pua Rochlen, who continues his father’s love for curating textiles from around the world and transforming them into clothing for any occasion: from kimono robes to blazers to Original Jams shorts.

“There’s something for everybody in the collection,” says Heather Rochlen. “[We] keep the silhouettes super simple but flattering.”

Six Jams World stores are spread across the state, with three on Hawai‘i Island, one on Kaua‘i and two on O‘ahu, including the factory store in Kalihi, where customers can look through a window into the factory while shopping.

“People love that you can see some of our artwork and collections from over the years,” Heather Rochlen says.

Retail sales account for about 50% of transactions, online about 35% and wholesale 15%. Jams World has 44 employees and, according to Heather Rochlen, a very low staff turnover rate.

Jams World supports local causes including Make-A-Wish Hawaii, the Hawai‘i Foodbank, the Hawaiian Humane Society, the Legacy Reef Foundation and the American Red Cross. In each collection, a piece is dedicated to a foundation, and a portion of proceeds goes straight to them, Heather Rochlen says.

The 149-year-old company sells and services mowers of all sizes and all the other equipment needed to maintain turf, plus golf carts, utility vehicles and industrial equipment.

B. Hayman’s customers include golf course owners, landscapers, the government – think parks and school athletic fields – hotel owners, farmers, condo associations, cemetery owners, and other people and organizations with large lawns.

“We’ve always had a strong focus on customer service,” says President Al Kakazu. “We strive to treat our customers with utmost respect by understanding their unique needs. Our job is to make their job easier.”

The aio family of companies acquired B. Hayman in 2004 when aio owner Duane Kurisu was operating Hawaii Winter Baseball. You may fondly remember the league as a place for up-and-coming players from the mainland, Japan and South Korea to hone their skills, including future Hall of Famers Ichiro Suzuki and Todd Helton. (Like B. Hayman, Hawaii Business Magazine is part of aio.)

The company’s history goes back much further. Benjamin Hayman founded his wagon and buggy company in Los Angeles in 1876. In 1969, the company came to the Islands and settled in Waipahu; its headquarters is still there. By the time it arrived, the company had stopped selling wagons and buggies and had entered the turf equipment business.

Along with its Waipahu location, the company has an office in Kona.

Despite being as old as it is, Kakazu says the company stays on the leading edge of its field. “Even in our business, we see how artificial intelligence and technology are changing our industry, with smart mowers that can detect where to mow or where to spray. We are in the infancy stage of a growing autonomous operation and alternative energy movement,” he says.

“Manufacturers continue to expand their product lines with this revolutionary equipment, and we want to embrace this change and stay ahead of the game.”

Part of the company’s secret sauce is taking care of employees, who often stay long term, Kakazu says.

“We need good people to be able to provide good service, and our whole goal is to provide excellent customer service to our customers, and that starts with the employees.”

Kathy says she and her husband, Roy Sakuma, would “never say no to any parent who came in.”

Since opening their first studio in Kaimukī in 1974, the Sakumas have added locations in ‘Aiea, Kāne‘ohe and Mililani. With a staff of 30 instructors, all former students, the studios offer both individual and group lessons, online and in person, to all ages.

For those who find it intimidating to read sheet music, Roy Sakuma developed a method that allows students to read and play music using the letters of the alphabet.

“It opened the door,” he says, “because now we could have 5-year-olds come in and in one 30-minute lesson, they will learn their complete song. They instantly feel accomplished.”

The Sakumas started Ukulele Festival Hawaii in 1971; it ran annually until 2022. This year, Sakuma’s students will participate in the International ‘Ukulele Festival of Hawai‘i, July 20 at Kapi‘olani Park.

“Ukulele Festival Hawaii was Roy’s dream to showcase the ‘ukulele’s versatility and virtuosity with a free concert in the park,” says Kathy Sakuma. In 1971, “there was very little interest in the ‘ukulele and the ‘ukulele was thought of as a toy.”

Roy Sakuma’s personal journey with the ‘ukulele started in his teens. The first time he played the ‘ukulele, the music “just poured out of me.”

In 1964, he sought out Herb “Ohta-san” Ohta to be his mentor, and went on to teach under Ohta-san.

Shortly after composing his first song, “I Am What I Am,” Sakuma moved out from under the wing of his mentor to start Roy Sakuma Ukulele Studios. Working with her husband, Kathy Sakuma developed her own passion for ‘ukulele, particularly teaching young children to play.

Roy Sakuma Ukulele Studios has been honored with many awards, including the Family Business of the Year award from UH’s Family Business Center of Hawai‘i and the Kahili Award from the Keep it Hawai‘i Recognition Awards Program.

“One of the things we feel most proud of is our instructors,” Kathy Sakuma says. “They have that feeling. They’re so attached to their students, and their students are so attached to them. It’s not just teaching the music, it’s really caring for them.”

Tasaka went on to found Tasaka Guri Guri on Maui, but Hirao continued to serve the Japanese community on O‘ahu. Eventually, Nisshodo Candy Store incorporated local flavors into its treats, such as liliko‘i and melona.

Today, the store and manufacturing facility is on Dillingham Boulevard in Iwilei; it’s run by Hirao’s grandson, Michael Hirao, and his wife, Ursula.

“We’ve been fortunate to cater to the local population for a while … [and] very thankful for the response that we’ve gotten from our community,” says Michael Hirao.

Nisshodo takes suggestions from customers for new and experimental flavors, leading to creations like peanut butter mochi, which Hirao says is a personal favorite.

“We produce in the back area,” says Hirao, “and we have a small retail outlet in the front that takes care of our customers.” A team of 12 creates the candies, operates the store and wholesales to other companies. “We have people who are very loyal and do a great job for us.”

Nisshodo’s traditional Japanese sweets are still popular, especially around Japanese celebrations like Girls Day.