On Oct. 23, the Retail Merchants of Hawaii (RMH) hosted its annual Ho‘okela Awards luncheon at the Sheraton Waikiki, bringing together over 350 retailers and their supporters.
On Oct. 23, the Retail Merchants of Hawaii (RMH) hosted its annual Ho‘okela Awards luncheon at the Sheraton Waikiki, bringing together over 350 retailers and their supporters.
“The Ho‘okela Awards are like the Emmy’s of the retail industry in Hawaii,” said RMH President Sheri Sakamoto. “Ho‘okela recognizes and honors the great work of not only the nominees, but the state’s entire retail industry.”
Here are the winners: Retailer of the Year: Keith Sung, Owner, Honolulu Cookie Company; Governor’s Award for Exemplary Service to the Retail Industry: Linda Fernandez, President &CEO, Fun Factory, Inc.; Retail Employee of the Year: George Kam, Ambassador of Aloha &Sr Director of Retail, Quiksilver; Retail Business of the Year – State of Hawaii: Longs Drugs; Retail Business of the Year – Hawaii Island: S. Tokunaga Store, Inc.; Retail Business of the Year – Kauai: Banana Patch Studio; Retail Business of the Year – Maui: Hamai Appliance, Inc.; Retail Business of the Year – Oahu: `Iolani Sportswear, Ltd.; Resort Retail Business of the Year: Quiksilver; Best New Retail Business of the Year: Flip Flop Workshop LLC; Fastest Growing Retailer of the Year: The Big Island Bee Company.
S. Tokunaga Store, Inc. was awarded Hawaii Island’s Retail Business of the Year and The Big Island Bee Company was named the Fastest Growing Retailer of the Year.
Michael Tokunaga accepted the award for S. Tokunaga Store, which honors an outstanding storefront retail company that has contributed to the success and vitality of the retail industry in Hawaii County. S. Tokunaga Store, Inc. is a third generation retail operation catering to Hawaii’s sporting enthusiasts since 1920.
The business has grown tremendously since opening its doors 94 years ago. They have maintained their edge by not only providing excellent service and knowledgeable staff but by offering unique services such as customizing fishing rods. Additionally, they recently expanded their offerings to include a large variety of guns, accessories and ammunition to meet the growing demand of existing and new clientele.
S. Tokunaga, Inc. was nominated by Bank of Hawaii Vice President Amy Honda, and Senior Vice President Roberta Chu.
Whendi Grad accepted the Ho‘okela Award for The Big Island Bee Company. The Fastest Growing Retailer of the Year honors a company that has more than doubled their growth in the past three years. Whendi Grad started Big Island Bees in 2004 to create a retail product for the rare and unique organic, Hawaiian honey produced by her husband’s company, Captain Cook Honey, Ltd. In addition to their world famous raw honey, their products include honey mustard and jellies, as well as lip balm, soaps and candles.
Not only a quality manufacturer and savvy retailer, Big Island Bees also makes a conscious effort to educate their customers about the plight of bees worldwide from the invasive pest varroa mite and how bee pollination is responsible for one-third of the foods in our diet. Big Island Bees was nominated by Christie Crawford, vice president of Bank of Hawaii.
Founded in 1901, the Retail Merchants of Hawaii (RMH) is a statewide not-for-profit trade association committed to the growth and development of the retail industry in Hawaii. The RMH mission is to promote the welfare of the retail industry, to provide information and training to advance the interests of the retail industry, and to serve as an advocate for the retail industry in both the governmental and the business communities. The retail industry is the largest single generator of general excise tax revenue and employs almost 24% of the workforce in the State of Hawaii. Because effective interaction with government is critical to business, RMH is recognized as the official representative of the retail industry in Hawaii.