Sky Barnhart

Annual SBA Awards recognize Maui County's small business leaders.

Fifty four years after a young mechanic named Frank Namio Makimoto borrowed money from relatives to purchase a service station, Frank's son and daughter-in-law, Alvin and Cindy Makimoto, carry on the work that he started, operating the only surviving service station in the center of Wailuku Town. The Makimotos and their Uptown Food Mart & Car Wash were recently named Family-Owned Small Business of the Year for the state of Hawai'i.

The Makimotos were among seven award winners recognized at the 2007 U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Awards luncheon honoring the best of small business in Maui County and statewide. The Maui Chamber of Commerce event was sponsored by American Savings Bank and held in conjunction with the bank's annual Economic Update at the Maui Beach Hotel Elleair Rainbow Room on Friday, April 20. A statewide awards ceremony was held on Friday, April 27, at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki on O'ahu.

Jane Sawyer, coordinator of the awards and lead business development specialist with the SBA on O'ahu, introduced the award winners.

The other statewide award winner was Maui's own Ali'i Kula Lavender. Ali'i Chang established the farm in 2002 with a vision of empowering other small businesses rather than competing with them. The farm has created a successful model working with local producers to market a variety of lavender-enhanced products. Chang, Lani Weigert and Marseu Simpson accepted Ali'i Kula Lavender's award for Home-Based Business Champion of the Year.

"When you have aloha as the center of your business, believe me, success will be yours!" Weigert said.

Maui Weekly staff were proud to cheer on their editor, Debra Lordan, as she accepted the award for Small Business Journalist of the Year for the County of Maui. Lordan thanked staff, freelance writers and the community. As editor of the Maui Weekly for the last three years, Lordan is a constant advocate for small, locally owned businesses that might not otherwise gain exposure in the press.

Susan Kim, life coach and trainer, accepted the award for Home-Based Business Champion of the Year for the County of Maui. Kim described her "passion" for helping others to improve their businesses and their lives. Her coaching practice consists of one-on-one coaching, tele-classes, live workshops, and online courses and programs for small business owners who face specific challenges.

"This kind of progress and growth cannot have happened without the type of employees and customers we have," said Jeremy Kozuki of Home Maid Bakery, as he accepted the countywide award for Family-Owned Small Business of the Year. Founded in 1960 and now operated by the second generation, Home Maid Bakery has continually expanded and modernized its facilities to remain successful in the competitive food industry.

Annette Pauole-Ahakuelo said she was "honored and overwhelmed" to receive the award as Financial Services Champion of the Year for the County of Maui. Pauole-Ahakuelo operates the Kuhaâ Business Center on Molokai, a resource for small business owners and entrepreneurs that provides counseling and training to new and existing business owners to improve their businesses and increase revenues.

Small Business Person of the Year James T. Kartes joked that, "It's only taken me 50 years to achieve this award!" Kartes purchased a local television operation in 1989 and transformed it into Paradise Television Network, a model for the visitor channel industry that now reaches over 57,000 homes, hotel rooms and condos on Maui. Kartes described doing business in Hawaiâ as a "very exciting and very challenging."

The SBA provides programs and services for financing, training, technical assistance and counseling.