Forum gathers executives to make case for Hawai'i

By Katherine Nichols
Advertiser Staff Writer

More than 30 of the state's top business leaders will gather this morning in a unified, unprecedented effort to address Hawai'i's economic challenges and showcase positive trends for Mainland executives.

In what is being seen widely as the first comprehensive, organized effort outside the tourism industry to reach out to the Mainland press, today's forum will bring together emerging and established leaders from a variety of sectors to discuss the state's economic future.

The forum began with Scott Fivash, chief executive officer and publisher of CEO Magazines, and his longtime friend Mike Fitzgerald, president and chief executive officer of the economic development group Enterprise Honolulu. It signals another step in that organization's efforts to create a broad partnership among Hawai'i businesses, educators and unions, and establish itself as a single point of contact for potential investors.

Fivash, who has family connections in the Islands, is planning a feature article for his Mainland-based magazines around the forum. That was reason enough for several executives to participate.

"I think it is important to get Hawai'i's story out to a sophisticated audience ... ," said Mike O'Neill, chairman and chief executive officer of Bank of Hawaii. "I think we've got a good story to tell — certainly much better than people think because of the national decline in tourism.

"People think that we are flat on our back. And I think that is really missing the point."

Nonie Toledo, vice president and general manager of Sprint Hawaii, agreed.

"I want to make sure they're portraying an accurate picture," she said. In the process, she hopes to reach "an audience outside of Hawai'i who may be key decision-makers."

Toledo also wants to let executives know that Hawai'i possesses "enough bandwidth to move large amounts of data," a key factor in relocating a business.

Another myth she wants to dispel: that prices here are not competitive.

Randy Yeager, president and chief executive officer of Retail Strategies Inc., called the forum a "tremendously rare opportunity" to shine a spotlight on Waikiki.

After years of inertia, "what I'm seeing is a virtual renaissance in development and investment and growth in the resort community." He cited efforts by the city and county, Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center and the Honu Group.

The groundbreaking of the John A. Burns School of Medicine next month and the industry that its bioscience park will help attract is a bright spot for Bruce Coppa, executive director of Pacific Resource Partnership, an organization of Hawai'i unions and contractors.

"I clearly see that Kaka'ako is a rehabilitation of that community," said Coppa, who will attend today's forum.

Historically, Hawai'i has laid its economic responsibility on Japanese and Mainland businesses, said Patrick K. Sullivan, chairman of Oceanit and chief executive officer of Hoana, a medical device company. "But now (Hawai'i) is taking it back. And that's a big message."

As head of a firm that conducts research and development for diversified technology, Sullivan said he wants to make sure Hawai'i gets credit for "forward-looking concepts" such as Act 221, which provides tax benefits to investors in the high technology.

"It's important that even though the economy of the state of Hawai'i has not been good, and it's not been viewed as a business friendly climate, there are some really cool things going on here," Sullivan said.