Move to Hawai'i leads to growth, award
By Dan Nakaso
Advertiser Staff Writer
A risk management software company that moved from Japan to Hawai'i five years ago to find multi-lingual engineers was named the 2002 Governor's Exporter of the Year yesterday by Gov. Ben Cayetano.
Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser
Kamakura Corp. began in 1991 in Chigasaki, Japan as a financial consulting firm with two employees. But company president Donald van Deventer put the ideas about investments, risk management and modeling financial products into software.
Kenji Imai, managing director, and Mark Mesler, senior vice president, use the Kamakura Corp.'s office in Manoa to service 20 bank and security firm clients in South Korea, Australia, Japan, the Mainland and Germany.
With the company looking for international customers, it needed engineers who spoke English and other languages, said managing director Kenji Imai.
"Hawai'i was ideal," Imai said, "especially because of its location."
Kamakura set up operations in the Manoa Innovation Center with one or two clients and two employees, who took advantage of the center's Internet access and office equipment, Imai said.
The company has seen sales grow 20 percent every year since, Imai said.
It also has formed marketing alliances with Unisys and IPS-Sendero. Today, Kamakura has 10 employees and 20 bank or security firm customers spread across South Korea, Australia, Japan, the U.S. Mainland and Germany.
Nearly all of the company's revenue — 97 percent — comes from outside the United States.
"Kamakura has shown steady growth in revenues in addition to an increasing percentage of their sales from overseas," said one of the judges, Sandra Kunimoto, who is the administrator for the Business Development and Marketing division of the state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism.
"In their business strategy, they have specifically targeted the need to set up strategic alliances with major global companies," Kunimoto said. "Kamakura also works with foreign governments, which is a great marketing tool for Hawai'i because then those governments will look toward Hawai'i for possible partnerships or joint ventures in other ares. So they are a good business ambassador."
Kamakura was named Exporter of the Year at a ceremony at Washington Place yesterday.
It was eligible for the award after being selected Exporter of High Technology. The other companies considered for Exporter of the Year:
• Hawaii Tropical Fruit Cooperative Inc., winner in the Exporter of Fresh Commodities category. The cooperative was founded in 1992 by growers of exotic tropical fruits.
• Aquatic Farms Ltd., which won as Exporter of Professional Services. Aquatic Farms began in 1976 as a commercial prawn, marine shrimp, oyster and fish farm and hatchery in Windward O'ahu and now specializes in fisheries and aquaculture research and development.
• Big Island Abalone Corp., named New Exporter. The corporation began at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority in 1997, started a 10-acre abalone production plant at the Hawaii Ocean Sciences and Technology Park a Keahole Point and by 2003 hopes to export more than 100 tons of live abalone.
• Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, which won as Outstanding Contributor to Exporting. The nonprofit organization works with more than 50 businesses and agriculture associations to develop and increase the quality and profitability of Hawai'i's specialty crops.
• Hong Kong Business Association of Hawaii, named Outstanding Contributor to Exporting. The nonprofit group works to better trade, investment and business opportunities between Hawai'i and Hong Kong, China and other parts of Asia.
"We want to recognize companies and individuals that significantly contribute to expanding Hawai'i's exports of products or services to the rest of the world," Cayetano said. "These companies are outstanding business leaders and have helped to make Hawai'i an active player in the global market place."
Reach Dan Nakaso at dnakaso@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8085.
