Local firms seek military contracts

By Dan Nakaso
Advertiser Staff Writer

•	Contacts for contracts What: Military contracts for small businesses When: 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. today Where: McCoy Pavilion in Ala Moana Beach Park Cost: Free Information: Nalani Blane at 847-4666, ext. 210, or e-mail RTC@bia-hawaii.com

So like other business leaders, Uyeda, the branch manager of Tri-West Hawai'i, will send representatives to a forum this afternoon aimed at giving Hawai'i small businesses a share of massive military housing projects scheduled to take place over the next several years.

"We want to find out who the players are and how we can get more involved," said Uyeda, who was raised in Hawai'i. "If you don't get involved, it's like you've missed the boat. It could be a significant increase to our business."

The Building Industry Association-Hawaii forum will try to connect local small businesses with representatives from all of the military branches. The forum is being co-sponsored by Actus Lend Lease, one of the Mainland companies trying to secure some of the so-called military privatization contracts throughout Hawai'i.

Over the next several years, Hawai'i will be the site of some of the U.S. military's largest home renovation projects around the world. The Army's plans alone involve 7,700 homes on O'ahu and the $100 million project would be the biggest ever for the Army.

Every branch of the military has renovation plans because of new thinking by the Department of Defense to improve outdated and dilapidated housing worldwide by 2007 to retain soldiers, sailors and airmen.

The key involves turning over the construction and operational responsibilities to private companies that would be committed to maintaining and managing the homes for 50 years.

The overall contracts for the various branches of the military are scheduled to be announced later this summer to one of several Mainland firms that have built privatized military housing on the Mainland. Construction could begin as early as 2004.

Military construction and renovation projects have been going on for years on O'ahu and the new plan isn't expected to result in an explosion of construction money into the state's economy, military and Hawai'i construction officials say. But the new projects are expected to accelerate the process and bring a steady flow of construction, repair and maintenance work for local contractors.

"Small businesses have not had the opportunity to hear directly from the armed forces about what this is all about," said Karen Nakamura, executive vice president of the Building Industry Association-Hawaii. "They have no clue about how this project for 50 years will impact Hawai'i. We need to help them understand the magnitude of this and how to prepare themselves so they can participate in providing services and products through the privatization."

Uyeda wants to be a part of the possibilities.

An Arizona-based flooring company working on military renovations on O'ahu already has a relationship with Uyeda's Arizona branch and buys the material back in Arizona, he said.

But when the big privatized contracts are awarded later this summer, Uyeda wants to be supplying flooring materials from his office.

"If we knew who these people are and we can make contact," he said, "maybe we can do business."

Reach Dan Nakaso at dnakaso@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8085.