Fire destroys Hilo's Maebo Noodle Factory

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer

A fire yesterday evening destroyed the building housing the Maebo Noodle Factory in Hilo, shutting down operations for a prominent Island family-owned business.

Blane Maebo, president and manager of the business, said the factory would be rebuilt.

The 6:42 p.m. fire at 2036 Kilauea Ave. gutted the Maebos' manufacturing plant and destroyed the plant's equipment. Damage is estimated at $1.25 million and the cause of the fire is under investigation. The building was insured

"Everything that was put into the business by my family is gone," Maebo said. "We're going to start all over from scratch."

Maebo Noodle Factory is known for its hand-made saimin, chow fun and udon noodles, and signature One-Ton Chips. It employs 17 people in addition to three family members, said Maebo, whose grandmother, Koto Maebo, founded the business in 1950.

The company produces 50,000 pounds of noodles and chips per month, said Maebo. He plans to purchase some new equipment to produce a limited amount of noodles and chips soon. "We don't want our customers to suffer so we'll try to get some things out, maybe in two months," Maebo said.

Maebo said his wife, who left the factory at about 6 p.m. yesterday, told him about the fire.

"By the time I got there, it was just twisted metal," Maebo said. "Everything inside the structure was gutted."

Big Island fire inspectors said Maebo told them he had recently replaced the roof of the building.

Koto Maebo converted the garage of her home into a noodle-making factory. Her two sons and six daughters helped to make noodles by hand. The factory also produced the small dough squares used to make Chinese won ton.

Koto Maebo discovered the perfect complement to her noodle business around 1953. She added sugar to the won ton dough and deep fried it to create a crunchy new snack that the family named One-Ton Chips. The chips were marketed with a logo featuring a weightlifter hoisting barbells over his head.