Posted on: Saturday, August 21, 2004

Tech firm needs new home

By Sean Hao
Advertiser Staff Writer

A planned sale of the 38,000-square-foot Tyco building in Ma'ili to one of the state's most promising young technology companies has fallen through because of zoning issues.

Hoku Scientific Inc. announced plans in July to move from its 7,000-square-foot office in the Belt Collins building near Kuhio Park Terrace to the former Tyco International Ltd. building near Wai'anae. However, that move was contingent on the timely receipt of a zoning variance from the city government for the 2.5-acre property in Ma'ili.

Hoku President Dustin Shindo yesterday said it appeared that approval to operate in the residentially zoned area would not come in time to allow for a planned move in January.

"We decided to move away from that," he said.

"We're looking at other alternatives."

The fuel-cell technology developer wants to move to a larger space as it shifts from research and development to production. Hoku remains committed to staying in Hawai'i and still plans to find another location where it can expand, and boost employment from 20 to 25 people, Shindo said.

"We need to. Our business is going very well and we're entirely out of space at our current facility," he said.

Fuel cells run on hydrogen, natural gas or methanol and do not run down or require recharging. They produce energy as long as fuel is supplied.

Hoku hopes its products will be integrated into householdpower units in Japan in mid-2005.

Built two years ago at a cost of $18 million, the Tyco building is still on the market for $5 million, according to real-estate company Chaney, Brooks & Co. The facility was meant to be a state-of-the-art telecommunications hub for Tyco until the company scrapped its plans.

Reach Sean Hao at shao@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8093.