Firms want goods in military stores
By Sean Hao
Advertiser Staff Writer
Fifty-one Hawai'i companies made their pitch to government buyers yesterday in hopes of getting their goods on shelves of U.S. military commissaries worldwide.
Andrew Shimabuku • The Honolulu Advertiser
After sampling about 532 products at a trade show held at the at the JW Marriott Ihilani hotel at Ko Olina, officials for the Defense Commissary Agency gave the green light to 112 products, which soon will stock shelves in five Hawai'i commissaries.
Patrick Nixon, left, deputy director for the Defense Commissary Agency Headquarters, samples Diamond Head Seafood sushi prepared by Eiichi Hirayama. The agency held a trade show yesterday for local producers looking to sell goods at commissaries.
From there the products could be marketed to regional or worldwide commissaries depending on demand, said Patrick Nixon, deputy director for the Defense Commissary Agency Headquarters.
Hawai'i commissaries now carry about 4,500 items that are either made locally or distributed by companies with local ties.
Sales of those products, which include coffee, teas, seafood, tortillas, bread, candies and spices, generated $76 million last year — a figure forecast to grow to $87 million this year.
Hawaii Coffee, Diamond Head Seafood and Hawaiian Host were among the companies exhibiting goods yesterday.
For Hawaii Coffee, which had some new tea products picked up, the commissary system now represents about 20 percent of overall sales, said company president Jim Wayman.
"The primary advantage (of selling through commissaries) is it's really high-volume because they sell throughout their system at cost," he said. "Because prices are low, their customers buy a lot."
Those interested in finding out more about selling products in the commissary system can call Sharon Zambo-Fan at 843-4238.
Reach Sean Hao at shao@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8093.
