HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	195
TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2013
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

RECOGNIZING THE UNITED STATES SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION's 2013 AWARDEES OF THE STATE OF HAWAII.

     WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii appreciates the importance of encouraging small business owners and their contributions to the growth of the local economy; and

     WHEREAS, the Small Business Administration annually recognizes the top entrepreneurs and advocates in our state with prestigious awards; and

     WHEREAS, the House of Representatives joins the business community in recognizing the noteworthy, outstanding business achievements of the Small Business Administration's State of Hawaii awardees; and

     WHEREAS, DAVID YOGI and JAMES KWONG, of the geotechnical engineering firm Yogi Kwong Engineers, LLC, are the recipients of the State of Hawaii's Small Business Person of the Year Award for 2013 for their successful innovation and thriving business achieved through work that benefits the community; and

     WHEREAS, the President and CEO of Big Island Candies, ALLAN K. IKAWA, has received the State of Hawaii's 2013 Entrepreneurial Success of the Year award because of his company's respected and high quality products; and

     WHEREAS, JIM FREEMAN, RALPH SHELBOURNE, and BENJAMIN CANDARI are the recipients of the 2013 Small Business Exporter of the Year Award for FSC Architects' operations outside of the United States; and

     WHEREAS, STERLING KAYA's Hana Pa‘a Fishing Company, which has been in operation for two decades, has been named the 2013 Family-Owned Business of the Year; and
     WHEREAS, the Young Entrepreneur of the Year for 2013 is BILLY GIANG, the president and owner of SG Group Incorporated, who has demonstrated strong business skills with his exciting new business; and

WHEREAS, due to his assistance in providing services to small businesses, ROBERT S. KAWAHARA of Kawahara + Co., CPAs, LLC, has been named 2013 Financial Services Champion of the Year; and

     WHEREAS, an innovative and lifelong-entrepreneur, NAOMI HAZELTON-GIAMBRONE is the co-owner and co-publisher of Element Media, and has been recognized as the 2013 Women in Business Champion of the Year; and

     WHEREAS, for fulfilling a commitment to advancing small business opportunities for veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, LESLIE WILKINS is the 2013 Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year; and

     WHEREAS, by assisting minority entrepreneurs and business owners, JOSE VILLA of Latin Business Hawaii is awarded the title of the 2013 Minority Small Business Champion of the Year; and

     WHEREAS, CRAIG SWIFT is the 2013 Home-Based Business Champion of the Year for voluntarily improving such ventures with his breadth of knowledge and experiences; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-seventh Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2013, that this body hereby recognizes and congratulates the United States Small Business Administration's 2013 State of Hawaii awardees, and sincerely extends to them its warmest aloha and best wishes for continued success in all future endeavors.

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title: 

Small Business Administration's State of Hawaii 2013 awardees