BEST FAMILYRUN BUSINESS SALTY WAHINE
Gourmet Hawaiian Sea Salts The Best Family-Run Business award recognizes an outstanding company that is owned or operated by at least two family members and has successfully merged core family values with business interests and strategies. Specializing in tropically infused seasonings and Hawai‘i-grown cane sugar, Salty Wahine Gourmet Hawaiian Sea Salts has grown from a small part-time business to a nationally recognized company. Founder Laura Cristobal-Andersland started the business in 2008 with $800 cash—the company is now projected to reach one million in gross sales this year. Salty Wahine products can now be found at over 200 stores around the world and at hotels and restaurants throughout Hawai‘i, the mainland, Canada, Europe and Asia. Salty Wahine also produces custom seasoning blends for chefs worldwide. Cristobal-Andersland’s son, Sean, serves as the company’s operations manager and heads up new product development and manufacturing. His fiancé, Jessika, provides innovative sales training, handles social media marketing and supervises the shipping department. Cristobal-Andersland’s daughter Kendall works in customer service and her other daughter, Nicole, reviews company policies to ensure they’re in keeping with Salty Wahine’s founding Hawaiian values.
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SALES & MARKETING EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR JARED GRUGETT
President & Chief Marketing Officer, HDT The Sales & Marketing Executive of the Year award recognizes a sales and marketing executive whose agility, exceptional performance and effective leadership have demonstrated notable achievement toward company objectives. As HDT’s president and chief marketing officer, Jared Grugett has successfully transformed a bankrupt telecom company into the third-largest and fastest-growing internet service provider in Hawai‘i. Applying his extensive startup experience and more than 16 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, Grugett was able to raise more than $12 million in investment capital within the last two and a half years and increase company revenue by 90 percent over the last three. Grugett has been the company’s driving force in winning large projects and pursuing underserved markets. Thanks to his exceptional leadership and marketing expertise, HDT has sustained 30 percent growth over the last year and expanded operations to 12 states. In the last 12 months, HDT has signed over $18 million in contracts.
BEST SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN HAWAII GAS
The award for Best Social Media Campaign honors the campaign that has successfully utilized strategic social media techniques to achieve established objectives. Hawaii Gas is committed to providing clean, affordable and reliable gas service and to advancing Hawai‘i’s clean energy future. On a platform where content is king, Hawaii Gas has succeeded in encouraging steady audience growth and engagement on a limited budget and without a dedicated social media manager. The company uses social media to distribute existing content from its website and YouTube channel, strategically deploying Facebook ads and boosted posts and focusing on quality over quantity when it comes to new content development.
HOSPITALITY 2017