HONOLULU, Hawaii: Big Island Carbon, LLC has been awarded the APEC 2011 Hawaii Business Innovation Showcase for Hawaii County. The Granular Activated Carbon manufacturing operation located in Kawaihae will be joining five other businesses that were selected from 35 finalists statewide.

APEC – or the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation – is “a 21-member association of economies from the Asia-Pacific region working together to advance regional economic integration and prosperity,” according to association’s website. “Established in 1989, APEC has worked to reduce tariffs and other trade barriers across the Asia-Pacific region, facilitate business interactions between member nations, and improve training and education in international trade.”

The gathering, to be held in Honolulu on November 12 and 13, 2011, is being bein anticipated as a boost to the state’s economy and a chance for Hawaii to showcase itself on a global stage.

This press release was issued earlier today by the APEC Host Committee:

The APEC Hawai‘i Host Committee, in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce of Hawai‘i, Kaua‘i County, the City and County of Honolulu, Maui County and Hawai‘i County, is pleased to announce the selection of the 2011 Hawai‘i Business Innovation Showcase awardees: Skai Ventures (statewide), Big Island Carbon, LLC (Hawai‘i County), Sopogy (City and County of Honolulu), TREX Enterprises Corporation (Kaua‘i County) and HNU-Energy (Maui County).

“The Hawai‘i Business Innovation Showcase highlights the achievements of Hawai‘i’s business communities and the high caliber of innovation taking place in the state,” said Peter Ho, APEC 2011 Hawai‘i Host Committee Chair. “The showcase introduces these businesses to a unique and influential audience while positioning Hawai‘i as an attractive place for business and investment.”

The awardees, selected from each of the four counties and one overall statewide winner, will receive recognition at various APEC 2011 Hawai‘i programs during Leaders’ Week. Each company will be highlighted within displays at the Hawai‘i Convention Center, Ala Moana Center and the NCAPEC CEO Summit at the Royal Hawaiian hotel, as well as receive feature profiles in APEC Hawai‘i TV in-room hotel channel, APEC 2011 Hawai‘i virtual online exhibit, and the special edition Hawai‘i Business magazine that will be distributed to APEC delegates.

The awardees were selected from across the state:

Statewide Awardee
Skai Ventures
Founder and CEO – Hank C. K. Wuh, M.D., M.P.H.
Skai Ventures is a venture accelerator focused on inventing, acquiring and commercializing disruptive technologies in the security, bio-medical and healthcare markets.

County of Hawai’i
Big Island Carbon, LLC
CEO – Rick Vidgen
Big Island Carbon is manufacturing a premium specialty Granular Activated Carbon in Kawaihae on land leased from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands by integrating biomass material (macadamia nut shells) from Hawai‘i’s Big Island macadamia processors together with cutting-edge new technology.

City and County of Honolulu
Sopogy
President and CEO – Darren Kimura
Sopogy is a developer of patented micro-concentrated solar power (MicroCSP) technologies, which uses mirrors and optics to intensify the heat energy from the sun, creating thermal energy.

County of Kaua’i
TREX Enterprises Corp
Chairman and CEO – Kenneth Y. Tang, Ph.D.
TREX Enterprises has developed Trex Chemical Vapor Composite Silicon Carbide, or Trex CVC SiC ™, used to manufacture optical and structural components.

County of Maui
HNU-Energy
President – Michael Reiley, Ph.D.
CEO – Dan O’Connell
HNU Energy, a Maui-based complete energy solution provider and engineering firm, offers renewable energy generation, energy storage and high-efficiency lighting products for all types of residential and commercial customers.

The five awardees were selected from 35 finalists, by a statewide judging panel consisting of community and business leaders, who have made innovative contributions to Hawai‘i’s community. Members of the panel included Robin Campaniano, general partner, Ulupono Initiative; Ann Chung, director of Economic Development, City and County of Honolulu; George Costa, director, Kauai County Office of Economic Development; Randy Kurohara, director, Hawai‘i County Department of Research and Development; Richard Lim, director, Hawai‘i State Department of Business Economic Development & Tourism; Virginia Pressler, executive vice president and chief strategic officer, Hawai‘i Pacific Health, chair, Board for the Chamber of Commerce of Hawai‘i; and Teena Rasmussen, coordinator, Maui County Office of Economic Development.

Announced in May, the Showcase recognizes leading edge innovation and achievement in Hawai‘i’s business community, reinforcing Hawai‘i as a place of strong economic opportunities and engaging the Hawai‘i business community in APEC 2011 Hawai‘i. The criteria required of businesses and business-related projects included being attractive to markets outside Hawai‘i, including the APEC member Economies; having developed unique, leading and cutting-edge innovations in product development, technology, marketing or delivery; having positively impacted Hawai‘i’s business environment, having growth and investment potential; and having adopted environmentally sound programs and practices.

The APEC 2011 Leaders’ Week will take place in Honolulu on Nov. 7-13 with the Leaders’ Meeting on Nov. 12 and 13, and is the culmination of a series of events held throughout the year in the United States. For more information, please visit apec2011hawaii.com.

The other Big Island companies on the finalist list included:

• Big Island Abalone Corp.
• Hawaii Oceanic Technology Inc.
• Hawaii Preparatory Academy
• Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii
• Pacific Regional Disaster Preparedness Center
• Hilo Disaster Preparedness Training Center
• Sopogy (awardees in Honolulu division)