Video by David Corrigan, Voice of Stephanie Salazar

HILO, Hawaii – An overnight structure fire left Suisan’s management building in Hilo smoldering Friday morning.

No one was hurt in the blaze. The company says the cause of the fire is unknown.

The building is located in the warehouse complex between Kamehameha and Kalanianaole Avenue by Keaukaha, and housed Suisan’s business and management offices. The century-old company is Hawaii Island’s foremost fish market and food distributor. It boasts annual sales of $81 million and employs 175 people.

For now, the company will conduct business out of the Hilo Ben Franklin Building on Kilauea Avenue. Sales and distribution operations are continuing with little or no interruption; sales calls are being routed to the Kona office until the relocation to Kilauea Avenue is completed.

This media release was issued on behalf of the company:

Hilo, HI — May 18, 2014 — Suisan Group, and its subsidiary, Suisan Company, Ltd. will move business and management offices into new space on Kilauea Avenue in Hilo tomorrow, Monday, May 18; the new offices replace those lost in a fire late Thursday night.

The relocated offices will be at 333 Kilauea Avenue, Suite 202, in the Hilo Ben Franklin Building.

Sales and distribution operations are continuing with little or no interruption; sales calls are being routed to the Kona office until the relocation to Kilauea Avenue is completed.

“Our Suisan team has rolled forward so well to make sure our customers get the service they have come to expect from us,” said Glenn Hashimoto, president of Suisan.

“Suisan is thankful for the good work of the Hawaii County Police Department, the Hawaii County Fire Department and for the assistance from Hilo Airport fire team and its equipment,” said Hashimoto.

Neither the fresh produce division, which operates out of the Kona office, nor the fresh seafood division, which is headquartered elsewhere in Hilo, was affected by the fire. The delivery operations were not impacted.

The fire broke out in a 16,000 square foot building off Kamehameha Street, which housed management and business offices and about 5,000 square feet of overflow warehouse. A large warehouse on the same property houses the bulk of the Suisan inventory—about 27,000 square feet of refrigerated goods and about 30,000 of dry goods. This building was not involved in the fire.

The cause and cost of the fire are under investigation.Suisan Group