Read magazine - Hawaii Food Industry Assocation - HFIA

keeping every member in the loop with aflood of emails, which helps keep themeducated on the issues and involved.“Gary asks everybody for their input,” hesays. On the education front, there arealso workshops, seminars, and articlesin Hawaii Retail Grocer magazine. Henotes that Hanagami has also focused onmembership. “We have some really strongnew members that have experience withother associations, so they bring infresh new viewpoints,” he says.“We are going to become an associationthat will be a legislative force inthe industry,” says Hanagami, “one thatwill strive to educate its internal andexternal members, and an associationthat will further impact the greatercommunity that we serve and where wederive our revenue. We’re going to bean association that communicates clearlyand creates the opportunity for internalnetworking for its members. Finally,we’re going to be an association thatcelebrates in its success and has fun.”Survival“Is it enough to combat big box stores?asks Taniguchi rhetorically. “No, butHFIA will provide tools to help retailersand wholesalers become stronger.”Amemiya notes that as the retail landscapechanges, companies have to constantlyrethink their strategies, and so does HFIA.“Even big box stores can come and go,” shesays. “Historically, the biggest competitorshave been challenged. You can’t be statusquo. You have to find your niche or a newone to compete—and have good people, agood plan, and good leadership.”Taniguchi says it’s going to be tough,but believes there can be a niche foreveryone. He suggested that everybodyshould have a strategy to work withsuppliers. “Although we can’t gettogether to influence price,” he says,“[we can work] to establish relationshipsto help the industry as a whole. If localsuppliers remain strong, they are moreable to offer good pricing to retailers.As a wholesaler, Mike Walters, Love’sBakery president and HFIA ExecutiveCommittee immediate past chair,agrees: “Our direction is to developa stronger retail base to HFIA so wecan strengthen personal relationshipsoutside the office.” Strong relationships,he says, allow joint partnerships betweensuppliers and retailers. For example,a supplier and retailer may do ashort-term promotion together to attractconsumers and keep a brand name outin front while accepting lower margins.Walters is originally from Salt LakeCity, Utah, jesting that he was “one of 10Catholics” at the time. As a “crazy kid,”he volunteered for the Marine Corpsduring the Vietnam War, and later, whilegoing to school at the University of Utahat night, he did route sales for WonderBread (Continental Baking Company),launching a 40-year career in the bakingindustry. Walters was a psychology major,but was promoted to a supervisory positionand started a family and so didn’t finish hisdegree. He did well for himself though, ashe was promoted to general sales managerfor the San Diego bakery, then wasselected to be in an executive managementtraining program and was promoted togeneral manager of the Denver bakery.He later was promoted to vice presidentof sales for the Los Angeles region,then to general manager for NorthernCalifornia. Walters eventually left thecompany and did consulting, when he wasrecruited by a former mentor to becomeHo ‘omaika‘iBonny!Job well done!Wishing you successin your next year.24 HAWAII RETAIL GROCER - CONVENTION ISSUE 2011