LIHUE — Koa Trading Co., a family owned Kauai wholesale food distributor, has been sold to Oahu-based Y. Hata & Co., Ltd. for an undisclosed price. “Koa Trading Co. has worked with Y. Hata & Co. for two generations,” Peter
LIHUE — Koa Trading Co., a family owned Kauai wholesale food distributor, has been sold to Oahu-based Y. Hata & Co., Ltd. for an undisclosed price.
“Koa Trading Co. has worked with Y. Hata & Co. for two generations,” Peter Yukimura, Koa Trading Co. president, said in a statement Tuesday. “Y. Hata is an exemplary locally-owned and operated company, and I am confident that this will be a positive transition for Koa Trading Co.”
Y. Hata & Co. has many similarities to Koa Trading Company, including starting as a “mom-and-pop” operation in 1913 when Yoichi and Naeko Hata started selling wholesale products out of their garage in Hilo on the Big Island.
Koa Trading Co. has a long history on Kauai.
Hisakichi Yukimura started a family owned and operated grocery store for plantation workers in Kilipaki Valley in 1938, and in 1946, Yoshio and Masako Yukimura opened a full grocery and general store on Kuhio Highway in Lihue.
Peter Yukimura, in 1970, moved the company into a full-service wholesale food distributor of meat, poultry, seafood, dairy products, frozen foods and general grocery items.
He said his family will maintain business and financial interests in a variety of Kauai business and real estate holdings.
“On behalf of Koa Trading Co. and our family, I want to thank our current and past employees for their service and dedication,” Yukimura said. “To our customers and the Kauai community, thank you for your support and patronage.”
Russell Hata is the chairman and CEO of Y. Hata & Co., Ltd. based on Oahu. He and his team will be analyzing Koa Trading Co.’s operations through the sale closing date of January.
“No changes will be made until then,” Hata said. “Our long-term goal is to grow the business and hire more staff.”
