Hawaiian Island Products - HIP - General Tiki

K kimoaz Member Joined: May 30, 2005 Posts: 14	K kimoaz Posted posted on Mon, Jun 6, 2005 4:49 PM Aquari, Thanks for your questions. I think a little history and timeline would be helpfull. We started HIP in October 1964. Sam(my father) joined the Hawaii Manufacturing Assoc. early in 1995 and 3 other members wanted to invest in the company and since we always were short of money Sam quickly agreed. He had the company until early 1967 at which point one of the investors took over the company. He then sold the company 6-12 months later(1968) to Chuck Harvey who was one of the original outside salesmen. He had the company for about 2 years and he sold it to a couple of ladies,I do not know their names, in 1970 or 1971. They had it the longest but then sold the company in 1985 and the company folded in 1988. The progression of the products follows this timeline. The early pieces did not look at all like Coco Joes. They were designed to look as historically accurate as possible. As time went on HIP and Coco Joes began to look very similar. Sam wanted to have a very different image for HIP. About the famous fire. I remember Coco Joes burning down in Punaluu but I don't ever remember HIP burning. Usually the pieces bent because they weren't cured properly. I threw alot of stuff away because of that. The heat from a fire would just melt everything. The early design work was done by Sam and an artist/sculptor that worked with him. Many of the early designs came from the Bishop Museum. We used their material for our Kii, poi pounders and petrogliph designs. I do not recognise the storefront with the large tiki out front. I am not familiar with the origine of those designs. As time went on the scarier and more dramatic a tiki the better it sold. Sam tried to stay true to the history. Sory this is so wordy. When I get some time I will give you some pictures.

Aquari,
Thanks for your questions. I think a little history and timeline would be helpfull.

We started HIP in October 1964. Sam(my father) joined the Hawaii Manufacturing Assoc. early in 1995 and 3 other members wanted to invest in the company and since we always were short of money Sam quickly agreed. He had the company until early 1967 at which point one of the investors took over the company. He then sold the company 6-12 months later(1968) to Chuck Harvey who was one of the original outside salesmen. He had the company for about 2 years and he sold it to a couple of ladies,I do not know their names, in 1970 or 1971. They had it the longest but then sold the company in 1985 and the company folded in 1988.

The progression of the products follows this timeline. The early pieces did not look at all like Coco Joes. They were designed to look as historically accurate as possible. As time went on HIP and Coco Joes began to look very similar. Sam wanted to have a very different image for HIP.

About the famous fire. I remember Coco Joes burning down in Punaluu but I don't ever remember HIP burning. Usually the pieces bent because they weren't cured properly. I threw alot of stuff away because of that. The heat from a fire would just melt everything.

The early design work was done by Sam and an artist/sculptor that worked with him. Many of the early designs came from the Bishop Museum. We used their material for our Kii, poi pounders and petrogliph designs.

I do not recognise the storefront with the large tiki out front. I am not familiar with the origine of those designs. As time went on the scarier and more dramatic a tiki the better it sold. Sam tried to stay true to the history.

Sory this is so wordy. When I get some time I will give you some pictures.

Post #164022 by kimoaz on Mon, Jun 6, 2005 4:49 PM