Manuel C. Menendez, III, Executive Director Office of Economic Development, City of Honolulu
Mayor Harris recruited Manuel C. Menendez III, better know as “Manny”, from the private sector. In the 1970's Manny worked as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for a European international manufacturing consumer products company and set up its US operations and Asian manufacturing facilities. He then became Executive Vice President of Corporate and Strategic Planning, Mergers & Acquisitions for a Greenwich; Connecticut based organization with diverse business holdings in magazine and book publishing, real estate development, newsprint paper manufacturing, thoroughbred horse breeding, investments and contemporary arts. Before joining the Mayor's Cabinet team Manny was Chairman and CEO of a company that specialized in business development, international trade, strategic marketing and planning, investments, mergers-acquisitions & divestitures and consulting/advisory services to Fortune 500 companies. His company has concluded business successfully in Europe, North America, Middle East, Scandinavia but his area of expertise has been Asia (People's Republic of China, Japan, Singapore, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, etc.)
Particularly in China, Manny has been very active for over two decades and has been involved in successfully arranging numerous joint ventures/Contractual Alliances, technology transfer, contract manufacturing agreements and import/export agreements.
Since joining the Mayor's Cabinet, the Office of Economic Development (OED), has been very active in helping Honolulu become a nurturing, business friendly City by working closely with our business community as a business advocate, providing advice and a significant network of contacts that help our businesses, especially our small businesses expand and become successful.
The OED operates eight business units:
1. Business Support Services; 5. Small Business Resource Center;
2. Office of Waikiki Development; 6. Sister Cities & Friendship Cities Office;
3. Honolulu Film Office; 7. Sports Tourism Office;
4. Small Business Advocacy Office; 8. Special Projects Office
In the short time on the job at the City's Economic Development Office, Manny has been very involved in creating programs that help attract, expand and retain businesses on Oahu. Some of the recent initiatives completed include the development and organizing two Economic Development Summits, Unitization of the Waipio Soccer Complex and Central Oahu Regional Park as a ‘Sports Tourism' economic engines, Creation of our Sunset on the Beach program, expansion 2 new areas on Oahu of the Enterprise Zone Program with the State of Hawaii, Completion of the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy plan for Oahu in 2000 and updated in 2002, Creation of our Nightly Torch Lighting Ceremonies and Hula Performances in Waikiki, Promotion of the City's seven year tax holiday on property tax for new building construction and/or renovation on all properties in Oahu, Creation of a dedicated business resource web site called: www.co.honolulu.hi.us/menu/ecodev , establishment of the Mayor's Small Business Advocate office, the opening of our (SBRC) Small Business Resource Center in Chinatown with our partners the US Small Business Administration-Hawaii Women's Development Center-SCORE, organizing the 3 rd US-China Mayors Conference in Honolulu and the addition to our City's GIS/EIS network on our economic development web site which is a Economic Information System-Geographic Information System that has recently won national awards by being part of our City website..
• Upcoming plans for 2003-4: creation of satellite ‘one stop business shops' like our SBRC around Oahu, development of a High Tech/Small Business Incubator Facility, Economic Summits and Resources Fairs by Council District, utilization of Waipio Soccer Complex and Central Oahu Regional Park as sport tourism engines for International, National, Regional Soccer Tournaments, as well as, utilization of other city assets like Central Oahu Regional Park for Softball-Baseball-Tennis events and tournaments, Revitalization of sister city program with the creation of a sister city summit and trade fair and the establishment of a “Friendship City” initiative, ‘Brunch on the Beach', Sunset on the Beach, and a myriad of Waikiki Programs that support our visitor industry. Other initiatives will include:
• OED Resource BROCHURE
• Sister City Friendship City Gala/Event Fall 2004
• OED Awards Fall 2004
• China Conference Fall 2004
• OED Business Advisors Council
• OED Business Survey
• Mayor's Cup-Soccer Event 2004
• Women's Business Event Late Spring 2004
• 2004 US Olympic Triathlon Trial April 2004
• 2003-2004 National Veterans Soccer Championships on Oahu
• 2005 World Triathlon Event in Honolulu-June 2005