Donald W.S. Lau, an entrepreneur who built a neighborhood grocery store into one the biggest meat processing companies in the state, died Dec. 24 in the Queen's Medical Center. He was 75. DONALD LAU / 1927-2002
Executive built up
meat supply companyHe took over the Palama Meat
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& Grocery in the 1950s
By Craig Gima
cgima@starbulletin.comLau took over the Palama Meat & Grocery store in the early 1950s and began supplying meat to local businesses and schools in Kalihi.
The state wanted one company to supply schools all over Oahu and Lau took out loans to expand his business and get the contract, said Eric Ching, who worked for Lau at Palama Meat Co.
"Once he got one contract, it lead to another one," Ching said. "The business was able to grow from there."
When Lau sold the business in 1997, it was a $34 million a year wholesale food operation with 100 employees.
In addition to supplying meat to schools both public and private, Palama Meat Co. also supplies meat to hotels, restaurants and supermarkets. It also sells May's brand products and Hawaiian Warrior beef jerky.
"He's a wonderful human being, an outstanding businessman and community leader," said Joe Azzaro, of H&W Foods, the company that acquired Palama Meat Co. "I know (that) the business community in particular and the agricultural industry will miss him."
Even after Lau retired from the meat business, he started up another food operation -- May's Wonder Gardens Hawaii, the first large-scale hydroponic lettuce farm and processing plant in Hawaii.
May's supplies lettuce to McDonald's and to supermarkets statewide.
"He's always had ideas about business, new ideas, new areas to explore," Ching said. "He was at one time negotiating with the Chinese government to build a chicken plant in China."
Lau was born in Honolulu on Feb. 16, 1927.
He is survived by his wife, Bernadette; son, Duane; daughter, Donamay Guinasso; brother, Henry; and six grandchildren.
Mass will be celebrated at 11:15 a.m. Friday at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Manoa. Burial will follow at Diamond Head Memorial Park Cemetery at 1 p.m. The family requests that aloha attire be worn.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Lau Family Fund, Hawaii Community Foundation, 1164 Bishop St., 8th Floor, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96813.
Star-Bulletin reporter Tim Ruel contributed to this report.