About Us :

The Hawai‘i Island Chamber of Commerce (HICC) brings businesses and professionals together to make Hawai‘i Island a better place to live and do business.  Founded in 1898, HICC has served as the voice of business of East Hawai`i and beyond for over 120 years.  HICC represents both large and small businesses. Based in Hilo, HICC’s members are nearly 300 businesses, professional organizations and individuals statewide with more than 700 employees who we consider member representatives.

Our History :

The Chamber started from an idea of Dr. Philip Rice’s that there be a businessmen’s club in Hilo. The idea of a club was abandoned in favor of a Chamber of Commerce. Rice served as Chairman.

Perhaps the Chamber languished for a couple years, because the Hawaii Herald again reported on March 19, 1904 “Hilo is to have a Chamber of Commerce composed of representative businessmen and through them the needs of Hilo may be presented to the Federal and Territorial governments (Hawai‘i was a U.S. Territory until l959).

A new name was selected for the organization, the newspaper reported a few days later—the Board of Trade, with Dr. John Holland as the prime mover.

The organization took strong positions, such as for the breakwater in 1904, and applauded the establishment of County governments in 1905.

Still as the Board of Trade, in 1912, the Chamber called for incorporation of Hilo, and in 1913, supported creation of a national park around Kilauea Volcano. In 1916, it supported a Federal Building for Hilo, which was completed the next year.

In the early 1930s, when Hilo had about 13,000 residents and Hawai‘i Island’s population was about 77,000, the organization had 170 members.

In 1948, the name was changed again, this time to what it remains today, the Hawai‘i Island Chamber of Commerce.

Our Office :

1321 Kinoole St,
Hilo, HI 96720