Toby Taniguchi is the yonsei of his family’s company on the Big Island of Hawai’i. That is, he is the fourth generation to lead the business, Puna Plantation Hawaii Ltd., based in Hilo.
The company comprises businesses including six KTA Super Stores, KTA Express, five KTA Pharmacy locations and K. Takata Store, which Puna Plantation acquired in September.
Puna Plantation’s origins stretch back more than 100 years to 1916, when Toby’s great-grandfather, Koichi Taniguchi, opened a 500-square-foot grocery and dry goods store, K. Taniguchi Shoten, in Waiakea Town.
Toby Taniguchi with KTA Super Stores
In each subsequent generation, the eldest son has taken the helm. Toby Taniguchi has served as president of Puna Plantation for 10 years and now also serves as CEO.
“In an Asian family, the eldest gets charged with a lot of stuff. That’s how I tell people I got my job, because it’s certainly not my smarts or anything,” quips Taniguchi, who is of Japanese and Filipino heritage.
His great-grandfather was born in Hatsukaichi, Japan, in the prefecture of Hiroshima. In the early 1900s, Koichi got on a ship with plans of going to California, leaving wife Taniyo behind until he could get settled. But he got off the ship on Oahu to visit a cousin in Honolulu, and immigration controls prevented him from going any farther.
He studied bookkeeping in Hilo and went to work for a wholesaler. He sent for Taniyo to join him, and in early 1916, with their first son due soon, they opened the store. Their son, Yukiwo, later known affectionately as “Mr. Y,” would go on to become father to Barry Taniguchi, Toby’s late father.
Through the generations, as the company has grown, the family’s commitment to supporting its communities has only gotten stronger.
“There’s a Japanese saying, okage sama de, which literally translates into, ‘I am what I am because of you.’ Our company takes that very seriously. We are what we are because of our community, and because of that we thank and honor our community,” Taniguchi said.
Reflect company’s heart
Taniguchi was quick to point out that the company’s team members share in the corporate heart of serving others.
“We have a lot of associates who give of themselves and of their time to the local community, and I am particularly proud of that. It’s more than just lip service; they show up, they volunteer their time, talents and treasure to various organizations, and they often do that unrecognized by others,” he said.
They support the efforts of The American Cancer Society, The Food Basket (Hawaii Island’s food bank) and Mental Health Kokua (a behavioral health agency), among others.
“It just humbles me to know that they give so much of themselves outside of work,” he said.
Taniguchi also commended the community service of KTA’s pharmacy team led by its director, Megan Arbles.
Beyond meeting health needs through the pharmacies, Arbles and her team offer a unique service – they go outside the stores to places like businesses, respite homes and elderly residences to administer vaccines for illnesses such as the flu and COVID. This service is especially invaluable for elderly people who may have difficulty traveling.
Arbles has received recognition from the state and various agencies for her team’s efforts.
Time to come home
Taniguchi was not a shoo-in to join the family business. He says he had a chip on his shoulder as a teenager, realizing there would be added pressures working there: “You’ve got to put in 110 percent; all eyes are on you. You’ve got to be the first one to get there and the last to leave.”
So he worked at a restaurant instead. He started as a busboy, worked up to waiting tables and then worked a few months behind the bar as a bar-back before going to the University of Portland in Oregon.
He worked in the grocery business at Fred Meyer for a short season after graduating from college in 1994, then worked in construction. After a breakup with a girlfriend, Taniguchi wrote to his dad, Barry, and asked if there might be a position for him at KTA. His dad’s response was immediate: “Of course.”
Toby and Barry Taniguchi
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Toby Taniguchi is the yonsei of his family’s company on the Big Island of Hawai’i. That is, he is the fourth generation to lead the business, Puna Plantation Hawaii Ltd., based in Hilo.