Acquisition brings ownership of Ameron back to Hawaii

Pohaku Pa’a LLC, led by local investor Bill Mills, has acquired concrete suppliers Ameron Hawaii and Island Ready-Mix Concrete Inc.

Both companies were sold by California-based Ameron International Corp. Purchase prices weren’t disclosed for the transactions, which closed Tuesday.

With the acquisition, the more than century-old Ameron Hawaii returns to local ownership.

"Ameron is a well-known and highly regarded name in the islands, and I’m pleased to be able to bring ownership and control of this well established company back to Hawaii," Mills, also the founder and chairman of local developer The Mills Group, said in a press release. "There will be no changes in current management or employees, and all operating and management decisions will now be made locally."

Wade Wakayama will continue to serve as president and CEO of Ameron Hawaii, which has more than 250 employees. Francis "Shorty" Kuhn will continue to be in charge of operations for Island Ready-Mix.

Ameron manufactures and supplies aggregates and ready-mix concrete on Oahu and Maui. Island Ready-Mix is an Oahu-based supplier of concrete, servicing an array of residential, commercial, industrial and small do-it-yourself projects.