Native Hawaiian wins national business honor

Kaleo Nawahine has been named National Minority Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Nawahine, president of Performance Systems Inc., with operations in Washington and Hawaii, was honored at today’s National 8(a) Training, Business Matchmaking and Awards event at the Carnegie Library in Wash., D.C.

Nawahine’s company is an 8(a) and HUBZone-certified general contractor.

Also recognized, with an 8(a) Graduate Firm of the Year Award, was Curt Koutelas, president and founder of Arrowhead Contracting Inc., of Kansas.