Once a small lumber milling company (then known as Hawaii Planning Mill) today it has grown into a diversified, multi-branch building supplier. Presently the company has three sales facilities and a manufacturing plant on the island and a support facility located on Oahu.

In the early nineties as the company sought to improve its efficiencies, a search for a more flexible computer system led to a unique association with Advantage Business Computer Systems. At that time HPM was seeking a 4th generation system that utilized a relational database that would take the company into the next century. Thus HPM became the first and original ABCS client to utilize the current database version and pioneered many of the innovations in use today.

The partnership between HPM and ABCS has been a good one. HPM is an innovator and believer in the application of technology in its business. An early user of email it was through HPM that "Message Manager" became a standard part of the application package. A close collaboration between ABCS Chairman Greg Matatall, HPM's President Mike Fujiomoto and their Vice President of Operations, Rian Lau, has existed through the years. Working with ABCS the company piloted the initial multibranch software features.

HPM was also the first user to go live on the "quad-proces- sor" computer and the initiator of the frame-relay network now in use at many ABCS customer sites. Rian Lau summarized the relationship between HPM and ABCS as follows, "We believe Advantage has provided HPM a competitive edge required to compete in today's tough business environment. In addition to their outstanding technology, few vendors, if any, can match the level of personal commitment and enthusiasm that Mr. Matatall and his team exhibit towards being a part of our continued success. We continue to look for- ward to growing with ABCS into the next century."