A 73-year-old Honolulu man won $10,000 after his suggested new name for a beef brand in dispute was selected from more than 5,000 entries submitted by 2,145 Hawaii residents, according to a news release from the brand’s owner.
Dennis Suzuki’s suggestion of “Kama ‘Aina Ranches” was the winning entry, which earned him $10,000. Several contestants suggested various versions containing the words “Kama ‘Aina,” but Suzuki was the first to suggest it and won, according to the company.
The top 100 runners-up received a $20 gift card to Kua ‘Aina Sandwich Shop in Haleiwa.
Frank VanderSloot, owner of Honolulu Meat Co. LLC, was facing a lawsuit alleging trademark infringement and unfair competition filed by Kua ‘Aina Sandwich Shop over the name of his beef brand, which incorporated Kua ‘Aina.
VanderSloot’s company, Hawaii Sustainable Beef, and Kua ‘Aina’s owner Terry Thompson, who founded Kua ‘Aina Sandwich Shop in 1975 and registered its trademark in 1992, agreed that a contest open to Hawaii residents to find a brand name to represent the meat raised by over 140 small cattle ranches in Hawaii was better than a legal fight.
Suzuki, a “three-time retiree” who now works as the local representative for a company that markets dehumidifiers, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser in an interview that he came across VanderSloot’s name while researching agriculture business owners in Hawaii.
Suzuki, who believes grain should be grown in large quantities on every island to improve food security and create jobs, is sharing his ideas with private businesses and county, state and federal agencies.
He said he read media reports about the beef between the Haleiwa sandwich shop and VanderSloot’s company and decided to enter the contest.
“I worked hard on it, you know. I’m not Hawaiian, yeah, I’m Japanese. But when I heard about it (the contest), I had to make ’em so it’s local and people understand,” said Suzuki. “To me, if I never win, that’s OK. I never meet this guy VanderSloot, but … I can help him, I’m in marketing.”
Kama ‘Aina Ranches brand beef will be sold exclusively through Safeway, according to the release.
“It was interesting to hear Terry’s side of the story,” said VanderSloot in a statement. “His attorneys were telling him that he would win the trademark dispute in court. My attorneys were telling me that I would win in court. The attorneys did not want us to talk to each other. But in the end that was the solution. Sometimes, you’ve got to get the attorneys out of the way so you can make friends and fix things. Life is too short to make enemies. Making friends is a lot less stressful and a lot more fun!”
VanderSloot and Thompson recently lunched together at Kua ‘Aina in Haleiwa, according to the company. The contest ran Jan. 18-25. The names of the 100 runners-up can be viewed at www.namethebeef.com.
