Communications-Pacific,
Inc. (CommPac) was founded in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1969 by Bobbye
Hughes McDermott. Bobbye’s first client was the Honolulu
Gas Company, a company that remained a CommPac client through 26
years and three ownership changes. Over the years, however, Bobbye
built an extraordinary travel marketing firm that represented many
of the top travel industry companies in Hawaii. In the late 1970s
Bobbye left the business to travel full time with her husband,
John McDermott, and to write the highly successful series of “Lost & Found” travel
books. She sold CommPac to her close friend Bill Cook, a well respected
journalist and public relations professional. Bobbye stayed in
touch with CommPac through the years. She returned to serve as
a senior consultant in the travel marketing division during the
late 1980s, and she was the guest of honor at the company’s
30th anniversary celebration in 1999. Bobbye passed away in 2000.
During
the years that Bill Cook ran CommPac, the company grew steadily
and
added many corporate clients. Patti Cook, a well respected
businesswoman and public relations professional, joined her husband
in building the company and providing top-quality service to CommPac’s
clients. In the early 1980s, Bill and Patti retired to live on
the Big Island of Hawaii. They sold the company to Clif Kagawa
and Rick Zwern. Bill Cook passed away in 2001. Patti continues
to live on the Big Island where she operates a charming gift shop
known as “Cook’s Discoveries” in Waimea.
When
they took over the company, Clif Kagawa and Rick Zwern were CommPac’s youngest owners, and they brought tremendous entrepreneurial
energy to the company during the economic boom years of the mid-1980s
to early 1990s. Under their leadership, CommPac became the largest
public relations and marketing firm in Hawaii. They formed an associate
relationship with one of the world’s largest public relations
firms, Hill & Knowlton, and eventually sold CommPac to Hill & Knowlton
in a deal that closed in 1993. Clif went on to manage Hill & Knowlton’s
operations in Asia, and Rick, after a one-year sabbatical, became
the international training director for Hill & Knowlton. Both
Clif and Rick have maintained a friendly relationship with CommPac
and frequently stop by the office. Rick also provides regular training
seminars for the CommPac staff.
While
Hill & Knowlton owned and operated CommPac, from 1993
until 1998, the company was known as Hill & Knowlton Hawaii.
Like many businesses in Hawaii, CommPac downsized dramatically
during the early to mid-1990s when Hawaii’s economy was among
the weakest in the nation. In 1995, Hill & Knowlton recruited
Kitty Lagareta to manage its Hawaii office. Kitty had worked for
Clif and Rick at CommPac from 1986 until 1994. She left the company
to pursue her own entrepreneurial efforts. Kitty was one of the
founders of Hawaii Online, the state’s oldest and for years
its largest Internet service provider (ISP). In 1995, Kitty and
her partners sold Hawaii Online to a telecommunications company,
and Kitty accepted the opportunity to manage Hill & Knowlton
Hawaii.
In
1998, Kitty successfully negotiated the purchase of the Hawaii
office from
Hill & Knowlton. She reinstated the original name
of the company - Communications-Pacific, Inc. - and
brought in another equity partner, Alan Hoffman, who serves as
company president. Together, Kitty and Al have built a team of
first-class public relations and marketing professionals, doubled
the size of the company, and tripled company revenues by providing
outstanding counsel and service to many of Hawaii’s top companies
and organizations.
In
2002, CommPac became a full-service integrated communications
company when
it created two new divisions, CP Interactive (in February)
and CP Advertising (in June). CP Interactive offers clients a full
range of Web development and interactive marketing services that
are an excellent complement to CommPac’s other services.
CP Advertising is a full-service advertising agency, providing
account management, creative and media services. Both divisions
include a number of highly talented individuals with proven track
records of achieving exceptional business results, and both have
moved rapidly to become serious competitors in their respective
industries.
Today,
CommPac is a one-stop communications shop, where public relations,
advertising
and interactive communications specialists
work together to solve problems and seize opportunities for our
clients. The CommPac team is exceedingly proud to carry on the
top quality work and dedication to client service that have been
the company’s signature since 1969.
|
