Lance Parker, A&B’s chief real estate officer, recently sat down with Pacific Business News to share his thoughts about the company’s growth as a Hawaii-focused commercial real estate company.

The interview was published in the Oct. 18 edition of Pacific Business News. Here are some highlights from the article, which is only available to the paper’s subscribers:

  • Parker described how A&B’s relationships in the local real estate industry are an essential part of the company’s success:

“As we all know, Hawaii is extremely relationship driven,” said Parker, who came home to Hawaii to join A&B 15 years ago after working in California and was promoted to his current position last year after serving as president of A&B Properties since 2015. “The real estate industry is extremely relationship driven, and so, we try to maintain those relationships consistently and constantly … In every case, we had existing relationships with the sellers.”

  • Parker also described A&B’s efforts to invest in retail space in Hawaii, the company’s redevelopment of the old Kailua Macy’s building into the new Lau Hala Shops, and the planned $18 million refresh of Aikahi Park Shopping Center.
  • When asked if A&B has a preference for national or local tenants, Parker expressed the company’s support of businesses from Hawaii, saying:

“All things being equal, we’d certainly have a bias toward local. We certainly encourage small, local businesses.”