Bay Area is beachhead in soy sauce maker's plan

Bay Area is beachhead in soy sauce maker's plan
Aloha Shoyu has distribution deals to back its big ideas
San Francisco Business Times - by Tony C. Yang
May 30, 2008

Brian Tanigawa was a trained pharmacist with 20 years of experience.

Now he's a third-generation soy sauce salesman, as president of Aloha Shoyu, writing a new prescription for change at the 62-year-old company.

"Shoyu -- soy sauce -- was something I grew up with," said Tanigawa. "I'm proud to represent my family line in the company."

In recent years, the Hawaii-based soy sauce maker has diversified its product line, stepped up marketing and established a manufacturing beachhead in Hayward, in an aggressive effort to sell its island flavors on the mainland. Going from being the dominant brand in Hawaii to an upstart on the mainland hasn't been easy, but it has been an exciting time, said Tanigawa.

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