Chapter 5-Kauai's Industries

The County of Kauai has five major industries that help the island flourish.  The leading industry is tourism.  Although Kauai is ranked fourth amongst the Hawaiian Islands for total visitor arrivals a year, tourism contributes a considerable percentage to the county’s income.  The top two employers in the county are the Grand Hyatt Resort and the Marriot Resort. Because Kauai is an ideal getaway location, it draws enthusiasts from all over the world.  The county offers a range of locations from upscale and prestige to more family affordable.  In fact, in 2003 and 2004, Kauai was named the #1 Hawaiian Island by Time and Leisure Magazine.  Convenience, beauty and easy to navigate, no wonder tourism is undoubtedly the largest industry on the Garden Isle. 

Technology and defense play an important role in Kauai’s economy with the West Kauai Technology & Visitor Center (WKTVC) and the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF).  The development of the West Kauai Tech Center began in September 1992, immediately following devastating Hurricane Iniki, in an effort to rejuvenate and expand Kauai’s economy, specifically in the fields of science, technology, and agribusiness.  Currently, the two-phase WKTVC facility has nine offices, a visitor center and a video-teleconferencing room.  Completed in February 1999, the 7,500 square foot WKTVC today provides a home for high-tech industry on West Kauai, as well as a Visitor Center designed to appeal to island visitors and residents with cultural programs, walking tours, exhibits, demonstrations and internet access. Exhibits and displays are centered on the theme of “Enduring Engineering,” bridging ancient Hawaiian cultural and traditional practices.

Pacific Missile Range Facility

Further west at Barking Sands, the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) is the world’s largest instrumented multi-environment range facility for supporting, testing and training battle operations and national defense objectives for the Department of Defense and other government agencies.  PMRF provides fleet training for the U.S. Navy and the navies of allied nations and plays a significant role in the testing and evaluation of future systems, including the AEGIS ballistic missile defense system.  PMRF is one of Kauai’s largest employers with nearly 1,000 active duty Navy, government, civil service and contract civilians, and Hawaii Air National Guard members.  An active participant in the community, PMRF participates in the Mayor’s Adopt a School program, and is actively engaged in math and science programs and facility upgrade projects. PMRF is also the largest business contributor to the Kauai Food Bank and many of its employees serve as sports program coaches and mentors for Kauai’s youth.

It is no surprise that agriculture is a top leading industry in the county.  With year round conditions for growing, farmers and gardeners have all the opportunities to produce exotic fruits and flowers.  Kauai’s number one crop is seed corn, which is grown and exported to the United States mainland.  Coffee is also an important business with the Kauai Coffee Company being the largest estate.  There are over 3,400 acres dedicated to the production of over 3.5 million pounds of coffee a year.  Sugar was the leading crop for over 150 years but now is grown commercially in only two locations.  Kauai has the perfect climate and resources to support a thriving agricultural industry.