Two leading businessmen and a major construction company will be inducted into the Guam Chamber of Commerce’s Guam Business Hall of Fame on April 24.
The chamber announced on March 16 that Eduardo G. Camacho and Alfred C. Ysrael are its 2004 laureates and Black Construction Corp. is the chamber’s 2004 business laureate.
Eduardo Garcia Camacho is the founder of Pacific Financial Corp. — a local finance company now known as PFC — and founding director and partial owner of Pacific International Co. Inc. Camacho held the position of president and chief executive officer of PFC from 1976 until his retirement in 2001. He was a founding director and part owner of Gibson’s Department Store; Pacific Motors Corp.; Pacific International Marianas Islands; and Pacific Marshall Inc. He is chairman of Pacific Human Resource Services Inc.; co-founder of Citizens Security Bank; co-owner and co-developer of Flora Pago Condominiums; chairman and co-developer of RUMC Inc. dba Compadres Mall and Tonko Reyes Inc. Commercial Complex; and investor in RUCR Texas Co. Inc.
Through Tumon Bay Rotary Club Camacho was founding chairman of Guam Crime Stopper Inc. He has been a member of numerous civic and religious organizations. Offices include fundraising co-chairman and director Guam Heart Association; director Guam Cancer Society; secretary vice president and president Rotary Club of Tumon Bay; member of the Guam Boxing Commission member of the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission and past chairman of the School of Business & Public Administration Advisory Board of the University of Guam. He served as a board director Guam Chamber of Commerce member Government of Guam Board of Education; member Civilian Advisory Council Andersen Air Force Base; and member of the government of Guam Banking Board.
Among Camacho’s awards over the years are Who’s Who in Finance Who’s Who in the World Five Thousand Personalities of the World Rotary International “Key Man” Award and the Paul Harris Fellow Award. Camacho is married to the former Irene Walters and has seven children.
Alfred Curie Ysrael is a long-time real estate developer and vice speaker of the 13th Guam Legislature. He is founder and chairman of Tanota Partners real estate development company.
Born and raised in the Philippines Ysrael came to Guam in 1951 two weeks after graduating from college under a three-year contract to work as an accountant in the bowling alley operations at Andersen Air Force Base. Shortly after his contract tenure at Andersen Air Force Base Ysrael purchased six surplus second-hand bowling alley lanes from the Navy and built the first civilian bowling establishment inside a giant Quonset hut in Anigua called the Guam Bowling Complex. He was later instrumental in the organization and construction of the Royal Lanes Bowling Alley in Tamuning.
Ysrael later moved into real estate establishing Guam’s first children’s specialty shop in 1960 Diana’s which eventually became a five-store retail complex. He pioneered the development of multidwelling housing rental projects with the establishment of the first apartment complex in 1963 Latte Apartments. Ysrael later went on to develop and own hundreds of apartment units around the island. In 1967 Ysrael purchased his first parcel of land in Tumon and in 1968 constructed Guam’s first hotel the Fujita Hotel.
In 1971 with Kenneth T. Jones Jr. president of Jones & Guerrero Co. and Edward M. Calvo first vice president of Calvo Enterprises Inc. Ysrael built the Hilton Guam. Today he is the only one of the three original investors that still retains stock. Other hotel properties built by Ysrael include the Sunroute (Ohana Oceanview) Hotel in 1987 and the Guam Regency (Ohana Bayview) Hotel in 1989. In the 1990s through affiliated companies Ysrael developed the Sirena Plaza Office Building the Bel Air Apartment Complex and the first private medical building the Guam Medical Plaza. Tanota Partners’ largest project so far is the Outrigger Guam Resort and The Plaza which opened in 1999.Ysrael gives much of the credit for that project to his children Michael and Donna who manage the family business.
Ysrael’s civic leadership roles include serving two terms on the Guam Board of Education in the early 1970s. He then served two terms in the Guam Legislature ranking the fifth highest elected senator in the 12th Guam Legislature and vice speaker in the 13th Guam Legislature. He was one of the most prolific creators of laws with 20 initiatives passed during his tenure especially in the area of education.
Black Construction Corp. established in 1958 is Guam’s largest contractor and one of the most experienced construction companies in the Western Pacific. Black Construction has a long and multi-disciplined engineering and management history throughout Micronesia.
Recent major construction projects include the Palau National Capitol Relocation 2003; the FEMA Islandwide Emergency Power Restoration Project in Guam 2003; Traffic Management Center and Signal Modernization in Guam 2003; the Yap Weather Station 2003; the Ulithi Runway Improvements and Terminal Building Project 2000; the Weather Forecast Station for the National Weather Service in Tiyan 2000.
Other projects include Two Lovers’ Point Guam 1999; Earthquake Damage Repair and Modification at PAG Wharf Berth F-3 to F-6 1998; Renovation and Addition to the Robert F. Kennedy Library/Construction of Computer Center University of Guam 1993; Mangilao Golf Course Clubhouse and Earthworks 1992; Sandcastle Theatre Complex 1992; Bachelor Officers and Enlisted Personnel Housing Quarters Increment I Camp Covington Guam 1989; the Nanpil River Hydropower Plant Phonpei 1988; and the Pacific Islands Club Guam New Reception Building; Recreational Facility 1987.
The laureates are to be inducted during the chamber’s black tie 80th anniversary gala on April 24 at the Hyatt Regency Guam.
Program highlights for the 80th celebration include the induction of the individual and business laureates with a video presentation commemorating the accomplishments of each laureate; and presentation of symbolic awards to 22 chamber members celebrating more than 20 years of doing business in Guam.
Member anniversaries include Atkins Kroll Inc. 90 years Island Equipment Co. and Radhi’s 55 years Pacific Machinery Hanson Permanente Cement and Kloppenburg Enterprises 45 years; Pacific Security Alarm Inc. Guam Dai-Ichi Hotel and Citibank 35 years; Ross Hearing Aids Ambyth Shipping & Trading Glimpses of Guam Inc. and Inter-Island Communications Inc. 30 years. Other anniversaries include Guam Fast Foods Inc. Louis Vuitton Guam Inc.; Unity Development Corp.; and Matson Navigation Co. 25 years; and Melscot Adventure Pacific Western Enterprises Inc. Shooting Star Productions Triple J Enterprises and Western Sales Trading Co. 20 years.
For ticket reservations for the gala contact the chamber at 472-6311/8001 or by e-mail to [email protected] MBJ
