Left to right, Barry Taniguchi, Larry Isemoto and Rose Tseng. Photo by John Oshima.

Isemoto Contracting Company recently donated $50,000 to UH Hilo. Chairman Larry Isemoto was inspired to give when he read in the newspaper that fellow local businessman Barry Taniguchi had established five new endowed faculty funds at the university on behalf of KTA Super Stores.

Isemoto said he knew the university’s most important goal in its current Centennial Campaign is to increase the size of its endowment. The generous gift will build an endowment for each of the university’s five degree-granting colleges: Arts and Sciences; Business and Economics; Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management; Hawaiian Language; and Pharmacy.

College deans will have discretion to use the funds for recruitment and retention of faculty.

“This gift will have a transforming impact on UH Hilo because it responds to two of the university’s highest priorities: building our endowment and investing in our faculty,” said Chancellor Tseng.

Founded in 1926, the Isemoto Contracting Company is headed by Larry Isemoto and Leslie Isemoto and regularly appears on Building Industry magazine’s “Top Ten” list in revenue generated by Hawai‘i contractors. The Hilo company has been involved in a number of construction projects over the years on the UH Hilo campus and is currently completing work on the new Student Life Center , set to open this fall.