Our Culture Of Aloha
Matson has served the Hawaiian Islands for more than 140 years with the spirit of “aloha.” More than a salutation, aloha is a mutual warmth shared by all. The respect and compassion our employees have for each other, their work, and their communities is the foundation of our business and drives our customer service. The aloha spirit flows across the company—cultivating an organization where morale is high, turnover is low, teamwork is championed, and gratitude is our attitude.
Our Roots in Hawaii
Matson’s primary business has always been moving freight between the U.S. West Coast and Hawaii. It started in 1882 when Captain William Matson sailed a three-masted schooner from San Francisco to Hilo carrying food, plantation supplies, and general merchandise. As commerce in Hawaii blossomed, tourists became attracted to the Islands’ pristine sandy beaches, agreeable climate, and welcoming culture. Matson pioneered Hawaii tourism, introducing mainland vacationers to the Islands with its world-class passenger ships and luxury Waikiki hotels from the 1930s through the 1950s. While we no longer carry visitors to the Islands, our container ships serve as a lifeline to the Pacific. We transport the necessary goods and supplies to sustain and fuel the economies of Hawaii, Guam, Alaska, and several South Pacific island communities. Our vessels carry everything from groceries, retail merchandise, apparel, and construction materials to vehicles, household goods, livestock, and consumer electronics.
Matson Logistics – Creativity at Work
Matson is more than containerships. We expand our supply chain’s reach through subsidiary Matson Logistics, which offers intermodal marketing, transportation brokerage (highway and rail), warehousing and distribution, and international supply chain services. Combining our employees’ creativity, logistics expertise, and the latest technology allows us to bring customized solutions to transport, distribute, and deliver the goods that drive the economy. Learn more about Matson Logistics and watch how we bring the world to customers.
Mahalo To Our Employees
Matson‘s employees drive the company’s success. We’ve developed several programs to show our gratitude and reward their extraordinary efforts.
Some Matson departments and subsidiaries have honors like Employee of the Year and Employee of the Month, which come with plaques and monetary gifts, or the Pineapple Award, which is presented for exceptional customer service. Employees can be nominated for the Mahalo Award, Anchor Award, and Bravo Zulu Award to recognize a job well done. Our Matson Celebrates program allows employees and managers to thank their colleagues for their incredible work by awarding points-based recognitions that can be redeemed for gift cards or merchandise. While there are many awards to present to high achievers, Matson’s most prestigious honor, the Presidential Award, recognizes outstanding performance far exceeding expectations. Winners are honored at Matson’s annual Presidential Awards dinner at The Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikiki. Honorees from the mainland are treated to a Hawaii vacation with a guest in conjunction with the annual awards dinner, while Hawaii-based winners receive a comparable trip to a mainland destination of their choice. How does a little fun in the sun sound?
Our Kokua
“One of the pillars of Matson’s corporate culture has been a long-standing tradition of community involvement based on a desire to improve the quality of life where we do business and where our employees live and work,” said Matt Cox, chairman and CEO of Matson, Inc.
That’s where “kokua” comes in. Kokua means help in the Hawaiian language, but more importantly helping others without expecting anything in return. The Matson Giving program supports many community needs through cash donations, in-kind services, and sponsorship support. We have a transportation and logistics scholarship program to increase our industry’s diversity. Our community clean-up programs partner with local non-profit groups to beautify inland and coastal areas in Hawaii, Guam, and Alaska. We amplify employee donations and volunteer time with the Matson Giving Matching Gift program. Matson employees regularly participate in blood drives, raise money for disaster relief, help their local food banks, and engage in other activities to strengthen their local communities.
Everyday Should Be Aloha Friday
Aloha shirts aren’t exclusive to Fridays in our halls, and we don’t keep our aloha spirit bottled up either! We often celebrate the work week with healthy fresh fruit baskets or the always popular pink donut boxes. Join us for monthly birthday celebrations with cake and ice cream, afternoon stretch breaks, anniversaries, baby showers, retirement parties, or any fun excuse to come together!
