Peter Dames, president and CEO of Servco Pacific Inc., has been on the job for just under two years now.
"It’s been a whirlwind — exciting, humbling and full of learning," he recently told Aloha State Daily in an emailed response to questions. "I was never really a person who wanted to be in the spotlight and enjoyed putting my head down and getting things done. Now, I’m in a role that puts me out front, and it’s stretched me in the best ways.
Servco was founded in 1919 when Peter Fukunaga bought Henry Voss' Hale‘iwa Garage for $1,500. In 1921, it merged with two other operations and incorporated into Waialua Garage Co., a history on the company's site notes.
Many people today know the Servco name through their car dealerships in Hawai‘i, but the company has diversified over the past 100-plus years.
Servco has exclusive distributorships of Toyota, Lexus and Subaru in the Islands and is the largest Toyota dealership group in Australia.
But if you're in the market to make some music, Servco can help with that, too. Its musical instrument businesses include Fender Musical Instruments Corp., the Fender Play app and PreSonus, a music technology company.
Servco also is an investor in Hui Car Share, hydrogen-based mobility solutions and musical instrument manufacturer Roland Corp.
And earlier this year it was one of two investors who partnered to acquire Reverb — an online marketplace where you can buy and sell new, used and vintage musical instruments — from Etsy. That deal closed in June.
Dames, who had been executive vice president, assumed his role as president and CEO in late 2023. Then-CEO Mark Fukunaga, founder Peter Fukunaga's grandson, transitioned to executive chair of the board.
In May, the company was recognized as a U.S. Best Managed Company for the sixth consecutive year. That program is sponsored by Deloitte Private and The Wall Street Journal.
ASD spoke with Dames about his work at Servco, challenges the company currently faces, what's on the horizon — and more.
For his part, Dames says he's a "California kid turned global citizen," thanks in part to a degree in Japanese studies and a career that has taken him from Toyota Japan to Europe and, now, Hawai‘i.
"During my time in Japan, I had the opportunity to work with the Fukunaga family, which led to my involvement on Servco’s board of directors and eventually joining the company in 2018," he told ASD.
Dames is a self-proclaimed life-long music nerd, percussionist and bassist who says he still gets excited about gear talk. Outside of work, though, he says he finds joy in "giving back through causes tied to music, youth leadership, cultural exchange and technology."
Stepping into his role, Dames says his priority was to continue to earn trust.
"Any leadership change can be tricky, and being the first non-family member to lead a family-founded company meant listening deeply, respecting legacy and building bridges," he says. "Thankfully, the Fukunaga family and our team members welcomed me with open arms and shared wisdom — including four family members who are active in the business."
On a day-to-day basis, Dames says he's "driving the company vision forward, setting us up for long-term growth and success."
"As a centennial company, it’s my mission to continue the Fukunaga family’s vision and legacy, maintain the values that got us here and bring Servco into its next 100 years and beyond."
Servco, he says, "continues to grow in these uncertain times and we've got a great team — not only in Hawai‘i, but across the world — that fuels that growth."
Tell us about the challenges with business today and any hurdles Servco might currently face. What’s the company’s current business landscape like?
Macroeconomic challenges like high interest rates, inventory shortages and inflation are real. But Servco’s strength has always been adaptability — we’ve shifted across industries over 100 years and we’ll do it again. It’s all about listening to our customers and evolving with the world around us.
Looking ahead, what’s your goal for the next year?
We’re writing Servco’s next chapter — one where mobility, music and meaningful investments come together to shape our future. My goal is to lead with curiosity, scale our impact globally and root everything we do in our core values of respect, service, teamwork and innovation.
The message of “think global, act local” has really resonated with me — meaning we have an innovation and growth mindset, but we never forget where we came from and those who helped us get there.
What else is on the near-term horizon for Servco?
We’re reimagining how we do business to continue competing in the market and to stay ahead of the latest consumer trends. Additionally, we strive to provide excellent customer service, which starts with our team members. With an award-winning company culture, we will continue investing in Team Servco so they can show that same care to the communities we serve.
What’s something that people never ask about, but you wish they would — and what’s your response?
Not many know that while we’re rooted in Hawai‘i, we have a hand in shaping music culture around the world with Fender. And, last month, we became co-owners of Reverb, the world’s largest online used music gear marketplace — an exciting leap from our beginnings as a two-car garage in Waialua!
While we remain humble and focused on Hawaiʻi, we want to start telling that story more going forward; highlighting the many business areas and markets we operate in, how we can bring that investment and expertise back to Hawaiʻi, and the many incredible team members that make it all possible.
What role do you think Servco plays in the community?
Service is not only part of our name, but also in our DNA. It’s never lost on me that our success is because of the communities around us. Giving back is our way of saying thank you to those that have supported us for over 100 years.
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Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
