Our History

Founded in 1902 by Walter F. Dillingham, Hawaiian Dredging Construction Company, Inc. is the oldest and largest full-service general contractor in the State of Hawaii. Some of Hawaiian Dredging’s early projects included dredging the entrance to Pearl Harbor, constructing the Ala Wai Canal and the development of much of Honolulu’s waterfront—over 5,000 acres—from Honolulu Harbor to Waikiki.

In addition to its dredging and waterfront activities Hawaiian Dredging constructed some landmark projects that include Honolulu’s King Kalakaua Building (Main Post Office) and the Honolulu Museum of Art (fka Honolulu Academy of Arts) both of which are included in the National Registry of Historic Places.

By 1930, Hawaiian Dredging had completed construction of the Ala Wai Canal and went on to construct much of Pearl Harbor’s waterfront facilities that included dry docks and the related infrastructure to service the nation’s largest military vessels.

Following World War II, Hawaiian Dredging and Hawaiian Contracting merged to become Hawaiian Dredging Construction, Ltd and went on to build much of the roads and highways for the then territory of Hawaii. The thirty-year string of major accomplishments was capped off with the completion of Phase I of the Ala Moana Shopping Center, billed as the largest open air shopping center in the world.

The next four decades for Hawaiian Dredging began with the completion of two five-star hotels, the Four Seasons Wailea Hotel in Maui and the Hawaii Prince Hotel in Waikiki. By the end of 1991 the company had also completed the Fairmont Orchid (formerly known as the Ritz Carlton Mauna Lani) and Lanai’s Manele Bay Hotel. Then, in the same year, Hawaiian Dredging commenced work on the Halawa side of the tunnel for the long-awaited H-3 Freeway.

In a partnership that would lead to a long relationship, Hawaiian Dredging served as the prime contractor for Kajima Construction Services in completing the five-star luxury resort, Hualalai, on the Big Island.

The relationship that began as Hawaiian Dredging and Kajima Construction Services worked together to build the Hualalai Resort in 1996 resulted in Hawaiian Dredging Construction Company, Inc. becoming a subsidiary of Kajima USA a relationship that has proved to be an asset to both entities.

By 2005, Hawaiian Dredging had gone on to complete the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine in Kakaako and major civic projects including the General Purpose Apron & ASAP Building at Maui’s Kahalui Airport, the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor Floating Docks, and the Kealakaha Stream Bridge replacement on the island of Hawaii before constructing the unmistakable twin towers of the Moana Pacific residential condominium.

Consistently ranked at the top of Building Industry Magazine’s annual list of the Top 25 Contractors in the State of Hawaii, Hawaiian Dredging has played an integral role in the development of Hawaii’s economy and infrastructure, and in improving the quality of life for our island communities.

Our diverse portfolio includes the construction of shopping centers, hospitals and medical facilities, State highways and bridges, major hotels and resorts, military housing and defense facilities, industrial parks and power plants, high-rise condominiums, airport and waterfront improvements, and other major county and state improvement projects.