Industrial & Engineering Technology: Automotive Specialist
Industrial & Engineering Technology
Automotive Specialist: Travis Higa
Travis Higa was 16 when he fell in love for the first time...with cars. "Growing up, we would eat, sleep, and breathe cars," he fondly recalls. Higa now owns and operates Hyper Sports Racing. "If not for this, I have no idea what I would be doing!"
First Love
As a high school senior, Higa spent endless hours experimenting on cars out of his parents' garage. "My parents were very supportive…I can't even count the hours we spent there." At one time, his personal car was on the shelf for 6 months due to all the modifications.
Neutral Gear
Higa graduated Mililani High School in 1989. When he enrolled at Leeward Community College, did he have any career goals in mind? Nope — his gears were still in neutral. "I was at a point where it was either continuing on through college or opening a business. Most of the time, we would cut class and work on cars anyway." After 3 years in pursuit of a liberal arts degree, he succumbed to his love of cars, dedicating his life to what was near and dear to his heart.
Tinkering to His Heart's Content
He now tinkers to his heart's content, creating a magic of sorts in a heavily cluttered garage, filled with tools and machinery, such as a dynojet used to diagnosis drivability. Higa's road to opening Hyper Sports in 1994 wasn't all that straight and smooth. The opportunity opened up after several jobs, the first of which was pumping gas at the Union 76 in Waipahu and Wahiawa when he was still in high school. This humble beginning was where the car enthusiast got exposed to the nuts and bolts of the automotive industry.
The Road To Becoming His Own Boss
By the time Higa turned 20, he was repairing motorcycles as a technician at Suzuki Cycle Sports. A year went by, before he secured a position as a mechanic at the Sears automotive department. It was a good move. The job thoroughly prepared him for his future business endeavors. Five years after graduating high school, Higa opened Hyper Sports with his friend Donovan Mochizuki. Together, they envisioned a speed shop specializing in everything from accessories, aerodynamics, and engine, to wheels and tires. "Donovan and I became friends right after high school through motorcycles." While Higa concentrated on all of the mechanical work, his partner took care of the business aspect.
Barely Making It
So many responsibilities come with owning a business, it would be nice if it came with a step-by-step instruction manual. Says Higa, "A lot of what we do here, we have to learn from experience. We barely made anything our first 4 years in business." However, passion and vision enabled him to laugh in the face of adversity, and good friends always led him to see the brighter side of things. In 2000, the automotive specialist was forced to learn the logistics behind running the business when Mochizuki opted out of the partnership for a career at Bank of Hawaii. For Higa, "it was just another learning experience." The former partners are still good friends, with Mochizuki frequently checking up on the business they built together.
Thinking About Owning Your Own Biz Someday?
Higa recommends that you "just have a plan and make sure you know both sides of the business." He knows what it's like to live a tough dream and seeing it through to the very end. When the going got rough, he never gave up, and he has his 12-year business to show for it. Much of his lessons are still being learned through trial and error. Hyper Sports is open 6 days a week. This auto-loving entrepreneur puts in as much as 50 hours a week.
Sporting a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball cap, the 34-year-old Mililani native doesn't look a day beyond 23. Maybe, it's his "first love" that keeps his engine going and looking young…