Celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Business Anniversary Art and CEO Retirement Tributes
May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and we’re reminded of some incredible stories that we’ve had the privilege of commemorating. It was a pleasure to dive into the company histories and learn how the leaders’ cultural values and traditions became a part of their businesses. Each collage highlights career accomplishments and favorite memories.
The Japanese-American Nishimori family has a rich history of over 100 years in farming. Based in southern California, the brand grew into San Miguel Produce, and they wisely predicted the rise of fresh-cut greens. Their cornerstone brand, Cut N’ Clean Greens, was the first washed and ready to use cooking greens in a bag. The personalized tribute to founder Roy Nishimori reflects the company’s growth and his family’s history.
The artwork features 3D miniature produce and farming equipment among other 3D items including an airplane and LA Lakers basketball. Vibrant greens and landscape photography capture the essence of the farming. Vertical panels in the art reveal the precisely straight rows he was known for planting! The custom-built frame with red inner sides beautifully outlines the shape of the inner wooden structure from which the story flows.
The Imperial Thrift and Loan Association honored their retiring leader with a personalized gift. Enclosed in a glossy black frame with black side panels, the collage’s memorabilia all rests within a wooden structure, curved at the top, evoking a familiar shape within Japanese architecture. Many publications and headlines capture the company’s growth along with graphs, awards, and photos. 3D miniature flags for the US, California, and Japan ground the story and highlight the organization’s heritage.
The Tuxton story begins in 1963 when T.Y. Lam founded the world famous Chinese Ceramic Arts Import and Export Company and took over a government factory to expand the business. In 1989, The Lynn’s Group was formed, and as it expanded, offices opened in Hong Kong, China, and the US. With Lynn’s focusing on retail manufacturing, Tuxton China Inc. was formed to focus on the US foodservice industry. Tuxton quickly became a top supplier known for its dedication to excellence and its positive, humble attitude.
The collage features core values underneath the art’s focal point—an actual dish from their product line! Also check out the Tuxton logo’s black bowtie recreated in large-scale for the background. A company growth chart, cleverly depicted in stacked plates, rises upward. Product images line the base, and customers, such as IHOP and Applebees, are captured in flatware. Photos of staff events exude the vibrant work culture.
A wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung, HARMAN International is a global leader in connected car technology, lifestyle audio innovations, design analytics, cloud services and IT solutions. They presented a personalized tribute to their dynamic Indian-American leader, Dinesh Paliwal, upon retirement. The art reflects the company’s growth, notably through a timeline of mergers and acquisitions depicted across a cityscape, and company’s values, printed on an electric blue ribbon. 33 flags in the top border represent HARMAN locations worldwide. The bottom border shows the family of brands.
Paliwal received his master’s degree in engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology. He was named Fortune Magazine’s “Businessperson of the Year in 2014.” A miniature Taj Mahal along with several music-themed items, including a gramophone, adds 3-dimensional depth to the art. A 3D plane next to a globe underscores the company’s global reach.
We look forward to sharing more AAPI stories through commemorative art.