Theo H. Davies & Co.

Theo H. Davies & Co. is a company that was one of the Big Five trading and agricultural companies in the Territory of Hawaii.

Starkey, Janion, & Co. was a trading company founded in Liverpool in April 1845 by Englishmen James and John Starkey and Robert Cheshire Janion. Janion arrived in Honolulu in August, selling the first boat-load of merchandise. Janion acquired a building in a prime location on the Honolulu Harbor after the firm of Ladd & Co. went out of business, and some of the last undeveloped land that was part of the claim of former British Consul Richard Charlton. The Starkey brothers bought more goods in England, where they were traded with Hawaiian exports and gold. After the California Gold Rush their business soon expanded to include their own fleet of ships, and selling insurance as the local agent for Lloyd's of London.

In 1849 another Briton William Lowthian Green was hired, and when the Starkey brothers pulled out in 1851, the name was changed to Janion & Co. In 1857, Welshman Theophilus Harris Davies arrived in Hawaii and joined the company as a clerk for Green. In 1859 Green became a partner. Davies worked his way up in the company, but left when his contract expired in 1862. In 1863 Davies returned to work as an agent for a sugarcane plantation, but left again when his contract expired in 1866. In 1867 Janion & Green were in financial trouble, and Davies was brought in to reorganize. Davies and Janion formed a new partnership in 1871.

Davies raised capital in London and invested in plantations on the island of Hawaiʻi. In 1875 he refinanced the Honolulu Iron Works and hired Alexander Young. He would partner with Young in a number of future businesses. Davies took full control of the company after Janion died in 1881, and incorporated his growing interests in the sugar industry. The business expanded to add departments for steamship agents, grocery stores, dry goods, and hardware. Under the laws of the Provisional Government of Hawaii, it became Theo. H. Davies & Co., Ltd. in January, 1894.

...
Wikipedia