Thanksgiving at Hissho
As the summer swept by like a kite on steroids, we find ourselves in the midst of autumn with Christmas lights up outside already, the tree in place in our reception area, and bits of ornamentation around the office.  But before we dive headlong into Christmas, we paused  just long enough to give Thanksgiving its due.
Thanksgiving is my favorite time of year, mainly because it’s not fraught with pure commercialism.  It’s a time for reflection, and giving thought to what we have and appreciate the gifts given by God each and every day.  Thinking back on how Thanksgiving began, with the Pilgrims and Native American Indians coming together and sharing what they had, to create a meal to give thanks for all that had happened leading up to that moment.
It’s the same today, just in a different environment and over 500 years later.  That we can share, love, and laugh together are the things that make life meaningful.  We at Hissho are so grateful for our teams around the country who make us proud, our staff who share the same mission, and a CEO who leads by example.  We are truly blessed, and stopping to acknowledge this is paramount to our continuing success.
Each year we celebrate Thanksgiving by sharing a delicious meal together.  Some years we prepare everything ourselves, some years we have it catered, and for the past two, our generous CEO has treated us all.  This is so appreciated in that all we had to do was show up, eat up, and clean up.  Seems so simple until we remember who made it happen.  In pausing to give thanks to the ones who prepared it, the one who paid for it, and the teams who cleaned up, our gratefulness became boundless.
Thanksgiving is now in the rear view mirror, but should always be in the periphery.  We at Hissho hope yours was wonderful, and we’re sure it was if you had a platter of our delicious sushi to share.  If not, be sure to order your platters for the Christmas holidays and New Year’s.

 
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Hissho Sushi has once again been recognized as part of the 2016 Grant Thornton North Carolina 100® (NC100), which ranks the state’s largest private companies by revenue.  The complete list was released in the October issue of Business North Carolina and can be viewed at GrantThornton.com/NC100.
 
“We are honored to be included on this year’s Grant Thornton North Carolina 100® list,” said Philip Maung, CEO. “This award reaffirms our prominence in the marketplace and our commitment to the community.  We are proud to be recognized as one of the largest privately-held businesses in North Carolina.”
 
Hissho Sushi, headquartered in Charlotte NC, is a thriving sushi and Pan-Asian hot bar franchise which now has over 900 locations in 40 states.  Philip Maung, the CEO, came to the United States from Myanmar in 1989 with only $13 in his pocket, and started his sushi business in 1998.
Since 1984, the NC100 has ranked the state’s largest private companies by revenue in the mot recent fiscal year, based on data provided by the participants.
To view the complete 2016 list, visit GrantThorton.com/NC100
For more information on Hissho, visit  www.hisshosushi.com, or contact Andrea Lee at 704-926-3989 / and/ andrealee@40.87.96.138
About Grant Thornton North Carolina 100®
Since 1984, the Grant Thornton North Carolina 100® has ranked the state’s largest private companies by revenue in the most recent fiscal year, based on data provided by the participants. The NC100 is a voluntary list restricted to companies based in North Carolina that do not have publicly traded stock. Companies owned by private equity are permitted. Nonprofits, financial-services companies, health care providers such as hospitals and subsidiaries of corporations are excluded. For more details, visit GrantThornton.com/NC100.
 
About Grant Thornton LLP
Founded in Chicago in 1924, Grant Thornton LLP (Grant Thornton) is the U.S. member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd, one of the world’s leading organizations of independent audit, tax and advisory firms. In the United States, Grant Thornton has revenues of $1.65 billion and operates 60 offices with 575 partners and more than 8,000 employees. Grant Thornton works with a broad range of dynamic publicly and privately held companies, government agencies, financial institutions, and civic and religious organizations.
 
“Grant Thornton” refers to Grant Thornton LLP, the U.S. member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd (GTIL). GTIL and the member firms are not a worldwide partnership. Services are delivered by the member firms. GTIL and its member firms are not agents of, and do not obligate, one another and are not liable for one another’s acts or omissions. Please see grantthornton.com for further details.

CHARLOTTE, NC
 
Hissho Sushi has again been recognized by Inc.5000 as one of the fastest growing privately owned companies in America. 2016 marks the 6^th time in 7 years that Hissho has received this honor. This year the Company reached its highest ranking yet, landing at #3077. Additionally, Hissho was ranked #22 for North Carolina companies.
 
Started in 1982, this prestigious list of the nation’s most successful private companies has become the hallmark of entrepreneurial success. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy’s most dynamic segment— its independent small businesses. Companies such as Microsoft, Dell, Domino’s Pizza, Pandora, Timberland, LinkedIn, Yelp, Zillow, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees of the Inc. 5000.
 
CEO Philip Maung says, “As the market evolves, so does Hissho. Consumers constantly demand something new and we strive to give them what they want. We’re always looking for ways in which to innovate whether it’s through new products, different channels of distribution or the use of social media.”
 
The 2016 Inc. 5000, unveiled online at Inc.com and with the top 500 companies featured in the September issue of Inc. (available on newsstands August 23) is the most competitive crop in the list’s history. The average company on the list achieved a mind-boggling three-year growth of 433%. The Inc. 5000’s aggregate revenue is $200 billion, and the companies on the list collectively generated 640,000 jobs over the past three years, or about 8% of all jobs created in the entire economy during that period. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000.
 
“The Inc. 5000 list stands out where it really counts,” says Inc. President and Editor-In-Chief Eric Schurenberg. “It honors real achievement by a founder or a team of them. No one makes the Inc. 5000 without building something great – usually from scratch. That’s one of the hardest things to do in business, as every company founder knows. But without it, free enterprise fails.”’

Methodology
The 2016 Inc. 5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2012 to 2015. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2012. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2015. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2012 is $100,000; the minimum for 2015 is $2 million.
Hissho Sushi, headquartered in Charlotte NC, is a thriving sushi franchise which now has over 900 locations in 39 states. Philip Maung, the CEO, came to the United States from Myanmar in 1989 with only $13 in his pocket, and started his sushi business in 1998.
For more information, please see www.hisshosushi.com, or contact Andrea Lee @ 704-926-3989 / andrealee@40.87.96.138

Hissho’s CEO was honored by Smart CEO Future 50 in Charlotte, NC in April. His spoken words though are timeless as he talks about Hissho and how it has evolved. Hope you enjoy this clip that was featured during the extravaganza!

 

PRIDE Magazine “Charlotte Multicultural Resource Magazine 2016 – 2017” has featured Hissho Sushi’s CEO Philip Maung on the Cover!
 
Publisher Dee Dixon, Editor-in-Chief Lashawnda Becoats, Writer Tonya Jameson, and Photographer Johathan Cooper have put together a wonderful story of how “Sushi made Philip Maung money, but his Values made him successful!”
 
May Vang, a former AND current employee says of Hissho that, “It was a very corporate style. I didn’t get the sense that there was a lot of teamwork and communication.” Why did she come back to Hissho? Read the article and find out. http://www.pridemagazineonline.com/sushi-made-philip-maung-money-values-made-him-successful/
 
Starting with the “From the Editor,” Becoats is generous with her comments on page 10; followed by the feature article starting on page 14 by Jameson.
 
For more information, please see www.hisshosushi.com, or contact Andrea Lee @ 704-926-3989 / andrealee@40.87.96.138
 

 

For the past few weeks at Hissho HQ, donations have been pouring in from every department for Crisis Assistance Ministry in Charlotte, NC.. Each month, the Core Value Committee tries to extend a helping hand to one of many organizations. This month, it is Crisis Assistance: They will take items that others don’t need, such as gently used linens, towels, bedding, and mattresses, etc.
Collectively, there were quite a few big boxes for us to deliver today. It’s such a small thing to do, but even a small gesture is meaningful to someone who has nothing. Thank you to our Hisshonians who made this happen!