LIHUE — The state approved an application for Pflueger Honda to change its name to Pacific Honda. The Honolulu-based auto dealership has operated in Hawaii since Oct. 5, 1989. The name went into effect as of July 3, 2013.
King Auto Center of Kauai is independently owned and is not affiliated with Pacific Honda incorporation.
“We are totally independent and the only thing we have in common is that we both sell Hondas,” said Jose Aguayo, general manager of King Auto Center. “We have absolutely no affiliation with them whatsoever.”
James Pflueger, 87, of Honolulu, founded the Pacific Honda parent company, J.P. Automobiles, in January 1988. The company is listed as the registrant for Pacific Honda, with Randall Kurata as the agent.
The application for registration of the trade name, trademark and service mark was filed with the state department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs on Oct. 19, 2012. The application for the assignment of the TN/TM/SM to another entity under J.P. Automobiles Inc. was filed on Feb. 22, 2013.
Pflueger was charged with tampering with a spillway easement around the Ka Loko dam on his 33-acre property prior to heavy rains in March 2006. The dam failed and killed seven people downstream in Kilauea. His commercial realty company, Pacific 808 Properties LLC, formerly known as Pflueger Properties, pleaded no contest to seven manslaughter charges at the same hearing.
Pflueger is scheduled for sentencing in the matter on Jan. 23, 2014.
Pflueger’s attorney William McCorriston said he would not comment on the name change, and if it was done to distance the business from the Pflueger name.
Pflueger’s son, Charles Alan Pflueger, is the President of Pflueger Group and runs Pacific Honda.
A voicemail to Kenny Ching, vice president of operations at Pacific Honda, was not returned.
