The military will give nine local companies the opportunity to sell their products for the first time at commissaries and exchanges in Hawai'i.

The companies, along with 28 returning firms, were selected yesterday following the annual American Logistics Association Hawai'i Food Show on Friday at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Seventy companies showed off nearly 1,000 products at the event, which was attended by agency buyers and representatives who are responsible for selecting products to be sold at the 262 commissaries worldwide.

Last year, the military purchased $122 million in goods from local businesses. At the 2006 show, the agency chose 140 items from among the nearly 800 on display.

This year, the show added about 20 vendors and the agency increased the number of items picked to 200. They ranged from coffees and teas to exotic sauces and fruitcakes.

Wholesale Unlimited took part in its first ALA food show and was selected to sell its Betty's Best Cookies brand at Hawai'i's military exchanges. Like the other companies, Wholesale Unlimited paid $600 for a booth at the show and company vice president Marc Honma said it was "absolutely" worth it.

"As a smaller company, it can be difficult to expand beyond just your store and this provides a great way," Honma said. "The buyers all really invested the time in trying to get to know all the products and really get a clear idea of what the different vendors were trying to show."

Wholesale Unlimited is a family business that was founded by Honma's mother, Betty, 42 years ago. Betty Honma also created the recipes for the company's cookies and other goods.

Marc Honma said he will meet with Defense Commissary Agency officials today to work out the details of which product will be carried at the exchanges.

"We hope sales will be good and we'll be doing sampling and things like that," he said. "We feel we have a good product so we hope that it will do well."

The other first-time companies picked to sell their goods at the military stores are: KTM Services, Go Girl Energy Drink, Soul De Cuba, Ono Cheesesteak, Latitude 22, Hawaiian Happy Cakes, Manila Asian and Deep Ocean Enterprises.

Reach Curtis Lum at culum@honoluluadvertiser.com.