The state wants to recognize Hawai'i businesses started in 1959 as part of its effort to commemorate 50 years of statehood this year.

The Hawai'i 50th Anniversary of Statehood Commission is seeking the public's help in identifying companies and organizations that began operating in the Islands in 1959, the year Hawai'i became a state.

Businesses and organizations celebrating their 50th year of operating in Hawai'i this year can contact Chris Hossellman at 586-0193 in Honolulu or e-mail statehood@hawaii.gov to get involved in events.

"As Hawai'i marks its half-century anniversary as a state, we are grateful for the businesses that have grown with Hawai'i, employing local residents and helping build the state's prosperity over the last 50 years," Kippen de Alba Chu, Statehood Commission chair, said in a statement. "This occasion is the perfect time to recognize their place as an integral part of our community."