Two companies, business rivals on a day-to-day basis, set aside their competitive differences to jointly help the Oahu Interscholastic Association Swimming Championships secure a new venue for this year’s meet.

Scheduled for January 27 and 28, the Division Championships will take place at the Veteran’s Memorial Aquatic Center (VMAC) in Waipio.

“Championships should be held at first-rate facilities,” said Michael Austin, station manager for Syngenta Hawaii.  “We’re happy we could help OIA secure a high caliber venue for its top notch athletes.”

Austin credited Sean Barrett, Kaiser High School’s swimming coach, for taking the initiative to secure funding for the swim championships. A third party to the effort was Monsanto Hawaii, which, like Syngenta, is a member of Hawaii’s seed industry and a competitive business rival.  The two companies collaborated to contribute a total of $1,800 toward Barrett’s fundraising effort, making the OIA Swim Championships at VMAC a reality.

“We can’t talk much (with Syngenta) about our daily business, but for something like this where we can help our kids and community, we’re more than happy to be on the same team,” said Fred Perlak, vice president of research and business operations for Monsanto Hawaii. “We’re pleased we could work with Mike (Austin) and Coach Barrett on this great endeavor.”

“It’s people like the folks at Syngenta Hawaii and Monsanto Hawaii who support OIA sports and the swimming program that allow us to promote our young athletes and impart all the great life lessons that kids learn from being involved in athletics,” Barrett said.  “We’re grateful for their support.”