21°33’34.26”N 158°9’49.93”W Yes, they have UPS. Toll-free telephone numbers? Sure thing.
Honsador Holdings CEO Carl Liliequist routinely fields such questions from mainlanders who have difficulty conceptualizing Hawaii as part of the USA. Admittedly, it takes a day or two on the ground in Hawaii before you finally stop saying “back in the States” or even the technically correct but locally disdained “in the 48.” Located 2,390 miles from California, 3,850 miles from Japan, 4,900 miles from China, and 5,280 miles from the Philippines, Hawaii is one of the most isolated population centers on the face of the earth, creating a uniquely challenging pro dealer operation. Products arrive by container ships, which average five days under steam from the mainland, or by barges, which allow for non-traditional and bulk cargo but take between 10 and 14 days to make the voyage.
You’d think the opportunity to sell plywood in paradise would have would-be Jack Lords dying for a job at Honsador, but in the end that isolation makes employee recruitment a sticking point for the pro dealer. “There’s an extremely finite applicant pool on the islands, especially for positions beyond entry level,” says Liliequist. As a kama’aina company, one that is local to Hawaii and thus enjoys a certain amount of market respect, Honsador strives to fill the ranks with qualified locals. Though not averse to hiring from the mainland, the odds are no better than even on whether an applicant will make it past the first year. “This is a different place, with a different culture, and at times a different language,” says Honsador Lumber vice president of sales and marketing Wayne Lincoln. “We will hire from the mainland, but often people come out to Hawaii and end up going back home. There is only a 50% retention rate, regardless of what the business is.”
