At the end of the year 2000, Jim Quinn had successfully retired as CEO of Collins Pine Company in Portland, Oregon and was set to live on the big island in Kona, play golf and do a little consulting for the wood industry. Unfortunately, for Jim’s golf game, his passion for the wood industry and the observation of the large stands of mature timber led to an un-retirement. It was obvious that there was a very large potential for the wood industry in Hawaii!

In his successful tenure at Collins Pine, Jim was responsible for the management of some 300,000 acres of prime timberlands, three sawmills, three panel plants and three retail stores. His incredible wealth of knowledge and experience is what makes his entrance into the Hawaii market so special. At a time the whole world is talking about green and sustainability, Jim actually led his organization into sustainability nearly fifteen years ago and was the first to do so in the USA.

Jim had consulted with the Nature Conservancy in Hawaii, run trials for several mainland companies and did work for the State of Hawaii. However this was not enough. It was not moving fast enough and he saw incredible potential in the non native species while everyone was focused on Koa. Jim had a vision for a well run saw mill, utilizing sustainable practices, efficiently operated, and felt the wood resources were in place. It was noted that the former sugar cane lands could be converted to grow trees sustainably and there were many mature stands already existing on the big island of Hawaii.

In 2004 he met Kent Untermann. Kent had successfully run a small Koa sawmill operation on his own land and sold the land to the Nature Conservancy realizing he could not “do it right” with his limited resources and knowledge. Kent had a vision of an integrated milling operation for the islands utilizing sustainable practices but lacked the experience. Kent also had the inside track for the Kamehameha Schools FSC certified forest project in Honaunau that was spear-headed by Peter Simmons. However, Peter wanted Kent to take on all the species – not just the Koa. Kent quickly realized that he needed a lot of help to make it work properly. Kent became aware of Jim Quinn and realized that he was the “perfect fit” given his extensive experience. Jim and Kent got together, formed HIH and were excited to support Peter’s vision of the first certified forest lands in Hawaii.

Fast forward to the summer of 2007 and a site has been identified for a sawmill in Hilo, the contract has been negotiated with Kamehameha Schools for an FSC certified forest, a bid has been accepted by the State of Hawaii for harvesting over 1,000 acres near Hilo. HIH has expanded its’ partnership to include Jim Pappas the recent owner and operator of Honsador wood products and Eric Bello from Bellos millwork. Jim Pappas understands wood distribution in the islands as well as anyone and Eric understands the needs of the local millwork shops, architects and contractors as well as home owners. The partners have committed nearly two million in cash and are working on finalizing the necessary funding to complete the $5 million plus state of the art facility in Hilo.

The team shares one thing in common and that is a passionate desire to see the Hawaii Forest industry get some roots. The two Jim’s are supposed to be retired and Kent and Eric have full time jobs in their current businesses, but their combined knowledge and commitment should give HIH the necessary horsepower to be successful.

It is their combined desire to bring to market high quality locally grown exotic and native hardwoods readily available at fair prices. They will utilize sustainable practices and encourage all landowners, including the State, to work towards certified practices. Our vision is for better utilization of our lands, the creation of more jobs, a decreased dependency on imports, a more diversified economy and all with a completely renewable resource. We believe all things gown or raised in Hawaii are special. With our plentiful sunshine and natural rainfall the islands are a perfect site for beautiful trees to be sustainably managed, enjoyed and utilized by our neighbors and consumers. These are Hawaiian grown woods and we are justifiably proud of them. We are making them available to all who appreciate the finest of quality natural resources.

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