Among the 800 businesses lost in the Lahaina fire was the top-selling location of lifestyle brand, CocoNene. The company specializes in locally made, colorful wooden decor.
Owners Kent and Lori Untermann told Pacific Business News that their Lahaina location accounted for half the company’s sales at the time, or $3 million per year.
They chose to respond to this loss with an aggressive expansion, in part to make sure they still had jobs to offer their Lahaina employees.
They’ve added two Maui locations at Maui Harbor Shops and Kīhei Kalama Village, and also expanded to Hawaiʻi Island and the International Market Place on Oʻahu. They are also planning an additional two locations on Maui.
The company has invested about $1 million to build out the new stores, and another $400,000 in manufacturing equipment.
The Untermann's have a long history in Hawaiʻi retail. They started out in 1986 selling frames and framed artwork at the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet as Pictures Plus. This grew into a bricks-and-mortar business with multiple locations.
They’ve since added a range of businesses over the years, including California Closets. They all operate under a parent company, The Art Source.
