In addition to investing in the company through renovation, in December HPM opened its brand-new, 3-acre branch in the Campbell Industrial Park on Oahu. Located at 91-302 Hanua St. in Kapolei, it includes a drive-through lumberyard and a 24,000-square-foot building
SPECIAL TO WEST HAWAII TODAY
HPM Building Supply is in the midst of a major reinvestment in its company by way of expanding facilities — which includes the development of HPM’s newest branch, at the Campbell Industrial Park on Oahu, as well as extensive renovations at its Hilo Kitchen and Bath Showroom and its Kona branch.
“While this may seem counterintuitive in a down economy,” said HPM Director of Operations Jon Miyata, “we see it as an opportunity to strengthen our infrastructure, refine processes and retrench to take advantage of any upturn in the economy.”
A complete renovation is underway at HPM’s Kitchen and Bath Showroom at 380 Kanoelehua Ave. in Hilo. All displays are being removed, floors replaced and new lighting installed. New displays will be modular, as opposed to built-in, so they can be changed and updated quickly, more often and at less expense.
Changes will also allow the showroom to display more appliances. In addition to modular displays of cabinets, countertops, appliances and plumbing fixtures for bathrooms and kitchens, the renovated space will also have displays of HPM’s engineered trusses and wall panel systems, metal roofing and solar PV systems.
Customers will have access to color and decor design tools and educational resources to learn more about sustainable “green” building practices and benefits.
The Kitchen and Bath Showroom remains open during renovations; work is expected to be completed by July. Along with the Kitchen and Bath Showrooms in Kona and Waimea, the Hilo showroom is also being renamed “HPM Home Design Center” to better reflect the wider variety of services and products available.
Tony Cann is general manager of HPM in Kona, which is located on Luhia Street.
“When this place was built,” he said, “our primary function was to sell to the general contractor and subcontractor. Right now we look like a huge warehouse; there’s a big metal roll-up door. We’re going to soften up that industrial look with a façade that is much more customer-friendly.”
The store is undergoing a complete renovation inside and out, which includes its Kitchen and Bath Showroom area.
Cann says one improvement will be new shelving inside, which will replace what is now mostly pallet racking and allow it to continue stocking more — and different — merchandise.
“For instance,” he said, “we’re now selling 10-by-10 pop-up canopies, pet food, rubber slippers, outdoor chairs, barbecue grills, housewares and some small kitchen appliances.”
This is not at the expense of contractors, he stresses, who remain the company’s core customers. “But like any other business, we’ve got to make sure we appeal to a wider audience and take advantage of the opportunities that arise,” he said. “We’re right in the middle of all this retail. We never envisioned this happening when we built this branch nine years ago.”
The Kona renovation work should be complete by the end of 2010.
In addition to investing in the company through renovation, in December HPM opened its brand-new, 3-acre branch in the Campbell Industrial Park on Oahu. Located at 91-302 Hanua St. in Kapolei, it includes a drive-through lumberyard and a 24,000-square-foot building materials warehouse. It also offers custom metal roofing, home planning services and islandwide delivery.
