PHOTO COURTESY OF COCONENE
The historic town of Lāhainā has endured immense hardship since the devastating wildfires. Thousands of business owners, operators, employees, suppliers and vendors relied on the once-thriving tourism economy in this iconic town. But the community remains strong, and local brands like CocoNene (coconene.com), who lost its own Front Street flagship store, are leading the charge to help affected businesses get back on their feet. In November, CocoNene launched its Maui Biz Ornaments collection, a heartwarming initiative inspired by their sister brand, HI Biz Ornaments (hibizornaments.com). These collectable wooden ornaments will feature participating businesses affected by the wildfires, providing helpful exposure while raising crucial funds. This thoughtful program also represents CocoNene’s commitment to supporting its own Lāhainā team and the 150 local families employed alongside neighboring businesses. “As small business owners in Lāhainā, we felt a tremendous desire to help fellow establishments impacted by the fires,” say CocoNene founders Kent and Lori Untermann. “We aspire to create madein- Hawai‘i products to honor these establishments and share 50% of the sales with the participating businesses to help them rebuild and heal. We know that the process of rebuilding Lāhainā will be long, and we look forward to the day we can welcome people back to this special place.”
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