About HFIA
Established in 1989, Hawai'i Forest Industry Association (HFIA) is a nonprofit corporation founded by people dedicated to responsible forest management. HFIA's programs promote healthy and productive forests, increased business in Hawaii's estimated $30.7 million annual forest industry, and more jobs within the sector.
HFIA’s many projects and activities include:
- Hosting our annual woodworking exhibition Hawaii’s Woodshow and associated Workshops;
- Promoting Hawaii's Wood branding program;
- Restoring endangered dryland habitat in North Kona;
- Honolulu Zoo Children's Discovery Forest;
- Pana‘ewa Zoo Discovery Forest;
- Conducting Young-Growth Koa Wood Quality Assessment Study;
- Sponsoring Symposia and Workshops;
- Offering professional training; and
- Serving as an advocate for Hawaii's diverse forest industry.
HFIA Slide Presentation
HFIA's purposes are to:
- Manage and encourage sound forestry practices for the benefit of our forests and the forest industry;
- Promote the health of Hawaii's forests;
- Promote public relations for the Hawai'i forest industry and to stimulate interest, use and involvement in the forest products industry;
- Provide members and others with opportunities for dialog, education, advancement, and improvement in all aspects of the Hawai'i forest industry;
- Promote, foster and develop industry standards, research and develop-ment, quality control and industry integrity in the State of Hawai'i;
- Articulate and advocate as a focused voice the needs and interests of the forest industry before local, state and federal governments; and
- Operate as an official trade association of the Hawai'i forest industry for the purpose of promoting a common business interest.
Directors,Staff, and Contractors.
Officers
Tai Lake, President
Aileen Yeh, Vice President
Mats Fogelvik, Secretary
Elin Walburn, Treasurer
Directors
Kauai
Laurie Ho
Donald Riedel
Oahu
Robert Osgood
Diana Tusher
Maui
Kip Dunbar
Thomas Calhoun
Hawai`i
Mike Robinson
Peter D. Simmons
At-Large
Don Bryan
Mats Fogelvik
Nicholas Koch
Tai Lake
Elin Walburn
Jay Warner
Jorma Winkler
Aileen Yeh
Staff and Contractors
Executive Director
Heather Gallo Simmons
Administrative Services
Sophia Cabral-Maikui
Dryland Site Manager
Wilds Pihanui Brawner
Dryland Restoration Technician
Kealaka‘i Knoche
Biological Services
Jill Wagner, Future Forests Nursery
Legislative Consultant
Denise Hayashi
Dryland Outreach Coordinator
Yvonne Yarber-Carter
Cultural Educator
Keoki Apokolani Carter
Hawaii's Woodshow™ Consultant
Marian Yasuda
GENERAL DISCLAIMER
Hawai'i Forest Industry Association endorses, advocates and supports healthy and productive forests in Hawaii. We welcome membership from anyone interested in our mission. Membership does not imply that the Association endorses the actions of individual members.
INVESTMENT RISKS
All investments are subject to risk. Knowledgeable and active investors have increasingly chosen forestry and associated natural resource investment opportunities to provide diversity, alternate, contra cyclical and longer term stability to a portfolio.
Investments in forests are inherently long term commitments subject, but not limited to, assorted variables including market fluctuation of timber and timberland prices; unpredictability of production costs; relative illiquidity compared to stocks and other financial assets; environmental hazards such as fire, storms, pest infestation, disease, animal damage, and theft as well as regulatory risk such as legislation related to land use and threatened or endangered species.
While established, world renowned timber species are being grown in Hawaii, investments in all Hawaiian timber species do not yet have the experience of a life cycle investment and, as such, have additional unique risks.