Frequently Asked Questions
What is your current state of development?
Tradewinds now has five full-time workers and two contractors employed in O’okala. Our COO, Gary Edwards is continuing to work half-time on the Mainland and half-time in O'okala. We also employ about 25 other professional contractors including engineers, attorneys, and accountants working on the project from Italy, Canada, Finland, Louisiana, Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Texas.
The mill site in O’okala has been purchased. Our air permit from the Department of Health’s Clean Air Branch was obtained on October 3, 2008, and our stormwater permit is in hand.
A lathe line has been purchased from Raute for shipment to Hawaii. A contract for the purchase of the boiler has been completed. The turbine and dryer contracts are both in closing.
The wood from the Waiakea Timber Management Area has been secured. Tradewinds has purchased the Pahala plantation cutting rights from New Forests. Other cutting agreements are in place with several small landowners. This provides us with more than enough wood for start-up, which is projected for late 2009.
Why locate in O’okala?
O’okala offers three critical benefits: zoning, water and interconnect to the grid. Other factors include previous use for industrial purposes, paved areas and convenient location for raw material supply.
Will you make plywood?
At present, there are no plans for a plywood lay-up facility. At some time in the future this is a possibility. There is a great interest in making products in Hawaii that can be used in Hawaii.
Will Tradewinds be a good neighbor?
Tradewinds welcomes the opportunity to work with its neighbors on projects of the community’s choosing. We will continue to provide the post office its space at nominal cost and will refurbish and paint the building. If the community wants a small park or playground we are prepared to do our share to help make that happen. We will look for ways to help community members interested in starting small businesses that will benefit O’okala citizens. For example, we would like to work with a private party who would establish a small store/cafe in the complex where the post office is located. We are also very interested in helping a qualified person start a day care center.
Who is Tradewinds?
Tradewinds is a privately-held limited liability company incorporated in the State of Delaware. The investors include investment bankers, forestry professionals, a veneer marketer, a veneer manufacturer, mill and timberland owners, an energy investment firm and an international shipping company.
Company officers include Don Bryan, President/Chief Executive Officer; Gayle Veber, Chief Financial Officer; and Gary Edwards, Chief Operations Officer.
Don Bryan has worked in the forest products industry for forty years. He is the Founder and past President of The Timber Exchange, a well-regarded timber/land brokerage and forestry consulting firm serving members of the forest products industry and financial institutions for twenty years. Don worked for the Weyerhaeuser Company for fifteen years and The Campbell Group, an investment banking firm, for five years prior to starting The Timber Exchange.
Gayle Veber is President of Veber Partners, an investment banking firm headquartered in Portland, Oregon. Prior to 1989, Mr. Veber was employed by PacifiCorp as Chairman and CEO and Senior Vice President and CFO. Mr. Veber has more than twenty years of experience in finance, corporate planning and engineering in the petroleum and chemical industry, primarily in international business.
Gary Edwards has worked his entire career in the forest products industry. He has owned and managed veneer mills and continues to own Pangaea Trading, a veneer marketing firm. He has participated in owning several mills and has extensive experience in international wood products marketing.
Greg Retzlaff of Strategic Energy Solutions is the Project Manager for the construction phase of the project. Mr. Retzlaff is principal and founder of Strategic Energy Solutions, Inc., a specialized professional consulting company formed in 1999 providing services to energy providers, and industrial and commercial energy users. The company aids independent power development companies with their project development, engineering, due diligence, operation and construction activities.
Other employees include Steven Hasforth, Accounting Manager; Sophia Cabral-Maikui, Personnel Manager and Jana Bryan, Public Relations. We also currently employ two local individuals as contractors.
One of Tradewinds’ largest shareholders is Rockland Capital Management, a Houston-based private investment company focused on the acquisition, development and optimization of energy projects in North America and Europe. Rockland’s staff will provide oversight of the development of the cogeneration plant, including the plant design and negotiation of the power sales agreement with HELCO.
The Tradewinds concept is, and always has been, to create higher value, higher employment, products from locally grown wood. Veneer is a high value, high employment product. Burning wood for power is a low value, low employment option that utilizes wood unsuitable for high value products. At 5.5 megawatts, this is one of the smallest electrical generating facilities in Hawaii. About half of the power will be used by the mill and about half sold on the grid. There is no business plan to become a large electrical generating facility.
Tradewinds intends to hire locally whenever possible. Jobs requiring skills not currently available in Hawaii will be filled by experts who have demonstrated ability to teach. The goal is to have all local employees as soon as is practical. We will recruit first on the Hamakua Coast. We will also offer training programs to help local people acquire the necessary skills to qualify for employment.
Need More Information? Try these links:
Hawaii Forestry Industry Association
P. O. Box 10216
Hilo Hawai`i 96721
http://www.hawaii-forest.org
Department of Labor & Natural Resources (DLNR)
Kalanimoku Building
1151 Punchbowl St.
Honolulu, HI 96813
http://www.state.hi.us/dlnr/
Forest Solutions, Inc.
43-1351 Hawaii Belt Rd.
Paauilo, Hi 96776
http://www.hawaiiforest.com/