{"id":1858,"date":"2026-06-26T06:34:31","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T06:34:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=1858"},"modified":"2026-06-26T06:34:31","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T06:34:31","slug":"accelerator-program-offers-resources-mentoring-for-small-local-construction-businesses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=1858","title":{"rendered":"Accelerator program offers resources, mentoring for small local construction businesses"},"content":{"rendered":"
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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The family behind local company Haloa Construction says they\u2019ve grown their business by about 50% since starting it four years ago.<\/p>\n

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Owner and CEO Ramona Lariosa and her son Austin credit much of their growth to the Hui Kapili Accelerator program they joined in 2024.<\/p>\n

The program, launched in partnership with American Savings Bank and aio media, brings together local contractors and construction industry professionals to address shared challenges and build collaborative relationships in Hawaii\u2019s competitive construction market.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they first called us, I thought it was a scam,\u201d Ramona Lariosa said when they were first contacted. After verifying the opportunity was legitimate, she asked if her husband and son could participate as well. The program accepted all three, marking the beginning of what she described as \u201cthe best thing that we could have ever done.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Building connections in a competitive industry<\/h2>\n

Contractors often bid against each other for the same projects, but Hui Kapili created an unexpected shift by fostering collaboration rather than competition.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing in the construction industry is very competitive, but they offered us an opportunity to come together,\u201d Austin Lariosa said. \u201cIt\u2019s more of an ohana when you come with Hui Kapili. You get to know people and their struggles and what they\u2019ve done to overcome those things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Participants covered multiple aspects of the industry, including accounting, workforce management, contracting, and material procurement. They also met with experienced developers and contractors.<\/p>\n

The Lariosas say the relationships they formed have extended beyond the program, and they maintain regular contact through group texts, share specialty contractor referrals, and help each other secure work when individual companies are at capacity.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve created lifelong relationships,\u201d Austin Lariosa said. \u201cWe still get together. With some of the families we get together Christmas time. We make laulaus together. Some of us partner in other organizations and we are still together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Addressing permitting delays<\/h2>\n

One of the primary issues discussed within Hui Kapili was the lengthy permitting process through the City\u2019s Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP), a challenge that affects both contractors and homeowners.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people in Hawaii are actually directly affected by that,\u201d Austin Lariosa said. \u201cSome people, they just find it like, hey, I might as well just move away. I can\u2019t even renovate my home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Contractors in the program collaborated to sign a petition and raise awareness about permitting delays with government officials. Austin Lariosa noted that since the program\u2019s 2024 cohort, there have been some changes in the DPP aimed at streamlining the process.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

\u201cI think as far as being in the community and as far as being in Hawaii we need to use our voice in order to affect those things,\u201d he said. \u201cWe need to make it known that hey, we wanna be here. We wanna live in our island of Hawaii and sometimes that means speaking up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Supply chain and tariff pressures<\/h2>\n

Like other local contractors, Haloa Construction faces challenges related to material costs, tariffs, and shipping delays inherent to operating on an island.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe live on an island in the middle of the Pacific, so it takes some time to ship here,\u201d Austin Lariosa said. \u201cAs far as tariffs go and how that has affected us as a company, working with our vendors and people that can bring in materials sometimes takes a little bit longer because those materials maybe come from a different country or may need a different type of ingredient from somewhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Police conduct sex trafficking, prostitution-related searches in Aiea, Pearl City<\/a><\/p>\n

These delays push back project timelines and schedules, ultimately affecting the company\u2019s bottom line and project completion dates. Austin Lariosa emphasized that these are real challenges contractors face, even if clients and the broader public don\u2019t always understand the impact.<\/p>\n

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Advice for homeowners and clients<\/h2>\n

Both Ramona and Austin Lariosa offered guidance for homeowners considering renovation or construction projects.<\/p>\n

Ramona Lariosa stressed the importance of hiring licensed, insured contractors and doing research before committing to a project. <\/p>\n

\u201cMake sure you have a licensed contractor, licensed insured, and that you\u2019re hiring the right people because then you hire the wrong people and then this whole industry gets a mark,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She also recommended homeowners educate themselves about the permitting process and available resources, including the Building Industry Association, the General Contractors Association, and the DPP.<\/p>\n

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\u201cGo and find out what you need where you look and there\u2019s a lot of resources out there,\u201d she said. \u201cDon\u2019t just expect to hire someone and do it yourself or do it themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Austin Lariosa advised clients to set realistic budgets and understand that lower prices don\u2019t always mean better value. \u201cKnow your budget, understand that there\u2019s different options, and work with the people that you wanna work with and just be able to conversate with them,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s all about collaboration.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also recommended checking the Better Business Bureau and the DCCA, and relying on word-of-mouth recommendations from people in the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople know things,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd if it feels a little uneasy for you, maybe just give yourself some time.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Community commitment<\/h2>\n

Despite the challenges of doing business in Hawaii, Haloa Construction says it is committed to staying and serving the local community. Ramona Lariosa said the company sometimes takes on work at a loss to help community members, such as repairing driveways for elderly residents.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t make money we sometimes lose money but you know we\u2019re helping people right?\u201d she said. \u201cI think that\u2019s the only way that we\u2019re gonna be able to overcome the challenges in life is to be there for one another.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also emphasized the company\u2019s broader mission: to provide employment and allow local families to remain in Hawaii despite rising costs of living.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe ourselves are doing this so that we can help ourselves as well, and create employment, create a place where people can provide for their families and be here,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Read more Scientists say major earthquakes feel frequent, but activity is on track<\/a><\/p>\n

For more information, visit huikapili.com.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Hui Kapili Accelerator program supports small local construction companies with resources and mentoring.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":122,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nAccelerator program offers resources, mentoring for small local construction businesses - Hawaii Moving Insider<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=1858\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Accelerator program offers resources, mentoring for small local construction businesses - 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