Healing Through Art: Hawaii Brand CocoNene's Holiday Initiative, 'Maui Biz Ornaments,' to Raise Money for Fire-Affected Businesses in Lahaina

LAHAINA, Hawaii, November 29, 2023 (Newswire.com) - Roughly three months since the devastating Lahaina wildfire, CocoNene, the renowned Hawaii lifestyle brand, has launched their new “Maui Biz Ornaments” program to raise funds for fire-affected businesses in Maui. Tragically, the brand lost their own flagship store on Front Street during the fires. Accounting for 50% of the brand's sales, or $3 million each year, CocoNene experienced firsthand the enormous setbacks that kind of revenue loss can have on a business. The team launched this holiday initiative in hopes of providing a helping hand to Maui businesses experiencing similar hardships.

CocoNene has partnered with local Maui businesses to create a collection of collectible wooden ornaments that feature each business’s logo. All ornaments are made and designed in Hawaii at no cost to the participating businesses. What makes this initiative truly remarkable is that 50% of the sales from these ornaments will be donated directly to the affected businesses. 

The impact of the wildfires on Lahaina's economy has been profound. According to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, Lahaina hosted nearly 1,000 businesses, constituting almost 20% of all establishments on Maui. Unfortunately, many of these businesses burnt down during the fires, while others sustained significant revenue losses. As founders Kent and Lori Untermann explained, “We noticed early on that there was so much support for our community and the people of Lahaina, which has been astounding to see. However, there really wasn't a lot being said or done for the business community, and many of our local businesses are suffering."

Despite these adversities, CocoNene remains committed to creating authentic made in Hawaii products that honor these establishments. The Untermanns expressed their heartfelt sentiments. “As small business owners in Lahaina, we felt a tremendous desire to help fellow small businesses that have been impacted.”

Since the wildfires, CocoNene has pivoted their strategy to rebuilding efforts to ensure continued employment for their 150 sales and manufacturing team members. Through the "Maui Biz Ornaments" initiative, they aim to help other affected businesses do the same. Additionally, CocoNene will open five new stores across Hawaii in the next six months, including a new CocoNene store in Maalaea on Maui, which offers their Lahaina team the opportunity to get back on their feet. 

The Maui Biz Ornaments initiative is inspired by CocoNene's annual HI Biz Ornaments program, started in 2019. Accompanying Maui Biz Ornaments, CocoNene has also released a collection of Maui Strong ornaments. These ornaments feature artwork by Hawaii artists alongside the phrase “Maui Strong”. Proceeds from those sales will be split between all the participating businesses in the Maui Biz Ornaments initiative. This heartfelt holiday initiative serves as a testament to the power of collaboration and solidarity and showcases the strength and resilience of Hawaii’s community.

To support this effort, please visit https://hibizornaments.com/collections/maui-biz-ornaments. To learn more about CocoNene, or to see their full holiday collection, visit https://coconene.com/ and on Instagram @coconenehawaii.

Source: CocoNene