Pacific Biodiesel
Deidre Tegarden · Coordinator for the County of Maui Office of Economic Development
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During the last almost 30 years, Bob and his wife, Kelly, have certainly seen their fair share of ups and downs in the marketplace.
“There are always going to be cycles in the economy, which is why you have to have a core foundation in place so that you can weather the storms,” said Bob.
Ten years ago, Bob and Kelly “went green,” opening Pacific Biodiesel before the term “green” became the buzzword it is today.
“We definitely took a leap of faith,” said Bob, “but our main business was solid and we wanted to do more... something to contribute to society. One lesson that we learned from the current economic meltdown is that money can disappear. That is why it is important to do something pono—something that brings you happiness—because the feeling you get by ‘doing the right thing’ never disappears,” said Bob.
Consumers today are making sustainable choices for various reasons. Therefore, the economics of “being green” are finally catching up to the “feel good” aspect, and success in a green career is becoming a reality.
“With this new sentiment, there are opportunities coming available for the agricultural entrepreneur,” said Bob. “When we look at biofuel crops, there are economic prospects that arise from the co-products of a crop (e.g. soaps, shampoos, cosmetics, etc.). This is an up-and-coming arena of possibilities for agriculture.”
With current global attention focusing on a “green” tomorrow, I asked Bob what he thought Maui County would look like 15 years from now.
“The Maui of tomorrow is going to be fully sustainable,” said Bob. “All our basic needs will come from local sources. It will be a vibrant economy with great jobs and ample money revolving in the community. People will be more connected and we will have a revival of tourism based on our sustainability practices.”
When asked how to start this today, Bob said, “It begins with each one of us making a commitment to buying local. The average person has a lot of power in the market place, so when we demand local, local is provided.”
Like Bob said, it is all comes down to doing what is right. With Maui County’s abundance of talented people like Bob and Kelly, I am confident we are on our way to making this vision a reality.
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