Stuart Rinehart
President and Founder
Aloha ‘Aina Landscaping, Waimanalo, Hawaii
1. Tell me about Aloha ‘Aina Landscaping, and how did you get into the business?
We’re a landscape contractor out here in Waimanalo, on the island of O’ahu. We do design, construction and maintenance. We also own and operate a couple plant nurseries in the state. We started back in 2005 — humble beginnings. My first job was lawn maintenance for a $30 account. I remember getting that first $30, in hand, and I was hooked.
2. Any trends in the industry for where you’re located?
Yes, we’re fighting a new invasive species, the coconut rhinoceros beetle, and it’s decimating all the palm populations out here. When you drive down the street, you’ll see it; it’s everywhere. It’s pretty sad. There are a lot of folks working hard on it. There are a lot of different angles to it, but right now, that’s the big elephant in the room — how do we control it?
3. When I met you at the NASCAR party at Elevate, I could tell you were a positive, high-energy guy. Where do you get that from?
I got a lot of it from my mom; she is outgoing and full of energy. Bringing energy is what I am. Anything that you do in life, if you’ve been rewarded by it, you’re like, ‘That’s working for me.’ A great example is meeting you in a random place. ‘Hey, let’s do an article.’ I followed up on it, I created it, it was part of the energy. Like attracts like. There’s something inside of you, too. Energy attracts. Whether it’s finding your dream girl or being a great father to the kids, or being a solid boss, it just works. The more you’re rewarded by the behavior, the more that you seek the behavior.
4. Do you have a family? What do you all do for fun?
My wife, Katie, is super supportive and an amazing mom. We have an 11-year-old daughter who is the most artistic, creative person I’ve ever met. Madison gets her sarcasm from me — she’s a super funny kid. And my 9-year-old is the quintessential athlete. Mason is just good at everything. Every ball he picks up, he’s good at it. We love to travel. I think traveling is important because we just focus on each other and really bond in those times whether it’s just going inter-island or international, mainland, whatever. We also hit the local beaches and enjoy downtime playing sports and other games.
5. What is life like in Waimanalo?
It’s a beautiful country town. We live on some land; our nursery is right down the street. The mountains and the ocean are both right there to enjoy so close. It’s an amazing place. My favorite thing is the community. The people here let each other in in traffic, they throw shakas (Hawaiian style waves of Aloha) and everyone just takes care of each other. It’s something that’s been lost in culture, whether in American culture or even in Hawaii, you just take care of each other, take care of the community … living aloha and focusing on giving back
to each other.
