Gary Danzl was living in the Pacific Northwest when a relative who worked for Keaau-based contractor Heartwood Pacific invited him to lend a hand with a new project in his area. Impressed with his liaison contributions, the company flew Gary to Big Island to refurbish satellite dish pads at the summit of Mauna Kea, and eventually asked if he could jump in to project-manage the construction of St. Michaels Church in Kona. After successful completion of that 2.5 yr project Gary was tasked with leading the HPM Kona store renovation in 2016.
The partnership was so successful that HPM approached Gary to join the team as Kona Operations Manager, specifically to complement the existing team, with an emphasis on operational activities. Making the move to HPM was an easy decision, in part because of what he calls their “living values” of trust, integrity, community and transparency.
“If they tell you they’re going to take care of you, they take care of you,” he says.
“Their ability to connect with the community, customers and employees is so unique
and wonderful.”
About a year into his position with HPM, Gary is currently focused on strategizing new ways to move product more efficiently and navigating the complex demands of building in Hawaii. In his downtime, he enjoys playing 18 holes whenever possible and traveling to the Mainland to visit his three grown children — one a touring musician, and two who work for Alaska Airlines (and share their flight benefits with Dad!).
Above all, Gary’s single biggest motivator for his continued dedication to HPM is the influx of daily challenges his role provides.
“There’s never a dull moment,” he adds. “I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity.”