KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii, Dec. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- U-Haul has made a substantial commitment to meeting the moving and storage needs of Hawaiian residents, opening its first store on the Big Island and its third store in the Aloha State.
U-Haul Moving at Kailua-Kona at 74-5484 Kaiwi St. is located in the Old Industrial Park, previously called Gold Coast Business Centers. U-Haul closed on the property in December 2014 and opened for business last month.
"We have two U-Haul store locations on Oahu, and we're excited to be able to offer our products and services on the Big Island at our new Kailua-Kona location," U-Haul area district vice president Doug McIntier said.
The highlight of the store, once build-out plans and renovations are completed, will be the 164 climate-controlled indoor storage units. Air conditioning with be pumped into the units throughout the facility to keep your possessions cool at a low cost – a luxury that is difficult to find on the Big Island.
"We're one of only two locations in Kona that will offer climate-controlled storage," U-Haul Company of Hawaii president Kaleo Alau said. "From everyone we've talked to, this is a big deal. People have to drive miles and miles to find climate-controlled storage."
Five buildings are included in the acquisition. Multiple restaurants and bars, retailers and other tenants will share the property with U-Haul. The primary building was last occupied by a coat upholstery shop and a mechanic business.
General manager Cerise Huihui and her team are pleased to currently offer truck and trailer rentals, towing equipment, boxes and moving supplies and U-Box portable moving and self-storage containers. There are 15 U-Haul trucks available at the facility. A hitch bay will be added for easy installations.
It's a huge undertaking to open a store in Hawaii since each piece of U-Haul equipment is shipped from the mainland to Oahu by barge – and shipped again if its destination is another island. U-Haul boasts 246 box trucks, pickup trucks and cargo vans across the state. U-Haul is moving toward a goal of 400 or more trucks in Hawaii one day, McIntier added.
The Kailua-Kona store adds to U-Haul Company's expanding presence in Hawaii. The two Honolulu stores, along with the neighborhood dealer locations and self-storage affiliates on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai and the Big Island, give U-Haul 28 locations statewide.
"Our new store has a wonderful staff," McIntier said. "Cerise is an outstanding manager who worked for a huge storage facility on the island and we brought her to U-Haul."
"I'm very excited and thankful U-Haul is here in Kailua-Kona," Huihui noted. "People are excited. The community has given welcoming responses to our surveys, knowing they can count on a family-owned business with local Aloha."
The acquisition of U-Haul Moving & Storage of Kailua-Kona was driven by U-Haul Company's Corporate Sustainability initiatives: U-Haul® supports infill development to help local communities lower their carbon footprint. Our adaptive reuse of existing buildings reduces the amount of energy and resources required for new-construction materials and helps cities reduce their unwanted inventory of unused buildings.
Contact U-Haul Moving at Kailua-Kona at (808) 374-2049 or visit the store. Hours of operation are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 10 a.m.-3p.m. Sunday. Reserve equipment online and find additional locations at uhaul.com or contact U-Haul Reservations at 1-800-GO-UHAUL.
To learn more about U-Haul in the news and in your community, visit myuhaulstory.com.
Contact:
Jeanne Rohrer
Jeff Lockridge
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 602-263-6981
Website: uhaul.com
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151214/295533
SOURCE U-Haul
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