LIHU‘E — When William and Roberta Heil were visiting here in February, 2003, they decided that this is where they wanted to live. But, the couple also decided that they wanted to bring something here that Kaua‘i needed, and after
LIHU‘E — When William and Roberta Heil were visiting here in February, 2003, they decided that this is where they wanted to live.
But, the couple also decided that they wanted to bring something here that Kaua‘i needed, and after much searching and also through their experiences here while on vacation, they decided they would open the UPS Store at Kukui Grove Center upon their arrival here.
“We had a hard time getting boxes and shipping items,” Roberta Heil said.
The Heils and their UPS Store have those items at the top of their agenda, but more than that, the store also offers a full range of business-support services, shipping services, as well a mail-box rentals. A wide variety of shipping alternatives are available at the UPS Store, covering everything from overnight to ground service and overseas freight. The staff also offers packaging services as well as items such as cartons and other packaging material.
Topping the business-support side of their offering are copying, finishing, and printing services, which include black-and-white copies, color copies, binding, laminating, and collating. The UPS Store also offers custom printing services such as business cards, stationery, rubber stamps, and name plates.
Roberta Heil pointed out that the store also works with recycling Styrofoam peanuts and bubble wraps without tape. “There’s no reason why those items need to end up in the landfill when we need to buy them,” she said.
Items that are packed by the UPS Store are packed in new bubble wrap, but reusable peanuts are worked in with their inventory after they are inspected for usability.
William Heil said that upon checking with local sources, “There seemed to be a need for more small mailboxes, especially in this area.” In response to this finding, the UPS Store offers 270 small mailboxes, 48 medium-sized boxes, and 40 large mailboxes that are now available at grand-opening rates.
David Conrad, the chorus director at Kaua‘i High School, was already shopping around, and was pleased that there were mailboxes available in the 500-number series, the choral teacher trying to hum out the numerical sequence of his desired box. The mailboxes come with a “real address,” said the Heils. This means that it’s not just a P.O. box number, and shippers like FedEx and UPS have an address they can deliver to.
In addition to the mailboxes, people can use the UPS Store to receive packages and shipments.
Twenty-four-hour access to the mailbox is allowed to box renters.
The UPS Store operates six days a week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
The store is closed on Sundays, William Heil noting, “Nothing leaves the island on Sunday.” For more information, people can contact the Heils at 632-2347.
Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, may be reached at 245- 3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@pulitzer.net.
