LIHUE — The first Enterprise Kauai Home City was dedicated and blessed Friday in Lihue, across the street from Hilo Hattie’s. “This is for the community,” said Dan Schaberg, the Enterprise vice president and general manager for Hawaii. “This is
LIHUE — The first Enterprise Kauai Home City was dedicated and blessed Friday in Lihue, across the street from Hilo Hattie’s.
“This is for the community,” said Dan Schaberg, the Enterprise vice president and general manager for Hawaii. “This is for people whose car is in the shop for a day, or a couple of days, for times when the ohana drops in for a visit and you just need some extra cars. However, if there are tourists who happen to come through the door, we will service them as well.”
The Kauai Home City facility, with Laine Malson as its branch rental manager, was blessed and dedicated by Ikaika Bantolina who got help from Kim Dumaguin, National Kona manager.
“Even before this blessing, I knew Kim,” Malson said. “Five years ago, Kim encouraged me to apply for a job with Enterprise Rent-A-Car. During the interview, I remember asking them what the growth potential was for someone entering the Enterprise ohana.”
Schaberg said the opening of the Kauai Home City is part of that growth Malson.
“Enterprise is adding more stores, like the one we opened at Koloa Landing with the help of Ike Cockett, the property’s general manager,” Schaberg said. “We’re looking to open more. Opening and expanding Enterprise sites adds more jobs for the community. It also provides Enterprise employees opportunities to grow.”
Shannon Maxwell, the Enterprise Group rental manager for Kauai, said she was blessed to join Enterprise a year ago.
“My daughter, now 10 months old, was born on Kauai,” Maxwell said. “Enterprises employs 130 employees on this island, the oldest tenured employee having been with Enterprise for 32 years. These employees serve the island through the Enterprise, Alamo and National car rental brands. We are very lucky to have such a strong crew.”
Maxwell said Enterprise has been serving in Hawaii since 1994, and Kauai for more than six years.
“We’re very proud of this new location on Kauai which is opening to mainly serve the community,” Maxwell said. “This Kauai Home City is different from the airport tourist renting location in that it offers Enterprise free pick-up and drop-off service, cars for when you need for family or friends, cars for when yours is in the shop for service or repairs, and about any special occasion.”
Chris Sbarbaro, the vice president for Hawaii, sales and marketing and external affairs, said the Kauai Home City is focused on the Kauai community.
“Giving back and getting involved in the community is very important to us at Enterprise,” Sbarbaro said. “On Kauai, we are very active with the Kauai United Way, Mark Stein being a co-chair of the Kauai United Way Campaign, and Dee Lim being the United Way coordinator for Enterprise on all of the islands. Enterprise also works closely with the Kauai Visitors Bureau and the Kauai Chamber of Commerce.”
The opening of the Kauai Home City brings the number of Enterprise locations on Kauai to seven, and more than 70 throughout the state, including 36 sites on Oahu, 15 on Maui, 11 on the Big Island, and one on Molokai.
“This is a great day to talk story with the state, county and business people,” Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. said. “I was delayed because of the collaborative meeting we had to discuss the threat of the storm brewing to the south of us. I’m glad to hear of the importance of kuleana and the sense of ohana expressed by Enterprise. This includes the importance of offering jobs to people like Laine who is able to come home or having a facility like this for the people.”
Enterprise Kauai Home City, located at 3-3257 Kuhio Highway, Suite A3 in Lihue, is open Mondays through Fridays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. The facility is closed on Sundays.
