Who knew asphalt and espresso had so much in common? Hawaii Asphalt Paving Industry’s (HAPI) new Executive Director Brandon Lima did.
After working as a bituminous lab supervisor for the state Department of Transportation (HDOT), Lima assumed the role of executive director Aug. 1, 2025, following the departure of Jon Young, HAPI’s executive director of 14 years.
“HAPI exists to share as … a technical resource, but also as a partner to the agencies [to] provide solutions or suggestions to some of the issues [members] face,” says Lima. “Part of the role here is just to … really stay up-to-date with the bleeding-edge of asphalt and share that locally with our community.”
Young will stay on as a senior advisor to Lima to ease the transition and avoid “call[ing] him 500 times a day,” Young jokes.
“Jon’s peak productivity hours are from midnight to 2 a.m.,” Lima chimes in.
GOOD GRACES
Lima got his start in construction after a word-of-mouth opportunity at Grace Pacific LLC fell into his lap and ended up loving the work. Having received no prior industry-related experience or training, Lima “learned everything on-the-job” as a quality control (QC) lab technician and later as a quarry QC supervisor.
After maintaining a steady career with Grace Pacific for over 12 years, Lima moved on to a supervisor role for the Materials Testing and Research Branch at HDOT where he not only established himself as an industry expert, but also as an espresso connoisseur.
“[What interests me about asphalt] is how similar to espresso it is — all the variables that are at play that are changing and need to be managed,” says Lima. “It requires you to communicate really well with others and also be really observant to trends in changes, appearances and materials, and then connecting the dots as far as how changes in the rock ultimately affect the mix and, in the end, affect the pavement that’s laid down.”
When Lima moved to take on HAPI’s executive director position, he ensured his espresso machine came with him.
HIT THE GROUND RUNNING
Lima usually arrives at the HAPI office around 6 a.m. to “beat traffic” and, of course, have his morning espresso. Right now, Lima’s days typically involve introducing himself to members, scheduling meetings and getting feedback on how to better support the association’s membership.
“[The challenge is] just understanding the association is very different from a business,” he says. “It’s not about self-interest, it’s about the association’s interests as a whole. I think that’s really eye-opening for me and balancing the interests of all your members, … that only comes with experience.”
“Brandon’s background is more technical than mine. He has hands-on [experience], but my experience is more from the consultant construction management [side],” Young elaborates. “So right now, I’m helping Brandon through that because he can’t answer those questions yet, but I think the combination of the two of us is really good.”
Having Young stay on as an advisor bodes well for Lima, as the executive director handles all operations of the association with no assistance from any supporting staff or board members. Luckily, Young is not the only person offering insight into what the role might entail.
“It’s great to have [nationwide associations] as a … resource to talk [about] the work that they do, because various states run their programs differently,” says Lima. “Some are more technically focused, some are more political. So it’s just good to get a full-spectrum view on what’s out there and what can be.”
HAPI’S NEW HORIZONS
Now at the helm, Lima is prioritizing workforce retention by tailoring HAPI’s educational resources for entry-level positions.
“There’s a lot of retirements right now and a lot of loss of generational knowledge [and] a lot of new faces showing up in the industry, so … some of the more fundamental basics in the world of asphalt, I think there’s a need there,” says Lima.
Young and Lima are hoping to send the message that those entering the industry don’t need to be college-educated to qualify for many positions.
“There’s a lot of emphasis on being college-educated, but there’s people that just want to get into the trades, right? So we want to find those people,” says Young.
To do so, HAPI plans to continue attending career fairs and high schools to spread awareness about the asphalt industry.
Lima also wants to further develop the local branch of Women of Asphalt after it experienced a brief lull in progress.
“I think this time, with enough caffeine …” Lima quips.
“With your espresso machine, you’re unstoppable,” Young responds.
