Willy Pohina, Service Rentals Kona’s de facto branch manager, gracefully grew with change, leading him to multiple promotions and balance between family and work after facing rocky beginnings.
Pohina started as a yard mechanic for Service Rentals Kahului, receiving his first promotion to yard sales rep and a second promotion to yard boss all within his first five years with the company. Two years ago, management gave him the opportunity to move back to his hometown of Hilo as assistant manager of their Kailua-Kona branch, where he received another promotion a year later to de facto branch manager. Pohina is still excelling in his current role and has no plans of retiring anytime soon.
Question: What initially sparked your interest in construction?
Answer: Initially, I was working at Maui Arts and Cultural Center in Kahului and one of the sales guys from Service Rentals came over to drop off some [equipment], and he told my supervisor that … [they’re] looking for a yard person/mechanic. So my supervisor …, knowing that I like fixing equipment, [said], “maybe you should check them out.
As the days and months went by with Service Rentals, that’s when it grew to me about the construction industry. … I am a part of them, and watching [projects] grow from the ground up — it’s just amazing.
Q: What was your first construction job and what was it like?
A: Back in 2004, I was working as a mason here on the Big Island. I did that for about a year [and] I enjoyed … just seeing everything being done and being a part of from the ground [up]. And when that was my job, to make sure that foundation is good and create that foundation for the guys to build, [that] was cool.
Q: What projects or moments do you attribute your many Service Rentals promotions to?
A: The one major one is Waiākea Water. They’re doing a big recycling plant out in Kea’au shipping area and one of their coworkers is actually a son of one of our customers — Maui Nordic PCL — one of the managers, his son works for Waiākea Water … he called me in. He was like, “Hey, I get these projects coming up and this and that. What do you get?”
So I went out there and checked on them and whatnot, and that was the start, … the first boom lift went out there [at] the beginning of this year, ending of last year. And that’s just … that contact with them, going over there and checking on them and seeing what [those] guys need. It just grew from there.
Q: What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had during your career and how did you overcome it?
A: The transition from Kahului to the Big Island. When I’m at my home base, that’s where I’m at my most comfortable with everything. The move from Kahului to Big Island, I knew some of the staff … but I never know them on [a] personal level. So coming here and being pretty much like, one outcast, one newbie … I never know how for act.
The best thing that happened was just being myself. I just be me, and everybody loves it. Now every day we’re going to cook lunch, or we’re going to pitch in to … buy lunch together and we’re going to all have like, one family-style [meal], and I think that helps build a camaraderie within the company. Instead of just, “Oh my coworker,” we want [to create] family. We want ʻohana.
Q: How do you balance home and work life?
A: My home life is 20 percent and my work life is the rest. … I’ll leave early sometimes just to get that afternoon time with the family and I’ll take care of some chores at home and whatnot, but most of the time, it’s just Saturday and Sunday that I try to cram everything in. … One day, I do chores at home, the next day, I take the family and we will do something all day together. That’s what it is for now.
I wouldn’t change what I do with the company for anything, honestly. And my wife too, she understands it because she’s been with me all the way before Service Rentals and to present and the changes that we’ve made — she wouldn’t change it either.
Q: If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would you tell him and why?
A: “Why it took so long for you wake up?” I didn’t grow up. It wasn’t a smooth road. When I first became an employee of Service Rentals, I was fresh out of jail, I was on probation; I did some stuff that got me into trouble. Not much places aside from Maui Arts and Cultural Center give me the time of day when I turned in applications. A lot of things that I regret in the past, but I would not change. I am the person I am because I went through a lot of stuff.
Q: Where do you see your career taking you in the future?
A: I will be here. I will be here all the way, and I will be the manager of Kona. … My goal is to be up in the three [main] stores. We’re not there, but we’re gonna get there one day.
Q: What is your favorite local snack?
A: I love dry aku. To me, that’s the Hawaiian candy. I get my own right here at work; I get a dry box outside so when I get fish, I cut them off, I do the brine and I just stick them in a box and put them outside. Give the employees, whoever like. Outside of that, li hing mui with lemon.
“Power Movers” highlights standout employees who embrace company culture, work passionately and are all-in when called to participate in company activities. Let us know who to feature next via email: [email protected].
