Celebrating a Long Time Advertiser: Parker Ranch Store

Established in 1988, Parker Ranch Store is celebrating 30 years of being part of the Hawai‘i Island community. The store was originally established by Parker Ranch; however, in 2009 it was put up for sale as the ranch refocused on its core mission of land stewardship and cattle operations.

Owner Randy Kurohara saw the tremendous opportunity that Parker Ranch Store had to support his vision of promoting his Aloha Grown brand and mission: support local, sustain the ‘āina (land), and share the aloha, so he acquired the store in 2010 during a down economy. The timing didn’t deter Randy’s tremendous faith in both the management and staff, who had already been running the store for years. It was also important to him to keep the ownership local and with a vested interest in Hawai‘i Island.

Randy says, “Parker Ranch Store is more than just a clothing and gift store. It is a part of our Waimea community, connecting our community and visitors with the rich history of Parker Ranch and the paniolo [cowboy] lifestyle. It’s a cornerstone to the Waimea experience. Parker Ranch Store supports the vibrant culture of sustainability that resonates from the North Hawai‘i region, historic Waimea town and its rich ranching and farming history. We feature some of the best locally grown and made products; original and exclusive clothing and accessories that promote our sense of environment, our culture, and our farming and ranching lifestyle.”

“We also saw the opportunity to help shape the future of Parker Ranch Store through new merchandising and branding efforts in addition to a more vertical integration with our other business, Creative Arts Hawaii,” says store manager Camille Kalahiki.

Camille adds that Parker Ranch Store supports local products by offering merchandise from more than 50 different local businesses. Products range from soaps to coffee, clothing, art, lotions, cookies, and much more.

“We also give back to the community through our Aloha Grown Malama Honua fund that provides grant funds to local schools and organizations that promote sustainability through education and service. Through Malama Honua, two percent of all Aloha Grown products sales are set aside to give back to the community annually,” explains Camille.

When asked what their biggest challenge is, Camille mentions that since the new Daniel K. Inouye (Saddle) Road was completed a few years ago, making cross-island travel quicker, vehicular traffic has drastically changed because it gives people the option to bypass Waimea and the northern side of the island. Fortunately, many people still enjoy traveling the scenic route, which doesn’t add a lot of time to the drive.

Noting that Hawai‘i Island’s visitor industry continues to grow, with more visitors coming to experience all that it has to offer, Randy says, “I see Hawai‘i Island as the future of the State of Hawai‘i. Its diverse ecosystems, culture and traditions as well as the abundance of natural resources make us the prime destination for both visitors and people wanting to move to Hawai‘i.”

Now more than ever, people who live here take pride in where they’re from and want to share that with others. Likewise, visitors seek out gifts and experiences that are authentic from the place they are visiting. This provides the staff at Parker Ranch Center great hope and promise.

The Parker Ranch Store ‘ohana wants to mahalo the community for its support for the past 30 years and looks forward to the next “30 years of aloha, sharing Hawai‘i’s best.”

Parker Ranch Store at Parker Ranch Center
67-1185 Mamalahoa Hwy E126, Kamuela
808.885.5669
parkerranchstore.com