HANAMAULU – Gabriel Pearl is pinning his dreams for his family of six on a new business in Kauai. It is called Island Metals, a natural extension of the contracting business he started working at two decades ago on the Mainland.
“When I was 19, I began contracting and hired a few guys. Within two years I had eight guys working for me and did a lot of metal roofs,” Pearl said.
Metal roofing was a relatively new thing in the early 90s, according to Pearl. He said when people learned the benefits of a metal roof, business boomed.
With children ranging in age from 12 months to 8 years old, Pearl’s family longed for a climate that offers more outdoor, kid-friendly places.
“In Tennessee where we lived it is too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter,” said Pearl. “We sold two homes, uprooted everybody and picked Kauai because it had a small-town feel like we were used to.”
He says living on the island is even better than what they bargained for and is happy to say after living here only six short months that, “Aloha isn’t just a word, it’s the heart of Hawaii.”
Pearl’s early childhood was one where the only meat they ate was from the deer he would shoot. The only vegetables they consumed were from their garden and in the winter they made meals from the food his mother had canned.
“Hawaii is a breath of fresh air for me and my family,” Pearl said.
Not wanting to compete in the installation field in Kauai, he has invested in the manufacturing niche of roof construction. Shipping over the heavy machinery needed to create the roofs is a worthwhile investment, Pearl said, because metal roofs last longer than other styles and are more wind resistant.
“I wanted to contribute to a legitimate need in the local community,” said the manufacturer based in a 4,000-square-foot leased space in Hanamaulu. “We make the popular Hawaiian-style corrugated roofs as well as one of the newer styles that you see on commercial buildings and homes. We also have a machine that makes any type of trim or gutter you can think up.”
Pearl said metal roofing is easier to maintain because unlike composite or wood shingles, the steel is unaffected by the accumulation of leaves, dirt, and other potentially harmful debris.
Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Info: www.islandmetals.com, and 246-4600
• Lisa Ann Capozzi, education and features reporter, can be reached at lcapozzi@thegardenisland.com.
