July News: A Family Business Grows in Hanamāʻulu
A Family Business Grows at Hanamāʻulu Shops
When Rey and Daisy Juan talk about Rey’s Auto Repair, the joy is easy to see. It comes through in the way they speak about their customers, their family, and the future they are working toward together.
People come to Rey’s Auto Repair for more than car repairs. They come to talk story, share a laugh, and know their vehicles are in good hands.
But for Rey Juan, owning a business on Kauaʻi was not something he always imagined. He started with a mobile repair business, going house to house to help customers wherever they needed him. As the work grew, he realized he was spending more time on the road than under the hood.
He needed a place where his business could grow.
That opportunity came at Grove Farm’s Hanamāʻulu Shops, where Rey’s Auto Repair found a home and began building deeper roots in the community.
Today, the shop reflects the family effort behind the business. Rey’s wife, Daisy, their daughter, son, brother, and younger children are all connected to the work in different ways. Together, they have created a welcoming place where customers feel cared for, local businesses can keep moving, and the next generation can see what hard work can build.
As Rey looks to the future, he hopes to purchase a lot from Grove Farm in Ahukini Business Park, giving Rey’s Auto Repair room to grow and serve even more local customers. More than an expansion, it is part of a bigger dream: to build something lasting that his children can one day carry forward, supporting the next generation of the Juan family and the community they call home.
Wilcox Elementary’s New Mural Brings Values to Life
A new mural at Elsie H. Wilcox Elementary School is helping students see their school values reflected in a place they know and love.
With support from the Grove Farm Foundation, the mural was created to honor the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education’s Nā Hopena Aʻo, or HĀ, framework. HĀ is a framework of learning outcomes that supports the development of skills, behaviors and dispositions rooted in Hawaiʻi’s unique context and values. Its six outcomes are represented by the acronym BREATH:
Belonging
Responsibility
Excellence
Aloha
Total Well-being
Hawai‘i
When Principal Corey Nakamura shared the idea for the mural, he described it as a way of “bringing unity, belonging, and a sense of pride to the school.” The finished mural now gives students and staff a daily reminder of those values.
The project also brought together students, scouts, and local artistry. As part of his Eagle Scout project, Principal Nakamura’s son, Trey Nakamura, led his Scouts BSA Troop 83 in preparing the wall and applying the base coat. Local muralist Trysen Kaneshige then brought the vision to life through artwork that reflects the school and its surrounding community.
Principal Nakamura explained, “This mural creates a visual image that connects the students to the place that they live in.” The artwork includes familiar landmarks such as Mt. Hāʻupu and ʻAlekoko Fishpond, along with the ʻio, or Hawaiian hawk, which is Wilcox Elementary School’s mascot.
Each month, students gather at a school-wide assembly to highlight and celebrate a different HĀ value. Now, the mural will serve as a lasting visual reminder of the values Wilcox Elementary continues to nurture in its students.
Honoring 2026 Grove Farm Scholars
Every summer, Grove Farm hosts a dinner to honor its three Grove Farm Scholars alongside their families and past scholarship recipients. This year, David Braman, Samantha Tominaga and Skyler Tanicala were celebrated as the Grove Farm Foundation’s 17th scholar cohort.
Foundation President and Grove Farm Chairman & CEO Don Horner congratulated the scholars and encouraged them as they begin the next chapter of their education. Kauaʻi Complex Area Superintendent Leila Kobayashi also helped honor each graduate with a lei made by her daughter, Larissa Kobayashi.
The evening welcomed back past Grove Farm Scholars, creating an opportunity for alumni to reconnect and celebrate the newest members of the program. Returning scholars included Michaela Alcarez ’25, Lauryn Hashimoto ’25, Braden Kobayashi ’18, Margarita Lomongo ’25, Jeanine Longboy ’24, Alaysia Navor ’20, David Ochoco ’11, Melia Okura ’16, Sofia Saunders ’24 and Haley Zina ’23.
Mahalo to this year’s selection committee for helping review and honor this year’s scholars: the Honorable Edmund D. Acoba, District Judge, Family Court of the Fifth Circuit; Leila Maeda-Kobayashi, Kapaʻa-Kauaʻi-Waimea Complex Area Superintendent, Hawai‘i State Department of Education; Reiko Matsuyama, Managing Director, County of Kaua‘i; Jan TenBruggencate, author and board president of Mālama Hulē‘ia; and Joshua Uyehara, Principal, UI Hawai‘i Consulting LLC. Mahalo also to Puakea Grill Owner and Executive Chef Kristin Yanagawa and her team for helping make the evening special for the scholars and their families.
Celebrating Shared History at Kōloa Plantation Days
Grove Farm will once again participate in Kōloa Plantation Days with “Look Back Through the Sugar Era,” a tour that shares stories from Kauaʻi’s plantation history and Grove Farm’s past. All proceeds benefit Kōloa Elementary School.
This year’s tour will be held on Thursday, July 23. The event is free and open to the public, with space limited to the first 100 registrants.
To register, please call Marleen Duarte at (808) 245-3678.