Businessman builds career out of native wood creations

It’s true what they say, sometimes all you have to do is ask.

Had Jeff Gomes not asked, he would not have gotten a seller-financed deal to buy Hawaii Bookmarks from Larry Peck, its successful founder.

The Keaau-based company on Hawaii island makes way more than bookmarks, including a range of goods small and large, out of koa, mango and other native woods, as well as invasive albizia.

In addition to laser-engraved, either rectangular or surfboard-shaped bookmarks, key chains, earrings and other small objects featuring Hawaii flora, fauna, a hula dancer, tiki and tribal tattoo patterns, Hawaii Bookmarks also makes koa ornaments, light switch and electrical outlet covers, night lights, various styles of lamps and a variety of surfboards, to name a few.

Gomes has consulted with an arborist to investigate albizia’s various properties and qualities "because everybody thinks the tree is bad, and it is bad in the sense that it’s so full of water, the branches break and the trees topple," Gomes said.

However, "once it’s dried out and milled correctly, its lumber is great, and lucky for us, the wood is free."

The surfboards so far have been made primarily of invasive albizia, with the addition of koa inlay.

Brian Ledbetter, himself a lifelong surfer, serves as Gomes’ surfboard shaper and does other work for the company as well.

Gomes has big ideas for turning albizia lumber into additional products, but the heart and soul of his product line is Hawaiian koa.

Albizia bookmarks average around $6 in retail stores, whereas koa bookmarks are about $10.

Because of the rarity of koa, none of its scraps are wasted, he said.

Presently he is working on a koa dye that he seeks to perfect for application on clothing he will sell to a garment company in Hilo.

Various parts of his lines of koa products are available at isle retailers from Nohea Gallery and Martin & MacArthur stores to DFS and ABC stores, but the bulk of his wholesaling business is done with smaller, mom-and-pop shops and gallery stores statewide.

Some pieces, however, such as his koa urns, must be ordered from his website. Urns sell for $450 and can accommodate all the text that can fit on a 6-by-9-inch panel.

In addition to Gomes’ lines of gift items and home furnishings, he also does custom work.

Gomes used artwork from Hawaii island designer Sig Zane to make replica ohe kapala, or tapa-printing tools, for the renovated Sheraton Kona. Gomes also made a 9-by-3-foot lamp behind the check-in desk out of native ohia wood.

He made an octagonal shadow box and miniature tansu as gifts for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife, ordered by Hawaii island Mayor Billy Kenoi.

"It’s cool to get a job like that," he said, adding that he thrives on deadline pressure. "I always tell people I specialize in last-minute orders," Gomes said.

It helps that his brother Bobby Gomes will come in to work in the Hawaii Bookmarks shop after his evening job for Hawaii County, and that Jeff Gomes’ wife, Wendy, is a teacher who will help with packing, straightening things out and giving him needed reminders, he said.

"She’s been incredibly supportive, putting up with all the sawdust," Gomes said, all the while wondering when their home would get a koa rocking chair, or dining table, and the like.

"I’m like the mechanic with all the broken cars in the yard," he laughed. "I’ve got to take care of everybody else first."

However, he added, "she has supported me through this whole thing" and in return he is slowly cranking out the furnishings she wants, "stuff to keep her happy," Gomes chuckled.

“Buy Local” runs on Aloha Fridays. Reach Erika Engle at 529-4303, erika@staradvertiser.com or on Twitter as @erikaengle.