Spirit of Aloha | Message of Aloha | May/June 2001

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Koa Entrepreneur

Greg Eaves' "Toe Jams" line of koa accessories and furniture is funny and utilitarian.

The recent arrival of two new Boeing Next Generation 737-700 aircraft, and another expected by this summer, will bring to five the number of new planes serving Aloha Airlines' trans-Pacific flights. This is a significant expansion of Aloha's fleet and reflects the growth of our service, with new flights from Honolulu and Maui to Orange County effective May 1 and June 1, respectively, and between Oakland and Kona on the Big Island of Hawai'i. We have also recently launched the first direct service between Hawai'i and Kwajalein in the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

The new -700 aircraft are built to Aloha's specifications, with brighter sidewall panels and adjustable headrests in coach. Our first-class customers have power ports for computers, as well as special footrests in the first row. We are also excited to announce that all five new aircraft will have comfortable all-leather seats, which will provide more leg room for both first-class and coach passengers. Aloha is the first Boeing 737-700 carrier with these new seats.

After serving Hawai'i for 55 years, Aloha is surging ahead into a period of new growth in secondary markets on the West Coast and Central Pacific. Our new aircraft, ideally suited to all of Aloha's flights, reflect our continuing commitment to excellence and the highest standards of service.

On many of these flights, passengers may encounter the pleasing personality and easygoing charm of Greg Eaves, an Aloha Airlines flight attendant for the past 15 years. A polished professional and caring attendant, Greg is a skilled wood carver and entrepreneur when he's not wearing his Aloha Airlines hat. He also has a sense of humor-his label is "Toe Jams," and it's as funny as it is utilitarian. His line of koa furniture, business-card holders, foot-shaped bill holders, wine carts, photo frames, mirrors and dozens of home accessories is becoming increasingly well known in retail outlets throughout the state.

Born in Kailua, O'ahu, and raised in Honoka'a, a sleepy plantation town on the Big Island, Greg infuses his line with a quirky sense of utility and a sensitivity to local style. A piece of koa in the shape of a foot serves as a door jam, while two koa feet spring open and shut as a bill holder. His more serious pieces, such as furniture and koa-framed oval mirrors, are much in demand as well.

"My father and I came up with the idea," he offers. "He's an engineer and taught me how to work with wood. On my time off, I fly to my parents' home in Hilo, where we've converted my mom's greenhouse into our workshop. Out went the plants and in came our wood. There are natural springs on the property and a waterfall right next to the workshop."

He has made a good life in the skies, on the Big Island and on O'ahu, where his home and headquarters lie flush against the Ko'olau Mountains in the Valley of the Temples. Between his full-time job and his weekly commutes to Hilo, there is little time to spare, with orders to be filled and the next flight around the corner.

"We're a father-son team," he beams. "We try to make things that are unique and Hawaiian style. We started with the 'slippah holder,' a napkin holder of rubber slippers on koa feet, and then the business-card holder, and it just took off from there."

Because his work takes him to the central Pacific and other locales, he's always on the lookout for unusual crafts and ideas. So far, "Toe Jams" has retained a place among the useful, humorous expressions of Hawai'i.

Glenn R. Zander
President and Chief Executive Officer, Aloha Airlines

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