Nearly 50 years after he joined Castle & Cooke Hawai‘i — and after more than two decades at the helm of its Hawai‘i operations — long-time President Harry Saunders will retire Friday, Feb. 28.
Succeeding him is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Garret Matsunami, who will step into the president role Saturday, March 1.
Saunders, who declined to be interviewed, joined Castle & Cooke in 1975 and was named president in 2001. He will continue to serve on its board of directors, the company said in an announcement Tuesday.
“Leading Castle & Cooke Hawai‘i has been one of the greatest honors of my career,” Saunders said in the announcement. “For nearly 50 years, I have had the privilege of working with an incredible team dedicated to building communities that support local families and businesses. I’m proud of what we have accomplished together, and I look forward to seeing Castle & Cooke continue to shape Hawai‘i’s future.”
Saunders' legacy and the impact of his five-decade career is arguably undeniable.
The company says Saunders has been a "driving force" behind its growth and evolution, and has overseen its residential, commercial, agricultural and renewable energy operations across O‘ahu, Lāna‘i and Hawai‘i Island.
It was under his leadership that Mililani — a master-planned community in Central O‘ahu that was developed over 40 years — was completed, and its Koa Ridge development was launched, the announcement noted.
According to Castle & Cooke's website, planning for Mililani began in 1958 with home sales starting a decade later. The final homes in Mililani were built and sold in 2008.
Koa Ridge, another master-planned community located on 576 acres between Mililani and Waipio in Central O‘ahu, broke ground in 2017 and welcomed its first homeowners in 2020, the site notes. Approximately 3,500 new residential homes are planned for the development, along with shops and retailers, restaurants, parks and more, according to the developer.
"Beyond residential development, Saunders oversaw the expansion of Castle & Cooke's commercial real estate holdings, which now includes 790,000 square feet of office and retail space," the announcement noted. "Under his leadership, the company diversified into aviation services and agritourism, that includes the transformation of Dole Plantation into one of Hawai‘i's most-visited attractions."
His successor, Matsunami, joined the company in 2003.
According to the announcement, Matsunami — who was born and raised in ‘Aiea — has played a role in Castle & Cooke's residential and commercial developments, including the planning and execution of Koa Ridge, and the oversight of two new projects: the Iwilei Master Plan and Waiakoa, the company's second development within Our Kaka‘ako, Kamehameha Schools' mixed-use, master-planned community located on nine contiguous blocks between South Street and Ward Avenue in Honolulu.
KS announced last October that Castle & Cooke Hawai‘i and Koa Partners were selected to develop Block D in Our Kaka‘ako. Called Waiakoa, that development will include two residential structures with approximately 1,032 homes, along with green spaces and commercial space, an announcement at that time noted.
Matsunami said in the announcement Tuesday, "I am deeply honored to follow in Harry's footsteps and lead Castle & Cooke Hawai‘i into its next chapter. His leadership and vision have created a strong foundation for our future."
"My time at Castle & Cooke over the past two decades has given me a deep appreciation for the company's mission and the people who make it all possible," Matsunami told Aloha State Daily in an email. "Learning from Harry Saunders and our leadership team have reinforced that taking care of our employees and staying focused on our mission is what makes us successful. I'm honored to step into this role and continue Castle & Cooke's legacy of creating thoughtfully planned communities that provide real opportunities for homeownership in Hawai‘i."
He said his top priority in the role is to ensure that team members feel valued and supported as the company continues moving forward with its current projects.
"Waiakoa in Kaka‘ako, Waikoloa on Hawai‘i Island and the Iwilei master plan represent exciting opportunities to create lasting, sustainable communities, and I want to ensure we approach them with the same dedication and care that has defined Castle & Cooke for generations," Matsunami said. "At the same time, I want to maintain the company's strong culture of teamwork and innovation, because when we work together, we can achieve anything."
As part of the leadership transition, Alan Arakawa, who has more than 30 years of experience in the state's real estate industry has been named vice president of residential operations, the company said. In this role, he will oversee residential operations, including planning, acquisitions, entitlements, engineering, architectural design, construction, customer service and sales and marketing for projects on O‘ahu and Hawai‘i Island, the announcement noted.
Castle & Cooke was founded in 1851 by Samuel Northrup Castle and Amos Starr Cooke as a merchant partnership but now operates in a variety of sectors: real estate, community development, agriculture and aviation.
Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
