About HPS

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Company Biographies

Howard Kihune, Sr. – Chairman

Mr. Kihune brings a wealth of experience and many years of service in the public and private sectors. Mr. Kihune is the President of Landtec, Inc., and Principal of Landtec Energy Company, LLC. Mr. Kihune also brings more than twenty-five years of experience in the construction industry, including sixteen years as President of Ideal Construction, Inc.

Mr. Kihune was elected for six consecutive terms on the Maui County Council, retiring as Chairman in 1992. He has also served on many community committees involving such issues as transportation, ocean activities, flood control, agriculture, water, and the revitalization of Lahaina Town. Mr. Kihune continues to enjoy a close relationship with local and state officials and is a past president of the Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce.

Robert Johnston – President/CEO

Mr. Johnston has over 30 years experience in real estate development and asset management. Before moving to Maui in 1990, Mr. Johnston served as President of Landwest Development Company on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. He developed projects in the Carolinas, Georgia, Colorado, Texas, Illinois, Maui and Jamaica. Prior to forming his own company, Mr. Johnston was Vice President of Finance and Development for Hilton Head Company, one of the largest real estate developers and resort operators in the Southeast, where he was responsible for the management of projects from conceptual planning to construction, finance and marketing.

Mr. Johnston sits on the board of South Maui Renewable Resources (SMRR), a joint venture formed with Haleakala Energy Associates, an affiliate of Kaheawa Wind Farm, and Hawaii Pacific Solar. SMRR was formed to develop a 3.5 Megawatts solar facility in South Maui and is teamed with Pratt & Whitney, SunFuel and Cummins in the design and development of this hybrid renewable energy project.

Mr. Johnston is a graduate of the University of Colorado with degrees in Finance and Economics. He is co-founder of Landtec, Inc. a Maui based real estate development company and provides management and financial expertise and oversees the day to day operations of Hawaii Pacific Solar.

Stanley Dillon – Vice President/RME

Mr. Dillon is an accomplished electrician with expertise in the design implementation, troubleshooting and repair of many types of electrical systems for a variety of applications. These include photovoltaics, healthcare facilities, scientific research facilities, telephone and television transmission facilities, and residential and commercial facilities. He is experienced in photovoltaic solar modules and inverter technologies and has certifications from Sharp, Fronius, SMA, Conergy and Sanyo.

Mr. Dillon’s alternative energy projects include photovoltaic grid connected, off-grid, hybrid, wind, and generator assisted systems. He is a licensed electrical contractor in the State of Hawaii and is the RME for Hawaii Pacific Solar.

Mr. Dillon has completed many noteworthy projects including Haleakala Crater, Panstar Telescope, King Diesel and Marine Generators, Maui Harley Davidson PV Maintenance, Maui Oil PV Maintenance and Repair, Maui Memorial Hospital, County of Maui Service and Repair, TV transmission tower move from Haleakala to Ulupalakua for the University of Hawaii, including 250kw backup generation. He also developed an off grid hybrid wind/solar project.

Mr. Dillon is a decorated combat veteran of the Vietnam War where he served his country as a Vietnamese linguist and has taught Electrical Apprenticeship at the Maui Community College.

Robert Bloom – Vice President – Operations

Mr. Bloom has spent over 34 years working in the construction field in the San Francisco Bay area and Hawaii providing professional, residential and commercial construction services. He worked in the family company for several years before venturing off and starting his own companies. Mr. Bloom put together a team of professional designers, architects, suppliers and sub-contractors, becoming partners with Louis Rago, owner of Rago Development Co, Inc. Between 1995 and 2006, they constructed projects with a market value of 91 million dollars. He attended the University of Maryland and served in the United States Army from 1972 to 1975. He was a general contractor in California from 1977 until 2001, and in Hawaii from 2006 until his retirement in 2009.

Since moving to Maui in 2001 Mr. Bloom has provided professional project management services to The Whaler on Kaanapali Beach, Napili Kai Beach Resort, Royal Kahana Resort and Paki Maui Resort.

In his spare time, Mr. Bloom enjoys fly-fishing in remote destinations, playing golf, and traveling. He and his wife Cynthia support Habitat for Humanity Hawaii, Melanoma Research Foundation, California Pacific Medical Center, and the Nathan Bloom Foundation.

Gene Norton – Director of Sales & Marketing

Mr. Norton moved to Hawaii in 1995, settling on the west side of Maui for more than 16 years. Mr. Norton brings a unique blend of more than 20 years experience in sales, account management, new business development and multiple years’ experience as a CFO of a corporation with offices in both Oregon and Hawaii. Mr. Norton was previously a major account executive working with many Fortune 500 Companies in the formulation and implementation of strategic sales and service strategies. This resulted in multi-million dollar contracts with corporations throughout the U.S. His sales strategies enabled each company division, within a national corporation, to take advantage of lower pricing created by the economy of scale. Mr. Norton’s personalized “hands on” approach allows each client to take advantage of his wealth of knowledge in contract negotiations, budgeting perspectives and educational tools throughout the sales process, resulting in a win-win for each client and the company that he has represented.

Mr. Norton attended the University of Maryland and Central Missouri College. Mr. Norton has a BA in Education with a minor in Psychology and Physical Education from Central Missouri College.