Matson Pledges $5 Million for Maui Wildfire Recovery

Matson Pledges $5 Million for Maui Wildfire Recovery

Matson has committed to donating $5 million in cargo transportation services to Maui wildfire recovery housing and infrastructure projects that are supported by the State of Hawaii and/or Maui County.

A Matson container sits on the development site of a temporary housing project in Lahaina with the ocean in the background.
Ka Laʻi Ola translates to "The Place of Peaceful Recovery" in Hawaiian. In July, working crews place the first pre-built homes onto the development site in Lahaina after unloading them from Matson containers.

Ka Laʻi Ola, a temporary housing project in Lahaina that is being developed by nonprofit HomeAid Hawaii, is the first project to benefit from Matson’s assistance and aims to provide housing for up to 1,500 displaced Maui residents within the next five years.

“This is something we can do to further support Maui’s recovery, and we appreciate Governor Green’s efforts to create partnerships like this to make these important projects happen,” said Matt Cox, Matson’s chairman and CEO.

The new development will be built in three phases on 57 acres in Lahaina and will eventually feature approximately 450 modular residential units, all designed to offer a safe and stable environment for families as they transition to permanent housing.

Matson’s support for the development is already underway, with 10 shipments utilizing a mixture of flat racks and containers of more than 143 tons of materials such as ground frames, steel material for home placements and infrastructure materials, to actual modular housing units.

Buzz Fernandez, Maui district manager, visited the construction site and saw firsthand the progress and the promise of Ka Laʻi Ola. “Witnessing the construction is truly inspiring,” said Fernandez. “It’s heartening to see how all of Matson’s support is directly impacting the lives of displaced families who have lost so much.”