We have been checking the pulse of many industries as a result of threatened double and triple tariffs. Today we take you behind the scenes of a microfactory.
The local textile business NOHO HOME seems to have been doing all the right things to become more resilient during these uncertain times.
Jalene Kanani is the creative force behind the company that started 25 years ago. Its assortment of decorative pillows, kitchen linens, and other specialty items seeks to show a Hawaiian aesthetic on local shelves.
The Conversation recently paid a visit to her microfactory in Waipiʻo on Oʻahu. The NOHO HOME team includes 13 workers between the Ala Moana retail space and the Waipiʻo textile factory.
“We have a very small batch approach, and even make on demand,” Kanani said. “We can do everything here, from design to graphics to our printing, our pressing, our cutting, which we do via a laser. Sewing and packaging, we can do that all here. And we can go from start to finish in 30 minutes.”
Kanani offered a glimpse into the struggles during these uncertain times of the tariff wars, first with China and other countries in Asia, and now, the latest news that President Trump is threatening European countries with double-digit hikes.
“It feels like every day is a new day,” she shared. “There's a lot of pivoting. It really requires you to be resourceful and nimble and look for the opportunity."
She said that being a small business allows more flexibility, but everything else is a challenge.
“In order to pivot, you need resources,” Kanani added. “As it stands, you are already paying 30% more for everything unexpectedly, and that's really the key is that it was unexpected.”
Kanani continues to encourage her staff to always come up with solutions.
“I positioned my conversation in a way that, how can we look at the work on the plate today and pivot, adjust, find our opportunities, find where we can continue to exist and hopefully thrive, and make it through this turbulent time,” she told HPR.
This interview aired on The Conversation on May 27, 2025. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. Hannah Kaʻiulani Coburn adapted this story for the web.
