The year was 1990.
Danny Graham, a McKinley High graduate who had served in the Air Force, decided to open a contracting company.
He already owned a successful realty company and a thriving water purification business. But after volunteering some of his time with RICO (Regulated Industries Complaints Office), Graham was shocked at the grievances he’d heard about contractors who built and remodeled island homes.
“He wanted to start a company that offered great customer service, quality workmanship, and highest integrity — a company that could transform complaints into compliments,” says Lenore Smith.
That year, Graham launched Graham Builders, one of the earliest residential design/build companies in Hawaii. His new firm offered in-house design and construction services — an innovative system that encouraged communication and collaboration between designers, builders, and homeowners, with much less room for error.
Complaints into compliments
Thirty-five years later, Graham Builders has successfully completed almost 900 home remodels and new builds. Among other achievements, it holds the distinction of being the only local contractor presented with the Better Business Bureau’s Torch Award for Business Ethics.
“Our design-build method emphasizes quality service and collaboration, and offers homeowners the opportunity to be deeply involved in their projects,” says Smith, client care manager for Graham Builders. The firm has designed and built countless multi-generational homes for island families, she adds. “Many of our team members are Certified Aging-in-Place Specialists (CAPS), as well.”
A true collaborative effort, the process requires interaction and cooperation. “Each homeowner works closely with a dedicated designer and project coordinator, which ensures efficient and effective planning,” Smith explains.
A lasting legacy
Danny Graham is now happily retired. These days, he enjoys spending time with his family, making occasional visits to the “Ninth Island,” driving cross-country on his motorcycle, and completing daily workout regimens. But the practices he helped establish are still in place, and his legacy lives on.
Graham Builders’ “Building Your Home For Life” seminars, which began in 1995 as a way to help people make informed decisions about remodeling, renovating, and rebuilding, are a perfect example. Over the past 29 years, hundreds of Oahu homeowners have attended the free seminars, provided as a community service and open to the public.
“The construction process can be complex and intimidating,” says Ryan Graham, vice-president of operations. “We do our best to ensure that attendees leave our seminars feeling more confident about the process, and about hiring construction professionals.”
Groomed to head the company since high school, Ryan Graham now oversees its sales, marketing, design, and construction departments. He is deeply committed to continuing the tradition of civic awareness that began with his father.
“We believe that we have an obligation to design and build responsibly,” he says. “We want our homes to be welcome additions in their neighborhoods, and to contribute to the overall vibrancy and sense-of-place in the communities in which we build them.”
Excited for the future
“We’re excited for the future, and what 2025 will bring!” says Evan Fujimoto, who began working for the firm just three years after it opened, and who was promoted to president in 2010.
Broadly speaking, in terms of market dynamics and social change, doing business has become much more transactional than relational, he explains. “We want to remain true to our values, and continue treating each of our homeowners like members of our ohana. The homes we build should be reflections of our homeowners, and should function well to meet their unique needs and desires.”
Founded in 1990, Graham Builders remains the only contractor in Hawaii honored by the Better Business Bureau’s Torch Award for Business Ethics. Plan your dream home around your parties with Graham Builders’ FREE “Building Your Home for Life” seminar on DATE???? from 9-11 a.m. at the Honolulu Country Club. Register at grahambuilders.com or call 593-2808.