Frank VanderSloot Expands Impact Investing in Hawaii

Frank VanderSloot, founder and executive chairman of Melaleuca, has built a record of using his business success to support agriculture, food security, and community projects. In Hawaii, his investments have focused on strengthening the beef supply chain and closing gaps in affordable housing.

In 2019, VanderSloot purchased the assets of Kunoa Cattle Company on Oahu, which was facing financial collapse. He restructured operations, rebranded the company as Hawaii Meats, and paid roughly $1.5 million owed to ranchers, vendors, and employees. Around 50 jobs were kept in place with pay increases, and VanderSloot also supplied new breeding bulls from his Riverbend Ranch in Idaho to improve herd quality. The company is committed to serving Hawaii’s farm-to-state program, providing beef to schools, hospitals, and prisons.

By 2021, VanderSloot became the majority owner of Hawaii Sustainable Beef, which operates state-owned meat processing facilities on Oahu and Hawaiʻi Island. He invested more than $15 million to upgrade the Oahu plant and established an $8 million line of credit for the Paʻauilo facility on the Big Island. The capital covered the installation of a full new processing line and improvements intended to increase throughput for local ranchers.

A few of the state’s largest ranches bristled at VanderSloot’s arrival, but many smaller ranchers welcomed it as overdue reform. For years, access to Hawai‘i’s slaughterhouses was dominated by a narrow circle of producers, effectively shutting out much of the industry. VanderSloot’s investment has expanded access dramatically, opening doors to more than 170 ranchers who previously lacked opportunity. From his perspective, there is more than enough capacity for everyone. Equity and sustainability, not exclusion, should define Hawai‘i’s beef future.

The investments in Hawaii beef reflect VanderSloot’s long-standing approach of stepping in when critical infrastructure is at risk. In the 1990s, when Kraft Foods closed a cheese plant in Blackfoot, Idaho, VanderSloot was asked by local dairymen to help. He paid off debts owed to farmers, kept employees working, and stabilized the facility before eventually exiting the business.

On Kauai, VanderSloot recently contributed $1.9 million to the Rice Street Apartments project in Līhuʻe. The development will add 66 two-bedroom apartments for households earning 60 percent or less of the island’s median income, with rents projected at $1,000 per month. The project also includes 16,000 square feet of commercial space to support downtown revitalization. VanderSloot’s funding closed a shortfall that could have delayed construction or increased rents, ensuring the project stayed on track for completion in 2026.

Hawaii’s housing shortage has become one of the most pressing challenges facing the state. VanderSloot’s role in the Līhuʻe project has been cited as an example of impact investing, where private capital is deployed to deliver social and economic benefits. Local officials noted that without his contribution, the project risked losing momentum despite commitments of public funds and tax credits.

VanderSloot’s investments in Hawaii continue a broader pattern of community support. He has funded education, health care, and veteran programs across the United States. In Hawaii, his involvement has centered on sustainable beef production, land conservation, and now housing. Each investment has emphasized long-term stability, family support, and strengthening local communities.

For ranchers, upgraded plants provide stability. And for Kaua‘i families, new apartments offer relief in a difficult market. Together, these projects illustrate how impact investing can deliver lasting community benefits.

VanderSloot’s approach highlights how private capital can fill gaps where public funding alone is not sufficient. In both beef and housing, his interventions preserved jobs, stabilized local supply chains, and created opportunities for residents.

The combination of agricultural investment and affordable housing underscores VanderSloot’s view that business leaders can use their resources to reinforce the communities where they operate. In Hawaii, those investments have become part of a larger effort to balance growth, food security, and quality of life for local families.