Hawaii National Bank

About the Entrepreneur

David Souza is the chief operator of Island Topsoil, Hawaii’s leading premium soil mixer and distributor. Finding its roots in 1991 on the Big Island, Island Topsoil pioneered the local bulk soil industry and has grown to serve a variety of agricultural industries providing personalized topsoil products and convenient delivery and roll-off services. The business began with David’s father, a single vehicle, and a truckload of passion. Today, the Waianae-based, family-owned business serves all Hawaiian Islands and maintains a large fleet of equipment.

More with David

Tell us a little bit about the Island Topsoil history.

I’m actually the third generation; my grandfather had a trucking company that did soil operations called Family Topsoil located in Waianae. My dad started Big Island Topsoil in Kamuela, and it was a really small operation, just my dad and me. In 1994, we relocated to Honolulu and it was pretty hard to be Big Island Topsoil working in Honolulu, so we dropped the Big and kept it neutral as Island Topsoil.

What do your customers love most about your business?

We’re giving them an organic product, and it’s always best to support local. All our products are made here in Hawaii. We have the ability to blend just about any mix. If our customers have an idea, or if they want to put together a blend, we have a lot of raw materials that we can assist them with.

What was your best moment in the past year?

Because of the high demand for soil products, we were able to fast-track our bagging line. It was initially supposed to come out in 2022 but we moved it up to this year, so now we’re providing bagged products, soil, potting blends, which we’ll be distributing in general hardware stores.

Why do you choose to bank with Hawaii National Bank?

The level of commitment they provide to us. They’ve been there in every way to support us from our initial growth. The fast turnaround, the right answers, them coming out, and understanding our business makes it all much easier to work with Hawaii National Bank. We’ve worked with other banks in the past but found it exceptional to work with them. I just really appreciate the bank, they truly made our company grow.