Catherine McDonald, visiting from California, comes up for air during a Molokini snorkel cruise aboard the Trilogy II in 2014. After 45 years at the helm, Jim and Randy Coon have named Capt. Gabe Lucy president of Trilogy Excursions and Lana‘i City Service. -- The Maui News file photo
Jim and Randy Coon, who started Trilogy Excursions 46 years ago, have begun “succession planning” and appointed Capt. Gabe Lucy president of Coon Brothers Inc.’s wholly owned subsidiaries Trilogy Excursions and Lana’i City
Service, a news release from the company Wednesday said.
Lucy’s job will involve managing the operations and resources, strategic planning and directing growth of each company, a company news release said. He has been with the company for 12 years and is currently Trilogy’s director of operations, Lana’i City Service’s general manager, and president of Coon Brothers’ sister company, Lanai Ocean Sports Management.
Jim and Randy Coon, who are brothers and the current owners, started Trilogy Excursions in 1973 and Lana’i City Service in 1983. They have held the titles of CEO and president, respectively, for the last 45 years.
“Succession planning has been on our minds for over a decade,” Jim Coon said, “though it really has only been in the last 12 months that we started to actively strategize our plan. Succession of executive management is critical to a company and requires a very thoughtful selection process.”
Gabe Lucy
The process took the brothers and their board of advisers a year to work out, beginning with defining what the position was and the qualities and characteristics they would want in a candidate, he said.
Randy Coon said they decided against using a head-hunting firm and opted to evaluate candidates from within the company and with board referrals.
“Being a family-owned and -operated Maui company, we wanted to make sure our candidate knew our niche industry but also our Hawaiian host culture,” said Randy Coon. “We didn’t feel comfortable head-hunting from corporate America when the right talent could be found locally or better yet, already in our fold.”
The board made its decision by a majority vote and offered the job to Lucy. His appointment began Friday.
“I’m humbled and honored to lead Coon Brothers into the future,” Lucy said. “Jim and Randy have been great mentors, and I will forever be grateful for the opportunities they have provided me. I have a phenomenal team with many emerging leaders that are dedicated to making a difference both in the community and as stewards of Maui Nui.”
Jim Coon said, “This is a big change for Coon Brothers and its operating entities as it is the first time in our history to pass on a president title to anyone but my brother and I.”
Still, he said the board believes “this is the right time in our company’s evolution to appoint new leadership who can successfully execute on the company’s strategy.”
Trilogy is a family-owned and -operated business, known for its excursions to Lanai, Molokini and Honolua Bay. Lana’i City Service is a full-service gas station and convenience store and is home to the Lanai Plantation Deli and the Plantation Store gift shop. Lana’i City Service also provides auto repair, and safety checks as well as Lanai Island Tours.
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