The Art Source Measures Success by the Wages Provided to Employees

The Art Source’s performance-based wage model delivers industry-leading average wages, creating stable, high-value employment opportunities for local residents.

HONOLULU, HI, UNITED STATES, December 29, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As Hawaiʻi businesses prepare for scheduled minimum wage increases in the new year, The Art Source, Inc. (TASI) — parent company of Pictures Plus, Plus Interiors, California Closets Hawaii, and CocoNene — is demonstrating how focusing on employee wage growth is not only sustainable but transformative for local families and communities.

While many companies are evaluating how to absorb rising labor costs, TASI has spent years building a compensation and workforce development model designed to retain talented employees, reward them for company successes, and ensure Hawaiʻi residents can build long-term, stable careers.

“Sharing in an abundance of prosperity matters — not just for our business, but for Hawaiʻi,” said Kent Untermann, Founder of The Art Source, Inc. “When local residents can earn a strong, sustainable income here at home, we help to strengthen families, preserve communities, and build a better economic future for everyone.”

A Workforce Strategy Designed for Employees’ Long-Term Prosperity
TASI’s approach centers on transparency, fairness, and consistent wage growth tied to measurable performance. The company’s average hourly wage has risen from $30.58 to $42.87 since 2022 — a 40% increase in just three years — which aligns with their minimum annual wage-growth goal of 5%.

In high-performance months, employees on the operational equity program can add more than $10 per hour to their earnings. This level of income growth provides financial stability, helps to offset Hawaiʻi’s cost of living and reduces the economic pressures that often drive local talent to relocate to the mainland.

“We want people to see a future with us — and a future in Hawaiʻi,” Untermann added. “We believe that if companies want to retain great employees, they need to create paths for growth and prosperity, not just jobs.”

Good Jobs Strengthen Families — and the Local Economy
Because TASI designs, manufactures, retails, and installs its products locally, nearly half of every dollar spent with the company stays in Hawaiʻi, circulating through households, schools, small businesses, and local service providers. This economic footprint is especially significant in a state where durable goods manufacturing accounts for only 0.44% of GDP. TASI represents roughly 5% of Hawaiʻi’s total durable goods manufacturing output.
Well-paying local employment has cascading benefits:
• Greater financial stability for families
• Higher retention of skilled workers
• Reduced brain-drain
• A more diverse, resilient local economy
• More opportunities for innovation

Building Careers in Skilled Trades That Are Disappearing in Hawaiʻi
TASI continues to expand career opportunities in design, engineering, product development, fabrication, and installation — fields that are rare in Hawaiʻi’s tourism-heavy economy. By keeping and developing these skilled roles on-island, the company supports the growth of a future generation of Hawaiʻi-based builders, product developers, designers, and problem-solvers.

The firm’s long-term succession strategy reinforces this commitment. With no plans to sell or offshore operations, the company actively reinvests its profits into its employees, innovative systems, and manufacturing capabilities, ensuring continuity for both its workforce and its local partners.

“We’re committed to Hawaiʻi for the long haul,” Untermann said. “That means building a company where people can grow careers, raise families, and thrive — right here at home.”

About The Art Source, Inc.
Founded in 1986 by Kent and Lori Untermann, The Art Source, Inc. is a Hawaiʻi-based manufacturing, design, and retail company that began as Pictures Plus at the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet. Today, the company operates multiple brands under its corporate umbrella, including its legacy brand Pictures Plus, Plus Interiors, and CocoNene allowing it to grow and respond to evolving consumer needs through shared core competencies.

Uniquely positioned as both a manufacturer and retailer, The Art Source, Inc. creates customized products for the home, including framing, closets and storage systems, cabinetry and kitchen design services, interior doors, décor, and specialty items. Through its portfolio of brands, the company serves three distinct markets: Hawaiʻi residents, the visitor market, and the construction and commercial sectors. The Art Source, Inc. also partners with nationally recognized brands such as California Closets and Cleaf, bringing premium products to Hawaiʻi while leveraging local manufacturing, retail, and logistics expertise. For more information, go to theartsourceinc.com.
###

Patricia Monick
Monick Brand Comm LLC
+1 808-256-6759
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Other

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.