The unmistakable chop of a helicopter rotor pierces the hot Hawaiian air.

It’s 9 a.m. on the northwest edge of Mauna Kahālāwai (the West Maui Mountains). Nordic PCL Construction President Glen Kaneshige pulls a balaclava over his mouth and nose. The Hughes 369D chopper lands in a narrow clearing next to the small hut he’s in with members of his team and a small group of staff members from the Pu`u Kukui Watershed Preserve. They’ve gathered here, as far up into the mountains of Honolua Valley as the road goes — and it’s not much of a road to begin with.

Minutes later, Kaneshige is airborne.

The view of towering green mountains, impossibly tall waterfalls and lush jungles is breathtaking. Rising above the hundreds of peaks is the tallest: Pu`u Kukui. It’s known in Hawaiian tradition as the “hill of enlightenment”: a realm of the gods.

Most days, the secrets of Pu`u Kukui’s peak are shrouded by a thick layer of cloud cover. But on this clear day, the titan of the West Maui mountains isn’t hiding.

The doors have been removed from the small but powerful and agile Rolls-Royce-powered turboshaft chopper (the same model as the helicopter in the original Magnum, P.I.) so there’s nothing but seatbelt and sky between passengers and the jungle below as the cool morning air rushes through — but after a life of building skyscrapers, Kaneshige is comfortable with heights and wind. 

After the bird’s-eye view of the mountains, it’s time to get closer. As the conservationists and constructors start the steep hike, Kaneshige, at 63, is quick and nimble, easily able to keep up and sometimes even lead the group. He makes his way up the trail, picking through increasingly dense rainforest. Each step creates a harmony of sound: the sharp cracks of dry twigs and leaves, accented by the soft notes of rain-soaked moss sinking into the spongy jungle floor.

This is not a tourist expedition — Kaneshige and his group have been invited by the watershed preservation and restoration team.

The not-for-profit organization is looking to increase awareness of its cause among high-profile Hawaiian business and community leaders like Kaneshige. As non-native vegetation threatens to negatively impact Maui’s freshwater supply, staff members replace invasive plants with native flora that retains rainwater like a sponge, instead of allowing it to collect into a stream that runs off to the ocean. And with less rain in recent years, that work is especially important.

At the threshold to the preserve, a traditional ceremony known as an “oli protocol” is held, asking for and receiving permission to enter. It involves chanting and nose-to-nose welcomes from the watershed management crew, before the group ventures into an area few ever get to visit.

Kaneshige's reputation as a construction leader reaches out past the industry into other important veins of Hawaiian life. His time and his attention are in demand.

“Hawaii is about relationships,” says Marlon Garces, Nordic PCL’s field construction manager. Garces has known Kaneshige since 1985. “Glen has the ear of everyone, whether it's the unions, the developers or the consultants. And it's not only in construction. It goes beyond that.”

His presence in one of the world’s most exclusive and scenic protected areas is just one example of Kaneshige’s close ties to the community — a connection that’s well known by his team, but is being recognized across Hawaii and beyond.

Nordic PCL’s headquarters takes up an entire floor of a high-rise office tower in central Honolulu. In Kaneshige’s corner office, a view of the Hawaiian capital’s skyline and the crystal blue Pacific Ocean is a backdrop to desks and tables covered in the many souvenirs Kaneshige has amassed — including a Hudson’s Bay Company blanket: a historic Canadian keepsake given to him during a partnership years ago. From here, Kaneshige oversees all of Nordic PCL’s operations.

Kaneshige is not a large man, but he has a commanding presence. He’s soft-spoken, but you never have trouble hearing him.

“He does control the attention in the room,” says Garces. “When he's talking, you know he just hushes the room, because everybody wants to hear what Glen has to say.”

Over the years, Kaneshige has collected more than just souvenirs. His accolades include 2011 and 2024 Outstanding Union Builder of the Year from the Hawai’i Regional Council of Carpenters and Pacific Resource Partnership. He’s the only person to win it twice.

Most recently, Engineering News-Record (ENR), North America’s leading online construction magazine, named Kaneshige the 2025 Legacy Award winner for the Northern California subregion.

“Glen's a very good example of someone who has just made an enormous difference,” says C.J. Schexnayder, editor for ENR West.

“We look for folks who have made an impact beyond their job description, and Glen is a very good example of that. He clearly cares about the construction industry in Hawaii, and has not simply made a mark with his company and with his employees but with the industry at large in the region. It's not simply a matter of stewardship. It’s a matter of championing construction and getting people excited about it in the same way he is.”

“Glen is amazing because of his generosity, positive attitude, unwavering commitment, and expertise as a construction leader,” says Curtis Tiritas, project manager for Hawaii’s Special Projects division, after 27 years of working with Kaneshige. “He has been providing guidance to many individuals as well, including myself, and maintained the importance of excellent relationships along the way.”

Construction runs in Kaneshige’s blood. His late father, Mitsuru “Mits” Kaneshige, ran Nordic Construction from the ’70s to the ’90s.

The younger Kaneshige took on roles on the front line of construction as a union laborer during college from 1979 to the mid ’80s. Garces believes that experience helped shape Kaneshige as a leader.

“A lot of the respect that he carries is because of his experience. He actually worked in the trenches,” he says. “I'd rather follow a guy that actually climbed Everest versus a guy that talked about it.”

After earning a master’s degree from the University of Michigan, Kaneshige returned to Hawaii in the mid ’80s. He became a project manager and rose through the ranks, eventually becoming president of Nordic Construction in 1999.

He’s been involved in so many projects his signature is permanently etched on Hawaii’s skylines. Early in his career, he oversaw construction of iconic Honolulu office towers like Alii Place. In more recent years, his reputation and hard work helped secure major projects, including the Waiea Condominium (Ward Village) project, developed by the Howard Hughes Corporation.

He did all of that while expanding the company and leading it through a merger with PCL Construction in 2008.

“Glen carried forward the Nordic Construction legacy during the merger by leading with his example and he has been a pillar for us and for Hawaii,” recalls Tiritas.

Growth is good. So are awards. But to Kaneshige, construction has always been about more — not just building structures but also building community.

“The goal shouldn't be just to be the biggest,” says Kaneshige. “You do things right with your people, with your clients, with the community. Growth is a result of doing those things right.”

And when it comes to community — the construction industry and beyond — few have done and continue to do as much as Glen Kaneshige.

He’s a past president of the General Contractors Association of Hawaii and was recently named as one of three designated Associated General Contractors (AGC) Life Governors for the Hawaii chapter. He’s a former president of the General Contractors Labor Association’s Labor Negotiations Committee, and he sits on the boards of the Hawaii Architectural Foundation, NAIOP Hawaii, Aloha United Way, Teach for America, Girl Scouts of Hawaii, Child and Family Service and several other community organizations.

“Glen has a wide reach, providing his time to a large list of organizations that benefit the community here in Hawaii,” says Tiritas.

Back on the mountainside of Pu`u Kukui, Kaneshige’s bond with Hawaii is evident in the way he takes in the natural beauty around him and how he listens to every word about water conservation and management.

When Pomaika’i Kaniaupio-Crozier, conservation manager for the watershed preserve, has the attention of the group, he turns to Kaneshige, telling him earnestly and emotionally, “All I can say is, thank you. We’ve developed a wonderful relationship between Pu`u Kukui Watershed and Nordic PCL.”

So at 63, what keeps Kaneshige going — building, mentoring and giving back to Hawaii?

“I do get asked that question from time to time,” he says, as a thoughtful smile forms. “And it’s really about the people. It comes down to creating an organizational culture that is driven by achieving great results, relationships and reputation. That culture needs to be strong to survive and thrive beyond any individual, including me.”

But before you think Glen Kaneshige is all business, you should know a few things. He’s known for his humor — often self-deprecating. Also, he’s been known to hit the karaoke stage from time to time, and he doesn’t care who’s watching.

“That's the nature of Glen,” says Garces. “Fearless, humble and a great example for us.”

Even after decades of building, mountains of awards, accolades and adventures, and countless karaoke tunes, it’s clear: Glen Kaneshige still has more to give his industry and his community.