Lex Brodie

One of the original Waikiki Beach Boys, the Kauai-born Brodie opened a Kaneohe service station in 1958 and three years later began selling tires out of a one-bay shop next to Whitney’s in Kaneohe.

“It was a Chevron station and they wanted him to sell their brand of tires,” says Brodie’s son Sandy. “The tires weren’t particularly good and the margins were lousy. He made better money on the retreads than he did on the new tires. He wanted to sell other tires, but Chevron said no because it violated the franchise agreement. So he opened his own store.”

Brodie realized the action was in Honolulu and opened the Queen Street location. It would become headquarters of the company that now has five locations on Oahu with licensees on the Big Island.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Lex became a celebrity and his business a landmark. Jack Lord was a good friend and customer, and the current edition of Hawaii Five-O has found interest in the famous caveman sign and has featured the Queen Street store on the program.

Sandy Brodie says by 1991 his father had gotten tired of the business and was in need of a new challenge. He found it after taking a tour of Farrington High School upon the invitation of Sandy’s wife Lynn, who was a teacher at the school. What he found angered the feisty former salesman.

“He was just appalled at the conditions, and decided he would do something,” says Sandy. “He started by talking to some of the legislators about creating a bill for school safety because they were lacking on their inspections. They found some fire exits that were chained shut to keep kids from skipping class.”

The bill passed, and based on his success he decided to run for the Board of Education in typical Lex Brodie style: simple and direct.

“He called me up one day and said, ‘I just spent $25 registering for the Board of Education election,’” says Sandy. “He said, ‘I’m not going to spend any more money. I’m just going to wave a sign on Punchbowl.’ And that’s what he did.”

Brodie won in a landslide and for eight years toured

schools, fought with board members and pushed for changes in Hawaii’s public schools. It was with this example in mind the company created the Lex Brodie Foundation to celebrate Lex’s 90th birthday and began handing out its “Thank You ... Very Much Award.”