The Rock Group Receives Small Business Award

Shane Iwashige started Rock Rentals in early 2013 after helping friends purchase and remodel two houses, which he then leased and managed for the owners. As they got started, Shane and his wife Dorcas extended an offer to several friends to assist with remodeling if they invested in rental properties. By the end of 2013 they were managing 13 units, and by the end of 2014 that number had grown close to fifty! What began as a side hustle became Shane’s full-time job. Just two years later, in 2016, Shane had obtained a real estate license and split the company’s rental and renovation units, launching Rock Renovations and rebranding into The Rock Group. Through the years, The Rock Group has grown and evolved. In 2018, they launched a lawncare company, Landscapes by the Rock Group, that was later sold to an employee in 2021. Also in 2018, The Rock Group started a janitorial services division, Refresh by the Rock Group, which was expanded in 2022 with the purchase of an existing carpet cleaning company, The Steam Team, to offer more full-line janitorial services.

The Rock Group views their work not so much as what they do, but how they can honor their core values: Business as Mission, Community, Shared Abundance, Improvement, and Integrity. Shane said “Anyone can do the work we do. Who we are as individuals and as an organization is what makes The Rock Group special.” Their shared abundance value says ‘We do not have to win at the expense of others’ losses. Rather, in a market and world of abundance, there is plenty for all. We have been richly blessed, and we are stewards of great financial, relational, and influential wealth.”

When asked about challenges they have faced, Shane responded “A better question might be ‘what challenges haven’t you faced.’” In the early years Shane recalls working 60-70 hour weeks, and even went a whole year working for free. Obtaining sufficient capital has at times been a barrier to expansion. Finding adequate staff has been a challenge, particularly in the past two years. No matter how difficult thing get, however, Shane and Dorcas are committed to their core values and believe that holding true to those values will lead them on to prosper.

Shane describes his team as highly employable and hardworking individuals who choose to stay with The Rock Group for the competitive wages and a caring culture that they work tirelessly to cultivate. He hopes to make Rock a place that his employees never want to leave, but encourages them all to do what they are passionate about, even if that means working elsewhere. “We care about people for more than their contribution to the bottom line,” Shane says. “We value people and relationships and with open hands extend benevolence and goodwill to our team, clients, competitors, and collaborators.”” That’s their secret sauce to retaining qualified employees.

The Rock Group donates goods and services to various benefits and auctions in the community. Shane is also involved on several different boards including StartUp Hutch, Interfaith Housing, Hutch Community Foundation and more.  

When speaking on behalf of The Rock Group and the work they do Shane noted “We take very seriously the privilege and responsibility we have of providing needed services to our community and will never take for granted the trust and goodwill our clients extend to us.”