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10/24/2025 - As the CNMI looks to diversify its economy beyond tourism, a manufacturing company in Chalan Kiya is making the case that Saipan can become a hub for high-quality, U.S.-standard production.
ACME CNMI Holdings LLC, led by general manager Bill Giles, has been operating a cabinetry plant on Saipan for the past year and a half, producing kitchen, bathroom, and closet units for both local clients and Guam’s growing military construction projects. The company is currently filling an order for nearly 100 units bound for military barracks and housing in Guam.
Giles, who brings more than 25 years of automation and manufacturing experience, said Saipan was a natural fit despite higher shipping costs for U.S.-sourced raw materials.
“I think Saipan is a great spot to set up an automation company,” he said. “It's something that I think would really benefit the islands here,” he said.
At the end of the day, Giles said labor costs and availability of affordable warehousing facilities on the island were ideal for ACME CNMI.
“The cost of warehousing and things like that is much better here than in Guam. We lose some of that in the shipping back and forth and different things, but the labor cost is less, and we still have a lot of skilled labor here that works for us and the people that I've worked with...We've got some talented people here that are capable of doing cabinetry work, finishing work.”
Giles added that with Guam expanding its military operations and opportunities there, he thought it would be a perfect time to set up a cabinetry business on Saipan and try to export to Guam and the military projects there.
The plant employs eight workers and runs CNC, short for computer numerical control equipment, that allows for precision cutting and assembly.
Giles described the operation as “probably the highest-tech manufacturing facility in the islands,” with the ability to produce fully assembled cabinetry or flat-packed kits similar to IKEA’s model, allowing contractors or consumers to save on shipping and assemble products themselves.
ACME CNMI sources all of its plywood and hardware from the mainland U.S. to comply with Buy American requirements for federal projects.
Giles emphasized that this gives the company an edge over overseas manufacturers, which often face long replacement delays when parts are defective.
“We can deliver much faster than anybody else, really. If you're working with stuff that's overseas, if you ship, I don't know, 100 units of something, and you don't find out that it's wrong until you receive it, then it's going to take you weeks or months to get the replacement parts. And that's something we can really produce quickly and efficiently,” he said.
Giles’ journey to Saipan actually began long before the launch of ACME CNMI. In 2012, while still in the U.S. mainland, he stumbled upon columns written by the late Tony Pellegrino in the Saipan Tribune. The writings of Pellegrino, former Saipan Chamber of Commerce president and founder of Saipan Ice & Water, sparked his interest in the islands.
A year later, after attending a convention in Singapore, Giles flew to Saipan for the first time. At the airport, he was personally picked up by Pellegrino, who then spent four days showing him around and introducing him to the community. That visit sealed the deal. In 2014, Giles made the life-changing decision to uproot himself from Michigan and relocate to the North Pacific.
Now, more than a decade later, Giles is firmly rooted in the local business community. He said he chose to invest in cabinetry manufacturing because it was a sector that could meet local demand, tap into Guam’s booming military projects, and eventually expand to other Pacific islands.
The company also plans to open a retail showroom on Saipan to showcase cabinetry, closets, and countertops for households, businesses, and local contractors.
For Giles, the investment is about more than profit—it’s about helping build a new industry for the CNMI.
“We love the CNMI, and I really would like to see us expand in other areas as well, where we can build some businesses and not rely on just one thing for all the income for the communities. I think we can do that. People have to open up their minds a little bit, I think, and just allow some things to happen. The CNMI can be a really booming place. Everybody was talking about tourism, but we need another economy, another industry to hang our hats on. Manufacturing, especially what happened to the tariffs, could be our ticket out of town.”
Report by Mark Rabago
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