Stephen Nilwo’s story is one of resilience, vision, and deep connection to his homeland of Erromango. What began as a humble role in the sandalwood industry in 2006 has grown into a thriving business—complete with its own shipping vessel to support export operations across the Pacific.

“I started my journey in the sandalwood industry back in 2006 when I joined a company called Tropical Rainforest Aromatics,” Stephen recalls. “Later, I had the opportunity to study in New Zealand, and after returning, I continued working in the industry with South Pacific Sandalwood until 2022.”

But Stephen didn’t stop there.

After years of gaining experience and building his network, he decided to take the bold step of starting his own sandalwood processing business—fuelled by both ambition and heritage.

“What inspired me was seeing the potential in sandalwood. It’s a lucrative industry, and Erromango is one of the original sources of this product, even going back to the days before missionaries arrived. Some even lost their lives because of it. I wanted to take something with such a rich history and turn it into something that benefits the people of my island.”

Yet the road to success was not without its challenges.

“One of the biggest challenges was logistics,” Stephen explains. “In 2022 alone, I had to run around 27 charters to collect sandalwood stock from remote places like Erromango, Futuna, and even as far as the west coast. It was expensive and hard to manage, especially when you need to process and export on time.”

That’s when the idea of owning a ship was born.

With the support of local farmers and suppliers, Stephen was able to acquire a shipping vessel this year—transforming not just his own business, but the future of logistics for local exporters.

“Having my own ship allows me to manage transportation of sandalwood and even Tahitian limes more efficiently. It ensures the products arrive on time, are preserved properly, and are ready for export when needed.”

For young entrepreneurs, Stephen’s advice is simple but powerful: “Don’t give up. You’ll face many challenges. But stay focused on your goals. Prioritise, adjust when needed, and keep moving forward.”

Looking ahead, Stephen hopes to see a shift in how sandalwood is valued in Vanuatu.

“Volume is going down, so it’s important for farmers to keep planting. But more than that, we need to focus on value adding. The real money lies in processing. For example, perfumes like Chanel sell every three seconds, and sandalwood oil is the base note in many of them. So we need to invest in that part of the chain and make full use of the resources we still have.”