Thanks for the replies guys. So I found the Acacia Series is an environmental option that can be shipped anywhere with no issuses with material used. They assemble the Uke in Thailand and it gets the neck and finishing adjustments in the main Hawaii factory.
I have never played a Koaloha, but I’ve listened to almost evey sound sample I can find and have read nothing but great things about the company and their amazing Ukes. However the price points still confuse me.
I am a really big fan of KoAloha instruments. I find that I play mine more than anything else I own.
The Koa series are their top of the line, made in Hawaii, line. They use their best wood and, I assume, the best quality control of any of their line. But, there is only so much koa to go around and not everyone can afford the price, so this can't be all they have. (I have a Koa soprano, and it is great!)
The Mango series is the same idea, but with mango wood instead.
The Acacia series is the next step down. Not koa (which is a type of acacia) but unspecified origin acacia, and mostly build in Thailand. Less expensive wood and labor costs, but final assembly takes place in Hawaii, so the quality control should be pretty much on par with the koa series.
The Opio line is, in my opinion, the best of everything. My wife and I own three Opio instruments, and love them all. Here, they again use unspecified origin acacia, the entire assembly is done at the factory in Thailand, but they are made to the same specifications as the other KoAloha instruments. This means same process, same design (minus some cosmetic differences), but much lower price. They are amazing value for any player looking for their "good" instrument. I love them and can't say enough about how great they are.
The Koalana series are laminate instruments, and are the entry level of KoAloha.
I have been told that the koa and acacia instruments sound different, but the difference is subtle. I doubt you could tell in a blind test that an acacia KoAloha wasn't a koa KoAloha unless you heard them played back to back. And even then, you might personally prefer the acacia to the koa, who knows? Tone is such a personal preference, and not an absolute. (I personally suspect that the string choice might influence the sound more than the acacia vs. koa, to tell the truth.)
Bottom line: I recommend the Opio series to anyone looking for a well made instrument with a great sound at a good price. If part of the attraction is the "made in Hawaii" appeal, then save up and jump straight to the koa series. If you like the aesthetics of them, the acacia series is a perfectly sound choice.