Understanding Hawaii, Then Acting to Improve Our Quality of Life Building a better future for Hawaii begins with a clear understanding of who we are and where we stand – our vital strengths and crippling weaknesses. This report provides key…
Michele Saito, president of Farmers Insurance Hawaii, Inc., already enjoyed arts and crafts when she came upon the obscure art of eggery two decades ago. How obscure is it? There isn’t even a Wikipedia page on it. Enthusiasts turn egg…
Yes, the Falls of Clyde is still a treasure. Today, the 133-year-old, four-masted barque that helped found the Matson shipping empire squats in disreputable shambles in her berth at Pier 7, between the defunct Hawaii Maritime Center and the Aloha…
The Orchid Suite at the Halekulani is the ultimate luxury retreat. The 2,356-square-foot haven is separate from the main hotel and accessed by a private lift, offers floor-to-ceiling views of Diamond Head, a posh master bedroom, an expansive living room,…
University of Hawaii baseball fans, take a good, long look at junior second baseman Kolten Wong this season. Study each at-bat and savor every defensive gem. Appreciate him now, because soon the Kamehameha-Hawaii alumnus will be just like his home…
Komeiji knows all about taking risks. After working for more than 30 years for the prestigious Honolulu law firm Watanabe Ing and Komeiji, which he co-founded, Komeiji took a leap of faith and joined Hawaiian Telcom’s new management team at…
Wanted: minority-owned businesses to bid on contracts offered by large national companies. That’s the marketing pitch of the Northern California Minority Supplier Development Council, which, among its responsibilities, is helping Hawaii’s minority-owned companies gain access to contracts offered by about…
Hawaiian Air, Outrigger, Hawaii Meth Project also honored When the going gets tough, the tough get marketing. That’s what the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau did during the recession and tourism slump, and its adroit actions are credited with helping…
When a falling tree damaged three trucks, a refrigeration unit and the office trailer at the Maui headquarters of Feed My Sheep just days before Thanksgiving, the charity’s ohana stepped up. Sturdevant Inc. repaired the refrigeration unit; Island Landscape brought…
All is not well with Hawaii’s valuable coffee industry: A Big Island quarantine of unroasted beans and coffee plants aims to stop the spread of the coffee berry borer, a destructive pest. Here’s where Hawaii’s industry stands: 830 Coffee farms in…
Hawaii could grow some of the world’s best and safest produce, says James Hollyer of the University of Hawaii, one of the many people who are working to make that happen. Their tools include: • Good agricultural practices (GAPs); •…
As the economy recovers, small businesses that want to expand are going to need capital. Applying for a loan, though, always works better if you lay the groundwork in advance. Here are suggestions from Ray Ono, vice chairman at First…
From a family-owned jewelry store on Kauaʻi to an emerging residential solar company in Honolulu, all of this year’s nominees proved that success is possible, even in a slow economy.
Q. Our employees have specialized knowledge and are often trying new things. How can we harness that expertise to add value to our small business? A. Employees who think about ways to improve your business can create intellectual property (IP) that…
6:45 P.M. FRIDAY Manoa Valley Theatre, Manoa Photography by Olivier Koning >> Cast members polish their puppeteering skills with Master Muppeteer Pam Arciero (top row, middle) in preparation for Manoa Valley Theatre’s Hawaii premiere of “Avenue Q,” the coming-of-age Tony-Award-winning…
When financial services companies show a magazine or TV ad, they don’t entice you with a pile of money. Instead, they often show a retired couple walking along a beach, enjoying life in a tropical paradise after years of hard…
The state got just what it was expecting in its Christmas stocking. Unfortunately, it was another lump of coal – more bad news about the state of Hawaii Employee Retirement System, which covers both state and county employees. In its…
Matson Navigation Co. is a tiny blip on the radar compared to the 20 other major global transportation companies serving the China market. Still, as the first American shipper to enter the China trade, it’s secured an impressive client base…
Hawaii’s tourism industry blasted a sigh of relief as fierce as the strongest tradewinds as visitor counts rebounded and hotel rooms filled last year. Yet for one group, the recovery hasn’t come fast enough. Those are the owners of resorts…
Let’s be upfront: Giving financial advice isn’t easy and it’s difficult to predict what will pan out as a great investment this year. That’s why we’ve asked a group of experienced investment professionals – each is on our list of…