Pacific Business News articles from January 2001

Pacific Business News archives from January 2001

How Net connected are we?(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
January 26, 2001... With so many Hawaii residents, from the governor on down, pinning future economic hopes on making this a high-tech paradise, the question matters: Just how well-linked to the rest of the world are we? It matters because any Hawaii...

The island the turnaround forgot.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 26, 2001... "Aloha. "The Kaluakoi Hotel and Golf Club is temporarily dosed as of Jan. 3, 2001. All reservations have been canceled and the golf course operations suspended. We are-sorry for the inconvenience and hope to accommodate you in the...

Medical transcriptions help boost employment.(Company Business and Marketing)(Internet/Web/Online Service Information)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
January 26, 2001... Molokai resident Adrienne Jumper edits medical transcriptions while she battles her own health problems. "I use a laptop," she says. "There were times I've been so ill I could not get out of bed and I would transcribe a little bit and...

Hydrogen on horizon for Hawaii.
January 26, 2001... "Honey, don't forget to plug the car into the house. I want to make sure we have enough electricity for that dinner party tomorrow." Comments like that maybe routine in the not-too-distant future, possibly by the end of this decade, when...

An end run around losses.(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
January 26, 2001... Reforms to the Japanese banking industry have meant that many Hawaii properties bought at premium prices in the 1980s have resold for losses in the millions of dollars. But some Japanese owners appear to have found a way to recoup at least...

Microsoft taps into PBN, city journal news.(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... Pacific Business News will be part of a new strategic Web partnership between PBN's parent company, American City Business Journals Inc., and Microsoft Corp. Company officials say the alliance was put together to enable American City and...

Spin-off parties while parent trims staff.(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... The big-as-a-football-field tent erected at the USS Missouri pier this week was setup for a for a party thrown by Avaya Inc. (NYSE: AV), the communications systems and software spin-off of Lucent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: LU). Avaya officials...

Click your way to Hawaii.(Hawaii vacation website)(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... A Hawaiian getaway is being offered in an unexpected location -- www.devx.net -- the Web site of an online technical information source for I.T. professionals developing corporate applications. The six-day Hawaii vacation for two includes...

Sharp eyes, embarrassing Ink.(Hawaii Newspaper Agency billing)(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... The Hawaii Newspaper Agency's billing system seems to be a bit out of whack, with the following case in point. A subscriber to the Sunday Honolulu Advertiser and daily Honolulu Star-Bulletin had paid the Hawaii Newspaper Agency for...

Online want ads.(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... Technology has changed recruitment methods for many industries, including publishing. In the soon-to-hit-the-fan Honolulu newspaper war, the two major daily papers have each posted help wanted ads with industry trade publications' online...

Media bits.
January 26, 2001... Channel Two News (KHON TV) reporter Bernadette Baraquio and husband Rick Hamada welcomed a new member of their media dynasty last weekend. Zachary Baraquio-Hamada, apparently preparing for an early-morning schedule similar to his morning...

Anchors aweigh.
January 26, 2001... TV anchors Kim Gennaula of KGMB and Guy Hagi of KHNL were married last weekend, spending the Saturday evening before their Sunday nuptials with friends aboard a catamaran sailing out of Ko Olina Marina. Her latest work-related venture, "Eye...

Cross town changes.
January 26, 2001... Su Shin has become the latest TV news reporter to leave journalism for public relations. Now with Joan Bennett and Associates Inc., she says she made the move because it would be "more conducive" to her other role as a mother to 1-year-old...

What ever happened to...?(Martin Schiller and the Schiller Group)(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... Prominent advertising industry executive Martin Schiller had hit hard times when he was featured in a front page story in PBN Feb. 25 of last year. Losses of key accounts caused The Schiller Group advertising agency serious financial...

Correction.
January 26, 2001... The Jan. 19 issue erroneously reported a connection between the owners of land in Kunia, the Mark A. Robinson Trusts, and the owners of the island of Niihau. The trust, in fact, has no connection to the Robinson family that owns Niihau.

Ohaha unveils eWhiz DVD.(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... A new pilot program under way in Hawaii's public schools combines DVD technology with the power of the Internet to change the way students learn in the classroom. The Ohana Foundation, a nonprofit Honolulu-based company established in...

Alleged theft leads to FBI investigation.(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... The FBI is investigating allegations that employees of Honolulu company Conduit Exchange Corp. embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from clients, according to Supervisory Special Agent John Gillies of the FBI's Honolulu office. ...

Arizona-based lender to Honolulu radio flagging.(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... Financial trouble hit a peak this week for the main lender to the parent company of five Honolulu radio stations and hundreds of other businesses across the United States. Arizona-based Finova Group Inc. announced Wednesday morning it had...

Harris: Help tech, small businesses.(Mayor Jeremy Harris of Honolulu, Hawaii)(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... Spurring development of high-tech and supporting existing small businesses are the main focuses by Mayor Jeremy Harris in his annual State of the City address. The mayor outlined his plans for supplementing the state's efforts to bring...

Hawaii hotels post record year in occupancy.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 26, 2001... Statewide hotels had a record-breaking year during 2000, according to the latest figures released by PKF Hawaii LLP. With 71,000 hotel rooms throughout the state with an average of 77.91 percent occupancy, last year produced over 20...

Leading Economic Indicator continues to show slower growth.(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... The state's Leading Economic Indicator for October again signaled slower growth, the fifth straight month it has done so, according to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. The indicator, designed to...

New Gardenburger CEO from Hawaii faces stock struggle.(Scott Wallace)(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... Gardenburger's new CEO, Scott Wallace -- who comes to the company from Hawaii-based Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corp. -- has his work cut out. The day before announcing Wallace's hiring, the beleaguered veggie-burger maker announced that it...

Conventions down for 2001.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 26, 2001... This year is projected to be a "soft year" for offshore corporate meetings and conventions at the Hawaii Convention Center. There are 20 bookings at the center for the year, compared to 31 for last year. Sandra Moreno, vice president...

Little in new Big Isle hotel projects.(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... Despite the lack of any new property development during the latter half of the 1990s, the hotel industry on the Big Island continues to be a major player in building the island's burgeoning tourism economy. For the past 10 years, the Big...

The biggest danger in Belfast is breakfast.(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... You tell the sweetfaced waitress in the hotel restaurant, when asked what you will be havin' for breakfast, "Ulster Fry, please, mum." Ulster Fry consists of fried egg, fried pork sausage, fried blood sausage, fried bacon, fried...

When doing business in Asia do your legal homework, too.(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... No matter where your business dealings venture, Honolulu patent lawyer George Darby guarantees that there will be misunderstandings -- of the legal kind. The environment is even more ripe in Asia, where many legal frameworks are still being...

Finding a business lawyer.(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... Bankruptcy claim? $800. Legal contracts for employees? $500. Incorporating a business? $1,000. Finding a great attorney for your small business? Priceless. Whether you own a dot-com company, a T-shirt biz or a restaurant, having the law...

To resolve disputes, businesses can turn to alternative sources.(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... The Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution offers these two "top 10 lists" for businesses that want to consider mediation of their disputes. The center is a program within the Hawaii State Judiciary focused on assisting government...

Questions to ask when seeking counsel for business purposes.(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... In order to secure legal counsel that will best benefit you and your business, ask the following 12 important questions of your legal candidates. Dig into the process and if you conduct your due diligence properly it will help you find a...

Four counties to split funds from utilities settlement.(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... The four counties will get their share of the millions of dollars paid by utilities each year to the state under a settlement up for approval by the state Legislature. The settlement revises the allocations of the public service company...

Hawaiian Electric Industries earnings down after Philippine loss.(due to political instability and currency devaluation)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 26, 2001... Hawaiian Electric, the local power company, is doing well, but Hawaiian Electric, the holding company, has reported much lower earnings after writing off an international investment. The holding company, Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc.,...

Myers heads for new island.(developer Jack Myers to build in South San Francisco)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 26, 2001... Developer Jack Myers has found a new frontier: South San Francisco. The CEO of Myers Development Co., who made his mark in San Francisco by developing two office towers in the South of Market area, plans a $300 million development by the...

City gets in the ad business on Honolulu site.(municipality allows commercial advertisements on web site)(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... Last June, the City and County of Honolulu became one of the first municipalities to allow commercial advertisements on its Web portal, www.co.honolulu.hi.us. Ostensibly, the move came as a way of offering greater online services --...

Deal links home lands with broadband.(Sandwich Isles Communications Inc. to develop infrastructure for Hawaiian Islands)(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... Thousands of acres of Hawaiian home lands on Oahu and the neighbor islands are in line to receive the latest in broadband telecommunications infrastructure under an agreement between the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and Sandwich...

Hackers attack gov't sites.(hacker group Pentaguard responsible)(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... A hacker group has defaced dozens of government Web sites in three countries, according to the hacker tracker www.attrition.org, and sites around the Pacific Rim seem to have been targeted heavily in this round of attacks. Vandalized...

Problems bedevil major sites.(corporate web sites)(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... You don't have to be hacked to have big trouble with your Web site. Several Microsoft Web sites were inaccessible Wednesday morning because of a DNS problem. That stands for "domain name server." The real address of Microsoft online...

FCC regulation review.(use of telephone poles)(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... The U.S. Supreme Court will review a law that lets the FCC regulate "pole fees" charged cable companies that use telephone or electric poles to string their lines in remote areas. A lower court ruling found that the law covers only...

Top 10 patent list.(private-sector recipients of patents)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 26, 2001... A fourth American corporation cracked the top 10 of private-sector recipients of patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2000. Micron Technology jumped from No. 14 on the patents list in 1999 to No. 7 in 2000. IBM led the...

Software based here.(Honolulu to be headquarters for Infoserve International)(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... Honolulu will be headquarters for a banking software company with roots in the Philippines. Infoserve International will officially establish itself as a Honolulu-based company next month. George Lissandrello, a local resident who is...

Commission proposed on IT.(Honolulu City Council to receive information technology advice)(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... Five members of the Honolulu City Council propose that a blue-ribbon commission be set up to advise the council on information technologies and especially how to configure Oahu's I.T. infrastructure so it's conducive to more high-tech...

LARGEST BIG ISLAND HOTELS.(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
January 26, 2001... LARGEST BIG ISLAND HOTELS Stan Fichtman (Ranked by number of sleeping rooms, including suites) Rank Name of hotel Address (Rank in Phone/Fax 2000) Web site address 1. Hilton Walkoloa Village (1) ...

Deal sets Liberty House on upward path.(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... After years of negotiations, Liberty House should be able to climb back from bankruptcy this spring under an agreement reached in bankruptcy court this week -- a result retail analysts say is positive for the Hawaii retailing environment as a...

Galleria opening upcoming.(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... If you've driven past the big fence on Kalakaua Avenue wondering when DFS Gal leria Waikiki would open, the answer appears to be: soon. A restaurant in the complex at Kalakaua and Royal Hawaiian Avenue intends to open to the public on...

Cost-U-Less streamlines.(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... Cost-U-Less Inc., a retailer that specializes in island markets, is getting off one of them and downsizing elsewhere. The Preston, Wash.-based company is getting out of New Zealand and has decided to consolidate its two Fiji stores into...

Hawaii Online Grocery expands service by adding variety.(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... Do you spend more time trying to find parking than actually shopping? Are you tired of people breathing down your neck while in line at the supermarket? Stupefied by the person ahead of you with 20 items in a 10-item lane? Then Hawaii...

Senate health leader sets 2001 agenda.(David Matsuura of the Hawaii Legislature)(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... By the time this year's legislative session is over, the new chairman of the state senate Health and Human Services Committee, David Matsuura, D-South Hilo-Puna, may feel like he needs to take two aspirin and lie down. Matsuura...

Full deductibility sought.(health insurance for self-employed)(Brief Article)
January 26, 2001... Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond, R-Mo., introduced legislation to allow the self-employed to deduct 100 percent of their health insurance costs this year. Under current law, self-employed individuals can deduct 60 percent of their health...

HMSA signs agreement.
January 26, 2001... Hawaii Medical Service Association has signed an agreement with U.S. Medical Inc., supplier of new and used capital equipment to physicians and hospitals to become a preferred provider throughout the state. The agreement allows...

Queen's offers coupon book.
January 26, 2001... Queen's Medical Center is now offering a coupon book that provides a variety of health-related services at discount rates. The Healing Heart coupon book, which costs $39.95, offers a range of services and classes in five areas: inner health,...

Business groups push Congress to kill OSHA ergonomics rule.
January 26, 2001... Business lobbyists are pushing Congress for quick action to overturn the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's ergonomics regulation. The regulation went into effect Jan. 16 but will not be enforced until October. It requires...

Employers flexible, but leave law problematic.
January 26, 2001... A new survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management found that most employers provide more flexibility to employees than required by the Family and Medical Leave Act. For example, 63 percent of the human resource...

HAWAII PACESETTERS.
January 26, 2001... Servco Pacific Inc. David Greaves has been appointed group vice president and operations manager for the company's direct sales operations--Servco Integrated Office Technology and Education Works. Greaves will oversee operations for both...

Face the realities of visitor capacity.
January 26, 2001... Tucked in the middle of the State of the State message by Gov. Ben Cayetano this week was a proposal that received little media attention -- but one that could have major implications on whether tourism growth and the preservation of the...

New PBN Web site makes news instant.
January 26, 2001... Last Monday was no ordinary day at PBN. Liberty House, mired in controversial bankruptcy proceedings for nearly three years, was emerging toward a settlement. The governor was offering a State of the State message that would have major...

A time for change? Or fear?(Editorial)
January 26, 2001... Proposals to privatize some government services have found new advocates in recent years. Even the liberal Honolulu Advertiser now favors the idea. The exponential growth of government scares many of us. In 1816 the federal government...

Businesses thankful renovations are endless.
January 26, 2001... My wife and I are pondering what to do about the guest room. That is the first room we remodeled, back in '91. Now that we've made it around the house, will previous projects have matured sufficiently to have become antiquated and require...

Tourism industry watches as session gets under way.(Editorial)
January 26, 2001... During the opening ceremonies for the 21st session of the Hawaii Legislature, I sat next to Michael E. O'Neill, the new chairman and CEO of Bank of Hawaii who, being fresh from the mainland, was impressed and somewhat amazed at all of the...

Swap may bring raceway to Barbers.(Department of Hawaiian Homelands)(Brief Article)
January 19, 2001... The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is close to completing a deal to swap 140 acres of land it controls on the former Barbers Point Naval Air Station - now called Kalaeloa - to a group that wants to relocate Hawaii Raceway Park. Race...

Seeds of biotech take hold on Kauai.(Brief Article)
January 19, 2001... A little known but valuable sector of agriculture has been quietly taking root in Hawaii. Seed crops, many grown on Kauai, are not only the genesis of harvests worldwide, but may sprout local biotechnology jobs. For the 1994-95 crop...

Telecoms tap into utility energy lines.(Brief Article)
January 19, 2001... More than 40 U.S. energy companies are getting into the telecommunications business. "It makes sense when you think about it. Electric and natural gas companies are networks, just like telecommunications companies. They have existing...

Politics, business juxtapose for Jaffe.(Mindy Jaffe)(Brief Article)
January 19, 2001... If the state Legislature is Wonderland, Rep. Mindy Jaffe is Alice. Jaffe says she feels like the character in the famous Lewis Carroll novel as she works herself to exhaustion trying to digest information before for the start of the 2001...

Transition to PR begins for film leader.(Hawaii Film Office ; Georgette Deemer)(Brief Article)
January 19, 2001... Georgette Deemer's last day as director of the Hawaii Film Office last Friday was marked with a farewell luncheon at the Hale Koa Hotel. She says the group that assembled was "part government from my department and other state agencies, film...

What ever happened to...?(Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties)(Brief Article)
January 19, 2001... Sales at the $200 million Waikiki Landmark continue to progress with the economy, as 85 percent of the units in the luxury leasehold condominium are sold. "We sold 152 out of 178 of the regular units." says Christine O'Brien, vice...

China looks to Hawaii to teach the Web.(Brief Article)
January 19, 2001... Paul Jin came to Hawaii for more than surf and sand. The executive deputy general manager of www.Sina.com, the world's largest Chinese language Web site, came looking for new business tips for his crew of visiting mid-level managers. ...

Correction.(Brief Article)
January 19, 2001... In the Jan. 5 edition, Pacific Business News misstated the number of unique visitors to Aloha Market Online. The, online retailer receives 600-800 unique visitors a day, according to Bill Spencer, the site's co-founder.

Kauai rebounds.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 19, 2001... Kauai's economy isn't that different from Oahu's. It's just smaller. The Garden Isle has fewer than 30,000 jobs, half as many as either Maui or the Big Island and about one-sixteenth as many as Oahu. But the breakdown of jobs by industry...

Kauai economy continues post-lnikirecovery.(Illustration)
January 19, 2001... Kauai economy continues post-lnikirecovery KAUAI JOB COUNT BY INDUSTRY INDUSTRY TOTAL Nonagriculture, wage and salary 24,600 Construction, mining ...

American Savings Bank hangs name on Starr.(Starr Seigle Advertising)(Brief Article)
January 19, 2001... American Savings Bank this week picked Starr Seigle Advertising as its agency of record, an account one industry insider estimates is worth "a couple million dollars." Neither the agency nor bank officials would confirm the dollar value....

Business caucus seeks changes to workers' comp.(Brief Article)
January 19, 2001... Eliminating workers' compensation claims for employees who claim stress-related injuries from job transfers or promotions is a centerpiece of a legislation package proposed by the bipartisan Legislative Small Business Caucus. The...

BusinessTalkRadio to debut in Hawaii.(BusinessTalkRadio)(Brief Article)
January 19, 2001... Hoping to serve an increasing interest in business news, BusinessTalkRadio will hit Hawaii radio waves Feb. 1 with an all-business format. Clear Channel Communications Inc. Market Manager Chuck Cotton says the programming originates from...

Distance learning can provide better training.(Brief Article)
January 19, 2001... A Honolulu specialist in distance learning says the use of telecommunication technology instead of trainers can make it easier to train employees in many locations. Hae Okimoto, who is in charge of distance learning for the University of...

House Republicans to push decentralization.(decentralizing education)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 19, 2001... BIZJOURNALS.COM-JAN. 11 -- House Republicans say they will use their expanded presence in the Legislature to ensure children in public schools have all the textbooks they need. Providing textbooks would cost the state $6 million, and the...

Senate GOP outlines tax cuts.(Republicans)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 19, 2001... BIZJOURNALS.COM-JAN. 12 -- Senate Republicans say they will identify $170 million that can be cut from the state budget and returned to taxpayers in immediate rebates. The proposal is the centerpiece of the 2001 legislative agenda...

Hawaii: Global destination for a new breed of traveler.(Brief Article)
January 19, 2001... This monthly column comes from the Pacific and Asian Affairs Council, a group of Hawaii business leaders whose mission is to promote awareness of foreign affairs issues with special attention to Hawaii's role in the Asia/Pacific region. ...

Visitor attendance at Oahu attractions gains strength.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 19, 2001... Oahu visitors attractions are seeing green. Gross revenues for islandwide attractions through November 2000 grew 2.6 percent over the same period the year before to $125.1 million, according to joint report released by the Hawaii Visitors...

Sustainable tourism held as key to manageable industry growth.(Brief Article)
January 19, 2001... Hawaii could be a pioneer in sustaining tourism with minimal harm to the environment, according to a leading European tourism industry analyst. "Tourism may be Hawaii's next sugar industry." says Bernard Lane, director of the rural...

Wales, a country of coals, castles and choral societies.(Brief Article)
January 19, 2001... Imagine if you can, a stage full of 100 males and they all have voices like that of Welshman Richard Burton singing a historical Welsh ballad. The room shakes with their resonance. Chocolate on top of chocolate. Around 100 choral groups...

Pacific region sales could be first of many.(financial companies leave South Pacific)(Statistical Data Included)
January 19, 2001... Following Pacific Century Financial Corp's exit from Samoa and Tonga this month, analysts are saying more sales in the region by the $13.9 billion company could be on the way. On Jan. 4, the parent of Bank of Hawaii announced its sale of...

Analysts less excited about big newspaper stocks like Gannett.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 19, 2001... Gannett Co. Inc. (GCI, NYSE, 12-month range 48 3/8-74 7/16) is a diversified news and information company that publishes the Honolulu Advertiser and other newspapers, operates broadcasting stations and is engaged in marketing, commercial...

Comparing stock, fund performance.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 19, 2001... Index funds have easily outperformed actively managed mutual funds over the past decade. Yet nearly 95 percent of all fund assets are still invested in actively managed portfolios. Investors, apparently, remain confident they can pick the...

Maui-based Pacific Wings goes after laid off Aloha workers.(Pacific Wings Airlines, Aloha Airlines)(Brief Article)
January 19, 2001... Pacific Wings Airlines Ltd., a Mauibased carrier that recently increased schedules to resort destinations on the neighbor islands; is looking to attract furloughed employees of Aloha Airlines. The company offered displaced employees in...

New Lexus sedan aims to capture lead in the luxury class.(Lexus LS 430)(Brief Article)(Evaluation)(Statistical Data Included)
January 19, 2001... The LS430 reintroduces the Lexus division's flagship sedan and re-established the vehicle as a top competitor in the luxury class. The new LS430 combines state-of-the-art luxury with a larger engine and much-improved handling. A longer...

A&B Web investor site aims to simplify.(Alexander and Baldwin, real estate company)(Brief Article)
January 19, 2001... What do you do if your investors don't understand you? Perhaps you should try making your case on the Web. Alexander & Baldwin has tried this by gathering a lot of information about its diverse and complex land holdings in Hawaii and...

Campbell Estate to purchase Kansas City complex.(Ward Parkway complex)(Brief Article)
January 19, 2001... The Ward Parkway complex in Kansas City, Mo., housing Burns & McDonnell's headquarters is expected to sell this month for almost $73 million to The Estate of James Campbell. The price -- $150 a square foot -- is one of the highest ever for a...