Pacific Business News articles from June 2001, page 3

Pacific Business News archives from June 2001

AOL accused of breaking merger agreement.(Brief Article)
June 15, 2001... Consumer groups accuse AOL Time Warner of breaking its promise not to impede competition for high-speed Internet access. America Online promised that if it was allowed to acquire Time Warner it would not impede competitors from marketing...

Countersuit filed against DSL service provider Covad.(Brief Article)
June 15, 2001... The DSL service provider Covad, which says supplier and competitor Verizon back-stabbed it by footdragging on supplying lines, is now being counterused over that allegation. In Silicon Valley federal district court, Verizon says Covad...

Internet telephony gets a big new player.(Brief Article)
June 15, 2001... Microsoft Corp. has entered the Internet telephony business, in which computers and the Internet are used for telephone calls. The new version of Windows, due for consumer use in October, will include an Internet telephony feature. If...

Stock quotes by phone.(Brief Article)
June 15, 2001... AT&T Wireless has joined Sprint PCS in offering free stock quotes or other information by phone, using voice activated computers instead of requiring the caller to treat the cell phone as a computer. A four-digit number (actually three...

Internet offers full array of Hawaiian merchandise.(Brief Article)
June 15, 2001... E-tailers; a new generation of entrepreneurs, are revitalizing the retail front with online stores offering everything from aloha shirts to local snacks and hula supplies. The virtual business approach has become the model for young...

Hawaii businesses can save thousands with new export law.(Brief Article)
June 15, 2001... Hawaii exporters can increase their competitive edge by taking advantage of the extraterritorial income exclusion (EIE) tax benefit. Under the new law, companies may exclude 15 percent to 30 percent of export sales income from U.S. taxation....

Rumored Liberty House sale.(Brief Article)
June 15, 2001... Liberty House is rumored to be up for sale, but beyond that there is almost nothing you can say for sure. Neither its current owners nor the potential buyer will comment on rumors of a sale to Federated Department Stores, owner of Macy's. ...

HAWAII PACESETTERS.
June 15, 2001... Halekulani Gerald Glennon has been appointed executive assistant manager. Glennon comes to Halekulani from Sofitel Miami where he spent two years as director of food and beverage before being appointed as the hotel's general manager in...

Meadow Gold Dairies Hawaii.(health and nutrition campaign award)(Brief Article)
June 15, 2001... Meadow Gold Dairies Hawaii has received national recognition for its public relations campaign promoting health, nutrition and education at the International Dairy Foods Association conference in Orlando, Fla. Meadow Gold Dairies Hawaii was...

The Salvation Army.
June 15, 2001... The Salvation Army Family Treatment Services recently received a three-year accreditation from CARF-The Rehabilitation Accreditation Commission. This accreditation is regarded as the highest level of accreditation by this international...

Friends of Cancer Research Center of Hawaii.(Brief Article)
June 15, 2001... The elected board of directors include: John Landgraf, First Hawaiian Bank. commercial real estate division, president; Lila Johnson, Tobacco Prevention and Education Branch of the State Department of Health, vice president; James Wriston,...

Mental Health Kokua.(Brief Article)
June 15, 2001... Mental Health Kokua has added neighbor island representatives to the board of directors. Representing Maui county: Glen Kunitake, Hawaii National Bank in Kihei: Elaine Waldow, Kama'aina Properties and Garner Ivey Jr., retired from A&B...

Dot-com cutbacks impact luxury and large-acreage sales.(Brief Article)
June 15, 2001... Industry observers fear the bubble burst of 1993 is repeating itself: They say luxury real estate inventory will soon increase as sales on neighbor islands are decreasing due to job cutbacks across the nation. Although real estate on the...

High energy costs, environmental issues fuel Big Island solar efforts.
June 15, 2001... Big Island businesses are known for making use of everything under -- and including -- the sun. "The Big Island's solar energy industry leads the state in installations of renewable energy systems for businesses. Companies like...

Big Island chamber leader turns experience into direction.(Bobby Cooper of the Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce)(Brief Article)
June 15, 2001... One in a continuing series of behind-the-scenes looks at local businesspeople in the news. This week we feature the man who takes the helm of Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce on June 27. The chamber represent businesses on Hawaii Island, and...

Big Island farmers look for alternative marketing for kava.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 15, 2001... Although there is a recent increase in demand from European pharmaceutical companies for kava from the Big Island - the state's leading producer of the root - many farmers are looking for sales alternatives with the hope of getting more money...

Big Island fishermen facing tough times.(Brief Article)
June 15, 2001... For Robert Cabos, fishing is more than just a weekend getaway. It's his way of life. Cabos, 47, a full-time commercial fisherman out of Hilo, will go out for days in the ocean, especially during the winter months when the bigeye tuna are...

Mobile health care helps to meet diverse Big Island needs.(Brief Article)
June 15, 2001... Pahoa resident Allen Morelli was unsuccessful in obtaining dental care from dentists on the Big Island and neighboring islands. Most doctors were afraid of working with a patient with AIDS, and for over two years, his condition worsened until...

Hokulia interim president.(Brief Article)
June 15, 2001... A new executive has been named for Hokuli'a, a 1,550-acre master-planned community on the Kona side of the Big Island, parent company 1250 Oceanside Partners announces. John DeFries, president of Native Sun Business Group and owner's...

Amfac sells remaining land.(Brief Article)
June 15, 2001... A California woman has purchased nearly 23 acres of land in Pahoa town from. Amfac/JMB, the last pieces of property the company owned on the Big Island. The land is the former site of the town's sawmill but for years has remained unused....

Big Island coffee growers take hints from fine wineries.(Brief Article)
June 15, 2001... Treating coffee beans like wine grapes? That's what husband and wife Joe and Deepa Alban did on their Kona farm. They decided to trellis the coffee trees to the sun the same way grape vineyards do. The inspiration came from Joe's...

German entrepreneurs go nuts to stay in Hawaii.(business)(Brief Article)
June 15, 2001... Several acres of macadamia nut trees on the Big Island helped keep two German nationals in the state they've come to love. Christian Bernadzik and his girlfriend, Monika Nauen, were on a business visa and bought a macadamia nut farm. ...

Big Island merchants face eviction for courthouse.(business)(Brief Article)
June 15, 2001... Suey needs more time. Lawrence Suenishi owns Suey's Cocktails and Karaoke and is one of about a dozen Hilo businesspeople who will be forced out of Kaikoo Mall if the state Judiciary moves ahead with plans to purchase the property and...

HAWAII GROUND TRANSPORTATION COMPANIES.(Directory)
June 15, 2001... HAWAII GROUND TRANSPORTATION COMPANIES (Ranked by number of passengers carried last year) Company Name Address Phone/Fax Web site address Islands served Rank Airports served 1. Roberts Hawaii...

Brain drain turns to gain; let's keep it that way.(business)(Brief Article)
June 15, 2001... This week, PBN launches a new series intended to go beyond our usual task of telling you about the past and present in order to introduce you to the future. "Brain Gain" stories, denoted with the logo shown here, will profile young...

The tyranny of silence.(Hawaii's labor unions)(Brief Article)
June 15, 2001... About 50 years ago I was told that the chief reason for the success of the ILWU was that its leaders, like Jack Hall, were willing to say things its members didn't dare utter. Plantation workers especially lived under a blanket of fear....

Focus on the Big Island.(business)(Brief Article)
June 15, 2001... This week's Focus section, covering the Big Island, shows Hawaii County business today is much more than agriculture and astronomy. The island is leading the state in many ways when it comes to renewable energy. A solar project at Parker...

Renew a sense of pride in Hawaii's university.(education)(Brief Article)
June 15, 2001... UH President Ken Mortimer concludes his service at the university on June 30. Below are excerpts of his last public speech, given to the Rotary Club of Honolulu this week. Something that I believe is critical to the future success of the...

What ever happened to ...?(Commercial Data Systems Inc)(Brief Article)
June 15, 2001... When we last reported on Commercial Data Systems Inc. in May, the company announced its strategy of targeting lucrative federal government contracts, which accounted for 65 percent of its February sales. Last week, the firm announced the...

Is Anzai a shoe-in to lead RCUH?(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... As the Cayetano administration nears its close, the governor's top cabinet appointments are updating their resumes. That includes Attorney General Earl Anzai, who could be the next executive director of the Research Corporation of the...

Up in the Air.(Statistical Data Included)
June 8, 2001... Changes challenge travellers' nerves; Hawaii broadens international push The airline industry is in the throes of change, especially when it comes to operations in Hawaii. Carriers are switching to smaller aircraft from jumbo jets and...

Hawaiian, Aloha scale down in size, up in service.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... In an overhaul of equipment and services, Aloha Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines both are moving away from large jumbo jets for mainland service, reviewing amenities and cutting back the number of passengers on each overseas routes. The...

Protests may drive away $5 mil in research.(Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority)(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... The experiments would inject liquid carbon dioxide into the ocean to counteract the earth's greenhouse effect. Delays and protests dogging Hawaii-based studies of a method to reverse global warming may cause researchers to seek other...

It's a lonely life on Molokai, census says.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... According to a Demographics Daily, www.bizjournals.com, study of the new U.S. Census Bureau statistics, Kalawao County, also known as Kalaupapa, on Molokai came in the last place for households headed by married couples. With a population of...

The best of Rotary.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... The Waikiki Rotary Club was recognized as the best large club of the year for District 5000. While members are excited over their award, Rotary District Governor Linda Coble literally got sick over it. Coble had the difficult task of...

Moving on.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... Julie King, public relations manager of Aloha Airlines, is spreading her wings and taking off. King accepted a job with Continental Airlines and will be moving to Houston. She will be working out of the carrier's corporate office. "It's...

Team Unlimited, HTA get the word out.(Hawaii travel, Hawaiian Tourism Authority, NFL and PGA meetings)(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... ProBowl promotions subject of NFL meetings here Tiger Woods, meet Kurt Warner. Expanding promotions for the Pro Bowl, including tie-ins with the Professional Golf Association Tour, will be discussed when officials from the National...

Corrections.
June 8, 2001... * A photo caption incorrectly stated the location of Micro Gaia Inc.'s facility. The facility is located on Maui. * In the June 1 issue, PBN incorrectly reported that Hawaii Tourism Authority funding for promoting Hawaii as a business...

HEI evaluating risk and payback for investment forecast in Asia.(Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... Hawaiian Electric Industries is conducting a strategic evaluation of its international power subsidiary which has investments in Guam, the Philippines and China. The company's evaluation, due by the end of the month, will determine if HEI...

Commercial sprinkler bill moving forward.(Honolulu, Hawaii, commercial building sprinklers)(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... City Council Chairman Jon Yoshimura is moving forward with a bill he authored that requires commercial high-rise buildings 75 feet or taller to be retrofitted with sprinklers. Though a task force that was formed to discuss the issue has...

Hawaii real estate market tight in some areas.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... It's a sellers market in neighborhoods such as Kailua and Hawaii Kai, where few new homes have been built in recent years, says Mary Flood, vice-president of sales and marketing for Schuler Homes Inc. "There is pent-up demand in those...

Kona's Royal Sea Cliff sold for $28 million.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... Ohio-based National Housing Corp. and local firm Brian Anderson Real Estate Development of Kamuela recently purchased for $28 million the Royal Sea Cliff Resort on the Kona coast. The 154-unit hotel condominium property was on the market...

Hilo native to USDA post.(Lorraine Pualani Shin, US Dept of Agriculture)(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... The U.S. Department of Agriculture has named a Hilo native to be state director for USDA Rural Development. Lorraine Pualani Shin owns Polynesian Management Corp. and Polynesian Hooponopono Corp, both of which are property management...

Campbell Estate gets early tax break exception.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... The Campbell Estate, developer of Kapolei, will benefit from a tax break buried in the tax package that President Bush intends to sign Thursday. The package phases out the federal estate tax in 2010, but the Campbell Estate trust phases...

Dick Pacific wins lucrative contract.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... Dick Pacific Construction Co. Ltd., a division of Pennsylvania-based Dick Corp., won an approximately $300 million contract last month to build a major power plant in Blythe, Calif. The undertaking is just one of the projects in the pipeline...

Focus for June 8, 2001: Real estate trends in Hawaii.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 8, 2001... Inventory of condominiums and single-family homes has been shrinking on Oahu -- a dramatic change from the inventory glut of 1996, when condominium availability stood at 24 percent and single family homes at about 16 percent. Because of...

MW Group upgrades in Kihei.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... MW Group LLC, an Oahu-based commercial real estate firm, has initiated major changes to three of its Maui properties. Upgrades or structural additions are now under way at Azeca's Shopping Center I & II, the Kihei Plaza (formerly known as...

Occupancy expected to stall for rest of 2001.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... Depending on whom you talk to in the tourism industry, the outlook for the fall travel season is getting mixed reviews. Fall room occupancy for Outrigger Hotels and Resorts is projected to mirror its lackluster spring performance, says...

Maui's Rent-a-Local gets visitors closer to isle.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... Eh, you like somebody fo' show you Maui? A local guide to take you on your own time, not tour group rush-rush time? To take you places not highlighted in the tour guide books? In your own vehicle, at your own leisure? Since 1987,...

Ilikai set for a $25 million makeover.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... The hotel that was made famous in the opening shots of the television series "Hawaii Five-0" is getting a face lift. The $25 million make-over on The Renaissance Ilikai Hotel Waikiki, 1777 Ala Moana, will aim to create a more Hawaiian...

A source of British liquid joy.(Portugal)(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... On a recent trip to Portugal, we bought an extension of the cruise up the Duoro River, which meant getting into Lisbon three days early and having guided tours of city and the surrounding country. And also letting the clock catch up with us...

Hawaii-only fund survives by its size.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... Terry Lee plans to grow his investment company's assests to $250 million from $130 million. This year. Despite recession fears, online trading and returns-driven consumers. "We've established trust by performing consistently for a long...

Verizon needs to build on customer base, analysts say.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 8, 2001... Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ, NYSE, 12-month range $39.06 -- $59.38), formed by the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE, is one of the world's leading providers of high-growth communication services. Verizon reported first-quarter 2001...

Other ways to raise funds for start-up.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... With venture capital and angel investment funding increasingly difficult to come by start-ups need to look at creative ways of obtaining capital. Believe it or not, there are alternative approaches to. reliance on traditional venture and...

Up in the Air: Focus on international flights.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... As the number of Japanese tourists visiting the islands declines, the impetus to add more international routes to Hawaii gains momentum. It's part of the state's two-pronged strategy to promote tourism: Make the local travel industry...

Neighbor isle airports want to stretch wings.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... The state Department of Transportation has begun a $14 million terminal improvement project at Kahului Airport. A runway extension will not be part of the project, to the dismay of Teryl Vencyl, the executive director of Maui Hotel...

Laughter has a place at work after all.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... How do you know if you're a librarian? If your baby is overdue, the first thing he asks after he is born is whether he has to pay a fine for being late. The 300-plus state librarians in McCoy Pavilion start laughing after Ed Ka'ahea...

Good public speakers focus on their audience.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... It's common to feel nervous when making a presentation. As a natural reaction to stress, it puts us on our toes and makes us attentive to the task before us. For many, however, a "case of the nerves" when speaking to groups can be so...

Corporate citizenship: IBM fund gives $1,000 to Lanakila.(Lanakila Rehabilitation Center Inc. (Lanakila Crafts), Hawaii)(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... Lanakila Rehabilitation Center, Inc. (also known as Lanakila Crafts) was recently awarded a $1,000 grant from the IBM Fund for Community Service Program to assist with the funding for the organization's Meals on Wheels Program. IBM's...

CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRMS -- OAHU.(Statistical Data Included)
June 8, 2001... CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRMS -- OAHU (Ranked by number of local professionals) Company name Rank Address Rank in Phone / Fax 2000 Web site address 1. KPMG LLP (1) 1001 Bishop St., Pauahi Tower ...

Kauai addition is latest for rehab hospital.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... The Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific recently opened a new outpatient clinic on Kauai, adding to 13 other clinics throughout the islands. In November, it will open another clinic on the Big Island. The expansion effort is part of a...

Hawaii Health Systems Corp. partners with AssistGuide.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... Hawaii Health Systems Corp., the nation's fourth largest public hospital recently partnered with AssistGuide Inc., a leading health care technology provider of Internet solutions to senior, health care and disability businesses. Local...

Research projects published.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... Two research projects at The Queen's Center for Biomedical Research at The Queen's Medical Center/University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine has been published in Nature Magazine, a scientific research journal, for the second time...

Online health care: Will it be able to survive?(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... Second tier of savvier online health services show some promise Despite the endless dot-com obituaries, venture capitalists and health care experts believe that online health has a future. Online physician sites, like. Medscape...

Local company takes 'Body & Soul' to Japan.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... Tao Miller is on a three-week trip to Japan launching his Body & Soul cosmetics line in Kobe, Osaka and Kyoto. From an outside perspective, distributing his products would seem easy since he's already succeeded in expanding to areas such as...

Hawaii leads nation in May retail sales improvement.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 8, 2001... Hawaii has posted the most improvement of any state in retail sales for May, compared to sales one year before. TeleCheck Services Inc., the company most stores call for verification when you write a check to buy something, reports...

Longs Drug revenues up.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... Longs Drug Stores Corp., the California pharmacy chain that dominates the drug store business in Hawaii, reports its same-store sales in May ran 6.6 percent above year-ago levels. That translates to $329.1 million for the four week period...

E-book firm signs with UH.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... Ebrary, a California online book company funded by Random House and McGraw-Hill, has signed deals with 12 university presses, and one of those schools is the University of Hawaii. Ebrary says it will deliver copyrighted content online...

L&L expands again on Windward Side.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... Honolulu's rapidly expanding L&L Drive-Inn chain has opened a store on Kalanianaole Highway in Waimanalo, serving lower Winward Side residents who formerly had to drive to Kailua if they wanted the chain's fare. L&L now has 36 locations...

Macadamia nut growers win in court.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... Hawaii's macadamia nut growers have won an important court victory without which it would have been difficult for them to remain in business. Judge Greg Nakamura of the Third Circuit Court in Hilo has ruled that the growers, who sell...

Royal Kunia could open.(new golf course)(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... The zoning committee of the Honolulu City Council has voted to permit the opening of the Royal Kunia Golf Course, despite the fact that its Japanese investors never paid $13 million in impact fees. It's not a done deal. The zoning...

Pleasant Hawaiian cuts rates to Waikiki.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... As tourism softens, another major player in Hawaii tourism has cut rates lower than usual to provide a window of opportunity for those who still plan to visit the islands this summer. Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays has cut its seven-day...

'Venture catalyst' firm enlists first start-ups.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... Hawaii Opportunities Group LLC, a "venture catalyst" firm that opened for business in October, has invested in three start-ups and is currently negotiating with two more. "We've probably met with about 60 companies to choose our first...

Speed-up of Cable & Wireless' Digital Island buy approved.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... The Federal Trade Commission has approved a faster acquisition of Digital Island Inc. by Cable & Wireless PLC. The FTC's decision to waive the rest of the Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period means Cable & Wireless can proceed whenever...

UH to run supercomputer.(University of Hawaii )(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... The Maui High-Performance Supercomputer Center, the Defense Department's second biggest supercomputer and one of the 20 biggest computers in the world, will be placed under local management later this year. The contract to run the center...

Aquasearch signs sales and distribution agreement.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... Big Island marine biotech firm Aquasearch Inc. signed an agreement Monday with Honolulu-based Advantage Webco Dodge to distribute its nutraceutical product, The AstaFactor, to local retail outlets. Webco Dodge is the Hawaii arm of...

Upgrades at LavaNet.(Hawaiian internet service provider)(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... The kama'aina Internet service provider LavaNet has upgraded its downtown Honolulu headquarters facilities,, and in the process has taken its own Internet address numbers. The independent boutique ISP has about 13,000 subscribers "We...

Group promotes Maui high technology to Silicon Valley.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... A group of technology executives with ties to Maui are pitching the Valley Isle to Silicon Valley investors and tech entrepreneurs. The goal of the Friends of Maui is to get tech people from Northern California to invest in tech on Maui,...

Tech in the South Pacific.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... Hawaii may have a new ally in spreading technology know-how throughout the Pacific region. Korea's Ministry of Information has organized a "Youth Volunteer Corps" to send 150 young Koreans to 20 developing countries to teach computing and...

Computer viruses are more insidious than ever before.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... Over the years we've made an effort to inform our readers of the dangers that lurk in cyberspace. One of our chief concerns has been the proliferation of computer viruses. Like their biological counterparts, these human-spread pathogens can...

Where in the world? Just ask students to check GPS.(global positioning systems training)(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... Hawaii students are learning to use cutting-edge computerized mapping technologies to study endangered species through a project promoted by the state Department of Education and the Maui High Performance Computing Center. Project...

CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRMS -- NEIGHBOR ISLANDS.(directory of Hawaiian accounting firms)
June 8, 2001... CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRMS -- NEIGHBOR ISLANDS (Ranked by number of local professionals) Rank Company name Rank in Address 2000 Phone / Fax Web site address 1. James & Levin LLC fka James, White &...

HAWAII PACESETTERS.
June 8, 2001... Daily edition: pacific.bcentrai.com Outrigger Enterprises Inc. Carl Nahua Maunakea has been appointed director of risk management and insurance. Maunakea has more than 19 years of experience in the insurance business with extensive...

Small product offers big information for real estate industry.(software for personal digital assistants)(Brief Article)
June 8, 2001... Realtors on Oahu, the Big Island and Kauai now can have real estate listings in the palm of their hands with the Pocket Real Estate Residential software program -- developed locally -- for Palm Pilots. Although the product has been on the...