A conference in Honolulu next month aims to collect and discuss innovative ideas from around the world that help protect the environment and improve quality of life, while also creating jobs and wealth. The World Congress on Zero Emission Initiatives: Launching “The Blue Economy” will focus on innovations in seven areas: energy, food, health, housing, transportation, water and waste. “We…
Honolulu delicatessens are better known for serving musubi than sandwiches, but sometimes you just need a piled-high pastrami sandwich, location be damned. For obvious reasons, Giovanni Pastrami fills the need. I sampled the Pastrami Reuben sandwich, the restaurant’s most popular pastrami item. A half-pound of hot pastrami, which is shipped in from Chicago, mingles with sauerkraut, melted white Swiss cheese…
Robert Hiam is president and CEO of HMSA, which provides healthcare insurance to about half of Hawaii’s 1.3 million residents. Gadget Hiam is on his new Apple iPad every day checking the latest news and financial information from Bloomberg.com. He can also listen to his favorite Eagles’ hits from the “Out of Eden” album. Fitness It’s only natural that the head…
When we were kids, my folks liked to load us all in the old green Buick and head off for an adventure. Maybe it would be a drive-in movie, us in PJs snuggled in the back seat under warm blankets. Or gathering oysters on New Year’s Eve on a cold British Columbia beach. Or a farm selling produce for my…
Primo Beer is back, but to aficionados of the blue-collar brew, the new version isn’t the real stuff. The real Primo — not all that good, really — is spiked by memories of backyard luau, garage talk-story sessions and pau fishing get-togethers. “Cultural recycler” and pack rat “Pake” Zane has something on which to hang those memories. Tucked into his…
A signature sauce and five-generation recipe keep people coming back for shoyu poke from Kahuku Superette on Oahu’s North Shore. “I call it ‘mother’s love sauce’ and, once you try it, you’re addicted for life,” says manager Diane Primacio. Market owner Tina Lee makes the sauce daily. “She puts a lot of hard work into it and when people try…
In November 2009, Robert Harrison was promoted from chief risk officer to president and COO of First Hawaiian Bank, the same positions, it’s worth noting, held by former CEOs John Bellinger and Walter Dods, and current CEO Don Horner. Harrison talks here about succession and the roles of banks and bankers in the community. Q: The succession of leadership at…
Randy Moore,Assistant superintendent, state Department of Education | Photo: Yes “It’s an equitable method for requiring some of the costs of future schools be paid by those who would use them.” For several decades, public policy has been that taxpayers shouldn’t bear the entire brunt of building new schools in growth areas, but this policy was implemented project-by-project because there…
Invite 21 heads of state or other leaders to a party in your hometown and you have a security challenge that could cost up to $20 million. That’s what faces local law-enforcement officials at the massive Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in November 2011 in Honolulu. Joining the top leaders from the 21 member economies — some, such as Hong…
Local research companies, which rely heavily on telephone surveys, are adjusting their calling strategies to reach the many young people who use cell phones and have no landline at home. During the last half of 2009, 24.5 percent of households nationally were CPOs — cell-phone only, according to a National Health Interview Survey. The survey indicates CPOs have been increasing…
4# HNL’s runways – two pairs of parallel runways that are among the nation’s longest. 60# Percentage share of statewide airline passengers. 25# Rank among the busiest airports in the U.S. 16# Millions of passengers who traveled through HNL in 2009. Source: State Department of Transportation Categories: Business Trends
What is the most important thing you’ve learned about yourself during your career? It sounds cliché and it’s easier said than done, but the most effective way of leading is to trust being yourself instead of what you think other people want. For the most part, people read others well. For example, trying to act highly empathetic when it’s not…
Teddy’s Bigger Burgers does well in a good economy and better in a bad one, says co-CEO Ted Tsakiris. That’s one reason Teddy’s opened its fourth restaurant on Oahu in May, at 2424 S. Beretania St., near University Avenue. In a good economy, Tsakiris explains, people are willing or able to pay for a high-quality burger. In a poor economy,…
Successful events are a critical way of interacting with customers. Philip Richardson, CEO of Current Affairs, one of Hawaii’s most prestigious event-planning companies, offers advice on getting the most from your events. 1. Define your objectives “You’ve got to have an idea why you really want to do this,” Richardson says. Are you building relationships with new clients? Reinforcing existing…
Q. I own a small business. How do I go about planning for my retirement and for my (few) employees? A: If you are a Hawaii small-business owner, you have a lot to think about: sales, expenses, marketing, cash flow, competition. However, by spending too much time on the issues of today, you may overlook the concerns of tomorrow. That’s why,…
WarehouseConquering the world was not part of the original plans for many Hawaii businesses that have succeeded in global markets. For some, it was a years-long process of gradual growth and careful planning, while others found their way quickly with inspiration, instinct and good timing. Either way, exports help inoculate local companies against economic swings at home by diversifying their…
9 a.m., Tuesday Honolulu Zoo > About 550,000 people come to the Honolulu Zoo every year to check out 221 species of animals, including these crocodile-like gharials being fed by Jamieson Martinez. Gharials, a critically endangered species native to the Indian subcontinent, eat tilapia, koi and trout in Honolulu. The zoo begins construction of a new Asian elephant exhibit in…
Magazines occupy a privileged position in the emerging media landscape. Nationally, newspaper readership has declined by close to 9 percent over the past five years, while magazine readership has increased by 4 percent. Surprisingly, one of the strongest increases is among young adults ages 18 to 24, who now read an average of 7.3 magazines a month. Television has problems…
Eye-opener on state investments Just wanted to commend you on your article about the state of Hawaii investments (May). It was quite the eye-opener and, as I’m currently working on creating an investment policy for a local nonprofit, you couldn’t have given me better material on why sound investment policies need to be followed. — Christie Crawford, Kailua-Kona Regulations…
Participants in this discussion: Kirk Belsby, VP of the endowment for Kamehameha Schools Kyle Chock, executive director of Pacific Resource Partnership Keiki-Pua Dancil, president and CEO of the Hawaii Science and Technology Council State Sen. Carol Fukunaga, Democrat, representing McCully to Punchbowl Ernie Nishizaki, executive VP of Kyo-ya, owners of Hawaii Starwood Hotels Dean Okimoto, owner of Nalo Farms and former…
As revenues fall and old ways fail, a Hawaiian Electric team tries to turn a power behemoth into a clean-energy matrix. “You can’t run an operational company like this without leadership that’s experienced in operational issues,” says Robbie Alm, executive vice president for Hawaiian Electric Co. “That’s not me. That was never going to be me.” Alm isn’t being modest….
Business consultants tell you opportunities exist whether the economy is shooting skyward or tumbling down. Well-positioned firms can always exploit changes in the business cycle and gain ground on competitors. “A lot of companies do look at a downturn as a chance to pick up market share,” says Bob Sigall, a management consultant and author of “The Companies We Keep”…