Q. I seem to have no control over the things that are said about my business online. What can I do? A. If a client searches on Twitter,Facebook or Yelp, they can see all kinds of things that have been said about your business – good and bad. For every customer you are aware was lost because of a bad online comment, there are…
David Lelm has been in the auto body business for 45 years, including the past seven in Kailua-Kona. In October 2010, he turned his independent body shop into a Maaco franchise. Lelm talks about the advantages and challenges of joining the brand called “North America’s Bodyshop.” HB: Why make the change? Lelm: Sometimes you get in your own little bubble, you…
And Kauai’s romance industry loves the money wedding couples and their families spend on the Garden Island On an April afternoon, Pamela Wen stepped off a plane in Lihue, 5,020 miles away from and 40 degrees warmer than her New York home. After four days of final preparations – plus some beach play time – the first-grade teacher stood in…
Name: James Waldron Lindblad Job: Certified bail agent and president of the Professional Bail Agents Association of Hawaii, director of the Hawaii State Sheriff Association and occasional bounty hunter Years of experience: 34 Toughest part: Lindblad has bailed out more than 20,000 people. With numbers like that, some are bound to run, but he has only two people unaccounted for….
Poor reviews of the Honolulu zoo from visitors and trip advisories were some of the reasons the City and County of Honolulu and zoo director Manuel Mollinedo devised a six-year plan to turn the Waikiki attraction around. Here is a breakdown of some budgeted renovations. $2 million Zoo entrance. Already completed. $10.27 million Reconstruction of the Asian Tropical Forest Elephant…
When the big Borders bookstore closed in Hilo in August 2010, attorney Bob Marx helped fill the void by opening Books, Nooks and Crannies two months later. His store adds to a rich literary scene in downtown Hilo, where four small bookstores and a bookbinder are all within several blocks. Books, Nooks and Crannies seeks to be a general bookstore/coffee…
What’s It Worth? $65,000 What is it: This fully restored 1948 Steinway Grand piano, with a mahogany finish and ivory keys, was the personal piano of tobacco heiress Doris Duke. Restoration: George Nellas, owner of Piano Planet, purchased it in August 2009 from Duke’s Shangri-La estate. He says Premo’s Piano Shop and Gilbert’s Furniture & Piano restored the piano in…
If you miss fall’s football tailgating, drive up to Waialua on Oahu’s North Shore any Sunday until Labor Day for horses and tailgating at Polo Mokuleia Field. Spectators enjoy two polo matches plus an eclectic mix of halftime shows, from skydivers to rugby matches. After the games, everyone is welcome onto the field to toss Frisbees or footballs, fly kites,…
Smoking in Hawaii Hawaii has the fifth-lowest rate of cigarette smoking by adults among the states — and that rate is falling. 2000: 19.7% 2008: 15.4% Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Smoking cuts workplace productivity in Hawaii by an estimated $215 million a year — and two approaches are being taken to reduce that cost. In the tougher…
if you ever wonder what your drivers are doing with your delivery trucks, GPS tracking may be the answer. Local companies such as Comspec and Hawaiian GPS say their vehicle-tracking systems can save you money, increase your drivers’ productivity and provide peace of mind. “It’s a way to see what drivers are doing and manage for liability purposes, accountability, cost-savings,”…
Vance Roley Dean of the University of Hawaii’s Shidler College of Business As a student at Harvard University, Roley was determined to earn his master’s and Ph.D. in four years, so he set a strict 14-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week schedule. “I didn’t sleep much and I didn’t have much of a social life,” he says, “but that’s what you do when you’re…
As big round figures go, this one is remarkable: Hawaii imports an estimated 85 percent of its food. Meaning, of the $3.7 billion that Hawaii consumers fork over annually for food, only about $550 million is spent on locally grown food, according to the state Department of Agriculture. To help change that imbalance, the Hawaii Agricultural Foundation plans to launch…
10:38 A.M. Tuesday Peter Carlisle’s private office, Honolulu Hale Photography by Twain Newhart >> Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle gets most of his work done in his inner office, not the ceremonial office that you often see on TV. He usually arrives before 7 a.m. but is in and out of meetings all day. The framed surf photo hanging at…
Armstrong Builders and the Department of Hawaiian Homelands have partnered to create housing communities that are both energy and water efficient. “We’re always looking for new opportunities and are committed to building as many green projects as the market can absorb,” says Daniel Sandomire, VP of Armstrong Builders. The latest projects are Kumuhau in Waimanalo on Oahu, completed at the end of May, and Lai Opua…
I don’t know if I’d have the guts to do it, but I’m glad some people are brave enough to hire ex-cons. In this issue, writer Janel Lubanski reports about three local companiesthat regularly hire former criminals and about the employees themselves (page 84). The companies deflect praise by insisting that they hire these men and women because they make great…
In his three years as CEO of Aloha Petroleum, Richard Parry has helped the company diversify its business. Last year, it purchased the Hawaii assets of Shell Oil. It also has gradually expanded its interests in alternative fuels. We talked to Parry about these changes and what they mean for Aloha. HB: What effect has the changing energy climate in Hawaii…
When Thomas Lee, owner of The Audio Visual Co. in Waimalu, decided two years ago to expand his work space – from 15,000 to 24,000 square feet – he knew his electricity bill would likely grow, too. With air conditioning running in the equipment server room around the clock and offices operating seven days a week, Lee paid $3,000 to…
Kahala Caterers had difficulty recruiting dishwashers and general laborers for its chef staff a few years ago. “People were coming in but weren’t motivated,” company president Winston Gample says. “They all just want to be executive chefs or the next TV star.” Then Gample and his chefs learned about the state’s Laumaka Work Furlough Centerfor ex-criminals and met David Nunes. Nunez had…
About 40 million barrels of oil are delivered by tanker to Hawaii every year and transformed into a host of products: gasoline, jet fuel, asphalt, diesel and more. These photographs trace the process of refining oil, which – even in this era of alternative energy – continues to be Hawaii’s main source of energy. OIL ARRIVES Tankers like the Greek-registered…
LEED-accredited architect Gerald Choi is on the cutting edge of a new trend – integrating a photovoltaic system into his home as both an energy producer and an architectural element. When he needed to replace the aging 45-foot-by-5-foot skylight running along the spine of the roof, he and Hoku Solar turned it into a combination bi-facial skylight/PV system. Like the skylight it…