PHOTOS BY ELYSE AND MATT MALLAMS Back in the mid-1970s, when Abner Undan started working for a tree-trimming company, the standard method was to lop off branches randomly and use spikes to climb palm trees. “Those were the old ways. We just didn’t know … and now the industry has really evolved,” says Undan, a certified arborist and president…
It’s not your imagination, Honolulu is packed with high-rises. In fact, it ranks sixth in the United States —right behind San Francisco—and 30th in the world among cities with the most skyscrapers, according to Emporis, a building-industry information clearinghouse. Since statehood, high-rise condominiums have evolved from concrete towers with prominent lanai into shiny, smooth, glass towers such as Hokua or…
PHOTOS BY MONTE COSTA “Raising funds in today’s economy is no easy task,” says Clyde Namuo, CEO of the Polynesian Voyaging Society. Neither is travelling around the world in a traditional Hawaiian sailing canoe, but the voyaging society is simultaneously working on both challenges. The fundraising is well underway for Hokulea’s four-year, 47,000-mile voyage to 26 countries and about 60…
Some afternoons, after lunching on a mess of ahi furikake or fried ahi belly at Nico’s, the big fish restaurant down on Pier 38, I like to walk across the street and amble down the docks and survey the ragtag fleet of fishing boats tied up along the wharf. Like many old sailors, I’m drawn to the waterfront. I like to…
Shonka, who oversees 300 employees, says First Insurance will continue to pursue core values exemplified in the acronym RICE: Respect for others; Integrity in all we do; Creating the future for ourselves and the community; and Excellent customer service. You became president of First Insurance Company of Hawaii on Jan. 1 and will become CEO on Aug. 1. Why the delay for…
As Abercrombie heads into an election year, Hawaii Business met with him and Young to ask how their policies affected local businesses and about their plans for the future. In our December 2013 BOSS Survey, we asked business leaders if your policies helped their businesses, hurt them or didn’t matter. What’s your view? Abercrombie: Sometimes in business discussions, people complain that government is…
Dennis Hollier is one of the best writers I’ve worked with during 36 years in the news business. His rare combination of intelligence, curiosity and writing skill generates stories that are both a pleasure to read and an insider’s guide to an important issue, industry or individual. Each time I read one of his stories, I learn much more about…
Swell Shot Wednesday, 5 P.M. North Shore, Oʻahu Photo by Nate Lawrence Zak Noyle positions himself as he prepares to photograph surfers at Pipeline. Noyle has been shooting surfers for eight years, the past six professionally. The time he spends in the water each day depends on waves and others conditions, but it has been as long as nine hours. “I…
Question: I heard the National Flood Insurance Program is moving away from “subsidized” rates. What does this mean? Answer: Due to the catastrophic nature of flooding, most private insurers exclude flood damage from their property insurance. To fill this need, Congress established the National Flood Insurance Program in 1968. Under the program, property owners buy flood insurance from the federal…
It’s no surprise the same ocean that inspires surfers, paddlers and swimmers has also inspired entrepreneurs to make a living off what they love. They start surf schools, design canoe paddles, cultivate marine livestock, run fishing charters or develop technology that preserves this part of nature. They don’t just run ocean-based companies, they live their dreams and change lives. “Sure,…