Steve Petranik has been an editor and reporter for almost four decades and now is the editor of Hawaii Business. Before joining the magazine in 2009, he spent 18 years as an editor at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and five years at the Honolulu Advertiser. He’s reported from six countries on three continents and his stories have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post and Los Angeles Times.
Inside this issue, we explain how public school teachers, principals and administrators are evaluated and held accountable for their on-the-job performance. You already know that students are held accountable every time they hand in an assignment for grading or take…
The most important person in creating your Best Place to Work is almost always the company’s owner or CEO, so choose well when you join an organization. The second most important person is not your immediate supervisor. It’s you. That’s…
Think you have a tough job? Try being an economist. Every November, economists around the world issue their forecasts of the coming year. There is always a huge range of opinions: One American economist may suggest U.S. GDP will rise…
I’ll start with bad news, and then get to good news before explaining why all of it belongs in a business magazine. As Valentine’s Day approaches, the most depressing news for me does not involve violence or political deadlock, but…
You are reading this magazine because you think my staff and I have worthwhile things to report. Thank you for your support and trust. The main way we do our job is simple: We listen to lots of people, read…
During his first term, Barack Obama invited historians to the White House so he could learn about Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and other American presidents. History teaches us valuable lessons and Obama looked for guidance from some of America’s greatest…
The grand ambition of the No Child Left Behind law was proudly contained in its name: Everyone deserves a chance to succeed. That meant teachers, principals, school administrators and taxpayers should give every child – rich, poor or in-between –…
I’ll save you some time in case you are looking for the most depressing number in this month's edition of Hawaii Business magazine. It appears in our story, "How much does it cost to start up a business?" That’s where we…
When I first came to Hawaii in 1980, I knew I had found paradise and never wanted to leave. However, so many of the people I talked with would say, “No, no, Hawaii used to be much better. Now, it’s…
The world can be divided into two kinds of people: those who like to shop and those who have to be forced into it by a personal crisis, like hungry children, a broken stove or shoes with soles worn through.…
One of the greatest gifts my parents gave me as a child was something I did not want. That bittersweet legacy is a big part of who I am, yet I am thankful that my children will not inherit it.…
Chinese visitors in their 20s and 30s. At least I assumed they were Chinese and, judging from their features, probably from the northwest provinces of China. But when we reached a security checkpoint, they pulled out their Mongolian passports. (Please,…
Starting each August, the editorial staff of Hawaii Business debates the pros and cons of each candidate for CEO of the Year. Though we call the honor CEO of the Year, we never take just one year into account. We chose both Eric…
What looks like can’t-miss, all-star potential often turns out a few years later to have been all potential and no actuality. But baseball scouts and managers have to keep looking because they need new players all the time to replace…
The airlines have trained me well: I pull out the safety card on every flight and follow along with the demonstration or video. I know that puts me in serious nerd territory, but I want to be prepared for that…
I work and live in the modern world but know that I need to spend more time in a different place. Please don’t misunderstand me. I love the connected universe and I thrive in it. I’m in the information business,…
When political leaders and multinational CEOs arrive for the APEC Conference in November, Hawaii will have its big chance to show half of the world that we are more than just a pretty face. It's our best shot at proving Hawaii is…
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…
I’m a little scared, and that’s a good thing. In fact, if you have any sense, you should be a little scared, too. I’ll let comedian Chris Rock describe part of why you should be scared and let Andrew Jackson…
If a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, Hawaii has already taken the third step on its most important modern journey. And the pace is about to pick up. The journey began on Nov. 2, when…
Students who clustered around the Hawaii Business table during February’s career fair at the UH Shidler College of Business were especially focused on one issue of the magazine. They were checking the list of companies named in our annual Best…
As editor of this magazine, my greatest obligation is to stimulate a discussion about big economic issues in Hawaii and how local businesses can succeed. I am honored to have that duty. The discussion begins with the magazine’s stories, with…
When financial services companies show a magazine or TV ad, they don’t entice you with a pile of money. Instead, they often show a retired couple walking along a beach, enjoying life in a tropical paradise after years of hard…
To the Office of the Governor State Capitol Honolulu, Hawaii Dear Gov. Abercrombie: I must admit that I had my vote reserved for someone else when we chatted in August at the Dole Ballrooms. You may not remember our brief…
If I promised you an extra hour of productive work time or leisure every day without cutting back on sleep and family time, would you take it? By the way, this productivity boost would also reduce your stress, save you…
It’s time for a reality check on affordable housing in Hawaii. We are fooling ourselves if we think that current policies and incentives will eventually create enough homes for the tens of thousands of working families who want places of…
Hawaii’s people have lost control of their economy, but this election campaign is a great opportunity to begin taking back control and restoring common sense to our future. If we succeed, we can preserve what is precious about Hawaii, because…
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…
People love to blame politicians for the problems our country faces. “They’re all crooks” and “Throw them out” are the most common solutions in casual political conversations between friends and neighbors. The problem is that, Republican or Democrat, all of…
That’s me, the luckiest journalist in the state. And not just because I got out of the newspaper business in January 2009, after 22 years with the Star-Bulletin and Advertiser. No, my luck is much more about what I came…
People tell me that I’m a lucky guy because I got out of the newspaper business a year ago. True, I have a lot more job security now than my friends at the Honolulu Advertiser and Honolulu Star-Bulletin, the two…
People who grew up on a Hawaii plantation often have fond memories of that time. Their families were poor and there was hardship, but the sense of community was so strong that people acted generously, cared for each other and…
One of the great benefits of being a journalist is that you get to meet lots of different people — and not in the way that a police officer gets to meet lots of different people. I listen and learn…
I can be a popular person at parties and it’s not because of my magnetic personality, witty repartee and obvious good looks. When strangers learn I work in the news media, they often get excited and say, “You should do…
The name of our magazine is Hawaii Business, but the reality has often been very different. At times, a more accurate title would have been Honolulu Business or, even, Downtown Honolulu Business. I am not blaming my predecessors; I have…
Power has a bad reputation. Your opponents and the people you disagree with have power — unjustified and unworthy power largely based on money, which buys mindless followers, crass politicians and evil henchmen. On the other hand, you and those…
An acquaintance asked me many years ago, “Which do you prefer, Sundays or Mondays?” At the time, the answer was obvious: Sunday’s activities were much better than Monday’s toil. And my interrogator’s preference for the workweek simply confirmed my impression…
I love hiking because of what I feel and see. Hikes challenge my body, but, more important, the scenery revives my spirit and invigorates my mind. The views from high places force my mind out of narrow corridors into grander…
My son and his friends are leaving home and I fear they will never truly come back. Nothing is set in stone, but of the thousands who fly off each summer to enroll at colleges on the Mainland, too many…
Welcome to our 2009 list of Hawaii’s Top 100 Realtors, based on sales volume for 2008. We hope you find it informative and useful. On this page we rank the top 25 sellers and on the following pages we list…
