The Transformation of Hawai‘i
An oral history tells the behind-the-scenes stories of broken color barriers, big land and financing deals, and other colorful incidents that helped create modern Hawai‘i
Steve Petranik
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.
Articles
What’s Ahead for Local Small Businesses
Hawai‘i’s two Congressmen and the state House Speaker describe what’s ahead for local small businesses.
Sanitary Best Practices Before Your Employees Return to the Office
Many local businesses have been working remotely but are considering a return to the office when the pandemic is finally over. I interviewed Scott Paul, CEO of Kleenco Group, about what to do before taking that step.
Central Pacific Bank says Rebranding Reflects “Digital-First Mindset”
Central Pacific Bank, which unveiled a $40 million renovation of its downtown Honolulu headquarters on Jan. 26, has also launched a rebranding campaign.
Editor’s Note: Why We Write
There were many days in 2020 when even I was reluctant to read the news. The pandemic, human tragedy, political battles, conspiracy theories and plenty more made it hard to take another daily dose.
2 Local Surveys About 3 Topics
Surveys of business leaders and the general public ask about your future actions, diversity at your workplace and who uses which social medium.
2 Local Surveys Ask About Today and Tomorrow
You already know the big picture.These two surveys fill in some of the details about what happened to businesses and people during the first eight months of the pandemic, and what the new normal looks like to them.
Editor’s Note: My Cynicism Has Been Silenced
What was your reaction when you heard another report had been released on how to create a better future for Hawai‘i and its people? Was it the same as my initial reaction: a sigh and an eye roll? But as…
8 Essential Leadership Skills for Today’s World
Local leaders focus on what’s needed to lead in this period of crisis and rapid change This is an edited and condensed transcript of the opening session of this year’s Hawaii Business Magazine Leadership Conference, held July 28-30. The participants…
Editor’s Note: Brain Gains
Small step could pay big dividends The pandemic has put a hold on a perennial Hawai‘i debate: Do we need more tourists to drive job creation, tax revenue and the overall economy or do we have too many tourists who…
Challenges Facing Nonprofits: H.T. Hayashi Foundation
Interview with Jan Harada, Executive Director, H.T. Hayashi Foundation How has your organization been able to continue its core mission? Our mission is to build a healthier Hawai‘i by investing in Hawai‘i-based organizations that are rooted in arts and culture,…
Pandemic Changes Hawai‘i’s Energy Consumption: Who, When and How Much
The pandemic and resulting recession has transformed the way Hawai‘i uses energy: who consumes it, when and how much, says Scott Glenn, the state’s chief energy officer.
16 More Awards for Hawaii Business Magazine
The Hawaii Business team is small but mighty. We won 16 statewide awards last week from the Hawai‘i chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, including 10 first-place and five second-place awards for work published in 2019. Our total awards…
Our Schools Need Your Help Now
If you want to support public education in Hawai‘i, the time is now, during this education crisis caused by the pandemic.
Interview: Kelly J. Ueoka, President, Pacxa
Please describe how and when you are conducting your return to your offices and other physical locations. Fortunately, at Pacxa, we have been able to conduct virtually all of our business remotely since mid-March. Our team is well-versed in providing…
Interview: Ron Prescott, President, TM Construction Hawaii
Please describe how and when you are conducting your return to your offices and other physical locations. Construction was declared an essential industry during COVID-19. All staff, both field and office, reported to work as usual. Of course, we complied…
Interview: Brian Yano, GM and Group Property Manager, Maui, JLL
Please describe how and when you are conducting your return to your offices and other physical locations. Many of our JLL-managed Maui retail centers, like Maui Mall and the Outlets of Maui, have tenants that offer essential services, and as…
Interview: John Henry Felix, Executive Chairman, HMAA
Please describe how and when you are conducting your return to your offices or other physical locations. As a local health insurer, HMAA continued operations without disruption throughout the safer-at-home orders, and our office remained open to service our clients,…
Interview: Isar Mostafanezhad, Founder and CEO, Nalu Scientific
Please describe how and when you are conducting your return to your offices and other physical locations. The employees that need to go into the office for hands-on work will do so a few times a week. And we have…
Interview: Kevin Nishimura, VP of Operations, Hawai‘i Gas
Please describe how and when you are conducting your return to your offices and other physical locations. We reopened our customer service offices statewide on June 29 with limited hours Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Our…
Interview: Luke Estes, President and COO, Pono Pacific Land Management LLC
Please describe how and when you are conducting your return to your offices and other physical locations. We were lucky enough to be considered essential, so we have been working throughout this period of uncertainty. Our field crews and office…
Challenges Facing Nonprofits: Kinai ‘Eha
Interview with Josiah Akau, Chairman of the Board Of Directors, Kinai ‘Eha How has your organization been able to continue its core mission(s)? Kinai ‘Eha in Hawaiian means “To Extinguish Pain.” Our work focuses on extinguishing the pain of our…
Challenges Facing Nonprofits: Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke
Interview with Lipoa Kahaleuahi, Executive Director, Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke How has your organization been able to continue its core mission(s)? Our core mission – to provide youth with a way to learn that makes sense to them, that builds…
Assets School Plans to Reopen in August
Head of School Ryan Masa describes the changes that will make it safe for students to learn Assets School, a private school with two O‘ahu campuses, hopes to resume in-person learning in mid-August. The school focuses on students with ADD,…
Tech Entrepreneur Says Shift to Remote Work Offers Opportunity for Hawai‘i
Richard Matsui has moved back home and thinks others will do the same Richard Matsui, the founder and CEO of kWh Analytics, has moved back to Hawai‘i and thinks many others in the tech world will consider doing the same…
Interview with Martin J. Welch, CEO, HEMIC
Please describe how and when you are conducting your return to your offices or other physical locations. We initiated a three-phase return to our corporate offices, beginning in early May. We put extensive consideration into the strategy and logistics of…
Residential Real Estate Largely Unscathed by COVID, Expert Says
The pandemic so far has not had a major impact nationally on the residential real estate market but there are interesting trends worth watching, says real estate expert Stefan Swanepoel.
Real Estate Reboot
How the market for Hawaiʻi homes has been transformed by the pandemic, tech, customer preferences and other changes.
Challenges Facing Nonprofits: Special Olympics Hawaii
Interview with Dan Epstein, President and CEO, Special Olympics Hawaii How has your organization been able to continue its core mission(s)? When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we made the necessary decision to cancel all of our in-person sports training and…
Challenges Facing Nonprofits: Blood Bank of Hawaii
Interview with Kim-Anh T. Nguyen, MD, Ph.D., President and CEO, Blood Bank of Hawaii How has your organization been able to continue its core mission? Blood Bank of Hawaii’s core mission is to provide a safe and adequate blood supply…
Teaching Today Requires Transformation and Innovation
Interview with Robert Landau, Founder and Strategist, Two Roads Education Landau is an education consultant and leader and the former executive director of the Hawai‘i Association for Independent Schools. What do you envision for education in the future? This is…
Interview: Hidehito Uki, CEO and Founder, Sun Noodle
Please describe how and when you are conducting your return to your offices, factories and other physical locations. As a food manufacturer and an essential business, Sun Noodle factories have remained open throughout the pandemic. Our Honolulu facility is following…
Editor’s Note: The Best for the 3rd Year
On June 25, 2020, Hawaii Business Magazine received nine national awards, including being named the country’s best regional business magazine for the third year in a row.
Interview: Andrew Rosen, President and CEO, Hawaii State Federal Credit Union
Please describe how and when you are conducting your return to your offices, branches or other physical locations. As of June 1, we reopened all of our branches and returned to our normal operating hours. As an essential business, six…
Interview: Troy Benevides, Business Manager and Financial Secretary, IBEW Local 1357
These are tough times for working people. Please us how your members have been affected? Our members are fortunate because they continue to work full-time hours. Being telecommunication workers, our members are essential workers and they are proud to keep…
Challenges Facing Nonprofits: YMCA of Honolulu
Interview: Michael Broderick, President & CEO, YMCA of Honolulu Please describe how and when you are conducting your return to your offices, stores, restaurants, warehouses or other physical locations. It has been almost three months since we shut the doors…
Challenges Facing Nonprofits: Honolulu Museum of Art
Interview: Halona Norton-Westbrook, Director, Honolulu Museum of Art (HoMA) Please describe how and when you are conducting your return to your museum and other physical locations. We’re excited to welcome the entire community back to the Honolulu Museum of Art…
Challenges Facing Nonprofits: Pono Pacific and Kupu
Interview with John Leong, CEO, Pono Pacific and Kupu How and when you are conducting your return to your offices or other physical locations. Ho‘okupu Center is starting to have its youth programs so we arranged the space so everyone…
Survey Reveals Virus’s Impact on Hawai‘i’s People
Almost half of Hawai‘i households have lost income during the COVID-19 pandemic and about 1 in 4 have fallen behind on some of their bills. Those are among the dire findings from a survey released Thursday by the Bank of…
