When Iniki hit, many property owners were uninsured, under-insured or covered by a company that couldn’t handle all its claims When a massive storm like Hurricane Sandy strikes, the effects on the insurance industry are felt around the world, including…
Hawaii’s economy is hard to predict. Hawaii Business compared a decade of annual economic forecasts against the actual numbers and found most forecasts correctly predict whether key indicators will rise or fall. But the forecasts rarely get the actual numbers…
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…
The return on investment is good but turns up in unexpected places This legislative session, as lawmakers debate a bill that would make preschool universal among Hawaii children, you may hear some outrageous claims from the advocates of early childhood…
Robert Howe has been playing the markets since he was in high school. In 1973, he inherited $5,000 from his aunt and his father suggested he buy stock with the windfall. Howe chose a young consumer-products company called Radio Shack.…
It’s simple, really: Everyone in Hawaii needs to give a hearty round of applause to tourism for lifting us out of the recession. Thank you for an estimated $13.9 billion in visitor spending during 2012 (that’s a record) from 7.8…
13 Insights from the BOSS survey of 401 local business leaders Seven of the 13 are good news, one not so good and two are just plain odd. You decide about the other three. 1. Overall Economy Maintains Momentum The…
Rob Pacheco walks up to what looks like an immense empty bathtub amid a desolate volcanic landscape dotted by ohia lehua and pukeawe trees. “This is my favorite place,” he says, pointing to the ancient Kaupulehu Crater, which descends hundreds…
Hawaiʻi's corporate foundations bring some stability to local giving. But foundations aren’t the only way for big corporations to give. And many companies supplement their cash giving with donations of time, resources and services.
Hawaii shoppers and businesses have long taken advantage of “tax-free” purchases from online retailers such as Amazon and eBay, but many legislators are trying to put an end to that free ride. As cash-strapped governments hunt for more revenue, and…
Much more than just HI-5, the economics of recycling is about fluctuating market prices for metal, glass and paper, and about jobs, electricity, carbon footprints and the cost of landfills Hawaii got a basic lesson in the economics of recycling…
And How Their Pay Is Determined There is always a collective gasp and some outrage when the pay of top executives is publicized. In these economically challenging times, many people are angry that the CEOs of big corporations are paid so…
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…
It’s a hot Thursday and state Rep. Chris Lee is sitting in traffic trying to get out of Lanikai, his home neighborhood in Kailua. It’s 2:30 p.m., and Kailua and Lanikai beaches are still full of people, but cars trying…
Drop by Hanalei’s Tahiti Nui on what should be a slow weeknight and you will quickly understand what movie-making means to the local economy. The family-owned restaurant and bar, affectionately called “Da Nui” by locals, was packed and buzzing with…
6:37 pm, Thursday Polynesian Cultural Center, Laie Photographer: David Croxford >> Wardrobe worker Aliecha Wilkenson assigns costumes before the show to the actresses of Ha: Breath of Life. More than 120 costumes are used in the performance. A…
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,…
Mike McCartney President & CEO, Hawaii Tourism Authority McCartney, who served on the APEC 2011 Hawaii Host Committee, discusses the after-effects of APEC and HTA’s plans for 2012. How will APEC affect Hawaii’s visitor industry now and into the future?…
There are two ways to reach Molokai’s isolated settlement of Kalaupapa. You can ride a mule or walk along the 3.2-mile trail that descends the 1,700-foot cliff along 26 switchbacks, or you can fly. Those are the only ways to…
The expansive Hawaii Convention Centerhasn’t always lived up to its original billing as a regular gathering spot between East and West. It is rarely fully used and has often sat empty since it opened in 1998, squeezed onto the former lot…
When up to 20,000 guests attend the APEC 2011 Leaders’ Week in November, the local blue-ribbon committee promoting business investment here won’t be touting Hawaii’s old standbys. …
Wage gap holds steady after shrinking for decades Almost no change since 2001 Hawaii Wage Gap 2009 Median wages in Hawaii for adult, full-time, year-round workers: Success in College Women are 1.5 times more likely than men to graduate from college or…
After more than two miserable years, many in Hawaii's construction industry think the near future will be brighter because of the Honolulu rail line, planned hotel redevelopments and other projects. "It's cautious optimism," says John White, executive director of the…
In some ways, construction and Waikiki go hand-in-hand. After all, the pleasure palaces along the beach have provided many of the largest recent private construction projects in the state. By some counts, more than $2 billion has been spent over…