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…
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…
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…
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…
The new track at Lahainaluna High School on Maui, along with the field and turf, have been made possible because of millions of dollars worth of in-kind and cash donations by Maui businesses and residents. Additional changes are coming in…
Local businesses have responded quickly and generously to help the victims of Japan's tsunami disaster. In fact, every one of the dozens of companies contacted by Hawaii Business says it has either launched its own fundraising effort or contributed to…
The critics' story is familiar: Giant stores move into an American community and destroy its small businesses, local values and sense of place. The same story is being told now in Hawaii, as shoppers abandon longtime neighborhood businesses to buy…
The Japanese love all things Hawaiian – from hula to music to fashion – which makes Japan an attractive market for Hawaii companies. But Japan is a complex business environment. “That means a company must be serious about wanting to…
It seems like a contradiction: The traditional hotel business in Hawaii is shrinking even while the hospitality industry recovers from the recession, more visitors arrive and they pay more per room than last year. The relative decline of stand-alone hotels…
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…