Sweet Paradise
Richmond “Rich” Chang always wanted to own a business. “I was a finance major at UH and, when I graduated in 2000, I didn’t know what sort of business I wanted, but I knew I wanted to buy one,” remembers…
Community & Economy
You're Paying More for Everything
Developer Peter Savio says everyone in Hawaii pays more for common items like food because of an unfair system of leasehold land rents. He says the current system does not account for decades of up-and-down land prices and economic conditions,…
Rapid Ohia Death - Threat to Hawaii's Water
The low-slung warehouse sits on the edge of a small industrial park just outside Waimea. Behind it are the humped, green foothills of Kohala, the oldest of the Big Island’s five volcanoes, and low, heavy clouds inch down the mountain…
The Need for Feed
The high cost of animal feed has long hindered the meat, poultry, dairy and seafood industries in the Islands, but local efforts on several fronts aim to reduce those expenses. Shipping feed from the Mainland costs about $150 to $200…
The Cost of Dying
There are many ways to memorialize the dead, but one constant is that a little forethought and communication - before you go - can save your family a lot of money and grief after you're gone. A few times a…
The Careerist: Should I Jump Into the Gig Economy?
Q: I’ve got a steady job making decent money, but it’s 40 hours/week in a cubicle. Some of my buddies are skipping the “office grind” for freelance work or are jumping on with Uber and Lyft. They’ve got flexibility and…
Wong's Drapery Shoppe
The drapery shop is on Beretania Street, across the street from where the original store opened in 1947. Mel Wong has been working for his family’s drapery business since he was in high school in 1969. “I was working at…
LocalKineBiz: Activewear
It’s like a sickness. It’s very addictive,” says Sandra Kamiyama, giggling as she describes her frequent shopping visits to Mahiku Activewear in Haleiwa. “Their clothes are so comfortable, it’s like they’re made just for my body shape! I can wear…
Breaking Up is Hard to Do (In Love & Business)
Charletta Wilson was 18 months into a lucrative consulting contract when she realized the firm that had hired her was engaged in unethical accounting practices. She didn’t like it, but wasn’t sure what to do. Could she really walk away…
