Most companies deal with hard times by cutting costs, laying off workers and focusing on their core business. Richard Schuman, owner of Makani Kai Helicopters, took a different path. For more than a decade, Schuman says, his company enjoyed strong,…
So, you want to be a real estate tycoon? If there’s one thing we’ve learned from two years of stagnation in Hawaii’s real estate market, it’s that there’s more to investing than simply buying low and selling high. That’s speculation.…
When Mitch D’Olier left Honolulu’s Victoria Ward Co. to lead Kaneohe Ranch, the largest landowner in Kailua, on Windward Oahu, he thought he would see few tourists on the job. “When I was at Victoria Ward, about 30 percent of…
What a difference a billion dollars makes. Until recently, the state treasury – officially, the Treasury Management Branch of the Financial Administration Division of the Department of Budget and Finance – has operated in relative obscurity. With its staff of…
Mike Strembitsky launched an education revolution in the northern Alberta city of Edmonton in the 1960s and, today, many people consider it the best public school system in North America. It has inspired many districts across the United States to…
While other students around the state begin their day reciting the Pledge of Allegiance or listening to announcements in traditional classrooms with four walls, the 85 students at Halau Ku Mana charter school chant in Hawaiian under a tree-shaded tent…
Participants, in the order they begin speaking: Steve Petranik: Moderator and editor of Hawaii Business. Candy Suiso: Teacher at Waianae High School and program director of Searider Productions. Bruce Coppa: COO of Communications Pacific and chairman of the education committee for the Chamber…
Participants, in the order they begin speaking: Steve Petranik: Moderator and editor of Hawaii Business. Candy Suiso: Teacher at Waianae High School and program director of Searider Productions. Bruce Coppa: COO of Communications Pacific and chairman of the education committee for the Chamber…
When Rick Hadley became chairman and CEO of Hawaiian Springs in 2006, he didn’t want Hawaiian Springs to be just another water. He says his vision was to take the best water from the most beautiful place on Earth and…
If you think your assistant looks forward to flowers and chocolate on Administrative Professionals Day, April 21, you’re wrong. What he or she really wants is to attend a workshop — paid for by the company. It’s a smart investment…
Raymond Jefferson has already given a lot for his country and for his comrades. During Special Forces training in 1995, Capt. Raymond Jefferson lost all five left-hand fingers as he shielded teammates from a grenade that exploded prematurely. He spent…
Hawaii Island is now home to the first large-scale commercial maile farm in the state. Although maile is one of the most popular lei in Hawaii for special occasions, virtually all of what’s sold here is imported from the Cook…
President Tim Schools has been in the driver’s seat at American Savings Bank for just over two years. In that time, he says, the bank has bumped up its profile, increased profitability, and improved job performance and job enjoyment. And it made…
You can thank Bernie Madoff for one thing: His widely publicized crimes demonstrated how important it is to choose your financial adviser carefully. Picking the right person takes research, and lots of questions and legwork, but consider the potential payoffs…
The Web site Play@SavvyCircle helps local restaurants and other businesses attract new customers in a fresh way. What customers get: The site offers people exclusive deals and discounts from businesses, which have included Hy’s Steak House, Tango Contemporary Café, Heaven on Earth…
The East-West Center this year celebrates its 50th anniversary as a national institution that promotes better relations and communities in the Asia-Pacific region through research and education. “Our students have the ability to really make a difference in our globalized…
A learning center being built next to Kapolei High School has won an international architectural award for local firm Eight Inc. The Malama Learning Center is designed to bring together art, science, culture and conservation to promote sustainable living throughout…
Many organizations rank the tax climate in the 50 states, but one of the most respected rankings is by the Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan educational organization based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1937, its mission “is to educate taxpayers about…
When Yogurtland on University Avenue opened in June 2008, co-owner Charlin Johnston didn’t know what to expect. She contemplated waiting until the weekend but took a chance and opened on a Wednesday. In the first eight hours, 500 customers came through the…
Carbone united Hawaii’s hospitals with the University of Hawaii in the plan to build the cancer center next to the UH Medical School as part of a biotech park in Kakaako. He made it happen by inviting key players to…
Land-use planning, more than any other public policy, shapes the way you live. It’s responsible for your 60-to-90-minute commute from Kapolei or Hawaii Kai. It’s why you live in a three-bedroom, two-bath home with a two-car garage. It’s what influences…
Hawaii Business invited six influential business people and political leaders to talk about development and preservation. The moderator was Jerry Burris, editor-at-large of Hawaii Business. The panelists were: D.G. “Andy” Anderson, developer, former state senator W. Allen Doane, former chairman…
Last year, the Legislature authorized $842 million over six years to improve and expand the state’s harbors. Among Hawaii’s shipping companies and other harbor users, the feeling was, “It’s about time,” after what they saw as nearly 20 years of…
The buzz about “sustainability” and “buying local” has not only helped sales of Hawaii-grown papayas, bananas and other produce, but also spurred sales of locally raised and grass-fed beef. Kulana Foods, a slaughterhouse and processor in Hilo, processes only locally…