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…
David Akina spent $50,000 over two years and sweated through evening and weekend classes for a master’s degree in business administration. He’s never been sorry, not for a single moment. That degree launched his company, Paradise Pages, into the stratosphere,…
If you’ve ever been called “big boned” — and have had a chip on your shoulder ever since — listen up. Lee-Ann Watanabe, a former couch potato turned triathlete, and Nicky Perry, a personal trainer who just competed in her…
6 leaders discuss power & how to fix Hawaii Who & why Hawaii Business invited six influential people in Hawaii to talk about power in the Islands and how to create positive change. The moderator was Jerry Burris, editor-at-large of…
The idea: Invite 13- and 14-year-olds to a week of creating business plans, conducting market research and making “pitches.” Tantalize them with the stories of how a half-dozen Hawaii CEOs created successful businesses and teach them how to work as…
What he’s doing now to ensure Hawaii’s future Sen. Daniel Ken Inouye has long been Hawaii’s most powerful and influential individual, a man who has brought billions of dollars into his home state and forged or supported industries in astronomy,…
Five government resources that can jumpstart your small business Island Princess, a local candy company, had been growing since it began in 1983 but struggled to stay alive when the economy nosedived after 9/11. “Sales were way down and we…
Marriott Resorts Hawaii is launching its Spirit of Aloha Tour in Japan this month to attract more Japanese to the islands and its six resort hotels. A weak global economy and fear of the H1N1 flu have cut the number…
Chock has a heavy heart thinking about the 3,000 members of the union who are unemployed. “Flat is the new growth,” he laments. While several big projects will create more jobs, it won’t be enough to sustain the third largest…
Should Hawaii’s tourism czars focus on attracting more visitors or take a holistic view of tourism’s impact? During good times, there is virtually nothing easier to sell than Hawaii. If people have money and an itch to travel, all you…
I love hiking because of what I feel and see. Hikes challenge my body, but, more important, the scenery revives my spirit and invigorates my mind. The views from high places force my mind out of narrow corridors into grander…
> Send letters to feedback@hawaiibusiness.com Great Green Comparisons Thanks for the article “Is It Really Green?” (June 2009). You did some great comparisons and didn’t try to simplify the issues like so many “easy to be green” articles do. FYI,…
Where we see black asphalt streets, Elisabeth “Betsy” Wilson envisions green roads. As president of family-owned Alakona Asphalt Paving Specialists, Wilson hopes the state and counties will share her vision of increasing the amount of recycled asphalt in our roads…
3 reasons why these Top 250 companies beat the odds No. 1 Reason for Big Gains: Strategic Growth Many Top 250 companies are Hawaii institutions that have defined local business culture for decades and employ the most experienced and talented…
High unemployment causes spike The smiling folks who work the counter at Don Dymond’s stores in Kailua tend to stay around a while. Dymond, who runs Kalapawai Market, Kalapawai Café and several other small businesses, rarely lays people off and…
My son and his friends are leaving home and I fear they will never truly come back. Nothing is set in stone, but of the thousands who fly off each summer to enroll at colleges on the Mainland, too many…
Send letters to feedback@hawaiibusiness.com Flaws in how Top 100 Realtors were picked Let me preface by stating there is probably no perfect system for judging who the Top 100 Realtors (June 2009) are in Hawaii. I do feel, however, that…
It’s a workday morning late in the week and attorney Ellen Carson is at her home computer, in her pajamas, working on affidavits. She’s been at it for three hours — since 6 a.m. — but by 9 she’s able…