Choose your location
Pacific Business News
Queen's names next top leader
The Queen’s Health System has named Jason Chang as its next president and CEO, effective immediately, the system's board of trustees announced on Friday. Chang succeeds Jill Hoggard Green, who has served in this role since 2019. <\p> More details about Hoggard Green's departure were not immediately available.<\p>
Home purchases, debt consolidation loans, rising, says HawaiiUSA FCU
Greg Young, president and CEO of HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union discusses residential mortgage lending trends, interest rates and his advice to potential customers.<\p> We may see a small dip in mortgage interest rates by the end of the year, but expectations are that 10-year treasury rates are going to stay around the 4% level, as the two-10-year curve returns to a more historical shape, so large mortgage rate declines are not expected. <\p>
PBN Dialogue: Tracy Lawson on building a culture of safety
For Tracy Lawson, founder of Lawson & Associates, Inc., workplace safety is a system, and a habit of mind, not just a goal. <\p> In this episode of PBN Dialogue, Lawson talks about how she grew the business to now 16 people and plans to double it in the years ahead.<\p>
Oahu retail occupancy declined in Q2
Although Oahu's retail market started the year with a "robust" occupancy gain of 60,804 square feet in the first quarter, it reversed course in Q2, losing 32,556 square feet of occupancy, according to a new retail market report from Colliers International Hawaii.<\p> "Early optimism that retailers would stabilize was challenged by a saw-tooth pattern in vacancy rates, with alternating quarters of gains and losses in net absorption over the past six quarters," the report noted. "By the end of Q2 2024, Oahu's retail vacancy rate escalated to 6.09%, marking its highest level in the past two years."<\p>
Off the Clock: A deep dive with Servco's Peter Hirano
How do members of Hawaii's business community spend time outside of work? Pacific Business News looks to find out, asking business leaders about how they unwind away from the office.<\p> Scuba diving brings Peter Hirano, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Hawaii mobility at Servco Pacific Inc., and his sons — Tyler, 30, and Trevor, 16 — together. <\p>
Off the Clock: G70's Stephen Yuen, an architect and artist
How do members of Hawaii's business community spend time outside of work? Pacific Business News looks to find out, asking business leaders about how they unwind away from the office.<\p> PBN recently caught up with architect Steve Yuen, of counsel at G70, who has been with the interdisciplinary design firm for more than three decades.<\p>
Off the Clock: HILT CEO ‘Olu Campbell enjoys music and outdoors
How do members of Hawaii's business community spend time outside of work? Pacific Business News looks to find out, asking business leaders about how they unwind away from the office.<\p> When he was a boy, ‘Olu Campbell, president and CEO of Hawaii Land Trust since 2023, had the opportunity to spend a "good amount of time" at a Native Hawaiian fishpond, an opportunity he says changed his life.<\p>
Housing inventory to grow in 2024, broker says
Stephen Cipres, co-founder and partner of Corcoran Pacific Properties, shared with Pacific Business News solutions for Hawaii's affordable housing crisis, as well as how the firm is adapting to changes to the market.<\p> Yes, we have made several adjustments to how we do business in response to the current market conditions. We have placed a greater emphasis on digital marketing and virtual tours to reach a wider audience. Our agents are utilizing advanced data analytics to better understand market trends and provide clients with up-to-date information. We have also increased our focus on customer service and communication, ensuring that clients are well-informed and confident throughout the buying or selling process. Additionally, we are continuously enhancing our training programs to equip our agents with the skills needed to succeed in a dynamic market. <\p>
Two named to UH Foundation Board of Trustees
Business leaders John Couch and C. Scott Wo have joined the University of Hawaii Foundation Board of Trustees, it was announced Wednesday. Their three-year terms began July 1.<\p> According to a July 10 announcement from the UH Foundation, Couch is the former chair, president and CEO of Alexander & Baldwin and former president of Matson Navigation Co. He retired from A&B, now the only publicly traded real estate investment trust focused exclusively on Hawaii commercial real estate, in late 1999, and in 2000 joined C.M. Capital Corp. in Palo Alto, California, the announcement noted. He served as its president and CEO and currently is the organization's vice chair.<\p>
Pupu Platter 397: Labor shortage impacts on energy, warehousing
Labor shortage observations<\p> This past week has been very social for the PBN newsroom. Reporter Elizabeth ‘Ufi held a roundtable with leaders in the energy industry and I held a virtual run-through with the panelists for our Hawaii Island panel, which is scheduled for the day this very issue lands in your mailbox.<\p>
The Hardy Group makes 10 years in Hawaii
Brent Hardy grew up in the corporate world, following in the footsteps of his father, John Hardy, who founded hospitality and real estate investment and development firm The Hardy Group, formerly The John Hardy Group, in Atlanta in 1992.<\p> “I was stuffing marketing envelopes as a 12-year-old when my dad started the business,” Brent Hardy, president of The Hardy Group, said in an interview with Pacific Business News.<\p>
New boutique opens on Kauai
Sky Boutique, which offers a selection of island-inspired women’s clothing, shoes, jewelry and accessories for everyday wear and special events, opened in The Shops at Kukuiula on June 1.<\p> According to an July 3 announcement from Alexander & Baldwin — the only publicly traded real estate investment trust focused exclusively on Hawaii commercial real estate and owner of the Poipu shopping center — Sky Boutique owners Andrew and Tanya Johnson often visited Kauai when Andrew was stationed on Oahu. <\p>
The National Observer: Investors taking a big interest in strip malls
Welcome to The National Observer, a roundup of top business news and actionable insights from across The Business Journals network of publications. Today, we're looking at the closure of a century-old college, a sustained surge in new business formation, and where Kroger is looking to sell stores in order to win antitrust regulators’ approval for a $24.6 billion acquisition. But first, let's see how the accelerating spread of data centers is prompting resistance in some regions.<\p> Get more stories like these every day in your inbox by subscribing to The National Observer newsletter. <\p>
Venture capital fund aims to help Hawaii’s startup ecosystem grow
A venture capital fund, the Startup Capital Ventures x SBI Fund, closed on its final funding round last fall and is now seeking innovative startups — including those based in Hawaii — to add to its investment portfolio.<\p> Startup Capital Ventures x SBI Fund is an early-stage venture capital fund that aims to “help innovative founders grow their companies by providing funding, guidance and being thoughtful, kind and engaging partners,” as the mission statement on its website states.<\p>
Sunny’s Local Grind caters to Waikiki
Sunny’s Local Grind, a coffee shop and restaurant located on Ena Road in Waikiki, is a collaboration of three long-time friends and business partners Niki Doyle, Laura Tyacke and Adam Clarke.<\p> “We all have different strengths to add to the business’s success,” the partners wrote in a joint email to Pacific Business News. “Our goal is to treat each other and our employees as ohana, giving respect and appreciation for their contribution to our success.”<\p>
First Hawaiian Bank donates one of its properties Maui County
After closing its only Lanai branch on June 28, First Hawaiian Bank said it is donating the building and land to Maui County, the bank announced in a statement on Monday.<\p> First Hawaiian Bank told Pacific Business News in an email that the assessed value of the more than 24,000-square-foot property located at 644 Lanai Av. is about $1.2 million.<\p>
Pre-leasing underway for Downtown Honolulu conversion
Pre-leasing is underway for Via Modea, retail space within Avalon Group's mixed-use redevelopment of the Davies Pacific Center in Downtown Honolulu that has been dubbed Modea.<\p> CBRE First Vice President Jo McGarry Curran and Associate Kelly Graf are handling the leasing.<\p>
Local artist launches creative agency
Formerly a popular mural and street art festival, Pow! Wow! is now a multi-faceted creative agency.<\p> Founded by Hawaii artist Kamea Hadar — formerly one of the festival’s co-directors — the Pow! Wow! Worldwide agency specializes in connecting brands with artists, art curation and consultation, and graphic design, among other services. <\p>
Local credit union COO to retire
After 12 years at Hawaii State Federal Credit Union, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Craig Warren will retire at the end of 2024, he shared in an exclusive interview with Pacific Business News.<\p> Warren assumed his role at Hawaii State FCU in 2012, coming in with years of experience in the financial service industry on the Mainland and in Hawaii since 1985. His prior local experience was serving as director of strategic planning at Central Pacific Bank and senior vice president and division manager at Bank of Hawaii.<\p>
Amazon has 500 job openings for new facility
Amazon has job openings for up to 500 positions at its new Sand Island delivery station, which is slated to open on Aug. 6, representatives of the company told Pacific Business News. <\p> The first batch of job postings for hourly positions went live on the Amazon Jobs website on July 5. Additional openings will continue to go up in the coming weeks on Fridays, according to Amazon representatives. Those interested can subscribe to text or email alerts on the Amazon Jobs website to get notified when the next set of jobs is posted.<\p>
Pacific Business News
4K+
Posts
638K+
Views
Hawaii's source for local business news, breaking news alerts, newsletters, business intelligence and local business networking. An American City Business Journals publication.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.