Young Brothers Hopes to Reach Ride Shipping Resolution Before Maui Fair

Maui Fair, file photo by Wendy Osher.

Young Brothers, Hawaiʻi’s foremost interisland freight handling and transportation company responded to reports today that E.K. Fernandez plans to cancel the 2nd Annual Maui County Carnival in April.

While E.K. Fernandez cited increased shipping costs, Young Brothers executives disputed the accuracy of rates and say they hope to have a discussion with interested parties in order to reach a resolution before the 95th Maui Fair in October and other County fairs scheduled statewide that utilize E.K. Fernandez services.

Roy Catalani, Vice President of Young Brothers provided Maui Now with a statement saying, “Young Brothers is deeply committed to the communities and the neighbor islands we serve. We share E.K. Fernandez’s concern for the rising costs that we all experience and are committed to seeing the county fair tradition continue.”

To deliver on this commitment, Catalani said Young Brothers offers E.K. Fernandez a special voyage to take all of their equipment on a single trip. “As a charter for a single customer, this also affords E.K. Fernandez a discount of more than one-third over our tariff rates. E.K. Fernandez’s total shipping cost to the Maui Carnival would have been a 9% increase over last year — the first year that Young Brothers has delivered cargo for this particular event.”

Catalani explained, “A little over half of this increase, about 5%, is attributable to State wharfage charges (which is used for State harbor improvements). The other 4% of this fee covers inflation and the cost for Young Brothers to do business, including increases in fuel, unscheduled labor and voyage costs.”

Catalani said that an advance quote for this special voyage was provided to E.K. Fernandez, however, he said, “we did not hear back from them until three days before the scheduled barge departure. This timing allows us no opportunity to work with E.K. Fernandez on this matter, such as collaborating with the State Department of Transportation, the County Fair Board and E.K. Fernandez to explore whether it would be possible to reduce State wharfage charges for the benefit of County fairs.”

“We offer, and hope, to have a discussion with these interested parties in order to reach a resolution before the Maui County Fair in October and other County fairs scheduled statewide,” Catalani said.