Business Roundup: October 2012

From Left: Mary Hew, Kaiser Permanente, Neighbor Island Clinics Director; Dr. Susana Mendoza, Nephrologist, Kaiser Permanente; Kathleen and Warren Suzuki (Kurt Suzuki’s parents). Photo courtesy of Hawaii News Now.

By Sonia Isotov

Once a month, this column is published and contains tidbits of business news over the course of a month. If you would like your information included, please email sonia@mauinow.com.

Pono Express, a Kauai-based private shuttle and tour service focusing on cruise passengers and making short stops enroute, opened an office in Kihei.

Karl E. Waite, MD, a board-certified ophthalmologist and vitreo-retinal surgeon, is now available full-time to Maui patients at the Hawaii Cataract and Laser Institute in Kahului. He specializes in diabetic retinopathy and retinal detachments.

Dr. Karl Waite joins the staff at the Retina Institute of Hawaii in Kahului. Photo courtesy of RIH.

Kaiser Permanente on Maui received a $5,000 donation from the Kurt Suzuki Family Foundation in support of helping those with kidney cancer and raising awareness about the disease. Kurt Suzuki is a major league baseball catcher for the Washington Nationals and his father received successful treatment for kidney cancer there.

Keiki-Pua Dancil resigned as head of Bio-Logical Capital’s Hawaii operations. Bio-Logic Capital LLC acquired Hana Ranch earlier this year and partnered with Pattern Energy to develop Big Wind, a 200-megawatt wind farm on Molokai.

Shannan Pyland was honored as the 2012 Maui Red Cross Volunteer of the Year at the Red Cross Heroes Breakfast on Oct. 13.

Kurt Hoffman left the post of chief operating officer of Hawaiian Telcom Holdco Inc.

Island Air appointed Les Murashige as president and Lesley Kaneshiro as chief financial officer. Les has previously served as an executive with Island Air and Aloha Airlines.

Les Murashige returns to Island Air as president. Photo courtesy of Island AIr.

Prudential Iwado Realty, one of the largest commercial and residential real estate firm on Maui, was recently acquired by Keoni Fursse and Robert Vafaie.

The Hawaii Group, a human resources and finance firm based in Honolulu, has named Bernie Delos Santos to the position of director of operations and human resources for its Lahaina office.

If your business had an opening, closing, promotion, retirement, anniversary, employee of the year, new product release, special event, blessing, new location, award, or donation, we’d love to hear about it. Email sonia@mauinow.com.