Maui Business

Ritual Integrative Wellness, a new small business merchant at the Maui Mall Village, is inviting the community to enjoy free classes during its grand opening on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The wellness studio is offering free 30-minute yoga and Pilates Reformer classes to those who sign up online in advance.

This project is based on Kauaʻi, where the Maui-based Pacific Biodiesel last year began supplying its biodiesel to KIUC as a source of renewable energy supporting the Kauaʻi utility’s accelerated pathway to 100% renewable electricity production by 2033, more than a decade earlier than the State of Hawaiʻi’s mandated timeline of 2045.

The event will feature a keynote address from Hawaiian Airlines President and Chief Executive Officer Peter Ingram and Alaska Airlines President and Chief Executive Officer Ben Minicucci. They will discuss the merger, timeline, benefits/services and more.

The Hawai’i Employers Council has announced the selection of Harrilynn Kameenui, General Counsel of Pūlama Lānaʻi, to serve another three-year term on its board.

Maui-based consulting firm Skog Rasmussen LLC has announced the addition of Kimberly Thayer as its newest partner.

The Maui ERC was formed in response to the wildfires that devastated Lahaina and Kula and is led by co-chairs James Kunane Tokioka, DBEDT Director, and Luana Mahi, OED Director.

The Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau announced the promotion of Sue Kanoho to Managing Director of its Island Chapters, which includes the Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau, O‘ahu Visitors Bureau, Maui Visitors and Convention Bureau and Island of Hawai‘i Visitors Bureau.

The volunteers worked at Paeloko Learning Center, a Native Hawaiian education center in Waihe’e that provides hands-on learning opportunities through educational field trips, cultural workshops, and environmental restoration projects.

American Savings Bank announced the retirement of Gabe Lee, who served as Executive Vice President of Commercial Banking for over 25 years and successfully created ASB’s Commercial Banking division. Tony Mizuno, who joined ASB in 2020 and has more than 30 years of banking experience, was promoted to lead ASB’s Commercial Banking team.

Aloha Harvest today announced it has received a $20,810 donation from First Hawaiian Bank, as part of the bank’s annual Kōkua Mai employee giving campaign. The funds will provide a boost for Aloha Harvest, reinforcing its capacity to sustain and enhance general operations, ultimately amplifying the positive impact on food rescue and addressing local food insecurity challenges.

CocoNene, the local brand known for its made in Hawaiʻi products, has expanded its presence at International Market Place on Oʻahu.  The Waikīkī expansion is part of rebuilding and recovery efforts after the Lahaina flagship store was lost in the West Maui fire in August of 2023. It also comes a month after the grand opening of their new store in Māʻalaea, Maui at the Maui Harbor Shops.

The Hawaiʻi Bankers Association welcomes Linda Ezuka as Executive Director. She fills the vacancy left by Neal Okabayashi, who is retiring after serving as HBA’s Executive Director since June 2017.

In Kahului, the average price of $4.76 is five cents lower than last week, the same as last month and 30 cents lower than a year ago.

The Round Table Pizza franchise announced a $100,000 donation to Maui United Way to aid its ongoing recovery efforts in the wake of the catastrophic fires that swept through the island in August. The donation is the collective effort of Round Table Pizza and its franchisees, in addition to parent company FAT Brands’ charitable organization.

Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc. announced the appointment of two new Independent Directors to its Board, effective Jan. 1, 2024: Catherine Ngo, a seasoned leader at the intersection of finance, technology, and law; and Maui native Ken Ota, a successful local entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in the construction industry and water infrastructure. 

Central Pacific Financial Corp., the parent company of Central Pacific Bank, has appointed Robert Nobriga, effective Jan. 1, as a member of its board of directors for both companies.

Resort chick retailer, Lilly Pulitzer is now open at The Shops at Wailea. A Hawaiian blessing ceremony took place on Dec. 8 with team members and guests. 

The Hawai‘i Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Division of Financial Institutions has earned reaccreditation status for bank and mortgage supervision from the Conference of State Bank Supervisors.

Hana Hou Hospitality announced its Māla Ocean Tavern is set to reopen in February of 2024. The restaurant is one of five West Maui establishments run by the group, two of which were destroyed by the Aug. 8, 2023 wildfire in Lahaina.

Celebrated chef and TV personality Guy Fieri teamed up with the Hawaiʻi Restaurant Association, American Savings Bank and Fiserv, Inc., to distribute $600 prepaid debit cards to Lahaina restaurant workers who lost their job when their workplace was destroyed in the tragic wildfires on Aug. 8.