Maui Business

The state of Hawai‘i Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Cable Television Division has approved Hawaiian Telcom’s cable franchise applications for the respective counties of Maui, Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i.

Members of the Maui County Urban Design Review Board will review plans for construction of Asako Plaza, a new 18,744-square-foot, three-story building at Kehalani Village Center in Wailuku.

The Kukui Mall parking lot was overflowing recently, spilling onto busy traffic on South Kīhei Road on a sultry summer night. A closer look revealed the reason: patrons crowding into Cool Cat Cafe, relocated last month to South Maui after wildfire destroyed its longtime Wharf Cinema Center location, across from the famed Banyan Tree in historic Lahaina town.

Hawaiʻi Gas filed an application with the Hawaiʻi Public Utilities Commission on Friday requesting adjustments to utility gas rates on all islands. The rate increase would provide for increased reliability and energy resiliency and cover operational and maintenance costs that have gone up significantly over the past seven years.

The Maui Hotel & Lodging Association has distributed a total of $1,559,449 to 59 nonprofit beneficiaries of the Maui County Charity Walk.  

While Maui County hotel performance remains affected by the aftermath of the August wildfires, the county still led the state in revenue per available room in June due to comparatively higher average daily rate, reports the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority.

Hawaiʻi Gas, the state’s only regulated gas utility, will mark its 120th anniversary on Aug. 1, 2024, commemorating 12 decades of dedicated service to the people and businesses of Hawai‘i. 

American Savings Bank (ASB) has announced the return of the Bank for Education KeikiCo Contest. The business plan competition is designed to inspire entrepreneurial spirit and enhance financial literacy among Hawaii’s young leaders.

As travelers look ahead to the upcoming fall season, Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea has launched a new way to experience the island through a variety of seasonal “Getaway” experiences.

With the largest supply of vacation rentals in the state, Maui County’s unit demand and occupancy rates are down in double-digits since last year and 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, according to a report for June by the Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism.

Maui United Way has partnered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services to bring free grant workshops to Maui. The series kicks off with a virtual “Grant Basics” workshop on Wednesday, July 24 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Workshops continue through Aug. 22, 2024.

The non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for Maui Island was 4.5% in June 2024, compared to 3.6% the previous month, and 3.0% at the same time in 2023. The data was included in a new report released from the Hawaiʻi Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. 

Hawaiian Electric has released an updated version of its Electrification of Transportation (EoT) Strategic Roadmap that includes specific actions the company plans to undertake through 2030 to support the rapidly expanding electric vehicle market. 

Koholā Brewery is set for a grand opening July 21 as a taproom and restaurant at the Wailea Village shopping center. This marks the second comeback for the independent craft beer brewery founded in Lahaina in 2014.

Maui Economic Opportunity Chief Administrative Officer Maggie Batangan has earned a certified professional credential from the Society for Human Resource Management, joining the ranks of a worldwide organization dedicated to creating better workplaces.

With the one-year anniversary of the Lahaina and Upcountry wildfires drawing near, business owners are pausing to reflect on their resilience and ability to withstand adversity, including losses of life, property and livelihood.

After 30 years of work as an executive in financial services, Hawaiʻi State Federal Credit Union’s Craig Warren will retire at the end of the year as executive vice president and chief operating officer, the credit union announced.

The Hawai‘i Community Development Authority members unanimously voted Sterling Higa as chair. Higa has been serving on the board since 2022.

Hawaiian Telcom has a new training center in Hālawa and freshly branded vehicles, both of which were unveiled Tuesday during a dedication ceremony.

The price of a single-family home in Maui County soared to $1.35 million in June, up 30.8% over the same month last year, the Realtors Association of Maui reports. Meanwhile, condos remained virtually unchanged at $980,000.