Maui Business

Maui Waena Intermediate School was awarded a total of $30,000 as the first place and People’s Choice award recipient in the middle school category of the American Savings Bank, Bank for Education KeikiCo Business Plan Contest.

New $200 million, 660,000-square-foot facility brings training for multiple workgroups under one roof and strengthens the airline’s transformation into the country’s fourth global airline.

Maui County’s economic recovery gained momentum in 2025 with visitor arrivals and spending outpacing statewide averages, according to preliminary statistics released by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. 

First Hawaiian Bank has promoted four bank executives and hired a new one, according to bank Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Harrison.

Assigned seating went live Tuesday (Jan. 27) in Honolulu and throughout Southwest’s network, opening the book to the airline’s next chapter; the change followed the final Southwest open seating flight from Honolulu and a gate celebration the night before.

Owned by longtime retailer Lisa Payne, Hana Hou by Hale Zen reopened in 2024 after being lost in the August 2023 Lahaina wildfire. Melissa Dyckman Interiors specializes in full-service interior design, architectural review, furnishings and styling, with a focus on supporting Lahaina fire rebuilds.

In Maui County, there are 19,068 PV systems, 94% of which are residential, and 8% are commercial or grid-scale. Maui has a 232 MW capacity, 47% of which is residential, and 53% is commercial or grid-scale.

On Maui, the unemployment rate was 2.4% in December, down from the 2.5% rate the previous month and the 3.5% rate reported at the same time last year.

Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa in Kāʻanapali, announced the promotion of Teresa Higa to Director of Group & Leisure Sales.  In this expanded role, Higa will lead the resort’s group sales efforts, overseeing the team while continuing to drive the strategy and execution of leisure and transient sales initiatives for the 810-room resort.

Maui Powerhouse Gym has announced the acquisition of a 2.2-acre property adjacent to Costco in Kahului, paving the way for a new flagship gym and wellness-focused commercial village designed to serve the Maui community for generations.

Adam Alexander has been named a managing director at Maui Resort Rentals, the flagship brand of Dream Resorts, a premier vacation rental management company based in Maui and Newport Beach, Calif.

Hawaiʻi State Federal Credit Union is marking its 90th  anniversary in 2026, a milestone that reflects nearly a century of steady growth, financial strength, and service to generations of Hawaiʻi residents. Since its founding in 1936, the credit union has evolved from a small organization serving government employees into one of the state’s largest financial cooperatives.

The Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity is now accepting applications for the popular Micro-Grant for Food Security Program. This is the fifth year of the grant program which provides support for small-scale gardening, herding and livestock operations to increase the quantity and quality of locally grown food in food-insecure communities.

Hawai‘i public high school seniors graduating in 2026 with an interest in tourism management can apply for the Hawai‘i Tourism Ho‘oilina Scholarship, a four-year scholarship providing $12,000 a year toward a Bachelor of Science in travel industry management at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Shidler College of Business.

The Maui Chamber of Commerce will host their annual luncheon with Hawaiian Airlines on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026 in Kahului. The event will feature a keynote address from Hawaiian Airlines CEO Diana Birkett Rakow, who will share updates and insights on what’s coming for Hawaiian Airlines in 2026 and beyond.

The Hawai‘i Primary Care Association has selected Emily Chung as its new chief executive officer. Chung assumed the role on Jan. 5, succeeding Robert Hirokawa, who retired at the end of 2025. The association supports community health centers across the state, including those serving Maui County residents at Lāna‘i Community Health Center, Hāna Health, Malama […]

Young Brothers, LLC has appointed logistics executive Steen Christensen as its new president, effective Jan. 13, 2026.

Hawaiʻi State Federal Credit Union has become the first credit union in Hawaiʻi to implement interactive teller technology at every branch, completing a systemwide conversion that replaces traditional ATMs with Interactive Teller Machines.

Maui County Federal Credit Union announced the reopening of its Lahaina Branch at 270 Lahainaluna Road on Jan. 12, 2026, marking a meaningful return to its home in Lahaina. Its temporary location at the Fairway Shops in Kāʻanapali at 2580 Kekaʻa Drive, Suite 117, closes permanently on Jan. 9, 2026.

Maui Business Brainstormers hosted Celebrating Maui’s Mentors: A Luncheon of Gratitude & Community on Jan. 6, 2026 at Heritage Hall, bringing together Maui’s volunteer mentors and program facilitators for an afternoon of recognition, connection, and aloha.