Maui Business

Maui Food Bank announced today that Chief Operating Officer Brandi Saragosa will step in as interim CEO following the departure of CEO Lisa Paulson, whose last day with the organization is April 15, 2026. The Maui Food Bank Board of Directors has initiated a search for a permanent CEO.

The County of Maui Office of Economic Development will host a virtual grant workshop on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, to assist organizations in applying for the Fiscal Year 2027 grant program. The FY27 grant application period is currently open and will close on April 30, 2026.

A family-owned jewelry business destroyed in the August 2023 wildfire will host a grand reopening and blessing Saturday at its new storefront at the Lahaina Cannery. Founded in 1989, Lahaina Jewelry lost its longtime Front Street location next to Kimo’s Restaurant in the disaster. Owner Tina DeLima said the blessing is scheduled for 11 a.m. […]

Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa in Kā‘anapali welcomes Raphael Malcolm as its new Director of Sales and Marketing.

Scouting America, Aloha Council will honor Matson, Inc. as the 2026 Distinguished Citizen Honoree at the annual Distinguished Citizen Dinner on Oct. 29, 2026, at Sheraton Waikīkī Beach Resort.

Applications opened Wednesday, April 1, 2026, for the County of Maui Office of Economic Development, Fiscal Year 2027 grant program, which supports projects and events that generate meaningful economic impact, strengthen local industries and enhance the overall well-being of Maui County residents. Deadline to apply is 4:30 p.m. April 30, 2026.

The recent drenching rains took a respite Saturday evening as 260 attendees gathered at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center to honor state Sen. Troy Hashimoto at Maui Economic Opportunity’s 7th Annual Gala, the nonprofit’s largest fundraiser of the year.

Maui welcomed 223,227 visitors in February, an 11.5% increase over the same month last year as the island’s tourism industry continues its recovery 2 1/2 years after the Lahaina and Upcountry wildfires.

A fresh wave of flavor has landed in South Maui with the grand opening of Swell Soda Co., now serving customers at Azeka Shopping Center Makai, Unit 119, conveniently located next to Bank of Hawaiʻi.

The Chamber of Commerce Hawaiʻi’s Young Professionals Program (COCHYP) is hosting the first-ever Maui Tech Panel & Mixer on March 31 from 5 – 7:30 p.m. at Maui Brewing Co. in Kīhei, 605 Līpoa Parkway.

MauiGrown Coffee announced the arrival of its 2025/2026 harvest, marking a significant milestone in the company’s return to production following the devastating 2023 Lahaina wildfire.

Over the past several months, Whalers Village has welcomed a collection of new and returning tenants, including several cherished Lahaina businesses that lost their retail locations in the 2023 wildfires.

University of Hawaiʻi economist Carl Bonham warned Maui County Council members Wednesday that a stagnant job market and a precarious reliance on wealthy tourists leave the county vulnerable as it begins annual budget deliberations.

The awardee will be responsible for administering the $70,000 Maui County-funded program to supply food vouchers for Lānaʻi residents. Food vouchers must be issued at the County Lānaʻi Farmer’s Market and used on the date they are issued for the purchase of locally grown or sourced fresh produce and fruit, edible algae, poi, meat, fish, eggs and honey.

Maui Economic Development Board’s STEMworks™ program is expanding its summer internship programs with the new Healthcare Student Placement Program from June 9 – July 17, 2026. This paid job shadowing opportunity in healthcare is exclusively for Maui County students.

Local tenants and landlords are invited to attend a Renters’ Rights Training on Wednesday, April 1, from 5-7 p.m. This free event will provide residents with vital information geared towards housing stability, strategies for addressing housing issues, and resources for navigating landlord-tenant challenges.

Maui Ocean Center announced the return of Heather Walters, a former digital marketing specialist, as the aquarium’s marketing director, effective April 1.

Bobcat of Maui earned a spot in the 2026 Construction Dealer Leadership Group, marking it as one of the 16 highest-performing dealerships across the United States and Canada.

Eric Yeaman has been selected by the state Probate Court as the newest member of Ke Kula ʻo Kamehameha’s Board of Trustees. He will fill the vacancy created upon the closing of Robert K.W.H. Nobriga’s term, which ended on June 30, 2025.

An analysis of migration patterns across states and 384 US metro areas shows that higher prices tend to push residents out, while higher incomes attract them. In Hawaiʻi, both forces are working in the same direction, but while Hawaiʻi has always been expensive, the widening income gap with the rest of the nation is a growing and more troubling driver.