Maui Business

The Maui Chamber of Commerce is now accepting nominations for the Annual Mayor’s Small Business Awards in 2024. All nominees and winners will be honored during an event on Sept. 19, 2024.

Sales and Marketing Executives Honolulu (SME Honolulu) named Chad Buck as the company’s distinguished recipient of its Salesperson of the Year award for 2023. Buck is credited as the driving force behind multiple successful enterprises, including the Hawaiʻi Foodservice Alliance; and for his community outreach including his work to bring food and aid to Maui following the Lahaina wildfires.

Hawai‘i Leadership Forum welcomed 16 local leaders into the ninth cohort of its Omidyar Fellows program. The program seeks to cultivate the conditions in which Hawai‘i thrives by equipping leaders with the skills and cross-sector relationships necessary to affect societal change.

The non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for Maui Island was 4.3% in April 2024, compared to 4.9% the previous month, and 2.6% at the same time in 2023. The data was included in a new report released today from the Hawaiʻi Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. 

Pacific Permanente Group, a premiere Maui-based medical group providing health care services in nearly a dozen specialties, has recently added another orthopaedic surgeon to its growing team on the Valley Isle.  

A total of 24 local entrepreneurs and small business owners attended the May 9 Maui TechOhana and were wowed by the inspiring work and technology of the Maui Food Innovation Center (MFIC). Ian Stewart, Entrepreneurship & Business Development Specialist, Pāʻoihana Program, and Douglas Paul, Chef Instructor gave an engaging presentation of the Center’s work including a video tour of the facility and samples of their success stories.   

As of May 1, 2024, a new law governing tenant screening fees was put in motion to help protect renters and promote transparency in the rental application process. Enacted as Act 200 (SLH 2023) and codified in Hawai‘i Revised Statutes § 521-46, the law prohibits a landlord from charging an applicant for a residential dwelling unit, a tenant screening fee that is more than the actual cost to obtain information about the applicant.

Servco Pacific Inc. has been selected as a 2024 US Best Managed Company Gold Standard honoree. The national award recognizes outstanding private companies in the Unites States and the achievements of their management teams.

First Hawaiian Bank donated $5.2 million to community and nonprofit organizations in 2023. The contributions include: $2,480,437 in bank donations, $1,920,250 in First Hawaiian Foundation grants and $854,615 from the Bank’s employee-funded Kokua Mai campaign.

The 22nd annual Maui Matsuri named Warren S. Unemori Engineering Inc. as this year’s Business Award recipient for its commitment to the community, which has been a reflection of core values passed down through generations.

Technical skill rotations were hosted throughout the day exploring topics such as fashion design process, 3D modeling, video pre-production and much more, along with networking sessions and informative panels from professionals in the creative industries. Attendees were provided with an overview of CID’s workforce initiatives, ways to maximize the ClimbHI Bridge portal, and insights into preparing students for successful careers within the creative industries.

“Maui is set for an extended recovery period this decade, while population slowing will reduce future growth to varying degrees across the counties,” according to the UHERO forecast.

After 27 years at the entrance to downtown Wailuku, Mele Ukulele will close its flagship store following the sale of its location near Wailuku bridge to a mainland owner.

Hawaiʻi Specialty Pharmacy (HSP) today announced the opening of two new ambulatory infusion centers on Maui—in Wailuku and Upcountry. Specialty pharmacies and ambulatory infusion centers support patients requiring specialized treatments, including chemotherapy, antibiotic infusions, and more.

The State Legislature closed on May 3 passing several of bills supported by the Chamber of Commerce Hawaiʻi to tackle cost of living challenges, support growth in the technology sector, boost entrepreneurship, increase access to childcare and add affordable housing for our workforce.

The next Maui TechOhana networking event, organized by Maui Economic Development Board, and supported by the County of Maui, will be held Thursday, May 9 from 5:15 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. The public gathering will feature guest speakers from the Maui Food Innovation Center, a value added food manufacturing incubator and accelerator in Hawaiʻi.

Hawaiʻi State Federal Credit Union announced Monday that it has donated $10,000 to the Hawaiʻi HomeOwnership Center to support its mission to provide education and information to create successful first-time homeowners in Hawaiʻi.

Kahului based Gilbert & Associates (G & A) was once again awarded top honors for excellence in advertising design at the 45th annual Pele Awards ceremony held May 4 on Oʻahu. In addition, G & A became the first neighbor island firm chosen as Lead Designer for all collateral associated with the awards program.

Kaiser Permanente Hawai’i has added four new maternity care providers at the Wailuku Medical Office to ensure expectant families can continue to receive high quality care on-island. The new team members include obstetricians-gynecologists Jennifer Leeper, DO, and James Morong, MD, along with certified nurse-midwives Brooke Raidmae, CNM, and Carolyn Wetzel, CNM. 

Nalu’s South Shore Grill owner, Ron Panzo was honored as the winner of the US Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 2024 Hawaiʻi State Small Business Person of the Year award. This award acknowledges outstanding achievements and contributions of small businesses across Hawaiʻi and the nation.