Maui Business

The first-ever Made in Maui County Festival held Nov. 7 and 8, 2014, included 130 vendors and sold roughly $300,000 in products over two days. More than 9,400 people attended the event, even in the wake of poor weather.

The Mayor’s Office of Economic Development (OED) has executed a contract with the Applied Research Laboratory at the University of Hawai‘i to work on upgrading broadband access for Maui County.

Hawaiian Airlines is offering a $57 Neighbor Islands FLASH sale for non-stop, one-way tickets. Book tickets today only for travel from Feb. 5 to April 30, 2015. Log on to the members site for more information.

Matson Terminals Inc. must pay $400,000 in fines in addition to a $600,000 restitution for previous guilty pleas for two criminal charges of illegally dumping molasses into Honolulu Harbor. The plea agreement dictates that the restitution money will be equally divided between the Waikiki Aquarium to support marine ecosystems, and the Sustainable Coastlines Hawai‘i to aid in the care and clean-up of local beaches.

Andrew Keenan will instruct the upcoming “Becoming a General Contractor” Tuesday nights from Feb. 10 to March 10, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at UHMC. The training will cover attaining a contractor’s license, finding clients, bidding construction jobs, managing them and finishing the job to the customer’s satisfaction.

The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management is seeking public proposals and applications to utilize an estimated $237,000 in recycling grant funds. In complement to the request for grant proposals, a grant application workshop will be held Feb. 6, 2015, at 3 p.m, in Ste. 602 of the One Main Plaza conference room.

Maui Solar Project announced it is supporting a legislative bill that will give Hawai‘i residents a tax credit for having PV battery backup systems. The bill, H.B. 212, states that any taxpayer that files an individual or corporate net income tax return for the year is eligible for the credit against the Hawai‘i state individual or corporate net income tax.

The Maui Food Technology Center will host its Second Annual Supply and Service Expo, a trade show event dedicated to businesses in the food industry. The event will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015, at the Hannibal Tavares Community Center in Pukalani from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Kaiser Permanente employees will be demonstrating during a six-day strike statewide beginning today, Feb. 2, in response to staff cuts and closing facilities. Picketing on Maui will take place at Kaiser’s Maui Lani and Wailuku locations.

The County of Maui Mayor’s Office of Economic Development is presenting a full lineup of workshops in February at the Maui County Business Resource Center located in the Maui Mall, Ste. B-9.

MauiGrown Coffee recently received the Starbucks CAFÉ (Coffee and Farmer Equity Practices) certification, passing the evaluation with flying colors.

West Maui Schools received $20,000 from an I Love Lāhainā event last November that was funded by Safeway, Property Development Centers and Lāhainā Cannery Mall.

On March 25 to 27, the County of Maui in partnership with Maui Economic Development Board will hold the second Maui Energy Conference and Exhibition amid this revolution to examine how consumers see the electric utility.

Maui Coffee Attic opened its doors on Jan. 12 at 59 Kanoa St. in Wailuku in the old Hokama’s Music & Color TV building. The shop is open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Mayor’s Office of Economic Development issued over $4.64 million in grant monies to various local organizations in the second half of 2014.

The Hawaiian Electric Companies are proposing a new plan for PV systems that will reportedly increase the use of rooftop solar in a way that is safe, sustainable, and fair for all customers on the power grid.

Island Air is offering a special 10 percent discount called “Island Weddings,” which applies to the couple, friends, family, and guests who are traveling interisland for the wedding.

In an ongoing tradition, Kaiser Permanente staff and physicians honored Martin Luther King Jr. Day by offering service to the Maui community.

The Women Helping Women’s shelter for Maui women and children seeking refuge from domestic violence is seeking a temporary home for its residents while the shelter undergoes much-needed renovations.

Two Maui hotels have earned AAA’s prestigious Five Diamond Rating, and 11 hotels and one restaurant in Maui County received a Four Diamond Rating.