Maui Business

Five community leaders were voted into the Board of Directors for the Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce during the organization’s Annual Meeting, held June 29 at the MEO building in Wailuku.

A decline in donations this past year has presented significant challenges for Maui United Way; however, MUW continues to work to bridge the gap between available resources and the growing demand for assistance in the community.

The Board of Directors of Ka Hale A Ke Ola Homeless Resource Centers has initiated a search for a new Executive Director. The vacancy was created by current Executive Director Monique R. Ibarra who submitted her resignation to accept a position as the Chief Executive Officer of the Domestic Violence Action Center on Oʻahu.

This will be the state’s 23rd retail dispensing location. As of June 29, 2023, a statewide total of 33,032 medical cannabis patients, and 2,797 caregivers were registered statewide. 

On July 1, Annabell Ramil-Costa and Aaron Costa held the grand opening of Paint Aloha, a gallery by Annabell Ramil-Costa in Kīhei Kalama Village.

Maui Brewing Company will open its new restaurant at Outrigger Kā‘anapali Beach Resort, featuring a beachfront venue with expansive outdoor seating, island-inspired cuisine, and a wide selection of craft beers.

The Maui Economic Development Board will host “Secure Today, Safe Tomorrow: Cybersecurity Basics for CEOs” on July 19. This webinar is led by Pamela Feld, the founder and CEO of Triumph Technology Group.

Commercial real estate services and investment firm, CBRE has named George Denise as director of project management for the Hawaiʻi region.

AAA Hawaiʻi anticipates record-breaking Independence Day travel, with over 7.4 million residents of Pacific states embarking on holiday getaways.

Ka Hale A Ke Ola Homeless Resource Centers announced today that Executive Director Monique R. Ibarra has resigned to assume the position of chief executive officer of the Domestic Violence Action Center on Oahu. Ibarra will succeed Nanci Kreidman, DVAC CEO and co-founder, who announced her retirement, effective June 30.

Mokulele Airlines will suspend its daily flights between Hilo and Kahului beginning Aug. 1, 2023. Mokulele will redeploy those aircraft to provide additional service to Molokaʻi and to add a new evening flight between Kahului and Kona.

Small food entrepreneurs seeking to enhance their business growth will gain invaluable insights during two informational webinars in August, focused on food safety and labeling. These webinars are presented by the Maui Food Technology Center.

Maui Economic Opportunity has begun operating out of the Lahaina Civic Center two times a month to improve access to clients on the west side. Community Services staff will be available from 9 a.m. to noon on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. 

Hawaiian Electric will hold a community meeting on July 11 to receive comments on its proposal to build new generating units that can run on a variety of renewable fuels, including biofuels.

Purebred Fisherman, a fishing apparel brand known for its diverse range of fishing shirts, hats, shorts, sweaters, and accessories, has opened a new store at Maui Mall Village.

Although gas prices have not seen much fluctuation in the past week, Hawaiʻi now has the third most expensive gas prices in the US after Washington state.

Maui Economic Opportunity’s popular Teen Financial Literacy Workshop will be held in-person July 10 and 11 at MEO in Wailuku.

Kamehameha Schools today announced plans for Waiānuenue, a modernization project in Mōʻiliʻili on Oʻahu. The first phase of the Kapaʻakea redevelopment will focus on improving the community gathering and retail experience along two blocks bordered by University Avenue and South Beretania and Coyne Streets. The project is expected to open in late 2025.

Hawaiʻi State Federal Credit Union has announced the promotion of three employees to its executive leadership team, including Aaron Vallely to executive vice president, Warren Altona to executive vice president of commercial and retail banking strategy, and Christopher Hodges to senior vice president and chief financial officer.

Hawaiian Telcom announced an $87 million fiber broadband project to expand middle mile infrastructure throughout the state. Middle mile infrastructure carries large amounts of data over long distances, increases capacity to local networks, boosts network resiliency, and helps connect unserved regions to the Internet backbone.