Maui Business

Central Pacific Bank has closed its branch office off of Kaahumanu Avenue and opened an office at a new, nearly 10,000-square-foot building at 145 Ho‘okele St. near Target in Kahului. The bank offers customers consumer, commercial, residential, wealth and investment services.

The County of Maui Office of Economic Development, in collaboration with local partners and nonprofits, has launched the West Maui Business Center and online business portal www.WestMauiBusinessCenter.org to aid local businesses directly and indirectly impacted by the August 2023 wildfires. 

Scouting America, Aloha Council, one of the largest youth-serving organizations in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific, announced the launch of its new Scouting Leadership Series. The inaugural event will take place on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaiʻi. It will feature two industry-leading executives: Joseph Sprague, CEO of Hawaiian Airlines, and Brad Tilden, former CEO of Alaska Airlines and current National Board Chair of Scouting America.

As the Vice President of Strategic Communications at Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, Sarhangi plays a vital role in advancing the organization’s mission to cultivate a more equitable and vibrant Hawai‘i. She joined HCF in 2020 and has supported the organization in driving progress across its major initiatives and programs, including the foundation’s immediate disaster response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the devastating Maui fires.

RealPage Inc. registered as a business with the Hawaiʻi Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs on Sept. 11, 2024, or 19 days after the US Department of Justice announced an antitrust lawsuit against the property management software company headquartered in Richardson, Texas.

The Maui Chamber of Commerce announced the winners for the 2024 Mayor’s Small Business Awards.

Maui’s economy will only gradually recover from its post-wildfire downturn while visitor industries in other counties across the state will continue to operate at high levels, according to the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization’s (UHERO) third quarter forecast for 2024.

The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) has announced the acquisition of Hawai‘i Stage, formerly Hawai‘i Stage & Lighting Rentals (HSLR), during its annual Native Hawaiian Convention at Hilton Waikoloa Village. Hawai‘i Stage, a full-service event production company founded in 1976, is known for its contributions to Hawai‘i’s event industry and has now relocated its operations from Mapunapuna to Kapālama, Honolulu.

The officially merged Hawaiian and Alaska Airlines have expanded Hawaiian’s former 64-aircraft fleet into a combined fleet of 350 passenger airplanes, now offering Hawaiʻi residents non-stop or one-stop flights to 128 cities and destinations like Chicago, Denver, Washington, D.C., Toronto, New Orleans, Costa Rica and Miami. But the airline merger will not bring new air service to Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kapalua or Hāna.

Alaska Air Group, the parent company of Alaska Airlines, announced today the interim Honolulu leadership team that will guide Hawaiian Airlines operations from transaction close through a full combination of operations under a single operating certificate with two brands – Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines. Current Alaska Airlines regional president of Hawai‘i/Pacific, Joe Sprague, will be named chief executive officer of Hawaiian Airlines.

The US Department of Transportation has given Alaska Airlines permission to close on its $1.9 billion acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, after the carriers agreed to maintain key Hawaii routes and adopt consumer protections. This exemption allows the carriers, which are respectively the fifth and tenth largest domestic airlines, to finalize their merger while maintaining separate operations until DOT rules on their transfer application.

The Hawaiʻi Renewable Fuels Coalition, a new, multi-sector advocacy group representing farmers, land stewards, airlines, and fuel producers that are collectively seeking to support the transformation of the state’s energy landscape by producing renewable fuels in the islands, has named Nahelani Parsons as its executive director.

The Office of Economic Development (OED) will accept new grant applications for programs, projects and events that promote and nurture economic development in Maui County.

The Maui Hotel & Lodging Association announced their 2024-2025 Board of Directors at their annual meeting held on Sept. 12 at the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa. Board members were elected from a list of candidates nominated by MHLA property and allied members earlier this year.

Registration is now open for the 2024 Hawai‘i Agriculture Conference – AG2024 – to be held Nov. 7 and 8, 2024 at the Hawai‘i Convention Center.

The Hawaiʻi Community Foundation recognized four exceptional leaders in the Hawaiʻi nonprofit sector with its 22nd Annual Ho‘okele Awards. Recipients include: Maude Cumming, Executive Director, Family Life Center; Janice Ikeda, Founding Executive Director, Vibrant Hawai‘i; Kūhiō Lewis, CEO, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement; and Kelly Maluo-Pearson, CEO, Boys & Girls Club of Maui.

Nonprofit organizations focused on improving economic and social mobility, and environmental sustainability in Hawai‘i are encouraged to apply for a grant from Hawaiian Telcom powered by the Bell Charitable Foundation.

CocoNene, a local brand known for its made-in-Hawaiʻi products, opened its third Maui store on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at The Shops at Wailea.

Teri Edmonds has reached the end of the road as a shoe cobbler. For 20 years, she has provided Maui’s only shoe repair service at If The Shoe Fits. Now, she’s retiring from shoe repairs and starting to turn away that business.

US Small Business Administration Associate Administrator Francisco Sánchez Jr. convened a roundtable of local business and community leaders Thursday to listen and learn about SBA’s performance following the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires.