Maui Business

The Board of Directors of the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA) has appointed Gregory P. Barbour as the agency’s new Executive Director. Barbour will assume responsibility for the management of the agency in mid-June.

The Aloha United Way has announced that former news anchor and recent Kapiolani Health Foundation Philanthropy Director Kim Gennaula will replace Susan Au Doyle as President and Chief Professional Officer of Aloha United Way starting June 13, 2011.

The County of Maui launches a new radio program on Monday, June 6, produced by the Office of Economic Development.

Senator Inouye announced today that University of Hawaii Maui College will receive $4,300,000 to continue a 14-year old program that provides job training and educational opportunities to more than 800 residents each year who live in underserved, rural communities throughout the state.

So far this year, the County of Maui Office of Economic Development has issued $566,750 in grant monies to various local organizations in the areas of agriculture, business support, education and the arts.

Kaiser Permanente Hawaii recently received the inaugural Pharmacy Quality Alliance’s Quality Award which recognized Kaiser Permanente’s achievement of a 5-star rating, according to publicly available quality data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Hawaii Energy, though a partnership with Toshiba, is providing an opportunity to qualifying Hawaii small Businesses and nonprofit organizations to receive free, energy efficient LED lamps at no cost.

The Maui County Business Resource Center has announced several additional free business workshops featuring local business consultants and an attorney, including a special evening workshop on using Quickbooks for beginners.

During World Trade Week ceremonies last month, Noni Biotech International, a Maui-based Noni products manufacturing company, was awarded the Presidential “E” Award for Exports by U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gary Locke at the Department’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Every month, local business consultants bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to free workshops held at the Maui County Business Resource Center at the Maui Mall in Kahului. Topics vary by month but usually focus on starting, financing, and growing a small business.

Despite an extensive remodel scheduled to begin in August 2011, operations at the The Fairmont Kea Lani will continue as normal, except for the closure of its signature restaurant, Kō

According to data released today by the Hawaii Tourism Authority, visitor arrivals in Maui County for the year-to-date thru April 2011 were up 10% over last year, and total visitor expenditures for the island of Maui was $247.3 million in April 2011, or a 22.4% increase over April 2010.

Ka Ipu Kukui Fellows, a Decisions Maui and Focus Maui Nui initiative, is currently seeking applications for a year-long program designed to train community-identified future leaders of Maui County

The Board of Trustees for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs today announced the awarding of $4.3 million over two years to 12 community-based organizations.

The Hawaii Council on Revenues, met Thursday, in a regularly scheduled meeting, and did not change its previous forecast for the state’s general fund tax revenue.

Today, the County of Maui released a Request for Proposal for private security services for County parks and public areas on Maui and Molokai to be provided from July 2011 thru June 2012.

According to data released from the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism today, Maui recorded a total of 243 initial unemployment claims for the week for ending May 21, down 47.9 percent compared to the 466 claims filed during the same week a year ago.

This week, First Hawaiian Bank announced this week 2011 first quarter net income of $52.7 million, a 4.9% gain over the previous quarter and a 2.6% increase over the first quarter of 2010.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) can now be access by smart phone users interested in starting or growing a small business.

With more than 2,500 “green” jobs on Maui, and an estimated additional 437 more jobs by 2012 coming from “green job” fields, UH Maui College’s Sustainable Living Institute of Maui (SLIM) and VITEC are partnering to prepare Maui’s workforce to make the transition.