Maui Business

The Maui Board of Realtors has released year ending 2010 sales data showing residential unit sales rose 17%, while the average sales price decreased 8%.

In the next few months, Jeanne Skog, President, Maui Economic Development Board, Inc. and key staffers will attend several energy related conferences on the mainland.

According to an article in Bloomberg News, the Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa is one of eight properties seized by a group of lenders which include the New York-based Paulson & Co.

The latest edition of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011 is now available for free online.

DBEDT released the December 2010 Monthly Energy Trends data last week signaling a continued slow and steady inching up of gas prices for all grades.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority released 2010 preliminary visitor arrivals by United States region data this week showing that California leads the nation in Maui visitor arrivals.

Hawaiian Electric Company today signed a contract for Big Island company, Aina Koa Pono (AKP), to provide sustainable, locally grown and processed biofuel for electric generation in Hawaii.

Enterprise Honolulu, the Oahu Economic Development Board, invites entrepreneurs from all Hawaiian islands to participate in the 2011 Hawaii Entrepreneur Pitch Competition.

MEO Business Development Corp. (MEO BDC), an affiliate of Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc., will present a series of night-time classes for entrepreneurs during the months of January-February.

The PGA TOUR and Hawai’i Tourism Authority (HTA) announced a four-year extension of their Official Marketing Partnership that will continue to help promote the state’s golf industry through 2014.

In celebration of its 25th anniversary, Becker Communications, a prominent Honolulu-based PR firm, will give away $25,000 worth of pro-bono public relations services during 2011.

U.S. Bankruptcy Court statistics show that 2010 filings at the Hawaii District Court are up almost 29% for Maui County and 28% for Hawaii as a whole year-over-year.

The Hawai‘i Hotel & Lodging Association (HHLA) recently announced the appointment of former Honolulu mayor Mufi Hannemann as president of the statewide membership organization, effective January 1, 2011. He replaces Murray Towill who retired from the post in August of this year.

Mayor Alan Arakawa recently named Karen Arakawa to the position of Small Business Advocate at the Maui County Business Resource Center located at the Maui Mall.

Hawaiian Telcom Holdco, Inc. announced last week that its common stock began trading as a publicly under the ticker symbol HWLT.

For the week ending December 25, 2010, 35 percent fewer people filed unemployment claims in Maui County over the same period last year.

The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (PUC) Wednesday issued a final decision on Hawaiian Electric Company’s 2009 rate request. That decision is expected to result in a small credit for Oahu electric customers and implementation of a new rate setting method called “decoupling”. For Maui Electric, a subsidiary of Hawaiian Electric Company, decoupling will come a little later when the PUC issues pending rate case decisions.

The State Council on Revenues yesterday announced an increase in the projection for collective tax revenue growth for fiscal year 2011 from 2% to 3% or $43.6 million.

The Hawaii State Auditor criticized the Hawaii Tax Dept for its lack of planning and fractured management saying that it undermines the State’s tax collection.

The fast-casual Hawaiian restaurant L&L Franchise Inc., known on Maui as L&L Drive-In, was recently listed on two Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2011 Franchise 500 lists.