Maui Business

Maui United Way has partnered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services to bring free grant workshops to Maui. The series kicks off with a virtual “Grant Basics” workshop on Wednesday, July 24 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Workshops continue through Aug. 22, 2024.

The non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for Maui Island was 4.5% in June 2024, compared to 3.6% the previous month, and 3.0% at the same time in 2023. The data was included in a new report released from the Hawaiʻi Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. 

Hawaiian Electric has released an updated version of its Electrification of Transportation (EoT) Strategic Roadmap that includes specific actions the company plans to undertake through 2030 to support the rapidly expanding electric vehicle market. 

Koholā Brewery is set for a grand opening July 21 as a taproom and restaurant at the Wailea Village shopping center. This marks the second comeback for the independent craft beer brewery founded in Lahaina in 2014.

Maui Economic Opportunity Chief Administrative Officer Maggie Batangan has earned a certified professional credential from the Society for Human Resource Management, joining the ranks of a worldwide organization dedicated to creating better workplaces.

With the one-year anniversary of the Lahaina and Upcountry wildfires drawing near, business owners are pausing to reflect on their resilience and ability to withstand adversity, including losses of life, property and livelihood.

After 30 years of work as an executive in financial services, Hawaiʻi State Federal Credit Union’s Craig Warren will retire at the end of the year as executive vice president and chief operating officer, the credit union announced.

The Hawai‘i Community Development Authority members unanimously voted Sterling Higa as chair. Higa has been serving on the board since 2022.

Hawaiian Telcom has a new training center in Hālawa and freshly branded vehicles, both of which were unveiled Tuesday during a dedication ceremony.

The price of a single-family home in Maui County soared to $1.35 million in June, up 30.8% over the same month last year, the Realtors Association of Maui reports. Meanwhile, condos remained virtually unchanged at $980,000.

The Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications for the popular Micro-Grant for Food Security Program. This is the fourth year of the grant program which provides support for small-scale gardening, herding and livestock operations to increase the quantity and quality of locally grown food in food-insecure communities. A total of $3,576,470 is available for this year’s program which was provided by the US Department of Agriculture under the 2018 Farm Bill.

Queen Kaʻahumanu Center is seeking vendors for the debut of its latest signature event, 808 Bash, happening on Saturday, Aug. 24.

Hawaiʻi State Federal Credit Union (Hawaiʻi State FCU) today announced that Brennon Morioka, dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and Darren Nakao, executive vice president and chief financial officer at UHA Health Insurance, have been elected to serve on its volunteer board of directors. Monica Toguchi Ryan, owner and president of Highway Inn, has been reelected to the board for her third and final term. Morioka, Nakao and Toguchi Ryan will all serve new three-years terms, effective June 22, 2024.

Servco Pacific, Inc. (Servco) has been selected as a 2024 US Best Managed Company Gold Standard honoree. This is Servco’s fifth consecutive year as a US Best Managed Company.

Ed Schultz, President & CEO of HHG, was appointed to the Board of Governors for the East-West Center Corporation by Gov. Josh Green, effective July 1, 2024.

Walmart is now accepting applications for its 11th annual Open Call event, inviting small business owners and entrepreneurs across the US to apply for the opportunity to pitch their products to be sold on Walmart or Sam’s Club shelves or on Walmart.com and SamsClub.com. Applications are open until July 15, 2024.

Four free courses are being offered to Hawai‘i residents through the University of Hawai‘i Community Colleges’ Good Jobs Hawai‘i initiative in collaboration with Hawai‘i State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT)’s Creative Industries Division (CID).

Suspension of service disconnections for all Hawaiian Electric customers on Maui has been extended through at least Aug. 31, 2024, in accordance with the extension of Gov. Josh Green’s emergency proclamation. Maui customers who are financially challenged by the devastating wildfires will not have to worry about potential disconnection of their electric service, according to a company announcement.

A new report by the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization identifies potential opportunities to diversify Hawaiʻi’s economy by analyzing a variety of industries across counties in the US and the state.

The Shift and Save pilot, which incorporates time-of-use rates that are lower in the daytime when cheaper solar energy is abundant, went live in February with 16,000 homes and businesses on Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi Island. Customers enrolled since February must decide whether they will continue beyond the six-month bill protection period.