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Business/In Brief • June 3, 2014

HONOLULU - Hawaii's insurance commissioner has approved a smaller rate increase than what was requested by the state's largest health insurer.Commissioner Gordon Ito announced Friday that his office approved an 8.9 percent increase in premiums for Hawaii Medical Service Association.The insurance company had asked for an average premium rate increase of 13.1 percent across plans.Ito's office says about 5 percent of the increase is for medical costs and 4 percent is for fees related to the federal health care overhaul.Elisa Yadao of Hawaii Medical Services Association says the company ...

Business/In Brief • May 29, 2014

CEO Rosenblum of HECO plans to retireHONOLULU - Hawaiian Electric Company's CEO Richard Rosenblum says he will retire from the company within a year.Rosenblum said Tuesday that he came out of retirement in 2008 to lead the company though its clean energy initiatives. He says the company's customers are getting more than 18 percent of their energy through renewable energy, compared with 8 percent in 2008.Rosenblum says he shared his retirement plans to allow ample time for a smooth transition. He says he is committed to completing the development of plans for the next phase of clean ...

Hawaii County eyes breadfruit farming

HILO (AP) - Hawaii County and a prospective breadfruit farmer are looking at putting an orchard in the Kapulena Agricultural Park.If they succeed the breadfruit farm would be the first non-ranching venture at the park.The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reports that Mayor Billy Kenoi's office wants to work with the farmer. The orchard would probably go on about 150 acres most recently used by ranchers."He's interested; we're interested," said Kevin Dayton, Kenoi's executive assistant. "But there's some logistics that have to be worked out."The county acquired the 1,739-acre property in 1994 from ...

Femfessionals plan luncheon in Waikapu

Femfessionals, a business community for professional women and business owners, will be holding an informational luncheon from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Kahili Golf Course Restaurant in Waikapu.FemCity Honolulu President Britt Yap and Vice President Amanda Dela Cruz will be guest speakers at the event. The women are Maui-born entrepreneurs who will discuss the benefits of women connecting and supporting each other in life, work and business and how being a member of Femfessionals has impacted their lives.Femfessionals was founded several years ago in Miami by Violette Sproul and is ...

Business/In Brief • May 20, 2014

Facebook and business topic of eventThe Maui Economic Development Board and Facebook will host an event Sunday for those operating small businesses to learn best practices, to hear success stories and to learn strategies to grow, manage and understand their small-business identity on Facebook.The free event will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday at the King Kamehameha Golf Club's Waikapu Ballroom.More than 1 billion people are on Facebook, the event announcement said. "Learn how to reach the right audience for your business and turn them into loyal customers," the news release ...

Business/In Brief • May 17, 2014

Honolulu rail-line delays cost $76MHONOLULU - Construction delays related to Honolulu's awarding of rail contracts before it had the all the necessary federal approvals have cost taxpayers $76 million so far.The costs are tied to three contracts awarded to Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. and its joint venture, Kiewit Kobayashi, between 2009 and 2011, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported.The firms hired staff, set up offices and acquired construction equipment after deals were signed. But they had to wait as long as 22 months to start work because it took the city until February 2012 to ...