CVS mum on Star Markets' sites

CVS Caremark Corp., which acquired Longs Drug Stores earlier this year, said yesterday it had no comment on whether it would take over sites in Ewa Beach and Moiliili that currently are occupied by Star Markets.

Times Super Market said on Tuesday it was buying Star Markets' seven supermarkets for an undisclosed price.

However, Pat Loo, president of United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 480, which represents meat cutters, fish cutters, meat wrappers and chill-frozen workers at Star's Oahu's stores, said he had heard rumors that CVS would be moving into the Ewa Beach and Moiliili locations after the deal closed.

Times, though, said it is focusing now on the Star Markets acquisition and didn't elaborate on the possibility of selling off the two stores to CVS.

The Times deal is expected to close in early September and will create a local food-service giant with a combined 19 supermarkets and 1,640 employees on three islands.

Times, which currently has 12 supermarkets, will expand to the neighbor islands with the acquisition.

WestJet adds Honolulu, Lihue stops

Canada-based WestJet has added Honolulu and Lihue to its largest-ever seasonal nonstop flight schedule, beginning in late fall.

Service from Victoria to Honolulu begins Nov. 7 with weekly flights on Saturdays at an introductory fare of $259.

Service from Vancouver to Lihue commences Dec. 16 with weekly flights on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Introductory fares start at $349.

By late fall 2009, WestJet will serve 66 cities in more than 10 countries, versus 51 cities in eight countries a year ago.

Belt Collins opens office in Bali

Honolulu-based planning, design and consulting firm Belt Collins has expanded its operations with a new office in Bali, Indonesia.

The office serves as a branch of the company's Singapore and Bangkok operations and grew partly from an opportunity to provide increased landscape design and production support to both.

It is staffed by nine employees who are native Balinese or Javanese and is Belt Collins' sixth office in Southeast Asia.

Staffing, career-placement firms unite

Talent HR Solutions recently acquired Talent Search Group LLC, a career-placement division, according to an announcement by principal and owner Sanjay Mirchandani.

Both Honolulu-based companies are led by Mirchandani, who established Talent Search Group in 2004 and Talent HR in January.

The older company is a recruitment company, while Talent HR offers staffing and outplacement services and payroll administration.

On the move

» Japan Airlines has appointed Ryoichi Okubo as vice president and regional manager at its Honolulu Airport office. He replaces Takashi Yamaoka, who returned to Japan as director of the Osaka International Airport Terminal. Okubo previously was based in Sapporo, Japan.

» The Hastings 1066 Foundation board of trustees, an all-alumni volunteer board, has re-elected Jeffrey Lau to its membership. He is a senior director of the Honolulu firm Oliver Lau Lawhn Ogawa & Nakamura.

» Members of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks installed Ronald Mizuno, of Honolulu Elks Lodge No. 616, as the new leader of the Hawaii district of the California-Hawaii Elks Association.