Reported by Star-Bulletin staff & wire
Thursday, December 30, 1999
Experts to present year 2000 forecasts
Four Hawaii business leaders will give a January breakfast meeting their predictions of what will happen to Hawaii's economy in the year 2000.They are tourism expert Joseph Toy, of Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP; commercial real estate watcher Joseph Haas, of CB Richard Ellis; residential real estate consultant Herbert Conley, of Coldwell Pacific Banker Properties; and retailing expert Douglas Smoyer, of Retail Strategies.
The occasion is the ninth annual forecast breakfast of the Hawaii chapter of the Institute of Real Estate Management, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Jan. 12 at the Ala Moana Hotel. The fee is $25 for members and $32 for guests up to a Jan. 5 deadline, $5 more after that. Phone 737-4000, extension 117.
FedEx to hike prices to cover fuel costs
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- FDX Corp.'s Federal Express, the largest U.S. overnight-delivery company, plans to impose a 3 percent fuel surcharge on most domestic and international shipments because of higher fuel costs.The company said it will apply the surcharge to all domestic and export shipments allowed by law starting Feb. 1. A separate surcharge of 10 cents a kilo will apply to international air freight shipment service known as Airport-to-Airport and International Express Freight, the Memphis, Tenn.-based company said.
Jet-fuel costs have more than doubled in the past year as crude oil prices rose, prompting rival United Parcel Service Inc. to raise rates and UAL Corp.'s United Airlines and AMR Corp.'s American Airlines Cargo unit to add surcharges.
Starwood completes sale of casino chain
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., the world's No. 1 hotel owner, said it completed the sale of its Caesars World Inc. casino chain to Park Place Entertainment Corp. for $3 billion in cash. Park Place is the world's largest casino company, with brands that include Bally's and Flamingo.