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Reported by Star-Bulletin staff & wire
Tuesday, December 19, 2000
Hawaii still leads U.S. in holiday sales
Hawaii continued to lead the nation in same-store retail sales for the first 24 days of the holiday shopping season, according to a survey of check purchases. Sales in Hawaii rose 5 percent in the Nov. 24-Dec. 17 period, compared with the national average of 2.4 percent, TeleCheck Services Inc. said. Checks make up about one-third of retail spending, according to TeleCheck, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based First Data Corp.
Matson to purchase $7.1 mil in equipment
Matson Navigation Co. said today it will spend $7.1 million early next year on 1,000 new 45-foot containers and 500 chassis. The equipment will arrive in the spring. Matson spent $22 million on container equipment this year, including 45-foot dry containers and 24- and 40-foot refrigerated containers. Bal Dreyfus, Matson vice president and area manager for Hawaii and Guam, said some equipment bought recently is for the $31.5 million worth of alterations to the line's Sand Island container yard which is expected to increase its capacity by 30 percent by late next year. Matson is the largest subsidiary of Alexander & Baldwin Inc.
ANA charter flights set for Oahu-Haneda
All Nippon Airways Co. is planning some charter flights next year to Honolulu from Haneda Airport, only 15 minutes from Tokyo.The number of flights won't be large, however, said Tom Fredo, a spokesman for the airline in New York. "It would be rather limited in numbers, probably single digits" through the year, Fredo said today.
A Japanese government decision to open Haneda to international charter flights at night, probably starting in February, set specific limits on the number of flights and the slots that are available must be spread among ANA, Japan Airlines Co. and Japan Air System Co.
In other news . . .
The board of directors of CPB Inc., parent of Central Pacific Bank, has voted to increase the company's quarterly dividend to 16 cents, a 6.7 percent rise fom the previous dividend of 15 cents. The new dividend will be paid Jan. 26 to shareholders of record Dec. 29.