Next generation takes helm at Star Markets

John T. Fujieki has been named chairman of the board, chief executive officer and president of Star Markets, succeeding his late father John Fujieki Sr.

Fujieki most recently held the position of president and chief operating officer for the grocery retail company. The position of COO has been eliminated. Star Markets operates 10 stores on Oahu, Maui and Kauai.

Burger veteran to run Ala Moana's McDonald's

McDonald's Restaurants of Hawaii said it has a new owner for its Ala Moana Center location.

Victor Lim, owner and operator of six other McDonald's restaurant on Oahu, took over the 7,500-square-foot eatery last Wednesday.

The restaurant previously was owned and operated by the McDonald's Restaurants of Hawaii. Lim owns and operates McDonald's restaurants at Dole Cannery Square, Enchanted Lake, Fort Street Mall, Queen Street, Waimanalo and Kailua. McDonald's has 86 restaurants and 3,500 employees in Hawaii, Guam and Saipan.

Pleasant Hawaiian offers 2-for-1 savings program

Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays, a leading seller of tours to Hawaii since the 1950s, has again launched its two-for-one savings program that offers travelers from the mainland a wide range of "buy one, get one free" deals at Hawaii attractions. The Westlake Village, Calif., company, which brings some 400,000 mainland travelers to Hawaii each year, said its "Fall Into Savings" program is worth more than $350 in savings to travelers who use all of it.

Included on Oahu are second-person-free deals at the Arizona Memorial, a Honolulu city tour, a snorkel cruise, the Don Ho Cocktail Show and the Polynesian stage show Tahiti's Revue. Neighbor Island deals include the Ulalena Show at the Maui Myth & Magic Theatre, a Waimea Canyon helicopter ride on Kauai and the Kona Submarine Adventure on the Big Island.

All Pleasant Hawaiian customers booking travel for travel Aug. 19 through Dec. 19 will receive a coupon book for the discounts. Also included are a Dollar Rent A Car upgrade and an Aloha Festivals ribbon for free admission to dozens of events in September and October.

Conseco insurance cutback to affect isle policyholders

INDIANAPOLIS >> Conseco Inc. plans to phase out about half of its major medical health insurance policies, which could leave as many as 80,000 clients in 16 states, including Hawaii, without a provider and about 300 employees without jobs.

The company told The Indianapolis Star that the policies to be cut from Conseco Medical Insurance Co. have been unprofitable. Company spokesman Mark Lubbers said Con- seco has tried to peddle the Rockford, Ill.-based arm of the company but found no takers for CMIC as a unit.

Conseco still hopes to sell parts of CMIC in states where health insurance remains profitable, Lubbers said.

"Health insurance has become a much more stale business during the last six years. In order to make money, you have to do very high volume," he said. "In states that have kept up with medical inflation, we will continue to do business. It's in states where we don't have that kind of scale or face regulatory issues that we are closing our business."

The first notification letters were sent July 27, giving customers six to 12 months notice before policies begin to expire Feb. 1, 2002. By Aug. 1, 2002, all of the affected policies will expire.

The number of Hawaii policy holders affected by the move was not available at press time.

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[TAKING NOTICE]

NEW JOBS

>> Deloitte & Touche LLP of Northern California/Hawaii has named Judith Plotz a senior manager in its employee benefits tax practice. Plotz joins the Hawaii office with 21 years of experience in employee benefits, including 18 years as owner of Specialty Consulting International LLC.

PROMOTIONS

>> Thomas E. Herman Jr. has been named general manager at the Doubletree Alana Waikiki. Herman, a 26-year veteran of the hospitality industry, had previously served as director of sales and marketing at the hotel. He joined the Doubletree Alana Waikiki in 1998.

ON THE BOARD

>> Roger Drue has been elected chairman at The Hawaii Business Roundtable. Drue, president and chief executive officer of Kapiolani Health, was previously vice-chairman of the organization. In addition, Michael Hartley, Peter Schall and Keith Vieira have been named as new members of the HBR.