[Taking Notice]

NEW JOBS

>> Parker Ranch has hired Cheryl Wong as assistant controller. She will train others in the corporate administration, coordinate data preparation for external auditors, analyze accounting data, develop and prepare financial cost and budget reports for management review, assist operations managers in their departmental oversight, and is responsible for the accuracy and efficiency of the corporate accounting system. She has 17 years of accounting, finance, business management and tax experience.

>> Yasuyoshi Tajima joined the Radisson Waikiki Prince Kuhio as executive chef. He has previously worked for Sheraton and Marriott in Hawaii.

>> Jerry Drelling has opened a public relations consulting firm, Jerry Drelling Communications LLC. A 15-year veteran of the Honolulu news and public relations industries, Drelling will specialize in image building, crisis communications and event publicity.

>> Shawn Nakamoto recently joined Kamehameha Schools as creative services manager in its communications division. She will oversee Kamehameha School publications, video and broadcast projects, advertising, and public relations campaigns. Nakamoto has more than 15 years of experience in public relations, most recently as director of public relations for the University of Hawaii.

>> Hagadone Printing Co. has hired Nita Uno as a sales executive. She has nearly 20 years of commercial printing experience as a self-employed print broker on Oahu.

PROMOTIONS

>> Frank E. Kiger has been promoted to president of Kauai Coffee Co. and general manager of Maui Brand Sugar, both of which are Alexander & Baldwin Inc. operations. He will continue his duties as general manager at Kauai Coffee, which includes oversight of all operational and marketing activities. Kiger joined Kauai Coffee in 1996 as factory manager and was named vice president and general manager in 1999 after briefly serving as manager of operations.

>> Central Pacific Bank has promoted Alwyn S. Chikamoto to executive vice president and chief credit officer. He is responsible for the overall management of the bank's lending programs and credit administration. Also at CPB, Michael R. Masuda has been named senior vice president and manager of trust services and Neal T. Okamoto has been appointed senior vice president in the trust and investment management division. In the same division, John A. Roxburgh Jr. has been named vice president. In the corporate banking division, Angeline A. Lau has been appointed assistant vice president and corporate relationship officer.

>>Hawaiian Host Inc. has appointed Ahmad C.K. Yu as product information manager. Yu is responsible for coordinating product development projects involving chocolate candy and overseeing quality. He rejoins Hawaiian Host Inc. after a five-year absence. He previously served as a general manager and an operation manager for Hawaiian Host Papayas in Hilo.

>> Bradford L. Harrison and Winton D.C. Young have been promoted to vice presidents and Philip Tan has been named assistant vice president in the Taft-Hartley department at First Hawaiian Bank. Since 1996, Harrison has been the vice president for the trust department. In 2001, Young became the assistant vice president and manager of the employee benefits department. Tan brings more than 10 years of experience to the bank.

>> Gavin Kobayashi has been promoted to manager of creative services at Olomana Marketing. He will retain his current responsibilities as project manager/graphic designer while overseeing all employees and projects in the creative department. Kobayashi joined Olomana Marketing in July 2000.

ON THE BOARD

>> Mark Crawford of MacFarms of Hawaii has been elected president of the board of the Hawaii Macadamia Nut Association. Board members include Sotero Agoot, Randolph Ahuna, Bob Keys, Midge Mebane, Dan Petrill, Floyd Pulham, James Pung, Mike Purdy, Kimo Rabang, Jim Trump, Rick Vidgen, Kerwin White and Alan Yamaguchi.

RECOGNITION

>> AT&T recently honored seven outstanding employees with the Spirit of Excellence Award: Auhea Ortiz, a customer care supervisor from Kapolei; Cateena Powers, a business sales manager from Mililani; Inez Cartajena, a customer care representative from Kapolei; Sharene Urakami, a retail district sales manager from Kaimuki; Shurhonda Anderson, a receivables management representative from Wahiawa; Suttina Millar, a customer care representative from Ewa; and Tisha Kalama-Kidder, a customer care representative from Punchbowl.

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Toyota begins building Mexican factory as sales grow

TIJUANA, Mexico >> Toyota Motor Corp. began building a truck-bed plant in Mexico, its first factory in that country and 11th in North America, as the automaker expands manufacturing capacity because of sales growth. The world's third-largest automaker broke ground on a 700-acre site near Tijuana. The plant is slated to produce 150,000 truck beds a year for U.S.-built Tacoma pickups starting in 2004. Toyota hasn't disclosed the cost. "This plant finally closes the Toyota North American manufacturing circle: the U.S., Canada and now Mexico," said Teruyuki Minoura, president of Toyota's manufacturing unit for the region, in a statement.

IMF to assess Japan financial system

TOKYO >> The International Monetary Fund will begin an assessment of Japan's financial system some time after September, Minister for Financial Services Hakuo Yanagisawa told reporters.

"I want the IMF to have a proper understanding (of Japan's financial system) by having sufficient discussions when a group of IMF specialists on microeconomic issues comes," Yanagisawa said, adding their work will start sometime "in the autumn."

The IMF previously inspected Japanese banks in December. At that time, the IMF said bad loans in Japan's banking system are "of increasing concern" and recommended the Bank of Japan ease monetary policy further to stem a decline in prices and boost the economy.

South Korea bank chief sees exports rising 8%

SEOUL >> South Korean exports will climb 8 percent this year, snapping last year's 13 percent decline, central bank Governor Park Seung said.

"Exports are expected to rise 12 percent in the second half and 8 percent all of this year," Park was quoted as saying by his spokesman at a breakfast meeting with exporters.

Exports shrank for 13 months until March as a slowing global economy cut orders for Korean chips, computers and other goods. A decline in exports helped slow the nation's growth last year by more than two-thirds to 3 percent.

Park also said the central bank needs to stabilize prices. He said earlier this week the bank should set "preemptive measures" to stem prices increases, suggesting the bank may raise rates for a second time this year.

NZ export and import prices fall in quarter

WELLINGTON >> New Zealand export prices fell in the first quarter as world commodity prices slumped in reaction to a global slowdown.

Export prices fell 2.3 percent in the three months ended March 31 after falling a revised 1.7 percent in the fourth quarter. Seasonally adjusted, export volumes rose 1.1 percent in the first quarter, Statistics New Zealand said. Prices of imports fell 3.8 percent in the first quarter while seasonally adjusted import volumes rose 3.7 percent from the fourth quarter.

Industrial production up in April for Germany, U.K.

BERLIN >> German and U.K. companies increased production in April, a sign Europe's two biggest economies are recovering from last year's slump.

Production at German factories, construction sites, utilities and mines rose 0.2 percent, after falling 0.3 percent in March, the Finance Ministry said. In the U.K., output advanced 1.1 percent in April, the first increase in eight months.

Exports from both countries rose in April, separate government reports showed. The revival in manufacturing, following a year-long slump in Europe, is helping to keep the economy growing at a time when unemployment is rising.