HAWAII

Online state business lists now available

A new online service that allows the public to compile and download customized lists of registered Hawaii business is being unveiled by the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

The new "List Builder " service, which is accessed through the state Internet portal, www.ehawaiigov.org, provides users with multiple ways to search the state's business database and receive a data file containing the requested records. Users may build a list using various criteria including 17 different organization types, zip codes and registration date. The program is available to users who subscribe to the eHawaiiGov service at a cost of $75 per year. The list costs 5 cents per record.

JAPAN

Japanese businesses head for Hawaii

Tokyo >> Japanese entrepreneurs are moving to Hawaii to set up their businesses, avoiding Japan's regulatory and financial hurdles, the Wall Street Journal said.

Many Japanese have found it difficult to borrow during the country's banking crisis, the newspaper said. The government requires companies to pay &YEN10 million ($81,000) upfront to form a business, plus registration fees, the Journal said.

Hawaii doesn't require the capital and Japan recognizes Hawaii-registered companies. Japan also requires joint-stock businesses to have four corporate officers, the paper said. Each of those officers needs to be reappointed every two years at a cost of about $3,000 each, the paper said.

MAINLAND

Founder looks to buy drug-testing firm

RALEIGH, N.C. >> Quintiles Transnational Corp. said yesterday its chairman and founder was leading a $1.3 billion buyout effort of one of the world's largest players in the business of testing drugs and medical devices. The announcement of Dennis B. Gillings' offer for all 117.6 million outstanding shares for $11.25 each sent the share price soaring nearly 20 percent yesterday to $9.96 on the Nasdaq Stock Market. It fell 8 cents today to $9.88.

The contract research company said the offer from Gilling's Pharma Services Co. includes a commitment for debt financing for the proposed deal. Gillings is Quintiles' largest individual investor, with a 5.5 percent stake.

Dude, is Dell pitchman Steven all done for?

NEW YORK >> Dude, are you getting a pink slip?

Dell Computer Corp.'s sales of personal computers have soared since the advent of the fictional pitchman "Steven," known for his catchphrase, "Dude, you're getting a Dell!"

But perhaps fearful of a backlash against the ubiquitous Steven, who playfully harangues friends and strangers into buying a Dell PC, the company said yesterday it is moving on to a new, less dude-centric advertising campaign.

"We're trying to look at some alternatives," said Dell spokesman Bob Kaufman, who said the company is currently airing ads that feature a group of eager interns. "We test ran some of the interns spots during the summer and got some positive reactions."

Kaufman declined to say if the "Steven" campaign was merely on hiatus, or gone for good.

Venture capital losses are still growing

SAN FRANCISCO >> Venture capital losses are deepening as the high-tech slump drags on, according to a research report released yesterday.

Venture capital funds plunged by an average of 27 percent for the year ending June 30, according to the study by Thomson Venture Economics for the National Venture Capital Association. That performance eroded from an average loss of 23.8 percent for the year ending March 31, the study said.