BACK TO TOP |
Silicon Valley Bank joins HiBEAM
Silicon Valley Bank will become a member of The Hawaii Business and Entrepreneur Acceleration Mentors program. HiBEAM is a nonprofit organization that helps early-stage Hawaii technology companies grow and attract funding. The bank will provide HiBEAM portfolio companies with strategic and financial advice and access to potential partners as well as funding sources.
AARP seeking tax volunteers
AARP is looking for volunteers for its Tax Aide program, the free income tax counseling service for moderate- and low-income tax payers, and those 60 years and older.Volunteer tax counselors prepare basic state and federal income tax forms, including itemized deductions and income from interest, dividends and sale of stock. The service helped more than 14,794 people on Oahu and the neighbor islands last year. Deadline for 2003 is Nov. 20. For more information, or to sign up, contact Gene Haynes at 678-3043.
HMSA maintains A-plus rating
Standard & Poor's said yesterday that local insurer Hawaii Medical Service Association will maintain its "A-plus" credit rating. S&P said the outlook for the company is stable and its enrollment is expected to remain stable this year and in 2003. "HMSA is well positioned to maintain its market position in providing health insurance products and services," said S&P analyst Philip Tsang.But the report also took note that Hawaii's rate regulation legislation goes into effect Jan. 1. Over the next several months, S&P will monitor and assess its impact on HMSA's prospective financial profile, the report said.
Anzai picks law firm finalists for tax lawsuit
State Attorney General Earl Anzai said he has narrowed his selection of law firms to pursue a tax-fraud case against ChevronTexaco Corp. to five candidates. Anzai yesterday disclosed a list of the 16 firms that have shown an interest in making a case, including local firms Koshiba Agena & Kubota, Cronin Fried Sekiya Kekina & Fairbanks, and the offices of Michael Jay Green.
'Aloha Guide' picked as an HVCB official book
The Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau has selected the pocket-size "Aloha Guide" books as the official guide of its developing international markets division. Publisher Ted Sturdivant said the name of the publication will change to "Islands of Aloha," a title owned by the bureau.The books, published biannually in English, Korean, Spanish, Chinese and German, are distributed in foreign countries.
McDonald's to close stores, eliminate jobs
CHICAGO >> McDonald's Corp. announced today that it will cease operations in three Middle Eastern and Latin American nations, restructure its holdings in four more, eliminate up to 600 jobs and close about 175 restaurants in 10 other countries.The company is struggling with a crowded restaurant market, complaints about service and a depressed stock price. McDonald's says it expects the moves to reduce its fourth quarter pretax income by up to $425 million.
The company did not name the seven countries in which it will cease or restructure operations. McDonald's says of the jobs it will eliminate, 200 to 250 are based in the United States. The company has more than 13,300 U.S. stores and more than 30,000 worldwide.
[Hawaii Inc.]
NEW JOBS
>> Aston Hawaii has named Julie Takeguchi director of e-commerce, a new position. Her duties include formulating strategies and action plans to increase sales for astonhotels.com, handling online wholesalers and their extranet systems and developing new online marketing programs. She most recently worked at Boston's Pinnacle Advisory Group as a valuation services/real estate appraisals consultant.>> Brendon Lee has been named circulation manager for This Week Magazines. He will manage the circulation staff, maintain more than 1,000 distribution locations statewide, and create and implement distribution programs for all of the company's nine major magazines.
>> Benjamin Kekuna has been hired as account director for The Orchid at Mauna Lani resort hotel. He will be responsible for East Coast, Australian and European groups and groups of 26 rooms or more from Hawaii. He was formerly director of group sales at the Sheraton Kauai Resort and has more than 25 years of hotel operations and sales experience.
PROMOTIONS
>> Harold Sugiyama has been promoted to the position of Hilo office manager for M&E Pacific Inc. He will be responsible for coordinating all Big Island projects for the firm. Sugiyama has more than 40 years of experience in wastewater and civil engineering and in managing construction projects in Hawaii. He previously ran M&E Pacific's Construction Management Division on the Big Island. M&E Pacific Inc. is a Hawaii consulting engineering firm.
