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2 Oahu luggage stores to close
Two Hawaii luggage stores are in the process of closing because of a decision by their parent, Wilsons The Leather Experts Inc., to get out of the travel-related retail business.Store-closing sales were set to begin today at the El Portal store in Ala Moana Center and the California Luggage Outlet in the Waikele Factory Stores in Waipahu. The closing dates and numbers of employees affected were not immediately available.
Brooklyn Park, Minn.-based Wilsons is closing 135 stores across the country, representing the El Portal, Bentley's Luggage Stores, Bon Voyage and California Luggage Outlet operations.
The closings are being handled by a Chicago retail liquidating firm, Hilco Merchant Resources. Wilsons reported a loss of $17 million in the latest quarter and said its travel stores don't appear likely to rebound.
AUW awarded $200,000
The McInerny Foundation has given the Aloha United Way $200,000 in the form of three grants. Half of the money went to the AUW 2002 campaign. Aloha United Way 211, a statewide office that connects people who need help with those who can provide it, received $50,000 and the other $50,000 went into a fund for emergency food and shelter and helping the homeless.The McInerny Foundation, with Bank of Hawaii as its trustee, is a trust set up in 1937 by descendants of the owners of the original McInerny retail business. In the past year it has given $586,000 to families hurt by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist hijacking disaster.
Tourism study open meeting
Oahu residents will have a chance next week to hear about the state's sustainable tourism study and question experts taking part in it.A free meeting open to the public will be from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday in the cafeteria at Washington Intermediate School on King Street.
The state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism is conducting the statewide study to find out how to develop tourism in ways that don't adversely affect the lives and surroundings of Hawaii residents.
Representatives of the three major study consultants will make presentations Tuesday. They are R.M. Towill Corp., which is developing an economic and environmental model; Carter & Burgess, examining Hawaii's infrastructure; and John M. Knox & Associates, responsible for gathering input on the social and cultural effects of tourism.
More information is available on the Web at www.hawaiitourismstudy.com. Information meetings have already been held on the neighbor islands.
City Bank parent to pay an 11-cent dividend
City Bank parent CB Bancshares Inc. said yesterday its board of directors has declared a cash dividend of 11 cents a share for the fourth quarter. It is payable Dec. 30 to stockholders of record on Dec. 16. The company raised its dividend from 10 cents in the third quarter.In addition, CB Bancshares said its two primary subsidiaries have expanded their service capabilities.
Earlier this month, City Bank opened a branch in Lihue, its first on Kauai, and now has branches on all four of the major islands in the state. City Bank currently operates 21 branches. Also, subsidiary Datatronix Financial Services Inc., which offers item processing services to financial institutions, opened an item processing center in San Leandro, Calif., in October to service Northern California.
In other news ...
Fearing the consequences if United Airlines files for bankruptcy, a coalition of a dozen leading global banks is crafting a refinancing plan for about $7 billion in leases on United's planes, participants told the New York Times.
