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HAWAII

Maui hotels pick new champion

WAILUKU >> The Maui Hotel Association has selected Ululani Correa as its new executive director.

Correa succeeds Terryl Vencl, who has been named as the new executive director of the Maui Visitors Bureau.

Correa, 51, who has served as executive assistant to the general manager of the Maui Prince Hotel, will assume her new position Aug. 28. The association's membership includes 40 hotels and condominium properties and 100 businesses.

Association board Chairman Barry Lewin said Correa has established key industry relationships on Maui and across the state.

Correa will be responsible for lobbying on behalf of the association, community relations and organizing industry community events, such as the annual Charity Walk and Kupuna Christmas Dinner. Correa said she intends to strengthen participation among members.

Hawaii firm sues to get paid

Hawaii architectural firm Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo Inc. has filed a lien against The Pyramid Cos., claiming it is owed more than $300,000 for work on Pyramid's proposed $2.2 billion megamall project.

Officials for both Pyramid, a Syracuse, N.Y.-based regional mall developer, and WATG told The Post-Standard of Syracuse that the companies were close to resolving the dispute.

WATG said Pyramid owes $309,492 for architectural services and plans for Destiny USA.

Pyramid executive Michael Lorenz told the newspaper that Pyramid withheld payment because it was not satisfied with the firm's work. Wimberly was hired to develop a master plan for Destiny's hotels and resort features.

If built, Destiny USA would supplant Mall of America in Minnesota as the nation's largest retail and entertainment complex. Pyramid is still considering whether to build Destiny in Syracuse or elsewhere.

However, the project has stalled and its future is unclear after Pyramid failed to get New York lawmakers' approval for about $630 million in development incentives and tax credits.

Marc Resorts invests in local hotels

Marc Resorts Hawaii said it is overseeing nearly $4 million in investments to four of its managed properties on Oahu, the Island Colony-A Marc Suite, Diamond Head Beach Hotel, Waikiki Royal Suites and Marc Suites Waikiki.

The renovations are expected to be done by next year.

Marc Resorts represents 14 properties in Hawaii.

Outrigger renovation wrapping up

A $15 million room renovation at the 530-room beachfront Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach wraps up in November, ending a comprehensive 14-month project.

Renovations include new furnishings, carpeting, wall coverings and fabrics. Oversized whirlpool bathtubs were installed in 15 oceanfront rooms.

Hotel officials said the new designs and materials were picked to reflect the historical and cultural heritage of Waikiki and the property, which is part of the nonprofit Queen Emma Foundation.

The hotel, built in 1967, is owned and managed by Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, which operates or is developing a total of 49 hotels and resorts in Hawaii, Australia, Micronesia and the South Pacific.

Online sales surge for Hilo Hattie

Hilo Hattie, which has operated its Web site www.HiloHattie.com since 1997, says its online businesses is soaring. Sales through July 31 this year were up 86 percent compared to the same time last year, the retailer of Hawaii-related clothing and gifts said.

So far, 100,000 customers of the Web site have signed up for membership in the HiloHattie.com email database, said Paul DeVille, Hilo Hattie president and chief executive officer.

Hilo Hattie, an island retailer since 1963, revamped its Web site two years ago and sales began to climb, the company said.

ELSEWHERE

Taco Bell settles with ex-workers for $1.5 mil

PORTLAND, Ore. >> Taco Bell reached a $1.5 million settlement yesterday with about 1,000 former employees who sued the fast-food chain six years ago, claiming overtime and meal break violations.

The employees will be paid an amount of the settlement based on their length of employment at Taco Bell, said India Simmons, a spokes-woman for PR Ink, a public relations firm representing the plaintiffs.

The company did not acknowledge any wrongdoing with the settlement.

The lawsuit, filed in 1997, was certified as a class-action suit in 1999, with 13,000 former employees from about 45 Oregon Taco Bell stores participating, Simmons said.

Just under 1,000 employees submitted a claim in Multnomah County Circuit Court, making them eligible for the settlement, said Paul Breed, the plaintiffs' attorney.

Dairy, specialty units boost Dean's earnings

DALLAS >> Dean Foods Co., the country's largest dairy distributor, said yesterday its second-quarter earnings rose 14 percent as improved operating results in its dairy and specialty-foods businesses offset weaker profit margins at a division that makes coffee creamer and other stable products.

Dean, based in Dallas, reported net income of $83.8 million, or 60 cents a share, up from $73.2 million, or 54 cents a share, a year earlier.

All per-share figures are adjusted to reflect a 3-for-2 reverse stock split completed on June 9.

Results for the latest period include a charge of $1.9 million for the closure of an ice cream plant in Hawaii, while the 2002 period included $3.3 million in restructuring charges and a small loss related to a discontinued business in Puerto Rico.

Revenue fell 3.2 percent to $2.22 billion from $2.3 billion.

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[ Taking notice ]

New jobs

>> Patrick J. Monahan has joined Diagnostic Laboratory Services in the newly created position of vice president for strategic projects and vendor relations. Rebecca S. Roberts has been hired as vice president of finance. Monahan was most recently a consultant with Mattice & Associates, a medical laboratory consulting firm in Vancouver, Wash. He has consulted for Diagnostic Laboratory Services for several years. Over the past 12 years, Roberts held various positions, including controller and treasurer with Queen's Health Systems affiliates. Diagnostic Laboratory Services is a medical testing laboratory.

>> Todd Hedrick has returned to Colliers Monroe & Friedlander as vice president of its newly created shopping center division. He will oversee the leasing and management responsibilities for all managed shopping centers. Hedrick will also consolidate the firm's shopping center leasing and management employees into cohesive teams. He started his career in 1990 with Landmark Property Corp., overseeing properties such as Restaurant Row and Manoa Marketplace, and was most recently general manager of Aloha Tower Marketplace. He first joined Colliers in 1994 as a retail leasing agent.

>> Stryker Weiner & Yokota Public Relations Inc. recently hired Molly Sheehan as an account executive for its corporate and public affairs division. Her responsibilities include event planning, crisis communications, issues management and media relations. Sheehan was most recently an assistant account executive at Karen May Communications in Highland Park, Ill.