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Royal Tongan Air adds weekly Hawaii flight

Royal Tongan Airlines will start flying between Honolulu and the Kingdom of Tonga on Dec. 3, in a weekly service that goes on to Auckland, New Zealand. The flight, using a Boeing 737-200 jet, will leave Honolulu at 10:40 p.m. Thursdays and arrive at Nukualofa, Tonga, on Saturday mornings after crossing the international dateline.

Logan Appu, managing director and chief executive officer of Royal Tongan, said Honolulu and the U.S. West Coast are prime sources of tourists for Tonga and there is a Tongan community in Hawaii that will welcome the service. In addition, he said Tongan exporters are looking to the new link to sell their products in Hawaii.

Royal Tongan is government-owned but operates as a commercial airline. It also flies from Tonga to Sydney, Australia, and to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands.

Toshiba staff may face layoffs

Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc. has announced it will close a division of Toshiba Hawaii Inc. in December, possibly laying off some employees.

Toshiba Hawaii, located at 327 Kamakee St., employs 19 people in the photocopy and fax machine division, as well as another division that sells consumer electronics products.

Due to the recent acquisition of Hawaii Business Equipment Inc., Toshiba will close its photocopy and fax machine division on or after Dec. 22, with possible layoffs occurring, said Roy Nashiro, assistant general manager of Toshiba Hawaii.

Nashiro said six jobs will be eliminated as part of the transition, but he expects few layoffs will occur. Two employees have transferred to another sales and service department within Toshiba and three others have found new jobs, he said.

Toshiba America Business Solutions purchased four statewide locations of local office equipment dealer Hawaii Business Equipment in September. The acquisition was Toshiba's fourth in 2003 since it embarked on its expansion plan. The company said its overall objective is to bolster its operations by targeting large independent dealers in the top U.S. markets.

Gentry hires help to sell lots

PM Realty Group, a national firm with a large commercial real estate office in Honolulu, has been retained to represent Gentry Properties in the sale of the 21 unsold acres of the 122-acre Gentry Business Park, off the H-2 Freeway in Central Oahu.

Current occupants include warehouses, distributors and moving and storage businesses. The park houses offices of the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Better Brands and Paradise Beverages liquor warehouses, Zippy's and McDonald's restaurants, a Costco warehouse and other tenants and owners.

Skip Schuman, who recently joined PM Realty to head the firm's industrial operations in Hawaii, is in charge of the Gentry sales operation. Plots for sale range from half an acre to 13 acres.

Seminars focus on business of art

A series of statewide forums promoting access to art careers for the disabled is slated to begin in November.

Established artists and others with and without disabilities will discuss programs available and assistance needed for mentoring, vocational training and small business marketing in all aspects of the arts industry.

The forums are sponsored by VSAarts Hawaii-Pacific, an organization that creates learning opportunities through the arts for people with disabilities.

Forums will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Kauai Community College Fine Dining Cafe; from 3 to 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 7 at Honolulu Hale; from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 14 at Lanai High School and Arts Center; and from 5 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 20 at Maui Community College, campus center.

For more information, call Ann Katherine Reimers at 295-0648.

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[Hawaii Inc.]

PROMOTIONS

>> New York-based radio network Westwood One has promoted former Hawaii radio personality James Nagao from senior manager, entertainment affiliate sales, to senior director, affiliate sales. Nagao will relocate from New York City to Valencia, Calif.

>> Bishop Museum has promoted Nohea Torres to marketing and public relations coordinator. She will be responsible for supporting the museum's marketing and public relations efforts as well as special events and promotions. She most recently served as an education cultural specialist at the museum.

RECOGNITION

>> The Kirby Co. has recognized Honolulu's Ernest Materzzo and Sal Sorbera as operating one of the top 1 percent of distributorships in 2003. They have won every award available under the company's Challenge of Champions Campaign, a yearlong promotion in which distributors could earn prizes and trips for reaching their business goals.

>> Heather Moir-Dangler, president of The Moir Financial Team, earned the chartered life underwriter professional designation from The American College, Bryn Mawr, Penn. She provides expert advice and strategies for life and health insurance, pension planning, insurance law, income taxation, investments, financial and estate planning and group benefits. The designation is geared toward people in life insurance and related financial services.