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St. Francis plans to cut 40 workers

St. Francis Healthcare System has notified the state Department of Labor that it will lay off 40 employees. The cuts, which affect nonunion and union employees, will take effect Feb. 1, 2004, for nonunion employees and Feb. 2 for union workers.

Statewide, St. Francis employs about 1,990 people. Most of the job losses will take place at the Liliha facility and will come from such areas as housekeeping, dietary, computer operations, business operations, maintenance and security, according to documents submitted to the department.

St. Francis spokeswoman Teri Tanaka said the hospital system has no immediate plans for any further layoffs, but will continue to review its overhead costs and pursue ongoing efforts to improve its revenue picture.

Tanaka said none of the services the hospital currently provides have been impacted by the cuts, and it continues to hire staff in patient-care areas such as renal dialysis, hospice and home care.

St. Francis notified its employees in a Nov. 28 letter.

Bank merger hearing concludes

A public hearing on Central Pacific Financial Corp.'s proposed acquisition of CB Bancshares Inc. ended yesterday with everyone who wanted to speak being heard, said Nick Griffin, director of the state Division of Financial Institutions.

In the day and a half of public testimony in the state Capitol, Griffin heard from more than 200 employees, customers and executives of both banks.

Griffin said he now has a deadline of Feb. 18 to issue a decision on whether the merger should take place. CPF, the parent of 25-branch Central Pacific Bank, has made a takeover offer of cash and CPF shares directly to stockholders of CBBI, the parent of 22-branch City Bank.

Such a merger of state-chartered banks requires DFI approval.

City Bank 'friendliest' to small biz

City Bank was recently named the top small-business friendly bank in Hawaii, according to a report issued yesterday by the U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy.

The report, which is designed to help small firms search for capital, analyzes bank-lending patterns across the United States.

The ranking is part of the comprehensive "Small Business and Micro Business Lending in the United States, 2002 Edition," the seventh in an annual series.

State hotel occupancy hits 71.8%

Hawaii hotel occupancy rose to 71.8 percent in October from 68.7 percent last year, while room revenues increased 6.7 percent to $96.75, according to a monthly survey by Hospitality Advisors LLC.

All islands had occupancy increases except the Big Island, where occupancy fell to 61.7 percent from 65.2 percent. Mid-price, economy and budget hotels continue to drive room revenue growth, the report said.

A separate report, done by PKF-Hawaii, said that Hawaii hotel occupancy in October was unchanged from last year at 70.7 percent.

HSFCU returns $1M to its members

Hawaii State Federal Credit Union, the state's largest credit union, recently returned $1 million in bonus dividends and interest rebates to members. The bonuses and rebates were based on actual dividends and interest paid from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30.

HSFCU members have received more than $28 million since 1996 through this bonus dividend and interest rebate program, said Deborah Kim, president and Chief Executive Officer of HSFCU.

The credit union manages more than $700 million in assets.

Grand Wailea Resort renovating rooms

The Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa said it is spending $2.3 million to renovate its 780 guest rooms, and has completed a $2.4 million renovation of its 52 suites. The hotel wants to bring back the refinement and romance of a bygone era, and interior designer Philpotts & Associates Inc. is shooting for a "Hawaiian Feel With European Touches" motif. The 18-month guest room renovation is scheduled to be done by February.

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[Hawaii Inc.]

NEW JOBS

>> William D. Brooks and Troy M. Miyasato have been appointed principals of architectural firm Ferraro Choi and Associates. Brooks has designed and managed the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority Gateway Distributed and Renewable Energy Center near Kona Airport and is project architect for the new Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in its fifth year of construction at the geographic South Pole. Miyasato's experience includes the Honolulu Design Center, health care projects for Molokai General Hospital and Kaiser Permanente; educational projects for the state and University of Hawaii; and extensive retail and corporate interior renovation projects.

RECOGNITION

>> A two-part article by Hawaii Pacific University Professors Gerald Glover and Gordon Jones for the Organization Development Journal was named 2002 Best Article of the Year by the national publication. Part II of the series on adaptive leadership also was co-written by former HPU instructor Kelley Rainwater and Harris Friedman of Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center in San Francisco. Glover and Jones received a plaque and a $2,000 cash award. Glover is an HPU College of Professional Studies professor, consultant and researcher of change and development, organizational culture and transcultural management. Jones teaches computer science and information systems at HPU. He consults in strategic planning, technology transfer and knowledge management.