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Food distributor bought by group

Golden State Foods, a food service distributor and processor with a distribution facility in Waipahu, has had the remaining stake of its company purchased by a St. Louis investment group led by Golden State Foods Chief Executive Mark Wetterau.

Wetterau Associates became the full owner by completing a deal to purchase the 50.3 percent stake in the company formerly held by the investment group's five-year business partner, the Yucaipa Cos.

Golden State, an Irvine, Calif.-based company whose national operation is one of the largest full-line service providers to McDonald's, employs 48 people in Waipahu. Their jobs will be unaffected by the purchase, said Carl Guhl, distribution center manager of the Waipahu facility.

"It will basically be transparent to both the customers and employees," Guhl said.

Wetterau Associates and the Yucaipa Cos. acquired Golden State Foods in 1998 with Yucaipa as the majority stakeholder.

Hawaii Superferry to show off ship

Hawaii Superferry, which last month reached an agreement with Austal USA to have two high-speed ships built for interisland ferry service, will sponsor a visit beginning next week of a roll-on/roll-off catamaran ferry similar to the ones that will be built for future use in the state.

The new Spirit of Ontario, which is on a 16,000-mile delivery voyage across the Pacific from Perth, Australia, to its final destination of Rochester, N.Y., will visit Honolulu Harbor next Friday and March 6, Kauai on March 7, Maui on March 8 and Hilo on the Big Island on March 9. Events are planned in each port involving government officials, military representatives, community and business leaders and the public to view the ship.

Hawaii Superferry, a Honolulu-based company formed by veteran airline, maritime and entrepreneurial executives, plans to bring its first Hawaii ferry into operation in 2006. Each vessel costs about $75 million and Austal has agreed to invest more than $10 million in the venture.

Austal USA is an Alabama-based joint venture of Australian boat builder Austal Ltd. and U.S. shipbuilder Bender Shipbuilding & Repair Co.

Grocery strike nears end

Albertson's Inc., Safeway Inc. and Kroger Co. reached tentative agreement with union officials in Southern California to end the U.S. grocery industry's biggest-ever strike, said Terry O'Neil, a spokesman for Kroger's Ralphs chain.

No further details were immediately available. Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers union, which represents 70,000 grocery workers at 860 stores in the region, had been on strike or locked out since Oct. 11. Union ratification of the agreement would end a dispute that has cost the supermarkets as much as $1.5 billion in sales.

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[Hawaii Inc.]

Promotions

>> First Hawaiian Bank has promoted Christopher Borden to assistant vice president and portfolio manager of its subsidiary, Bishop Street Capital Management. Four officers also were appointed: Milton K. Asano to audit division assistant vice president; L. Kay Guffy to Kona Branch business banking officer; Iris Yoneda Iwana to Main Banking Center business banking officer; and Diana P. Wehrly to Bishop Street Capital Management senior equity analyst.

>> Hawaiian Host Inc. has promoted three at its manufacturing facility: Norman Kukino, from sales manager to vice president of sales; Dwight Harano, from sales department merchandising clerk to sales associate; and Pennylane Cabreros, from production packer to customer service representative. Kukino will direct Hawaii sales distribution, customer service and merchandising. Harano will monitor all merchandising and perform sales activities. Cabreros will fulfill customer orders.

>> Kauai Marriott Resort and Beach Club has promoted Donna Zeffiro to sales manager and Michiru Umezu to event manager. Zeffiro is responsible for hotel sales-related activities on Kauai and corporate clients belonging to the Kauai Chamber of Commerce, Kauai Economic Development Board and local social organizations. Umezu will work with clients in the local and Japan markets.