Maui County merchandise
sales to raise groups’ fundsLogo items at a mall outlet in Kahului
are available for purchase
KAHULUI >> Anna Ribucan has a message for someone who wants to steal a street sign on Maui.
"You can have the sign with no guilt," she said. "You can buy it."
The Maui County Store, which had its grand opening last week along with the county's business resource center, will be eventually selling street signs, including the turtle-crossing sign.
Maui Community College's Center for Entrepreneurship is operating and managing the store at the Maui Mall in Kahului.
The store leads into the office of the new Maui County Business Resource Center, where people can receive information on starting an enterprise on Maui, Lanai or Molokai and also attend classes and receive counseling on becoming entrepreneurs.
Proceeds from the sales of county logo items will benefit the Maui County Fire Fighters Association; the Maui Police Relief Association; Hawaii Lifeguard Association, Maui Branch; and the Community College's Center for Entrepreneurship.
A percentage of sales will also offset operational overhead of the County Business Resource Center.
Proceeds will also benefit various groups and help train college students in business.
County economic development coordinator Lynn Araki-Regan said with the establishment of the resource center, the county hopes to send "a more business-friendly message."
She said the establishment of the store and resource center was a result of a public-private partnership with various groups.
Ribucan said the store will be expanding its selection of retail items.
Organizers say the store will sell firefighter apparel as well as county lifeguard and police merchandise -- items made available for sale by the respective professional associations.
For now the selection includes a variety of logo items, including coffee mugs for $4.99, some T-shirts for $11.99, hooded jackets for $65.99 and firefighter caps for $13.99.
Ribucan said organizers have not decided on the price for street signs or the selection.
She said she will be consulting with county officials, including those who know which ones seem to disappear the most.
Alexander & Baldwin is leasing the space at a 30 percent discount, or about $1.63 a square foot, said Kalbert Young, the small-business advocate for the county.
The resource center's Web site is www.mcbrc.org, and its telephone number is 808-873-8247.
The store's telephone number is 808-877-6669.