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X-ray reading firm eyes Hawaii

Virtual Radiologic Consultants, an on-call X-ray interpretation company, has chosen Hawaii as the site of a planned centralized facility to take advantage of the time zone.

The Minneapolis-based company released a statement yesterday saying it was actively hiring new physicians for the planned Hawaii facility, but offered no specifics on location. Company officials could not be reached for comment.

The company employs radiologists in the U.S. and overseas to read and interpret radiologic data distributed in electronic form, mainly after normal U.S. business hours when most hospitals' radiologists have gone home.

The company said it was expanding to meet growing customer demand and chose Hawaii because normal hours here coincide with after-hours on much of the mainland.

Businessmen win Bishop awards

Developer Bert A. Kobayashi and one-time Big-Five chief executive J.W.A. "Doc" Buyers will be honored at this year's Bernice Pauahi Bishop Awards dinner.

Kobayashi, with 42 years of construction experience in the islands, founded the Kobayashi Group, overseeing the development of residential and commercial real estate. He will be presented the Charles Reed Bishop Medal for "exemplifying the spirit and purpose of (Bishop) Museum's founder," according to a statement.

Buyers, chairman and chief executive officer of C. Brewer for 29 years and more recently CEO of D. Buyers Enterprises, will be presented the Robert J. Pfeiffer Medal for "dedication to perpetuation of Hawaii's rich maritime heritage and outstanding civic leadership," the announcement said.

The dinner and silent auction fund-raiser for Bishop Museum is at 6 p.m. June 25 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Tickets start at $150 and are available by calling 848-4169.

STI Industries sale completed

Optical-imaging firm STI Industries Inc. completed the sale of its government systems division to BAE Systems North America yesterday for $27 million.

The Honolulu-based company said the sale will let it focus on its medical research and development unit and its dual-use technology incubation division.

STI Government Systems is the largest of STI's units and employs 125 people in Hawaii. It provides technology solutions mainly to the Defense Department in the areas of photonics, systems integration and information technologies.

STI Senior Vice President Will Alameida said STI is not selling its proprietary imaging technology, which has been used by the Defense Department in anti-submarine warfare and mine countermeasures. STI Medical Systems uses the technology to detect cancer in cells.

A BAE spokeswoman said the company plans no staffing changes at STI Government Systems.