Belt Collins buys water-resource firm

Belt Collins, a Honolulu-based planning, civil engineering, landscape architecture and environmental consulting firm, has acquired Colorado-based Love & Associates Inc., which will be renamed Belt Collins West.

Located in Louisville, Colo., Belt Collins West will specialize in storm drainage and flood control, water resource planning and management, civil engineering, water-based recreation, wetland solutions and construction management services.

“;We are very pleased with the acquisition and excited about the possibilities for collaboration,”; said Anne Mapes, chairman and chief executive of Belt Collins Hawaii. “;With the acquisition of Love & Associates, we are able to provide greater value and service to our clients locally, on the mainland and internationally.”;

In addition to its U.S. offices in Honolulu; Seattle; Boulder, Colo.; and Louisville, Belt Collins has offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Bali, Guam, Manila and Shenzhen, China.

Isle retail vacancy increases to 2.8%

Hawaii's retail vacancy rate inched up to 2.8 percent in the first quarter of this year, according to the latest MarketView report from CB Richard Ellis.

That's up 0.5 percent compared with the fourth quarter of last year, and also higher than the same time a year ago. While still low, that rate is expected to rise due to the economic slump.

Average net asking rents, meanwhile, went up 10 cents to $3.65 per square foot per month compared with a year ago, and operating expenses also went up in all submarkets.

Island Air flights on time 89.3%

Island Air posted an on-time average of 89.3 percent and completed 99.1 percent of its flights in February, according to data released yesterday by the interisland carrier.

The results would have placed Island Air second in the U.S. Department of Transportation rankings for punctuality behind Hawaiian Airlines and in the top half of the reporting airlines for completion percentage if Island Air were eligible to report its numbers. However, since Island Air is a regional carrier, it is not allowed to be officially ranked alongside the 20 domestic carriers.

Small business changes name

Small Business Hawaii is now doing business as SmartBusiness HAWAI'I after the name was officially adopted by the board of directors.

SBH began in 1976 as the Small Business Association of Hawaii, started by Lex Brodie, to provide effective advocacy for growing numbers of very small businesses (five employees or less) in Hawaii. In 1983, SBH officially became Small Business Hawaii.

On the move

» KilaKila Employer Services has named Myles Dias as business development manager. He was previously a senior account manager for Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii and has more than 17 years experience in sales, marketing, group health care, labor/union advocacy and communications industries.

» The Queen's Medical Center has named Valerie Heu as 2008 Employee of the year. She is a medical assistant at Queen Emma Clinic.