July 2007 | Small Business News
Small Business Views
By Sam Slom, President and Executive Director of Small Business Hawaii
I apologize on behalf of the United States Postal Service. Ever since the USPS raised its postage rates (again), the service has worsened. SB News (May & June) were each delayed. Sorry.
Those of us waiting for the Hawaii Superferry, Alakai, will have to wait longer; new start date is August-or later. The good news: Alakai arrives from Alabama this month.
Upstart go! Airlines owned by Mesa Air of Phoenix, topped its $9 fare with a $1 first anniversary fare last month. It was criticized by Aloha and Hawaiian Airlines (who laid off 100 workers). Alaska Air announced Seattle and Anchorage direct flights from Honolulu and Lihue, beginning October 12 of this year.
Hawaii Reporter's 5th Anniversary May 25 was terrific. More than 150 attended the whacky, fun celebration of the little media engine that could-and does. Billy Sage and his "friends" appeared at the Waialae Country Club. Eddie Sherman and former Congressman Ed Case were there too, along with Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform. Attorney William McCorriston, who subpoenaed confidential sources of HR's Malia Zimmerman, did not attend.
What? France and Germany now pro American after recent elections?
Recent State Senate shake-up a masterful political strategic stroke by president Colleen Hanabusa to help quiet the public's outrage and distrust of Senators Clayton Hee and Russell Kokubun.
Got Milk? Not on Oahu anymore with the closure of the Island's two remaining dairies, Waianae's Mountain View and Pacific (next month). That leaves only three Big Island dairies and their future is cloudy. Despite legislation, tax payer subsidies and a lot of talk, local milk production is going the way of sugar and pineapple canning because of reduced demand, taxes, labor costs, regulations, environmental costs, feed expenses, shipping and urban encroachment. Local beef and pork production may be next.
Anal? CKE Restaurants, Inc. (dba Carl's Jr. and Hardees) is suing Jack In The Box, Inc. for its TV commercial about angus beef and its possible location on da cow.
ABC-TV's "Extreme Makeover" of the Kalihi residence and keiki center, was wonderful. Possible only because the City relaxed permit and building requirements for the 7-day project. SBH's The Systemcenter, Inc., provided free office furniture.
Gyotaku Japanese Restaurant's Niu Valley opening set for October. Finance Factors, Ltd., a 50-year old Hawaii company, has opened a new outlet in Kahala Mall.
Upscale natural organic grocery chain, Whole Foods, will open its first Hawaii outlet in the former Star Market site at Kahala Mall next year. Star a 1961 anchor in the Mall, closed in March, 2007. Whole Foods is a Texas corporation that earlier announced another store in the proposed Ward Villages.
Varsity Theatres and TGI Fridays at Ward closed abruptly in June; The Garden House, a 60-year old Honolulu business, closes this month; Kam Bowl is gone leaving only 4 Oahu bowling alleys. C.S. Wo Furniture bucking the trend; opening in California.
Embattled American Savings Bank, a subsidiary of HEI, Inc., named in a $900,000 embezzlement and fraud suit by a 91-year old customer, Ada Lim, and a separate suit by the bank's former security director, Bert Cornell, last year, settled in late May. (The Lim suit was settled last September). No dollar amounts were disclosed.
The County of Kauai Council passed an ordinance banning any large-over 100,000 square feet-retail outlets on the Island, in order to "protect" both the community and existing Mom n' Pop stores. Kauai already has a Costco, K-Mart and Wal*Mart, but this act would ban expansion or new big boxes.
KHON-TV 2 and KGMB-TV, once owned by Emmis Communications, both sold.
Star-Bulletin columnist Charles Memminger has been named a winner in the 2007 National Society of Newspaper Columnists writing contest. Memminger, who pens the thrice-weekly "Honolulu Lite," received an award at a banquet June 23 at the group's annual conference in Philadelphia.
Governor Linda Lingle appointed former Rep. Mark Moses to head the state Office of Veterans Affairs. Mark will do a great job, as did his predecessor, Ed Cruikshank. Lingle also appointed 26-year department veteran, Clayton Frank, interim director of the state Department of Public Safety.
Top local literary awards to "Broken Trust" and the UH Press. Congrats to authors Randy Roth and Judge Samuel King.
Join us Thursday, July 26 at the Pineapple Room Ala Moana for the monthly SBH Sunrise Networking Breakfast featuring, you! It will be an open networking forum.
Remember Milton Friedman on Tuesday, July 31 at noon with SBH and GRIH.
Please check our website at www.smallbusinesshawaii.com for the most updated employer alerts and events.
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