Local Industry for Sunday – February 05, 2006

NEWS & NOTES

Financial-aid workshop set

• Officials with the Hawaii Association for College Admission Counseling (HACAC) and First Hawaiian Bank in a press release announced that a free, college-planning workshop is planned for Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School in Puhi.

Leaders at the how-to workshop, for parents of children in grades eight and above, will discuss college admissions and financial-aid processes for college-bound students and their parents.

College admissions criteria, selecting high-school courses, college entrance-test tips, rating and choosing a college, financing college, and financial-aid programs. All attendees will receive free copies of the workbook, “College Planning — A Family Affair.”

“As professional counselors, the members of our organization also know how difficult, intimidating and confusing the process of admissions and financial aid can be,” said Margaret Bailey, HACAC president. “We want to help families make college choices wisely.”

Hawaiian Air leads nation in service

• Hawaiian Airlines employees led the airline industry in on-time service, fewest cancellations, and baggage handling, and was third in fewest oversales, according to statistics contained in the 2005 Air Travel Consumer Report issued by officials in the U.S. Department of Transportation.

“Our employees have made Hawaiian the best airline in America,” said Mark Dunkerley, president and chief executive officer of Hawaiian Airlines. This marked the second consecutive year that Hawaiian earned the U.S. DOT’s top overall scores for service excellence, a Hawaiian Airlines spokesperson said in a press release.

“The DOT reports have confirmed once again that Hawaiian is indeed the nation’s preeminent airline when it comes to customer service and reliability,” Dunkerley added. Some 95.1 percent of Hawaiian’s flights were on time, way above the industry average of 77.4 percent, logged just 2.95 mishandled baggage reports for every 1,000 passengers, just 0.1 percent of all flights canceled, and only 38 involuntary denied boardings from more than 5.8 million passengers carried last year.

The total report is available at http://aircomsumer.ost.dot.gov/reports/atcr06.htm.

Sun Systems is no more

• Grace Pacific Corporation leaders announced today that, effective Jan. 1, their subsidiary, Sun Industries Inc., will be known as GP Roadway Solutions.

The name change will also include the Roadway Safety Rentals and Roadway Safety Service divisions, Grace Pacific Corporation officials said in a press release.

Grace Pacific acquired Sun Industries, the state’s largest provider of safety equipment, in 2003.

According to Grace Pacific’s President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Wilkinson, the name change will not affect day-to-day operations, and all 140 employees will be retained.

Ben Bauer, general manager of sales; Maggie Hamamoto, general manager of operations; and David Takiguchi, general manager of construction, have been appointed to manage company operations.

GP Roadway Solutions employees will continue to offer the largest selection of roadway, personal and industrial safety solutions in Hawai’i, the press release states.

With headquarters in Mapunapuna, GP Roadway Solutions will continue to operate branches on Maui and Kona. They also have contracts and operations on Kaua’i.

The sales region includes all of Hawai’i, Guam, Saipan and American Samoa.

In addition, GP Roadway Solutions will continue to offer signs and graphic services through its Peterson Sign Company division, and metal support through Unistrut Metal Framing.

Grace Pacific Corporation is a local, employee-owned company with 500 employees statewide. The company has asphalt-paving operations on O’ahu, Kaua’i, Moloka’i, Maui, and the Big Island, as well as quarries in Makakilo and Kalaeloa on O’ahu, and on Moloka’i.

Grace Pacific is the parent company of Puu Makakilo, GPRM Prestress, GP Maintenance Solutions, GP Roadway Solutions, and Niu Construction. For more information, visit www.gracepacificcorp.com.

Realtors’ scholarships available

• Leaders of the Kauai Board of Realtors recently announced that applications are available online and through school counselors for the Fifth Annual Scholarship Program. For applications and information, go to www.kauairealtor.com, or see a guidance counselor at school. The application deadline is April 1.

Bank of Hawaii earnings reported

• Officials with Bank of Hawaii Corporation reported 2005 diluted earnings per share of $3.41, up 10.7 percent from 2004; net income of $181.6 million, up 4.7 percent from 2004; and a dividend of 37 cents a share, in a press release.

Alexander & Baldwin results told

• Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALEX) leaders reported in a press release net income in 2005 of $126 million, or $2.86 per fully diluted share, on revenues of over $1.6 billion, with transportation (Matson Navigation Company) and real estate (A&B Properties) leading the way.

Cost-U-Less lists results

• Officials at Cost-U-Less, Inc. reported in a press release an increase of 2.1 percent in same-store sales (stores open a full 13 months, including the Kapa’a location), for the four weeks ended Jan. 29. Total sales for the four weeks ended Jan. 29 increased by 0.8 percent to $16.3 million. Full-year 2005 results aren’t expected until early March.

Millions of dollars in real estate moves

• For the first 20 days of January, some $51,095,008 in real-estate transactions were recorded on Kaua’i, according to James G. Pycha, owner and broker of RE/MAX Kauai, with offices in Princeville and Koloa.

Hyatt’s Gibson moves to Big Apple

• Gerard “Jerry” Gibson, a four-year general manager of the Hyatt Regency Kauai Resort & Spa in Po’ipu (now the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa), has been named general manger of the Grant Hyatt New York. He was at Po’ipu in 2002 when he was named manager of the year for all of Hyatt Hotels and Resorts nationwide, earning him a distinctive honor for which 12 other Hyatt general managers were nominated.

An active member of the Kaua’i community, he served as president of the state and local branches of the Hawaii Hotel Association, and was a founding director of the Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative. He also held the position of director for the Kaua’i Visitors Bureau and president of the Poipu Beach Resort Association.

During his time on Kaua’i, he also worked on further developing the newly “hot” spa concept. He led the $4 million renovation of the existing spa, to create Spa ANARA. This world-renowned spa was a first for Hyatt, and kept with the resort’s emphasis on Hawai’i’s rich culture, offering a series of therapies based on traditional Native Hawaiian healing practices.

In May of 1992, he was promoted to Hawai’i regional food and beverage director for Hyatt Resorts, where he oversaw the daily food and beverage operations in Waikiki, and on Maui and Kauai.

From Kaua’i, Gibson moved to the Hyatt Lake Las Vegas, where he oversaw the renovation of that 1,311-room property. In Hawai’i, Gibson also worked on Maui and the Big Island. He arrived in New York with 25 years of Hyatt experience. Gibson is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts with a degree in business administration, and resides in New York City.

Doane to add ‘chairman’ to title

• Charles M. Stockholm, chairman of the board of Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALEX), announced that members of the A board of directors have appointed W. Allen Doane to be chairman of the board upon Stockholm’s retirement as a director at A&B’s annual meeting of shareholders on April 27. Doane currently is and will remain A&B’s president and chief executive officer. Additionally, board member Walter A. Dods, Jr. was appointed lead independent director, also effective at A&B’s 2006 annual meeting.

Doane was named president and chief executive officer of A&B in October 1998. He joined the company in 1991 as executive vice president and chief operating officer of A&BHawaii, Inc., at the time A&B’s property-management and development and food products subsidiary.

Previously, he was chief operating officer of The Shidler Group, and prior to that, Doane was group vice president of IU International Corporation, former parent company of C. Brewer.

“Allen clearly deserves this recognition given his demonstrated leadership ability and the company’s excellent performance over the past seven years,” said Stockholm. “The board and shareholders also are fortunate to have someone of Walter Dods’ experience to serve as our lead independent director.”

Dods is chairman of Banc-West Corporation and one of its main subsidiaries, First Hawaiian Bank. He has served on A&B’s board of directors since 1989 and, at the end of 2004, retired as chief executive officer of BancWest and First Hawaiian Bank.

Stockholm has served as chairman of A&B since 1999, and as a director since 1972. He is managing director of Trust Company of the West, and serves on the boards of several of its foreign subsidiaries.

Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. is a diversified corporation with headquarters in Honolulu. A&B’s major lines of business include ocean transportation (Matson Navigation Company, Inc. and Matson Integrated Logistics, Inc.).