Steve Petranik has been an editor and reporter for almost four decades and now is the editor of Hawaii Business. Before joining the magazine in 2009, he spent 18 years as an editor at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and five years at the Honolulu Advertiser. He’s reported from six countries on three continents and his stories have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post and Los Angeles Times.
Conservative writer David Frum has stirred a hornet’s nest on the issue of immigration, and since that’s a topic that sharply divides Americans, I think it is worthwhile to dive in and provide local perspective. Frum’s article in the April…
Beverly Creamer’s Report on Health and Wellness covers a lot of important issues. In this column, I focus on one person and one issue: You and your personal health. Your health depends on a lot of factors, many of which you…
Creating a Best Place to Work is not brain surgery, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.
Business leaders and locals weighed in on their knowledge of cryptocurrency in this survey. Only 1% of local business leaders have actually used cryptocurrency compared to 52% who don't have a working knowledge of this payment form.
The original question was: How can businesspeople and their companies support Hawaii’s schools? That question brought together about 20 people for a brainstorming session during the Hawaii Executive Conference in early October. The answer became the Education Bridge, a still-evolving…
We asked that question in both the BOSS Survey of 350 local business leaders and the 808 Poll of 481 members of the general public. Here's what respondents of the surveys said:The bigger the company, the more likely a wellness…
Two surveys of local residents indicate three-quarters believe it is already happening. The BOSS Survey of 350 local business leaders and the 808 Poll of 481 members of the general public show similar results on climate change. ━━ One question…
If you, like me, are lucky enough to belong to the middle or upper classes, you may need to read our report to really understand the dire situation of these working people. But you don’t have to look far to find them.
The BOSS Survey and 808 Poll are conducted twice a year for Hawaii Business by the Research Division of the Anthology Marketing Group. Here is the methodology on both surveys. The latest BOSS Survey was conducted using a list of…
The latest version of the BOSS Survey, conducted by the Research Division of the Anthology Marketing Group for Hawaii Business in Fall 2018, talked to 350 business leaders from all sectors of Hawaii’s economy. A separate survey-within-a-survey was conducted with…
Most say their companies still performed well in the seventh year of this economic expansion. But asked about the near future, their collective enthusiasm is down. The BOSS Performance Index The Performance Index measures changes in employment, gross revenues…
A friend from California brought me a gift: two chocolate bars infused with THC, the substance in marijuana that gets you high and has medical benefits for some people. Except for the small red "THC!" flag in the bottom right…
Hawaii Business' most popular articles of 2018 were about outstanding people and companies and about major issues facing Hawaii.
Want to open a new restaurant or introduce your existing eatery to more customers? Maybe you want the inside scoop from some of the biggest names in local food. Whatever the case, you should attend “The Business of Restaurants,” a…
Companies often send me news releases about donations they make to hospitals, distressed communities or any of a thousand worthy causes. I wish I could report on all these admirable efforts, because they deserve recognition.
Hawaii Business magazine is accepting nominations for two of its popular programs: 20 for the Next 20, Hawai‘i’s People to Watch: We are looking for 20 people whose talents, accomplishments and potential set them apart as emerging leaders of Hawai‘i…
The anti-sexual harassment movement is assessed in separate surveys of 426 Hawaii residents and 443 local business leaders The question: Thinking of the current environment and the movement against sexual harassment, which of the following three statements comes…
The state Legislature is asking voters to approve a major restructuring of our tax system The state Legislature is trying to muscle into the counties’ main area of taxation, property taxes, and voters will choose Nov. 6 whether to let…
Kahauiki Village is up for a national award worth $15,000. Your online vote each day can help it win. Kahauiki Village, the community for formerly homeless families near Sand Island on Oahu, is up for a national award and needs…
If you are going to die in, say, the next 30 years and have no children or grandchildren and don’t care about the future of Hawaii, you can probably ignore our story on “The Cost of Climate Change.” For everyone…
A conversation about investing amid risk, volatility, tariffs, political uncertainty and the unexpected changes that will happen in your own life Hawaii Business editor Steve Petranik interviews Kaleialoha K. Cadinha-Puaa, CEO, and Neil Rose, president and chief investment officer, of…
Retired Navy Capt. Scott Kelly, who has spent more time in space than any other American, sat down briefly with Hawaii Business Editor Steve Petranik after Kelly’s keynote speech to the annual Leadership Conference. His comments have been lightly edited.…
I am often asked, “Where do you get your story ideas?” The short answer is from everywhere and everyone. I get story ideas when I walk past a construction site or a worn old building on my way to my…
I have been reading a lot of U.S. and world history as I try to understand a way out of our nation’s political divisiveness. What I reaffirmed is that capitalist democracy is the best economic and political system ever created…
Hawaii Business won 18 prizes, including 7 first place awards, at Friday night's Excellence in Journalism dinner hosted by the Hawaii chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Hawaii Business has been named the best regional business magazine in the country, beating magazines from much bigger markets such as Florida, Virginia, Dallas and Detroit.
Kahauiki Village is a great model for helping homeless families, but duplicating it will solve only one important part of the homeless crisis The state Legislature has set aside $30 million to construct “ ohana zones” – six encampments providing temporary shelter…
Now that you are done with your 2017 federal taxes, you may be thinking: How will tax reform affect me? We test local opinion with surveys of 426 residents and 443 business leaders. QUESTION #1 Do you think the…
Buy from these Hawaii Island companies to help support that island’s economy as it struggles with the impact of Kilauea’s eruption You can support Hawaii Island in this time of need by buying products from local companies. This website, operated…
Separate surveys of the general public and of business leaders in Hawaii assessed the effects of addiction. GENERAL PUBLIC WAS ASKED: Has someone close to you suffered through drug or alcohol addiction? The 266 respondents who knew someone who…
BOSS survey of 443 business leaders shows strong performance by local companies over the past year. What is the BOSS: BOSS stands for Business Outlook and Sentiment Survey. The survey of local business leaders is conducted twice a year for…
Paradise Helicopters, a tour company that offers flights over Hawaii Island, Oahu and Lanai, is helping communities affected by the Kilauea eruption. “Paradise is actively working with County of Hawaii regulatory agencies to offer relief assistance in coordination with ongoing…
When this magazine published its “Power Issue” in October 2009, we asked “Who Runs Hawaii?” The answer, of course, was complicated, but we managed to sum it up in a two-page chart listing the main players and in our lead…
In separate surveys (The BOSS Survey and The Island Issues Survey), we asked local business leaders and the general public about using taxis, Uber and Lyft. Both surveys were conducted for Hawaii Business in the final quarter of 2017 by…
The most important book of our time offers warning signs History does not repeat itself, but it rhymes and I hear an ominous poem these days. Franklin Roosevelt committed one of the biggest sins of his 12-year presidency when he…
The first significant federal tax reform in 30 years will provide major savings for Hawaii businesses and corporations starting with this tax year but the changes are complex and still evolving, according to a panel of experts assembled by Hawaii Business.
Immigration is complicated. It’s not a single issue but a thousand issues and factors mixed together, including diverse people, economics, crime, community, compassion, resentment, competition, inequality and so much more. There are two features in this issue that show the…
Most business say neither, but there’s a shift over time among those who see an effect The BOSS survey asked 402 local business leaders about the impact on their companies of visitors who use B&Bs and other nonhotel accommodations outside…
The BOSS survey examines what’s holding back your business Government Regulations The BOSS survey presented 402 local business leaders with five regulatory issues. They were asked if each one presented an individual challenge to their companies. Afterward, those who…
I feel trapped in a time machine that has taken me back three or four decades. Workplace problems like sexual harassment that should have died off long ago continue to flourish. In fact, the most persistent theme of history –…
