Construction Industry Still a Bright Spot for Hawaiʻi Economy During Pandemic
Diverse projects are keeping Hawai‘i’s construction industry busy and offering much-needed support for the state’s fractured economy.
Restarting Hawaiʻi
At Honolulu’s Airport, Only a Few Lei Stands Open Each Day
If there is an epicenter for business hardship in Hawai‘i’s flower industry, it may be at the lei stands at Honolulu’s Inouye International Airport. “I cried when we shut down in March and April. I couldn’t stand seeing this place…
New Job Requirement: Being “COVID Conscious”
Employers worry that negligent employees could endanger their colleagues and customers and damage workplace trust and company reputations There’s something new to add to your resume. Human resource managers and staffing professionals think being “COVID-19 conscious” should be a new…
Challenges Facing Nonprofits: H.T. Hayashi Foundation
Interview with Jan Harada, Executive Director, H.T. Hayashi Foundation How has your organization been able to continue its core mission? Our mission is to build a healthier Hawai‘i by investing in Hawai‘i-based organizations that are rooted in arts and culture,…
New Local Apps Will Help with Contact Tracing
Contact tracing helps fight the spread of COVID-19, but it is time consuming work that has overwhelmed the state Health Department. Two local apps designed to help contact tracers do their job faster and more effectively are in the works…
Interview: Kelly J. Ueoka, President, Pacxa
Please describe how and when you are conducting your return to your offices and other physical locations. Fortunately, at Pacxa, we have been able to conduct virtually all of our business remotely since mid-March. Our team is well-versed in providing…
Interview: Ron Prescott, President, TM Construction Hawaii
Please describe how and when you are conducting your return to your offices and other physical locations. Construction was declared an essential industry during COVID-19. All staff, both field and office, reported to work as usual. Of course, we complied…
Tough Times for Hawai‘i’s Lei
Flower shops and other floral businesses have been hit hard by the pandemic, but they’re innovating to serve customers – and hoping that flowers remain an important part of local celebrations and people's lives Parts of Hawai‘i’s flower industry were…
The New Abnormal: 13 Off-the Wall Tips for Working at Home
Office workers’ dream of finding a mute button for their boss is a reality now that they are working from home. Hawaii Business Magazine intern Chase Dalzell offers 13 other ways to enhance your work-from-home environment. 1. Use the…
O‘ahu’s Buses Are Crowded Again and Riders Worry
TheBus never shut down during the early months of the pandemic, and back then its few riders often had plenty of room to social distance – and faster commutes, too.
Interview: Isar Mostafanezhad, Founder and CEO, Nalu Scientific
Please describe how and when you are conducting your return to your offices and other physical locations. The employees that need to go into the office for hands-on work will do so a few times a week. And we have…
Interview: John Henry Felix, Executive Chairman, HMAA
Please describe how and when you are conducting your return to your offices or other physical locations. As a local health insurer, HMAA continued operations without disruption throughout the safer-at-home orders, and our office remained open to service our clients,…
Interview: Brian Yano, GM and Group Property Manager, Maui, JLL
Please describe how and when you are conducting your return to your offices and other physical locations. Many of our JLL-managed Maui retail centers, like Maui Mall and the Outlets of Maui, have tenants that offer essential services, and as…
Interview: Luke Estes, President and COO, Pono Pacific Land Management LLC
Please describe how and when you are conducting your return to your offices and other physical locations. We were lucky enough to be considered essential, so we have been working throughout this period of uncertainty. Our field crews and office…
Interview: Kevin Nishimura, VP of Operations, Hawai‘i Gas
Please describe how and when you are conducting your return to your offices and other physical locations. We reopened our customer service offices statewide on June 29 with limited hours Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Our…
Challenges Facing Nonprofits: Kinai ‘Eha
Interview with Josiah Akau, Chairman of the Board Of Directors, Kinai ‘Eha How has your organization been able to continue its core mission(s)? Kinai ‘Eha in Hawaiian means “To Extinguish Pain.” Our work focuses on extinguishing the pain of our…
Challenges Facing Nonprofits: Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke
Interview with Lipoa Kahaleuahi, Executive Director, Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke How has your organization been able to continue its core mission(s)? Our core mission – to provide youth with a way to learn that makes sense to them, that builds…
Yes, We’re Open: Tanaka Ramen & Izakaya
One in a series of profiles of new small businesses in Hawai‘i that have launched since the pandemic shutdown. Since graduating from UH Mānoa in 2014, Tina Wang says, she has dreamed of bringing her favorite ramen to Hawaiʻi’s rich…
Assets School Plans to Reopen in August
Head of School Ryan Masa describes the changes that will make it safe for students to learn Assets School, a private school with two O‘ahu campuses, hopes to resume in-person learning in mid-August. The school focuses on students with ADD,…
Yes, We’re Open: Rare Cannabinoid Co.
One in a series of profiles of new small businesses in Hawai‘i that have launched since the pandemic shutdown. COVID-19 raised stress levels as uncertainty spread across the world, and the stay-at-home orders that followed left people restless. Rare Cannabinoid…
Tech Entrepreneur Says Shift to Remote Work Offers Opportunity for Hawai‘i
Richard Matsui has moved back home and thinks others will do the same Richard Matsui, the founder and CEO of kWh Analytics, has moved back to Hawai‘i and thinks many others in the tech world will consider doing the same…
Interview with Martin J. Welch, CEO, HEMIC
Please describe how and when you are conducting your return to your offices or other physical locations. We initiated a three-phase return to our corporate offices, beginning in early May. We put extensive consideration into the strategy and logistics of…
How New, Agile Networks of People Are Helping Hawai‘i
Pandemic and protest. Recession and rioting. The first half of 2020 pulled no punches. Hawai‘i dodged the worst of the pandemic, and we haven’t yet had any riots, but the situation is dire. Massive unemployment, sinkholes in the state budget…
Building Community – Meal by Meal
Volunteers from Papakōlea Homestead, Y Fukunaga Products, Altres and Pili Group sort food for distribution to the needy through Feed the People HI. The program is a part of Pili Group’s Chef Hui, a collaboration of local cooks and food…