Local Industry for Sunday — August 14, 2005

• NEWS & NOTES

NEWS & NOTES

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• If you ever get the chance to hear Bank of Hawai’i Senior Vice President and Chief Economist Paul Brewbaker speak, do so. His presentation is a bit of John Kenneth Galbraith meets Groucho Marx with plenty of popular culture references, pidgin and wise-cracks to go with the numbers and knowledge.

Cruise ships calling on Nawiliwili

• Tomorrow, Monday, Aug. 15, the Pride of Aloha, 850 feet long, calls on Nawiliwili Harbor, arriving at 7 a.m. and remaining overnight, leaving Tuesday, Aug. 16, at 1 p.m. This Wednesday, Aug. 17, the Norwegian Wind, 754 feet long, arrives at 8 a.m. and leaves at 5 p.m. the same day. This Thursday, Aug. 18, the Pride of America, 965 feet long, arrives at 8 a.m., remains overnight, and departs Friday, Aug. 19, at 6 p.m.

Sheraton Kauai resort names new human resources director

• Sheraton Kauai Resort recently announced the appointment of Vanessa Schwartzel as director of human resources. In her new position, she will be responsible for directing employment, wage and salary administration, benefits, training, employee/labor relations, organizational development and payroll for the Sheraton Kauai Resort, according to resort officials.

“I am thrilled to be embraced by the Sheraton Kauai Resort ohana. I have been fortunate enough to have lived and worked all over the world, and through my numerous visits to Hawaii, I recognized quickly what a special place this is,” Schwartzel said. “I feel especially fortunate to be working for the Sheraton Kauai Resort. It is the employees who create the heart and soul of this property, and I love being so close to that pulse of aloha,” she said.

“Sheraton Kauai Resort is a fine hotel and I recognize that its management values the contributions of the associates, who constantly exceed the expectations of our guests. They embrace the fact that they are part of something bigger than their individual jobs, and I am very truly happy that the Sheraton Kauai Resort really tries to foster this kind of working environment.

The resort is located on Po‘ipu Beach on Kaua‘i’s South Shore.

Prior to joining Sheraton Kauai Resort, Schwartzel served as director employment development for Hotel Vitale in San Francisco, California, and director of human resources for Cathedral Hill Hotel, also in San Francisco. Prior to her entry into the hospitality industry, Schwartzel gained extensive experience as a human resources management consultant for Oakley-Goodyear Associates.

A native of England, Schwartzel holds an undergraduate degree and a post graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management from the University of Portsmouth. Schwartzel and her husband Richard routinely vacationed in Hawai‘i before deciding to relocate to the islands.

Filipino Centennial celebration receives $350,000 ‘gift’ from First Hawaiian Bank and FHB Foundation

• First Hawaiian Bank (FHB) and its FHB Foundation have made the lead gift of $350,000 to support plans for the upcoming celebration of the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the first Filipino farm workers in the Islands, the Filipino Centennial Celebration Commission announced today.

“First Hawaiian Bank is honored to participate in this important part of Hawai‘i’s history. The first farm workers from the Philippines who came to Hawai‘i worked in the fields 10 hours a day, six days a week — for $4 a week. It’s easy to forget how courageous these men were to make the long journey to a new home in 1906. When this year of celebration is finished, all of us will have a greater appreciation for the Filipino experience in Hawai‘i and what Filipinos have added to our fabric of life in Hawai‘i,” said Don Horner, president and CEO of FHB and chairman of its charitable arm, the First Hawaiian Foundation.

The bank is contributing $150,000 in cash and an additional $200,000 in advertising, marketing and other in-kind support to the event.

The Filipino Centennial Celebration Commission has announced a year-long schedule of activities and festivities beginning with opening ceremonies in December in Honolulu and on the Big Island, and ending with a closing extravaganza in December 2006.

The centennial honors the first Filipino sakadas (farm workers) who were recruited by the Hawaii Sugar Planters Association to work on the Hawai‘i sugar plantations. The first group of 15 men arrived in Hawaii on December 20, 1906.

The celebration, called “Filipinos in Hawaii: 100 Years and Beyond,” will begin this December and run for a year. On the morning of December 10, the formal opening program will be held at the Hawaii Convention Center. Highlights include a cultural tableau on the arrival of the first 15 Filipino sakada; an ecumenical service; recognition of Filipino immigrant waves; official proclamations by the Philippine representative, the Hawaii State governor, and the mayors of the four counties.

That evening, a commemorative dinner at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel will feature a speech by the President of the Philippines or her representative; recognition of surviving sakadas or relatives of sakadas; and entertainment by a top performing artist from the Philippines.

On December 17, the celebration moves to the Big Island to Mile 8.5, leading to Ke‘eau town, south of Hilo, site of the former Olaa Sugar Plantation where the first Filipino sakadas were assigned. The morning ceremonies will be highlighted by the unveiling of a sakada marker. That same day, a sakada exhibit at the Lyman Museum on the Big Island will be opened.

The Filipino Centennial Celebration Commission was created by a 2002 state law to coordinate the commemoration of the centennial anniversary of the arrival of the first Filipinos to Hawaii.” The commission consists of 15 members appointed by the Governor and representing government, labor, business, culture and the arts, and the Filipino community at large.

Cost-U-Less Inc. sees mixed bag in sales

• Cost-U-Less, Inc., which operates a store in Kapa‘a, reported last week an increase of four percent in same store sales (stores open a full 13 months), for the four weeks ended July 24, compared to same store sales of 14.7 percent for the corresponding period a year ago. Total sales for the four weeks ended July 24 increased 2.5 percent to $16.1 million, compared to $15.7 million for the corresponding period a year ago.

KIUC Launches New Co-opportunities Website

• The Kauai Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) has added to its Web site www.kiuc.coop; Co-opportunities Energy Services Plus, which will assist KIUC members with a variety of energy-related technical needs beyond simply providing electricity.

As an electric utility, KIUC’s primary function is to provide electric power to its members. But, as a cooperative, KIUC’s responsibility to its member-owners goes beyond traditional investor-owned utility services, thus, Co-opportunities Energy Services Plus was formed.

“We are excited about the new service that includes the various member programs administered by KIUC for both the commercial and residential sectors,” said Susan Stayton, KIUC board member and Chair of the strategic planning committee.

To view Co-opportunities, please visit their Web site at www.kiuc.coop.

HTA announces product enrichment workshops

• The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA), along with the City and County of Honolulu, County of Kauai and the County of Maui, will be holding workshops to announce the 2006 County Product Enrichment Program (CPEP). In addition, HTA will be sponsoring survey training seminars on O‘ahu and Kaua‘i designed to provide festival and event organizers in each county with the necessary tools to gather consistent and objective data about their respective activities. The workshop date and time for Kaua‘i’s Survey Training Seminar is Thursday, August 18, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the county offices, meeting Room 2 A/B 4444 Rice Street, Lihu‘e.

According to the HTA, the Kauai 2006 County Product Enrichment Program workshop is Thursday, August 18, 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the county offices meeting room 2 A/B, 4444 Rice Street, Lihu‘e.

CPEP was introduced in 2002 to create a partnership between HTA and the counties of Hawai‘i, Honolulu, Kaua‘i and Maui, to support endeavors to diversify Hawai‘i’s tourism activities in the niche areas of agri-tourism, cultural tourism, ecotourism, edutourism, health and wellness tourism and techno-tourism, while also fulfilling the goals and objectives of each county’s tourism program. HTA oversees, supports and directs the program, while the counties manage the day-to-day operations.

The survey training seminars along with the reports on HTA’s 2004 Major Festivals Program and 2004 Product Enrichment Program, which are available on HTA’s web site, are resources intended to improve individual operations and overall programs. In July, HTA conducted survey training seminars in Hawai‘i and Maui counties.

For more information on CPEP or the survey training seminars, visit HTA’s Web site at www.hawaii.gov/tourism, or call HTA’s product development program office at (808) 973-2258.

Kluger named director

• Hawai’i Air Ambulance today announced that Alex Kluger has been named Assistant Vice President of Business and Finance and Director of National Programs at Hawaii Air Ambulance. In this position, Kluger will over see all aspects of business and finance for the company, and develop new strategies to help meet the needs of Hawai’i Air Ambulance’s clients.

“Alex is an incredible asset to our company,” said Andrew Kluger, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Hawaii Air Ambulance. “He brings strong fiscal skills, a deep understanding of Hawaii’s aeromedical industry and an orientation for results. As a leader in Hawai‘i’s emergency medical services industry, we look forward to working with Alex to ensure that our clients have the best quality services available,” he added, “We are thrilled to have him join our team.”

Prior to joining the company, Kluger provided educational materials for Hawaii Air Rescue, an air medical transport membership service program offered by Hawaii Air Ambulance for all of the state’s residents. He also helped to produce the company’s annual reports.

Kluger also serves as the Vice President of Book Bank USA, a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of public and school libraries and specializes with educational programs throughout the world.

Hawaii Air Ambulance is the state’s only fixed-wing, aero medical provider. Its air-craft serve as an essential link between Hawai‘i’s geographically separated state, providing emergency inter-island transport of serious and critically ill and injured patients. With medically trained flight crews comprised of registered nurses and mobile intensive care technicians available 24 hours a day and 365 days of the year, the company flies about 2,000 missions annually.

Hawaii Air Ambulance has been servicing the islands for 26 years.