Business News

The future of worker benefits just might include free college. It’s a concept that is getting some attention on the mainland, and it may have a future here in the islands. 

The Howard Hughes Corporation is bringing back a familiar name for its newest developments. Victoria Ward was a leading businesswoman in Honolulu — with her community contributions starting in the 19th century.

While the Thirty Meter Telescope is the focal point of the protests on Hawaii Island, the existing telescopes atop Mauna Kea have been caught in the crossfire.

For nearly half a century, the Waiʻanae Coast Comprehensive Health Center has been a lifeline for the west side of Oʻahu. But it’s never been busier than it is now — and that growth is in direct response to needs in the community.

These days it seems most new inventions come in the form of software, such as games or apps for your smartphone. But at least one Hawaii entrepreneur is finding success with a more old-fashioned invention.

Low unemployment has been great for workers but tough on employers who feel like they can’t find enough help. That’s where some of Hawaii’s nonprofit organizations come in. 

Bookstores used to be all over the islands, and all over the country. There are fewer now than there used to be, and on Kauai there is only one left – the Talk Story Bookstore.

Workplace wellness programs have become a common feature of Hawaiʻi workplaces. And now the concept is expanding to help employees with aspects of their lives that go beyond physical health.

Big data breaches at major corporations make headlines, but small business are also vulnerable to attack—including here in Hawaii.

Mergers have been a survival strategy for Hawaiʻi's small credit unions. For a number of them, that has meant combining forces with Aloha Pacific Credit Union.

A panel of Big Island business leaders recently talked about challenges and transitions across multiple industries. One of the key sectors: the hospitality business.

The 2017 federal tax cuts created something called “Opportunity Zones.” The idea was to give investors a tax break by putting money into economically troubled areas.

Honolulu’s Blaisdell Center is heading for some changes—but not as quickly as city leaders had hoped. Pacific Business News has learned of a legislative speed bump that’s delaying the process.

In local real estate, the big news this week is two major purchases – at opposite ends of Oʻahu.

High-rises are high-profile but they’re not the only construction projects underway in Hawaiʻi. In fact, government and institutional projects dominate the construction scene this year. 

Economists at the University of Hawaii have done statewide economic forecasts for years. But now they’re extending that research to the county level.

Would you work 13 hour days, if you could have four days off every week? One Honolulu dental office is taking that approach.

The visitor industry remains one of Hawaii’s key economic engines, but what about the future? One need is to continue to develop a tourism workforce, and that was a goal of a program this month involving more than a thousand high school students on four islands.

A bill is advancing through the Legislature that would eliminate a tax deduction for Real Estate Investment Trusts.

Ten million visitors a year may be a goal for some, but it’s an overwhelming number for others. Hotel executive and tourism marketing experts sat down with Pacific Business News to talk about their current challenges and opportunities.

It’s been nearly a year and a half since a New York real estate investment firm reached a deal to buy the Turtle Bay resort. Several hundred acres adjacent to the resort have been preserved for farming—and progress is being made on that part of the project. 

The presence of women on corporate boards has been gaining ground nationally in recent years. It’s also growing in Hawai‘i. But in both cases, their representation on the boards of publicly-held companies still remains relatively small.

A new report from the University of Hawai‘i’s Economic Research Organization looks at Hawaii’s 2019 economic forecast. The report sees growth, but less of it.

A leading commercial real estate firm says 2018 was a good year for the sector in Hawai‘i. And this year is likely to be one of change.

Long-time hotel executive Christopher Tatum is the new head of the Hawaii Tourism Authority. He’s got some plans for a new direction.

There’s a non-profit group on O‘ahu that’s renovating a pair of buildings to serve as a shelter for young girls. It needed some assistance with design and construction — and another local group stepped up to help.

One of the biggest challenges for a successful small business is knowing when and how to hand it over to new owners. PBN editor A. Kam Napier has more on how Hawaiʻi’s small businesses should approach succession planning.

The retail sector is a key part of Hawai‘i’s economy — both for sales and for jobs. 2018 was a year of modest growth — and industry leaders expect certain trends to continue in the year ahead.

Kauaʻi’s electrical utility has a different history from the rest of the islands and different opportunities. Pacific Business News editor in chief A. Kam Napier has more on what that has meant for its customer-owners.