Business News

Hawaii’s housing shortage now has a number — nearly 66,000 housing units are needed over the next ten years. What happens next? We get more from Pacific Business News Editor in Chief A. Kam Napier.

According to the state department of business, economic development and tourism – Hawaii needs a massive home building campaign just to catch up with the natural demand of a steadily growing population.  Statewide, the number is nearly 66,000.  On Oahu, almost 26,000 housing units will be needed by 2025.

Windward Oahu has seen a lot of changes in recent years. One of them is how much wealthier Kailua and Kaneohe have become. Pacific Business News editor in chief A. Kam Napier has more.Once a year, PBN ranks the 50 wealthiest zip codes in Hawaii – based on such measures as average home value, household income, disposable income, and more.

As you may have heard, one of Broadway’s hottest tickets is coming to Hawai‘i.  “The Book of Mormon will be arriving next year - but the logistics involved in getting the show on the road are already underway.  Pacific Business News Editor in Chief A. Kam Napier has more on the business side of what it takes to put on a show like this.  

October is breast cancer awareness month.  Pacific Business News took the occasion to explore the scope and scale of the women’s healthcare industry in Hawaii.  Here’s PBN’s editor in chief, A. Kam Napier, with more on what the paper found.

One of the striking points about the business of caring for women in Hawai‘i is how hospitals have invested in their facilities.  More than ever, they’re offering amenities geared toward patient comfort and privacy.

Healthcare in Hawai‘i is a complex and changing business. It’s also very personal—and interviews with a cross-section of healthcare executives produced a variety of information. Pacific Business News Editor in Chief A. Kam Napier has more.

Executives we spoke to represented major hospitals, such as Straub and Queens, community clinics and the health insurance industry. Here are just a few of the takeaways from a wide-ranging conversation.

Some of Hawaii’s biggest nonprofits are using a new way to fundraise and groom future leaders — youth boards.  Pacific Business News Editor in Chief A. Kam Napier has more. 

We hear a lot about how much it costs to live in Hawaii.  But how much do people in the Islands make? Pacific Business News has a paycheck report.  Editor in Chief A. Kam Napier has more. 

PBN and its parent company, American City Business Journals – Embarked on a national research project to find out how much money people earn at their jobs.  PBN focused on data for Honolulu and Hawai‘i, and offers some national comparisons.

Alexander & Baldwin, one of Hawaii’s oldest companies, will have a new CEO come January first. Pacific Business News’s editor in chief, A. Kam Napier, has more.


Chris Benjamin is Alexander & Baldwin’s current President and Chief Operating Officer.  When CEO Stanley Kuriyama retires at the end of the year, Benjamin will move into the top spot.  

Talk of development in West Oahu often centers on housing. This week, Pacific Business News surveys the state of business development in the region to find out where the action is. PBN’s editor in chief, A. Kam Napier, has more.

And the action is…nearly everywhere you look. West Oahu, including Kapolei, already boasts nearly 670,000 square feet of office space and the demand is growing. Looking at retail, we see a low 2% vacancy rate. That means developers should have no problem filling the three major shopping centers now in the works.

  Now that China has devalued its currency, what effects could Hawaii feel?  Pacific Business News looks at this from a couple of angles; editor in chief A. Kam Napier has more.

First, it’s worth pointing out that the Chinese yuan is hardly the only currency to lose value against the U.S. dollar, nor has it taken the biggest fall.  As many Menendez, an international business development expert writes in PBN this week: The Euro has declined 18% and the Japanese yen 22% against the dollar over the past year.

Industrial space vacancies are at an all-time low and rents are climbing. Pacific Business News Editor in Chief A. Kam Napier has more on what that means for local businesses.

If you need space in a warehouse in Honolulu these days, you’re in for a challenge. Vacancy rates are at a record low of 2%, compared to 7% national. And rents are up, too, to $1.17 per square foot, per month. That’s a six-year high, though it’s not quite as high as it was before the great recession.

This month, Hawaii Pacific University reopened its version of Aloha Tower Marketplace as a mix of dorm rooms, classrooms and restaurants. What’s the thinking? PBN’s editor in chief, A. Kam Napier, has more.

Hawaii Pacific University has bet 50-million dollars it can do something no one else has quite managed to do… make Aloha Tower work.

After three years of declines, the University of Hawaii has seen increase in the funding it receives from outside sources for scientific research. With the details, here’s PBN’s editor in chief, A. Kam Napier.

In the fiscal year that just ended in June, the University of Hawaii received 425-million dollars in outside grants and contracts supporting scientific research in a number of departments.  That’s up 33-million over 2014, or 8.5%, and is a nice reversal of fortune.  The University had only seen declines in the three years before that.

Chamber of Commerce Hawaii has just elected a new chairperson.  Banker Gabe Lee is just beginning a two-year term.  Pacific Business News Editor in Chief A. Kam Napier has more on what’s ahead for Lee and the Chamber.

Gabe Lee first joined the chamber in 1992 for the same reason a lot of executives do—to network.  Now, as American Savings Bank’s Executive Vice President for commercial markets, Lee is the Organizing Chair.  He sees his chief responsibility as one of support, helping the chamber’s president and Executive Director, Sherry Menor-McNamara pursue some big goals.

Bank of Hawaii is the state’s second largest bank and its president and CEO, Peter Ho, became Hawaii’s highest paid executive in 2014. What makes Ho tick? Pacific Business News Editor in Chief A. Kam Napier has more.

When PBN sat down with Peter Ho for this week’s cover story, we found frank and approachable, even philosophical on a few points. For example, we discussed the Ho family legacy.  Peter’s Grandfather was legendary developer Chinn Ho.  His Father, Stuart Ho, is equally well regarded as a business leader and a philanthropist. What’s it like to follow in their footsteps?

Continuing developments in Kaka‘ako remain a focus for many groups in Honolulu. One of them is the Hawai‘i Community Development Authority—which has a new slate of board members on the job for about three months. And they’re already showing they may take a different approach to certain aspects of the development.  Pacific Business News Editor in Chief A. Kam Napier has more.

There aren’t many publicly traded companies headquartered in Hawaii – just 16, since Maui-based Code Rebel recently went public. Overall, how are they performing? Pacific Business News Editor in Chief A. Kam Napier has more.

As recently as the 1990s, stockbroker Randy Havre offered a Hawaii fund, that is a portfolio of stocks, through which people could invest in all of Hawaii’s publicly traded companies. He no longer offers that fund. Due to mergers and acquisitions, the number of companies has shrunk to just 16.

Nearly 33,000 households in Hawai‘i have a million dollars or more in investable assets. That’s according to a study called the Phoenix Global Wealth Monitor. It also says that Hawai‘i has the fourth highest number of millionaires per capita in the country—trailing only Maryland, Connecticut and New Jersey. A new study by another investment group finds financial wealth in Asia continues to grow faster than in any other part of the world. HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia Minute.

Tech start-ups are a key part of the 21st century economy and Hawaii has a growing number of them.  As Pacific Business News Editor in Chief A. Kam Napier explains, getting this sector off the ground presents both challenges and opportunities.

Companies here in Hawai‘i and around the world are always looking for a competitive edge. Part of a successful strategy is picking the right location for operations. And for dozens of Japanese companies, that means considering a change. HPR’s Bill Dorman explains in today’s Asia Minute.

As many as 200 Japanese companies would like to shift some operations from China to the Philippines. That word came late last week, when Philippine President Benigno Aquino wrapped up a four-day visit to Japan…designed in part to draw interest from Japanese investors.

Non-profits need solid market research as much as any business. New data on giving patterns are providing just that. Pacific Business News Editor in Chief A. Kam Napier has more. 

The Hawaii Community Foundation has just released the 2015 edition of its “Hawaii Giving Study” and the results should be eye-opening for non-profit executives and the business leaders who sit on boards of directors.

Hawaii is a generous place. Nearly 66% of households statewide donate money to non-profits, while 93% give something, whether its money, donated goods or their time as volunteers.

 It’s been nearly two years since Alexander & Baldwin acquired the Kaneohe Ranch/Harold K.L. Castle portfolio of commercial properties in Kailua. As Pacific Business News Editor in Chief A. Kam Napier reports, one of the key analysts in that deal is now the executive responsible for developing those properties. 

Tourism numbers would seem to be at all-time highs, but a deeper dive into the data shows that the visitor spending may not be as rosy as it appears. Pacific Business News Editor in Chief A. Kam Napier has more.

How much would you guess a beachfront home in Hanalei sells for? If you guessed $11 million dollars, you’d be right. Pacific Business News Editor in Chief A. Kam Napier has more. 

One of Japan’s global brands is in some financial trouble. This week, the Sharp Corporation announced a multi-billion dollar bailout from a consortium of Japanese banks, along with an uncertain future. HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia Minute.

With construction cranes popping up all over, you might think the entire construction industry is booming. But that’s not entirely the case. Here’s PBN editor in chief A. Kam Napier with more.

Visitor arrivals to the islands continue to be strong. But as much as we hear about record tourist numbers, not everything in the industry is as rosy as it may appear. Pacific Business News recently spoke with several top tourism executives. Editor in Chief A. Kam Napier has details.

Japan’s “golden week” holidays are underway—and will linger until the middle of next week. While some tourists have made their way to Hawai‘i, financial markets back home have had a volatile week. HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia Minute.

When David Matlin starts his new job as the University of Hawaii athletic director on April 27, he’ll have some big problems to solve. With a look at Matlin’s background, the challenges ahead, here’s PBN editor in chief A. Kam Napier. 

 Honolulu’s rail project will bring changes to the city’s skyline, and some of its property ownership. The city and county have identified more than 200 properties it needs to acquire. So what does that mean for owners? Pacific Business News Editor in Chief A. Kam Napier has some answers.