BUSINESS BRIEFS
Gasoline hits $2.369 on Maui

Advertiser Staff

Gasoline prices in Wailuku hit a new high of $2.369 a gallon yesterday, according to the AAA travel club. That's up 2 cents from Tuesday's average price for a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline.

Gasoline prices in Hawai'i and nationwide have risen in recent weeks in part because of supply concerns and heavy summer driving demand. AAA started tracking local gasoline prices 10 years ago.

As a result of higher prices on the West Coast, California has once again overtaken Hawai'i as the state with the highest prices. California drivers were paying an average of $2.156 a gallon yesterday, compared with $2.086 a gallon in Hawai'i.

Verizon Hawaii names president

Industry veteran Melvin Horikami was named president of Verizon Hawaii, the company announced today.

Horikami, the company's executive director of customer response-West, succeeds retiring president Warren Haruki effective Sept. 1.

Horikami started at GTE, Verizon's predecessor, as an equipment installer in 1979. During his 24 years with the firm, he also served as general manager of customer operations and assistant vice president of customer care.

Hilo firm enters turbine project

The Hydrogen Renewable Energy Enterprise, a Hilo-based company, said yesterday it has agreed with International Automated Systems Inc. of Salem, Utah, to build an energy-saving bladeless propulsion turbine as a demonstration unit for the state of Hawai'i.