Posted on: Friday, August 13, 2004
BUSINESS BRIEFS
Nut growers protest merger
Advertiser Staff
Six macadamia nut growers are threatening to seek court action if the state attorney general doesn't block a proposed merger of the state's two largest nut processors, a grower's lawyer said yesterday.
Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Holdings announced last month it was buying the processing and marketing assets of MacFarms of Hawaii for an undisclosed price. Mauna Loa markets and processes nuts but doesn't grow them, while MacFarms of Hawaii is the state's second-largest grower and processor.
ML Macadamia Orchards and five other growers contend the merger would violate antitrust laws by creating a monopoly in one of the state's most important industries, said James Case, a director of ML Macadamia's general partner, ML Resources Inc.
Northwest to fly larger planes
Northwest Airlines plans to fly larger planes between Seattle and Honolulu in the winter, which would provide the most daily seats of any airline on the route.
The 273-seat DC-10s have 49 more seats than the Boeing 757-300s Northwest currently flies on the Seattle-Honolulu route. Hawaiian Airlines' 767-300 planes offer more seats per day on the same route, Northwest officials said.
Island Air adds 36 positions Island Air has added 12 positions for each of three new Hawai'i destinations in Kona and Hilo on the Big Island, and Lihu'e, Kaua'i, as part of an overall expansion of 155 new Island Air jobs statewide.
Except for new station managers, most of the administrative personnel, maintenance crew, pilots, dispatchers and customer service and ramp agents are unionized positions, a company spokeswoman said.
Firm reports better earnings
Barnwell Industries Inc. yesterday said third-quarter earnings improved to $1.19 million, or 85 cents a share, vs. a profit of $650,000, or 47 cents a share in the year-ago quarter. Correction: Island Air has added a total of 36 positions at its three new Hawai'i destinations. A headline on an item in a previous version of these briefs was incorrect.
