Posted on: Thursday, February 17, 2005
BUSINESS BRIEFS
Keel being laid for Island ship
Advertiser Staff and News Services
Construction of NCL America's Pride of Hawai'i began last week with the setting of the first of 67 keel blocks at Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany.
The 93,000-ton cruise ship will be NCL's third U.S.-flagged vessel and is scheduled to be delivered in spring 2006. NCL's Pride of Aloha began interisland cruises last summer, and its Pride of America, which will be delivered in June, is expected to begin sailing the Islands in July.
Honolulu-based real estate investment firm The Gretzinger Corp. has purchased a Texas retail center for just under $2 million with a Texas partner, West Commercial Real Estate Services.
The acquisition of the Court Plaza Shopping Center, a 25,000-square-foot complex in Seguin, Texas, follows the local company's 2003 purchase of a Campbell Industrial Park warehouse for $1.9 million.
Hawaiian Airlines flight attendants have rejected a tentative agreement, with 220 members voting for the proposed new contract and 240 against. More than 60 percent of the 722 eligible flight attendants voted.
Representatives from Hawaiian and the Association of Flight Attendants were scheduled to meet yesterday for further negotiations, said Edward Gilmartin, the union's associate general counsel.
Robert Mauracher, a former executive with Air Jamaica Ltd. and Bombardier Aerospace, took over on Monday as chief executive officer of Island Air Inc., the company announced yesterday.
Former CEO Neil Takekawa continues as Island Air's president.
Island Air, which offers 84 daily commuter flights, began operating as an independent airline in May and is now Hawai'i's third-largest airline.
Most recently, Mauracher was vice president for technical resources with Air Jamaica and vice president/general manager for commercial aviation services and business and regional aircraft services for Bombardier.
Gretzinger buys Texas retail site
Flight attendants reject contract
Island Air now under new CEO
