Cingular Wireless said it will spend about $22 million in Hawai'i this year on equipment to increase the coverage area of its wireless telephone service and improve signal quality.

New cellular sites have been added on O'ahu and the Big Island, the company said. In all, it plans to add more than 22 new cellular sites statewide this year. Last year Cingular invested more than $9 million in network upgrades in Hawai'i.

ARIZONA FIRM SIGNS ON IN KONA

The Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority has signed a new tenant at its research facility in Kona.

The company, Physics, Materials & Applied Mathematics Research LLC from Tucson, Ariz., will use the Big Island facility mainly to develop and test remotely-operated vehicles for use in land, sea and air environments. The vehicles are designed to carry sensor packages for data collection, imaging and processing. At sea, these capabilities can be used to inspect pipelines and other structures in situations that may be too dangerous or costly for divers to inspect.

S.C. RESORT GETS 2ND CRAZY SHIRTS

Hawai'i-based apparel firm Crazy Shirts has expanded with a second location in Myrtle Beach, S.C., opening a store at the Broadway at the Beach entertainment, retail and hotel complex.

The store is the 38th for Crazy Shirts, which has 15 stores on the Mainland.

NATION AND WORLD

DAIMLERCHRYSLER CEO TO RETIRE

DaimlerChrysler AG shares had their biggest gain in more than 2 years after the company said chief executive Juergen Schrempp will step down as head of the world's fifth-largest carmaker.

Dieter Zetsche, who now runs the Chrysler division, will replace Schrempp on Jan. 1, the company said in a statement. Shares of DaimlerChrysler rose as much as 3.12 euros, or 8.59 percent, to 39.45 euros and were trading at 39.25 euros ($47.22) as of midday today in Germany. The percentage gain was the biggest since Jan. 2, 2003, when the stock increased 8.69 percent.