BUSINESS BRIEFS
RHS Lee fined $10,000 by EPA
Advertiser Staff
The Environmental Protection Agency has fined RHS Lee Inc. $10,000 for hazardous waste violations at the contractor's Pearl City facility.
The fine followed a May 2004 inspection in which the EPA "found the company failing to make a proper determination of its hazardous waste," the EPA said in a news release. RHS Lee specializes in grading, site preparation, excavation, demolition and trucking.
"RHS Lee Inc. also failed to respond to a release of used oil, store used oil in containers in good condition, properly mark the used oil storage containers, and store used oil in compliance with spill prevention regulations," according to the press release.
LONGS' KEA'AU PHARMACY OPEN
Longs Drug Stores held a grand opening of its Kea'au pharmacy store on the Big Island yesterday.
The new store is at 16-586 Old Volcano Road and is operated by long-time Longs pharmacist Dennis Niimi. The store will have full pharmacy services and a wide variety of over-the-counter medications and health and beauty products.
The Kea'au store brings the total number of Longs Drugs in Hawai'i to 36.
HOTEL CONSULTANT NO. 16 IN NATION
Hawai'i hospitality, tourism and real estate consulting firm Hospitality Advisors LLC has been ranked as the 16th largest independent hotel consultancy in the nation, according to the hotel industry's primary trade publication Hotel & Motel Management.
The ranking was based on a national survey conducted by the publication based on annual consulting revenues. Hospitality Advisors generated about $1 million in consulting revenues during 2006. The company provides strategic planning and research for such clients as Starwood Capital, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Halekulani Hotels & Resorts and Hilton Hotels Corporation.
BANANA PRICES CLIMBED IN 2006
Higher prices helped push Hawai'i banana sales up 7 percent to $9.8 million in 2006 from 2005, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Hawai'i's 2006 banana utilization for fresh market fell 4 percent to 20 million pounds. Statewide total banana acreage was estimated at 1,200 acres, which was 5 percent higher than 2005. Harvested acreage increased 2 percent to 1,000 acres.
The agency also reported that Hawai'i guava sales fell 7 percent to $1.1 million in 2006 from a year earlier.
Guava production fell 9 percent to 7.4 million pounds. Harvested area was estimated at 365 acres, 41 percent fewer than 2005.
A DAY TO SHRED YOUR DOCUMENTS
Finance Factors is sponsoring a free "shred it day" Saturday at the site of its future Manoa branch for people who want to safely dispose of documents.
Residents are invited to bring up to two standard-sized file boxes of personal documents. The service will be available from 8 a.m. until noon at 2955 East Manoa Road.
CENSUS WORKERS TO TRACK SPENDING
The Census Bureau said its field representatives will start collecting information in Hawai'i and nationwide about Americans' spending habits on groceries, clothing, transportation, housing, healthcare and other items as it compiles its consumer expenditure report.
In its household spending survey for 2004-2005, the Census Bureau determined Honolulu residents each spent $17,400, on average, per year for housing, or 31.7 percent of their total spending.
That compared to the U.S. averages of $14,586, or 32.5 percent of total spending.
FUTURE ELECTRICAL NEEDS ON AGENDA
Hawaiian Electric Co. will hold a meeting next month to discuss future electrical needs on O'ahu and to listen to public comment on the proposed objectives of its fourth integrated resource planning process.
The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. July 5 at R.L. Stevenson Middle School, 1202 Prospect St.
Integrated resource planning is a process established by the state Public Utilities Commission to forecast, analyze and prepare to meet electrical demand. The process helps identify resources used to meet short- and long-term electricity needs.
SMALL-BUSINESS WORKSHOP JUNE 30
The Hawaii Women's Business Center will hold a workshop June 30 for small-enterprise owners who want to improve their business.
The workshop will be presented by Bobbi Collins from 9 a.m. to noon at the center office, 1041 Nu'uanu Ave.
The program will include information on the top five mistakes business owners make, eliminating barriers to better business performance and how to develop a strategic plan.
Registration is $20 for nonmembers. For more information, call 526-1001.
YEN APPROACHES A FOUR-YEAR LOW
The yen traded near a four-year low against the dollar yesterday on speculation the Bank of Japan will refrain from lifting the lowest borrowing costs among major economies.
A weaker yen means the buying power of Japanese visiting Hawai'i is diminished when they convert yen into dollars.
The yen dropped yesterday after minutes from the central bank's May meeting suggested interest rates will rise "gradually," encouraging investors to borrow the currency and buy higher-yielding assets elsewhere, a practice known as the carry trade. A decline in U.S. stocks on rising bond yields may spill into Asian equity markets, helping the yen cap its decline.
The Japanese currency traded as low as 123.43 per dollar yesterday.
