BUSINESS BRIEFS
SBA award nominations sought
Advertiser Staff and News Services
The U.S. Small Business Administration is accepting nominations for its 2008 SBA Small Business Awards.
The SBA will present awards in 13 categories, and for the first time businesses or individuals who received an award more than five years ago may be nominated again. The deadline to submit a nomination is Nov. 19.
Nominations will be awarded in the following categories: Small Business Person of the Year, Family Owned Small Business, Small Business Exporter, Entrepreneurial Success, Minority Small Business Champion, Women in Business Champion, Veteran Small Business Champion, Small Business Journalist, Financial Services Champion and Home Based Business Champion.
For more information on how to submit a nomination, see www.hwbc.org.
HOTEL WORKERS TO RALLY TO KEEP JOBS
Unionized employees at the Pacific Beach Hotel will rally outside the hotel this afternoon to encourage the hotel to rehire all employees when management of the property switches hands Dec. 1.
The rally is expected to draw many of the hotel's 450 union employees and other supporters. The workers are represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142.
In August, HTH Corp., owner of the 837-room Waikiki hotel, announced that it was ending its contract with PBH Management LLC to manage the property effective Dec. 1. Operations of the hotel will return to HTH Corp. through its management affiliate, Pacific Beach Corp.
All employees were given notice that they will be laid off on that date and the hotel has yet to say how many of the current employees will be rehired.
The hotel recently announced that it was closing the Shogun Restaurant also on Dec. 1.
UNITED AIR ALSO RAISING FARES $10
United Airlines today joined the five largest U.S. carriers in raising round-trip fares $10 in response to higher fuel costs.
Delta Air Lines Inc., Continental Airlines Inc., Northwest Airlines Corp. and US Airways Group Inc. adopted the increase last weekend after it was initiated by AMR Corp.'s American Airlines, the world's largest carrier.
It's the seventh time this year that so-called legacy airlines such as American have boosted ticket prices.
CARGO COMPANY FILES FOR CHAPTER 11
Kitty Hawk Inc., a Texas-based cargo company that services North America and Hawai'i, filed to reorganize its finances through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
The company said it intends to operate all of its air and ground networks and conduct business as usual during the bankruptcy process.
HMSA UPDATES HEALTH WEB SITE
Members of the Hawaii Medical Service Association have direct access to information on their own health plan plus other health and wellness information on the medical insurer's updated Web site. The site is at www.hmsa.com.
HMSA said the improved site also allows members with prescription drug coverage to enter a specific drug name to see descriptions and medication interactions.
More comprehensive health and wellness information is being provided though WebMD, an online source of health information.
