BUSINESS BRIEFS
Businessman Barron Guss honored
Advertiser Staff
The National Federation of Independent Business has named Honolulu businessman Barron Guss as the state's Solveras/NFIB Small Business Champion of the Year.
Guss is president and chief executive officer of ALTRES, the state's largest human resources company and professional employer organization. Guss was honored for his effort in lobbying the Legislature on behalf of small businesses.
"(Guss) and his team also work with organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce of Hawai'i in support of legislation beneficial for small business growth," said Melissa Pavlicek, NFIB/Hawai'i director.
Guss also was praised for his community work. Guss is a member of Parents and Children Together, United Cerebral Palsy Association of Hawai'i, Blood Bank of Hawai'i, Adopt-A-Platoon, Academy of the Pacific, Academy of Model Aeronautics, Rotary Club and Temple Emanu-El.
The NFIB and Solveras, a payment processing company, annually selects a small business owner in each state for special recognition. Last year's state winner was Harvey King, co-founder and president of King & Neel.
CONCRETE CORING ACQUISITION DONE
The acquisition of Concrete Coring Co. of Hawai'i by California-based Penhall Co. has been completed.
Concrete Coring Co. announced last December that it was selling its assets to Penhall Co., one of the country's top providers of specialized concrete services. The merger was effective April 1 and the new firm is known as Concrete Coring Co. of Hawai'i, a division of Penhall Co.
Established in 1969, Concrete Coring Co. provides concrete cutting, coring, repair and coating services throughout the state. The company also provides full-service demolition work.
John Neff, who served as president of the 'Aiea-based Concrete Coring Co., is now the Hawai'i division manager for Penhall Co. He said the entire staff was retained by Penhall.
MAUI BREWING WINS THREE MEDALS
Maui Brewing Co. won three medals at the World Beer Cup competition last week in San Diego.
The brewery's Bikini Blonde and Coconut Porter won silver medals, while its Maui Pale Ale won bronze.
The World Beer Cup Competition was established in 1996 and is held every two years. Judges honored the top three beers in more than 70 categories with gold, silver and bronze awards.
Founder Garrett Marrero and his wife, Melanie, run a seven-barrel brewpub at the Kahana location as well as the 25-barrel full-production brewery and canning facility in Lahaina.
PACIFIC OFFICE PROPERTIES EXPANDS
Pacific Office Properties Trust Inc. said it plans to acquire seven office buildings in San Diego and Phoenix.
The acquisition of the buildings would increase Pacific Office's portfolio by approximately 17 percent to 2.8 million leasable square feet.
These seven properties are among the 18 office buildings that Pacific Office has an option to acquire under the terms and conditions of its recently completed formation transactions.
Pacific Office Properties is a real estate investment trust that acquires, owns and operates office properties in the western U.S., focusing initially on the markets of Honolulu, San Diego, Los Angeles and Phoenix. Pacific Office is externally managed by Pacific Office Management Inc., an affiliate of The Shidler Group.
Shares of Pacific Office Properties closed at $6.50 yesterday on the American Stock Exchange, unchanged from Friday.
