BUSINESS BRIEFS
Event lets entrepreneurs have say
Advertiser Staff
Small business owners will have an opportunity to meet with elected officials at a "Pau Hana and Pupu" reception from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. tomorrow in Room 312 of the State Capitol.
The annual event is sponsored by the National Federation of Independent Business and gives business owners the chance to let lawmakers know what is vital to their survival as entrepreneurs. Opening day at the Legislature is Jan. 16.
"We established our Small Business Day event decades ago to give Hawai'i's mom-and-pop entrepreneurs a chance to let lawmakers know what is important to them before the session starts and in a nonformal, convivial atmosphere that better fosters understanding," said Melissa Pavlicek, NFIB state director.
The event is free, but the NFIB asks that reservations be made. For information and reservations, call Pavlicek at 523-3695 or e-mail melissa.pavlicek@nfib.org, or Kim Noble at 310-743-1626 or kim.noble@nfib.org.
GASOLINE PRICE GAP DIPS TO 16 CENTS
The gap between O'ahu's average prices for retail regular gasoline and wholesale regular gasoline fell to 16 cents a gallon during the week ended Nov. 4, the state Public Utilities Commission reported yesterday.
That's down from 24 cents the week before.
Lawmakers mandated the disclosure in hopes it will discourage unfair pricing after the suspension of controversial gasoline price caps in May 2006.
The average retail price before taxes rose 2 cents to $2.54 a gallon, while the average wholesale price rose 10 cents to $2.38.
The PUC's average wholesale price figure has been criticized as inaccurate and inflated because it combines different types of wholesale transactions into one price. Under the program, oil companies must file monthly and weekly reports disclosing in some cases crude oil costs, wholesale prices, gross margins and other figures.
ALOHA FREIGHT BUYS L.A. BUILDING
Aloha Freight Forwarders, a 51-year-old company that handles ocean freight and other shipments to Hawai'i from the West Coast, has bought its Los Angeles facility from Oakmont Industrial Group.
Terms of the transaction for the 83,527-square-foot building in Compton were not disclosed. Aloha Freight leased the facility on 4.6 acres in November 2005.
IMPORT CEO JOINS CASTLE GROUP
Castle Group Inc. said it appointed entrepreneur Robert Wu as executive vice president of Asian development for its Castle Resorts & Hotels subsidiary.
Wu, who also assumes a seat on the company's board, serves as chief executive officer for the Wu Group, a Hawai'i-based firm specializing in imports from Asia and business consulting about the Asia-Pacific region.
"The rapid growth we have planned has a crucial Asia component, and we fully expect Mr. Wu's insights into the Asia market, as well as his expertise in operating and building businesses in Hawai'i, to stand us in excellent stead going forward," said Rick Wall, Castle Group chairman and CEO.
TESORO QUARTERLY CALL ON INTERNET
Tesoro Corp., the San Antonio, Texas-based refiner whose operations include Hawai'i's largest refinery, said it will broadcast its fourth-quarter conference call over the Internet on Jan. 31.
The 5:30 a.m. call will be available at www.tsocorp.com.
