Maui Business

Guam native Sean Perez has taken the reins as new finance director at Hawai‘i Community Lending.

Applications for the Hawaii State Federal Credit Union 2025 student scholarship applications are open through Feb. 28, according to an announcement.

Wailuku’s Empower Fitness Maui was recently awarded a small-business grant from the Human Rights Campaign, which supports LGBTQ+ business owners and strives to eliminate barriers to economic success and LGBTQ+ equality.

Hawai‘i Community Lending has new members of its board of directors. They are Kawena Beaupré, Jaclyn Kaina and Alapaki Nahale‘a. Returning board members are Billy Pieper (president) and Felicity “Kui” Meyer (treasurer).

Maui’s labor market is generally improving, although the county’s post wildfire disaster labor force and employed people have been declining, Chief State Economist Eugene Tian said Wednesday. In November, Maui County’s not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.8%, down from 6.8% in November 2023.

Good news for lobster lovers. Maui Lobster King has opened at the Azeka Shopping Center in Kīhei.

With visitors choosing to go elsewhere, Maui County can expect “slow progress” in its economic recovery in the wake of the August 2023 wildfire disaster, according to economics professor Carl Bonham, executive director of the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization.

Queen Kaʻahumanu Center celebrates this holiday season with 12 Days of Giveaways from Dec. 14-25. 

The Maui Volunteer Coalition for Recovery in partnership with the Ho‘ōla iā Mauiakama Disaster Long Term Recovery Group, is offering a limited number of complimentary POINT Pro subscriptions to Maui’s nonprofit organizations. This initiative aims to strengthen volunteer management systems and enhance capacity to support wildfire recovery efforts.

Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc. announced the selection of Kainoa Casco as Vice President of Land Productivity and Asset Management. Casco is responsible for developing and executing strategies to create value by increasing the productivity of unimproved land in West Maui.

Lahaina Cannery and Lahaina Gateway, West Maui’s premier shopping destinations, are welcoming a group of new tenants for the holidays – businesses that have been adversely affected by the wildfires and have been shuttered for nearly a year and a half.

Central Pacific Bank has hired Larry Panzeri as the new branch manager of its Kīhei branch. 

Applications are now open for a state-funded program empowering Hawai‘i-based entrepreneurs to develop their food products from concept to business plan and pitch, providing tools to grow and scale their businesses.

BIA Hawaiʻi has announced the 2025 Officers and Directors who will lead the association and the industry in the coming year. These industry executives hail from various sectors within the building and construction industry, including associate members whose products and services support builders, developers, and specialty contractors. 

The US Department of Agriculture has announced awards for 17 Hawai‘i projects totaling $2.6 million under the Resilient Food System Infrastructure program. The RFSI program is aimed at strengthening middle-of-the-supply chain operations and local food systems by supporting processing, manufacturing, storing, transportation, wholesaling and distribution of agricultural products. The grants include $77,896 to Maui Breadfruit Co. and $59,058 to NH Properties, LLC dba Haʻikū Organic Farm on Maui.

First Hawaiian Bank today announced that bank employees and retirees have ushered in this year’s holiday giving season by contributing a donation of $873,987.53 to 36 charities in Hawai‘i, Guam, and Saipan as part of the bank’s annual Kōkua Mai employee giving campaign.

Visitors to Maui island lag behind by pre-pandemic arrivals in 2019, according to a fourth quarter 2024 Statistical and Economic Report released by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

Here on Maui, 14 months after the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires, there were 180,609 visitors to Maui in October 2024, which was higher than October 2023 (134,493 visitors, +34.3%), but below October 2019 (238,043 visitors, -24.1%). Visitor spending increased to $388.5 million in October 2024, compared to $332.9 million (+16.7%) in October 2023 and $379.8 million (+2.3%) in October 2019.

Servco Pacific Inc. acquired Big Island Toyota’s Hilo and Kona locations today, Dec. 1, 2024.

Tetsuji “Tets” Yamazaki of Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa has become the first Maui hotel general manager to be awarded “General Manager of the Year – Resort Property” by the American Hotel & Lodging Association.