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Procurement center offers free help
A nonprofit funded in part by the U.S. Department of Defense is offering free assistance for Hawaii small businesses interested in contract work with federal and local government agencies.
The Hawaii Procurement Technical Assistance Center provides daily listings of federal, state and county contract bid requests.
The nonprofit, which operates with assistance from the state Office of Hawaiian Affairs with a grant from the Defense Logistics Agency, is the first Procurement Technical Assistance Center in Hawaii.
For more information or to participate, visit hiptac.org online, e-mail leticiao@oha.org or call 594-1939.
Power outage leads to Tesoro flaring
A brief power failure early Thursday at Tesoro Corp.’s oil refinery in Campbell Industrial Park caused the company to burn excess vapors in its flare stack.
"There was no significant impact to the refinery operations, product supply or to the surrounding area as result of the brief flaring. We are looking into the cause of the incident," Tesoro spokesman Nathan Hokama said in an e-mail.
The flaring was a standard safety precaution while repairs were made, according to Tesoro. Vapors, which are produced during the refining process, were routed to the refinery’s flare unit and burned.
The refinery is Hawaii’s largest, with the capacity to process 93,500 barrels of crude oil a day.
Call for ‘Marketer of the Year’ entries
The Hawaii Chapter of the American Marketing Association has announced the call for entries for the 2010 Marketer of the Year Awards. The organization honors businesses, organizations and individuals for achievements in marketing during the calendar year.
Award categories include overall Marketer of the Year, nonprofit marketing, e-marketing and marketing of a new product or service.
The competition is open to all Hawaii-based businesses, professionals and organizations, and the major portion of the work being submitted must have been implemented between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2010. Submissions will be judged according to insight, objectives, strategy, tactics and results. Entries are due Dec. 10; forms are available at amahawaii.org.
Japan approves $61 billion stimulus
TOKYO » Japan’s beleaguered ruling party passed a new $61 billion stimulus package yesterday that aims to create jobs and revive the country’s faltering economic recovery.
The new stimulus includes a wide range of measures, including aid for small business and regional economies, but Prime Minister Naoto Kan has repeatedly said the main focus is jobs.
"Employment first, employment second, employment third," became Kan’s rallying cry for the package, which has faced a tough route through a divided parliament.
Japan’s economic recovery is slipping, with the unemployment rate still high by local standards at around 5 percent. Deflation continues to weigh down growth — government figures released yesterday showed consumer prices have fallen for 20 straight months — while a strong yen cuts into profits from the country’s exports.
But a weakened Kan has struggled to keep the focus on the economy in a venomous political environment. His approval ratings have declined in recent voter polls, with wide dissatisfaction over the government’s handling of diplomatic spats with China and Russia.
