FCC OKs undersea fiber cable system

The Federal Communication Commission approved on Thursday a fiber cable system that would connect Hawaii to the mainland and to Southeast Asia.

Hawaiian Telcom said Monday the undersea fiber cable was connected at the shore in Hermosa Beach, Calif. The ship laying the submarine fiber is traveling to Honolulu and is scheduled to arrive in February. Then it will steam to Indonesia.

The $250 million cable system will extend more than 9,300 miles. Hawaiian Telcom invested $25 million to be an owner and operator of the cable.

“(The cable) will connect Hawaii to more than two billion people in the Philippines, Indonesia and Southeast Asia, as well as the mainland U.S., providing the infrastructure to launch new economic opportunities,” said Hawaiian Telcom CEO Scott Barber in a statement.

Nico’s Pier 38 to open on Windward side

Nico’s Pier 38 restaurant and fish market will expand to Kailua, into the former Pinky’s Pupu Bar & Grill.

Juliana Chaize, wife of restaurant and fish market chef and owner Nicolas Chaize, announced on her Facebook page, “I am so excited. We are opening Nico’s Kailua at the former location of Pinky’s!”

It will be the same concept as Nico’s on the pier, with the fish market, and they hope to open in March, owner Nicolas Chaize said via email Monday.

The former owner of Pinky’s, Richard Ricciuti, could not be reached for comment.

Pinky’s was founded in 2001 by Gene Gunn. The space was previously occupied by the Yum Yum Tree, and before that Pinky’s Broiler at Pali Palms Hotel.

ON THE MOVE

Bank of Hawaii has announced the following new hire and promotion:

>> Stephanie Nomura as vice president and senior portfolio manager for its Investment Management Services-Fixed Income division. She was previously vice president and investment manager at Central Pacific Bank, and has also served at First Hawaiian Bank and Oakwood Capital Management in Los Angeles.

>> Angela Tulak to vice president in secondary marketing from assistant vice president. She joined the bank in 2012, previously serving as an investor reporting staff accountant for GreenPoint Mortgage in Georgia and as an investment accountant for Investor Fiduciary Trust Co. in Kansas.

Suisan President, Chief Executive Officer and board Chairman Glenn Hashimoto has announced that Steve Ueda is the new president and CEO of Suisan Group Inc., Suisan Company Ltd. and Suisan Properties Ltd. Ueda is the company’s eighth president, and he is the grandson of Rex Matsuno, the former longtime president, CEO and chairman of the board of Suisan. Ueda has been with the family company since 2007 and has served in many positions, including distributor sales representative, buyer, sales manager for the company’s retail market segment and vice president of sales.

Morgan Stanley Wealth Management has promoted Grant Kubota to senior vice president from wealth adviser. Kubota is a certified financial planner and has also served as a certified public accountant for KPMG.