Big Isle dispensary rebrands with new name

A Hawaii Island marijuana dispensary still trying to get off the ground is rebranding itself after losing its chief executive and starting growing operations.

Lau Ola LLC, one of two licensed medical marijuana companies on the island, said Monday that it will operate under a new name: Big Island Grown (B.I.G.) Dispensaries. The business was started by former isle farmer Richard Ha, who resigned last month two weeks after the state gave the startup approval to begin growing pakalolo. The company is searching for a new CEO.

“Our company is deeply rooted in local and sustainable agriculture and we wanted our name and brand to reflect that,” said Dylan Shropshire, chief production officer, in a news release. “This rebrand can help us reach our goal of becoming the best cannabis company in Hawaii and recognized on a global scale for clean, reliable, lab-tested cannabis medicine that is of the highest quality.”

The company said it is positioning itself for future opportunities for retail merchandise and other areas it can expand Big Island Grown.

“The mission and values of the company are very much the same,” said spokeswoman Jaclyn Moore, adding that three dispensaries in Hilo, Kona and Waimea are expected to open early next year. “We’re moving forward; we’ve been doing the best we can to come on line as quickly as we can. We’re right there; we turned the corner and are looking at opening soon.”

ON THE MOVE

Bank of Hawaii has announced the following new vice presidents:

>> Elizabeth “Liz” Carlson was promoted to vice president from assistant vice president and now serves as a loan officer for Bank of Hawaii’s Commercial Real Estate Loan Division. Carlson first became a commercial credit analyst when she joined Bank of Hawaii in 2014, and previously managed a portfolio of commercial loans and deposits at the bank’s Pearlridge Commercial Banking Center.

>> Lono Kealoha was promoted to vice president from assistant vice president and will continue with his branch manager responsibilities for the bank’s Main Banking Center in downtown Honolulu. Kealoha first became a bank associate when he joined Bank of Hawaii in 2011 and has held numerous positions within the branch network on Oahu with many responsibilities.