BIA expo deadline slated for June 18

The Building Industry Association of Hawaii will present the sixth annual Remodel It Right Expo in August, emphasizing environmentally friendly building, from Aug. 13 to 15 at the Hawai’i Convention Center. Approximately 220 exhibitors will showcase contractors, supplies and building industry experts.

Last call for entrants is June 18; contact Clarice Watanabe at 629-7503 or ckw@biahawaii.org. For information on the event visit www.biahawaii.org.

Management firm expands offices

Hawaii First Inc., an association management company, has expanded its main offices to include the penthouse level of Queen’s Court at 800 Bethel St. in Honolulu.

The property and administrative divisions of Hawaii First moved to the building’s sixth floor, with a total space of 4,532 square feet. The company will continue to use its current offices on the fifth floor for corporate and accounting management operations.

Since January, condominium associations that have appointed Hawaii First as their management company include Yacht Harbor Towers, Aloha Lani, Fairway Terrace, Makaha Valley Plantation, Parkview, Kahana Reef, The Magellan and Kalamakuu.

Tools rated top gift for Father’s Day

Nearly half of fathers surveyed said they have pretended to like a Father’s Day gift they received.

Tools are the most predictable gift, said about a third who responded to a telephone survey conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of Western Union. About 20 percent said they expect a tie, while another 20 percent believe they’ll get cologne. Books and golf balls also ranked high.

Father’s Day this year is June 20.

The nationally representative sample included 1,002 adults, with a sampling error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Shopping centers grew a bit in 2009

The U.S. shopping-center industry grew slightly last year despite sluggish growth at the start of both 2009 and 2010, according to statistics from research firm CoStar Group Inc. on behalf of the International Council of Shopping Centers.

The total number of shopping centers inched up to 104,919 in 2009 from 104,148 in 2008. Total leasable area per millions of square feet also edged higher.

Unlike industrial and office properties, which are still facing rental declines, many retail landlords already renegotiated and dropped rents for existing tenants, said Norm Miller, vice president of analytics for CoStar.

Coming up

Doug Carlson, the mayor’s spokesman for the Honolulu Rail Transit Project, will make a presentation at a lunch meeting, 11 a.m. Thursday at Temple Emanu-El, 2550 Pali Highway.

Cost is $7.50 for members, $10 nonmembers.

For reservations and information call Richard Field at 595-7521.

Etcetera

Today: Federal Reserve releases consumer credit data for April; Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke speaks before a think tank that focuses on national and world affairs.

Tomorrow: Labor Department releases job-openings and labor-turnover survey for April.

Wednesday: Commerce Department releases wholesale trade inventories for April; Federal Reserve releases Beige Book; House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing on financial responsibility for oil spills. Brown-Forman Corp. releases financial results.

Thursday: Labor Department releases weekly jobless claims; Commerce Department releases international trade data for April; Treasury releases federal budget for May.

Total recall

» Whirlpool Corp.’s Maytag unit is recalling about 1.7 million dishwashers because of a fire hazard. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says the company, part of Whirlpool Corp., has received 12 reports of electrical failures in the dishwasher heating element that led to fires and damage.

The recall includes Maytag, Amana, Jenn-Air, Admiral, Magic Chef, Performa by Maytag and Crosley brand dishwashers with plastic tubs. The recalled dishwashers were made with black, bisque, white, silver and stainless-steel front panels and sold at department and appliance stores nationwide from February 2006 through April 2010. They cost between $250 and $900.

CPSC advises consumers to immediately stop using the recalled dishwashers and disconnect the electric supply by shutting off the fuse or circuit breaker. Schedule a free in-home repair or receive a rebate of $150 or $250 toward the purchase of select new Maytag dishwashers. The amount of the rebate depends on the type of model to be purchased. Visit www.repair.maytag.com or www.cpsc.gov.