Dods back on Hawaiian Telcom board

Walter Dods has returned to Hawaiian Telcom’s leadership team after taking a brief hiatus after the company emerged from bankruptcy protection.

Dods had been a director on Hawaiian Telcom’s board since 2005 and its chairman since May 2008, helping guide the company through the bankruptcy process. He stepped down on Oct. 28 as part of the bankruptcy reorganization.

He returned as a director Thursday. He also was appointed chairman of the board’s nominating and governance committee.

C&C to auction Lanai luxury homes

WAILUKU » Castle & Cooke Homes plans to auction 11 luxury homes and three lots on Lanai next month, with opening bids pegged as much as 68 percent below previous asking prices.

Opening bids for properties at Manele and Koele will range from $435,000 to $845,000. In one case, at the Palms of Manele, the opening bid is one-third the $2.7 million the properties were commanding a few years ago.

An opening bid is the lowest amount a bidder can submit, but it isn’t the minimum price Castle & Cooke will accept.

That amount isn’t being disclosed.

Oil, gas swing Barnwell to a profit

Honolulu-based Barnwell Industries recorded a profit in its fourth fiscal quarter from a loss in the same period a year earlier, helped by revenue from its oil and gas drilling operations in Canada.

Barnwell said it earned $84,000, or 1 cent a share, in the July-to-October period, compared with a loss of $4.6 million, or 55 cents a share, during the same three months a year earlier.

The company recorded $1.3 million in revenue in the latest quarter from an Alberta government drilling incentive program where the company was able to buy $2.1 million of drilling royalty credits at 38 percent of their value. No such earnings occurred in the prior-year period.

For all of fiscal 2009 Barnwell saw a $3.8 million profit from a loss of $24 million in fiscal 2008. The 2009 gain was fueled by sales payments and development rights receipts from Barnwell’s ownership stake the Kaupulehu resort on the Big Island.

Hawaiian Airlines gets more credit

Hawaiian Airlines said yesterday it has renegotiated lending agreements to address upcoming term-loan maturities and provide for an expanded revolving line of credit, putting the airline in a stronger position for growth.

The expanded revolving line of credit is for up to $75 million over a four-year period.

Credit Union opens 2 new branches

Aloha Pacific Federal Credit Union has opened two branches, including its 10th location on Oahu as well as one in Las Vegas, the first out-of-state branch for any Hawaii-based credit union.

The Oahu branch is at 200 Hamakua Drive in Kailua with the Las Vegas branch at 8660 W. Cheyenne Ave., Suite 110.

Aloha Pacific FCU is the third-largest credit union in Hawaii with more than $700 million in assets.

On the Move

Ballet Hawaii has announced that artistic director Pamela Taylor-Tongg will celebrate her 25th anniversary with the company at three upcoming performances of "Nutcracker." The performances are Friday through Sunday. Since 1985 Taylor-Tongg has guided Ballet Hawaii through growth and expansion as well as the realization of the company’s full production of "Nutcracker."

Graham Builders has promoted Renee Lee as office manager from administrative assistant. She was a shift supervisor at Complete Kitchen in Kahala prior to joining Graham Builders in 2007.

Business Traveler magazine has awarded the Hawai’i Convention Center its 2011 Best in Business Travel Award in the category of best conference or convention center/city. The Hawai’i Convention Center has received this award every year since the category was introduced in 2009.

Kaiser Permanente presented a $5,000 grant to the Kohala Center to support the establishment of a surplus fresh-produce exchange program called "Crop Share" at the Mala’ai Garden: The Culinary Garden at Waimea Middle School.