Makai Ocean gets an extra $1M grant

Lockheed Martin has awarded an additional $1 million to Makai Ocean Engineering to continue developing and designing an Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) pilot plant in Hawaii.

This is part of an ongoing effort funded by the U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) to meet the alternate energy and energy security goals of the Department of Defense.

Makai Ocean Engineering has conducted research and development in OTEC since its participation in the Mini-OTEC program off the coast of Big Island in the late 1970s and is a recognized expert in OTEC technology. Makai currently has other OTEC research and development efforts in low cost heat exchangers, deep ocean pipelines and environmental plume modeling.

Earlier this year, Makai was named the Prime Contractor of the Year for the SBA’s Western region for its work in OTEC for NAVFAC.

Lockheed settles with feds for $10.3M

ATLANTA » Defense company Lockheed Martin Corp. reached a $10.3 million settlement with the federal government yesterday to resolve claims that the company’s Georgia division inflated rates used to price contracts for the Air Force and Navy between 1996 and 2000.

The settlement resolves prosecutors’ claims that Lockheed mischarged costs in a commercial contract with Italian company Alenia Aerospazio to develop a tactical transport plane dubbed the C-27J, said U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates.

Lockheed, the nation’s largest military contractor, is accused of charging business development and other costs associated with the company’s commercial contract to government accounts, prosecutors said.

14,000 seek US Air attendant jobs

US Airways Group Inc., the smallest of the full-fare U.S. carriers, said yesterday it received 14,000 applications for 420 flight attendant positions.

The influx follows a similar experience in October at Delta Air Lines Inc., which received 100,000 submissions for 1,000 such jobs. Both carriers offered furloughed employees the chance to return to their jobs before hiring new workers.

The hiring at US Airways and Delta contrasts with total employment by U.S. passenger airlines, which has fallen for 28 straight months on a year-over-year basis through October, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

US Airways is adding attendants and pilots next year to cover expected retirements and attrition, the integration of larger planes into its fleet and more international flying.

Leading indicators jump 1.1%

NEW YORK » A gauge of future economic activity rose in November at the fastest pace since March, suggesting the economy will strengthen early next year.

The Conference Board said its index of leading economic indicators rose 1.1 percent last month — the biggest increase since March, when the index jumped 1.4 percent.

The leading indicators rose 0.4 percent in October and 0.6 percent in November. The index has risen for five straight months.

On the Move

» Hospice Hawaii has announced the following new staff members:
— Linda Taylor is the new admissions coordinator. She will work with referring physicians, hospitals and care providers to facilitate patient admittance. Taylor’s experience includes community relations director of AmeriCorps NCCC in San Diego and admissions director of Hale Ho Aloha Nursing Home in Honolulu.
— Aulani K. Loui is its new clinical liaison. She will be responsible for working with staff at physicians’ office, nursing homes and hospitals to provide referral services to Hospice Hawaii. Loui has more than 11 years of sales and marketing experience, including nine years in medical imaging and pharmaceutical industries.

» RevoluSun has promoted Gregg Murphy to sales manager from project developer. He will be responsible for training and hiring project developers, expanding RevoluSun’s solar service to neighbor islands, developing the company’s sales process and leading the company’s free solar seminars. Murphy was previously developing and managing Gregg Murphy and Associates LLC Real Estate in Washington.