Don Quijote store in Kailua to close

Don Quijote USA Co. Ltd. is closing its Kailua store on Feb. 5 to make way for a Target Corp. store.

The closure of its 345 Hahani St. location will affect more than 100 employees, according to a store supervisor, who said the company is transferring items to its stores in Waipahu, Ala Moana and Pearl City.

The location was previously Daiei and, before that, Holiday Mart.

Target has come under fire from some Kailua residents opposed to a big-box retailer in the beachside town.

Target plans to invest $40 million to build what would be its fifth Hawaii store. The Minneapolis-based retailer has acquired the lease on the land to build a 130,000-square-foot store scheduled to open in July 2012.

Sales in China top U.S. for GM

General Motors Co. sold more cars and trucks in China last year than it did in the U.S., for the first time in the company’s 102-year history.

But despite the gains, Toyota Motor Corp. managed to hold onto the title of world’s largest automaker. The Japanese company reported 8.42 million sales worldwide last year, more than GM’s 8.39 million in global sales for 2010.

GM expects its sales growth to continue, and industry analysts say it might dethrone Toyota as the global sales leader this year. The news came the same day that GM announced it was adding a shift and workers to a plant in Flint, Mich., that makes hot-selling pickup trucks.

Mazda plans electric car

Mazda said it is developing an electric car that will be available for leasing in Japan starting in spring 2012. The company said the subcompact car will be based on the Demio, or Mazda2, and will be able to drive 120 miles on one charge. The car will run on a lithium-ion battery.

ON THE MOVE

Accuity LLP announces four new promotions.

Krista Song is now senior manager. She has been with the company for six years.

Michelle Gibson is promoted to manager. She has spent five years with the firm.

Justin Haruki is now supervisor and he has spent five years with the company, including working with clientele in hospitality, government, retail, construction and dealership.

Tasha Hose is promoted to supervisor. She has been with the company for six years.

Sarento’s at the Top of the I, a Tri-Star Restaurant Group, has two people occupying new positions.

Maka Kwon is now executive chef. He held various positions as a cook and chef at the former Aaron’s Atop Ala Moana, Nick’s Fishmarket Maui and Sarento’s on the Beach on Maui.

Adam Miller is general manager. He held various positions at Nick’s Fishmarket Maui, Sarento’s on the Beach on Maui and Son’z Maui at Swan Court at Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa.

Hawaii Employers Council has reappointed Glenn Hong to chairman for the board of governors for 2011. Appointed to the council’s executive committee were Dennis Brown, Michael Cheng, Perry Confalone, Tim Ho, Gary Kajiwara and David Rietow.