Hawaiian Telcom debuts on Nasdaq

Hawaiian Telcom said its common stock will begin trading on Nasdaq today under the ticker symbol HCOM.

The company received approval Friday to list on Nasdaq, a move that will make the shares available to a wider group of investors and improve liquidity in trading. The shares previously traded over the counter under the symbol HWLT.

BNY Mellon will continue to serve as the transfer agent for Hawaiian Telcom’s common stock.

Hawaiian Telcom fell 32.5 cents to $25.30 Tuesday in OTC trading.

Low-income senior apartments open

St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii held a grand-opening ceremony Tuesday for 149 rental apartments completed in May for low-income seniors at Ewa Villages.

The project, which represents a $40 million first phase of Franciscan Vistas, is half occupied. Tenants are still being sought for available units through property manager Indigo Real Estate Services.

To qualify, tenants must be 62 or older with household incomes no more than 60 percent of Honolulu’s median annual income, which equates to $41,700 for a single person or $47,640 for a family of two.

Monthly rent is $745 for 530-square-foot units with one bedroom, and $885 for 750-square-foot units with two bedrooms.

A second phase comprising 71 clustered single-family homes and 72 townhomes for sale at market rates is planned but is on an uncertain timetable because of financing challenges.

Labor Department wage event set

The U.S. Department of Labor will host a free conference July 20–21 in Honolulu to provide information on federal rules concerning prevailing wages and other labor law requirements for construction projects funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The conference will be held at the U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii, 1249 Kolekole Ave., Building No. 2060, at Schofield Barracks.

Two separate sessions will be offered, and participants are invited to attend either or both. The July 20 session will cover the Davis-Bacon Act, while the July 21 session will focus on the McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act. The sessions will cover how the laws apply to Recovery Act-funded projects.

Those wishing to attend should send their name, title, organization, email address and telephone number to whdpwc@dol.gov and indicate which session they plan to attend. For questions about the conference, call 202-693-0664.

Netflix to stream film and TV abroad

Netflix said Tuesday that it would begin offering its streaming movie and television service in Central America, South America and the Caribbean this year, a major expansion of the company’s geographic footprint.

Netflix has been available only in the U.S. and Canada. Investors have sought insight into the company’s international growth plans.

The expansion will total 43 countries, Netflix said in a news release. It did not specify when the streaming service would be for sale in those countries, beyond “later this year.”

The service will be available in Spanish, Portuguese and English.

Netflix declined requests for an interview about how it will license content in other languages. Licensing is thorny for services like Netflix because the rights to films and television shows are sometimes carved up on a country-by-country basis.

ON THE MOVE

Central Pacific Bank has appointed Gary Thompson as a vice president and senior private banking officer in its private banking group. He has more than 25 years of experience in the financial industry and was previously at Bank of Hawaii for 20 years serving as a vice president and wealth adviser in the private client services group, was a branch manager and held other positions.

The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute has awarded Craig Huish with the 2011 “Lamp of Knowledge Award for Outstanding United States Educator.” Huish is a Utah Valley University professor and hospitality management coordinator.

The Hawai‘i Convention Center has elected Neil Mullanaphy to serve on the board of the New York Society of Association Executives. He is currently an executive director of sales and marketing.

CB Richard Ellis has announced that Kimberly Lord has returned as managing director for institutional services. She was previously vice president for A&B Properties and originally joined CBRE in 2001 as a senior vice president of asset services, and served as managing director for retail asset services.

AA Oceanfront Rentals and Sales has named Paul O. Gomez as general manager. He was previously the business development and owner services manager for Maui Condo and Home LLC. Since the 1980s, Gomez served in management positions at Papakea, the Kapalua Villas, Maui Kai and Maalaea Surf.