Tesoro sulfur unit resumes operations

Tesoro Corp. restarted a sulfur recovery unit at its refinery in Kapolei on Tuesday after an unscheduled shutdown earlier in the day.

Normal operations resumed at 5:45 p.m. after about three hours of flaring, Mike Marcy, a company spokesman, said in an email. No injuries were reported, the proper authorities were notified and the incident didn’t affect production or operations, Marcy said.

A filing with the National Response Center said about 3,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide were released to the flare. U.S. plants must notify the response center if they release hazardous substances in excess of permitted quantities, according to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, commonly known as Superfund.

Forecasts point to modest holiday growth

NEW YORK » Retailers just got an early Christmas gift: Americans are expected to spend more than they did last year during the holidays.

Retail revenue in November and December is expected to be up 3 percent during what is traditionally the biggest shopping period of the year, research firm ShopperTrak said Tuesday.

The sales prediction, which matches the outlook from the International Council of Shopping Centers on Friday, would be below last year’s 4.1 percent spike — and the 5-plus percent gains during boom economic times. But it’s still above the 2.6 percent average gain over the past 10 years and considered respectable growth given the down economy.

The retail industry still is waiting for a widely watched holiday forecast on Oct. 6 from the National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade group. But the ShopperTrak and ICSC outlooks are the first insight into how consumers, which account for 70 percent of U.S. economic activity, might spend during the season.

Home sales jump 7.7% as foreclosures rise

WASHINGTON » The number of Americans who bought previously occupied homes rose in August. But the sales were driven by an increase in foreclosures, a sign that home prices could fall further next year and slow a housing recovery.

The National Association of Realtors said Wednesday that home sales rose 7.7 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.03 million homes. That’s below the 6 million that economists say is consistent with a healthy housing market.

Last month’s pace was slightly ahead of the 4.91 million sold in 2010, the worst sales level in 13 years.

Homes at risk of foreclosure made up 31 percent of sales. That’s up from 29 percent in July. Many of the sales went to investors, who are increasingly buying homes priced under $100,000. Sales in that category rose in August while sales of more expensive homes fell.

At the same time, activity among first-time buyers, who are critical to reviving the housing market, didn’t budge. First-time buyers made up only 32 percent of sales, matching the July level. They normally make up 40 percent of home sales in healthy markets.

United eyes big-spending frequent fliers

Frequent fliers on United and Continental got their first close look on Wednesday at what will soon be a combined travel rewards program that will steer the biggest benefits to travelers who buy the most-expensive tickets.

It’s also adding an expiration date, which will be new for Continental fliers.

Most airline frequent flier programs were built on the idea of one mile of credit for every mile flown. That rewards distance over dollars.

In January, Southwest revamped its frequent flier program to base rewards on the dollars paid, not on how many miles the flight was. It said explicitly that it believes some customers will choose a slightly higher fare to get a better reward. Some Southwest travelers were furious.

The combined United program takes tentative steps in the same direction, although most rewards will still be based on distance flown. Travelers flying on first-class tickets will get up to 21⁄2 times the miles flown, and those using business class and full-fare coach tickets will get more miles, too. The newly merged airline says it’s trying to make those tickets — including full coach fares and front-of-the-plane first-class fares — more attractive.

United Tech to buy Goodrich in $18.4B deal

LOS ANGELES » United Technologies Corp. said late Wednesday that it is buying aerospace manufacturer Goodrich Corp. in a deal valued at $18.4 billion, including the assumption of $1.9 billion in debt. United Technologies owns Carrier heating and cooling, Otis elevator, jet engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney and other businesses.

ON THE MOVE

ABM Family of Services has announced that Tiera Covington has been named branch manager for ABM in Hawaii. She has been with the company for more than 12 years.

Sopogy, a leading developer of micro concentrated solar power technologies, has hired Terry Revnak as vice president of sales. He has more than 27 years of senior sales management and executive leadership experience.

The 2011 Ka‘u Youth Intern Program at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was awarded a $25,000 matching grant from the Omidyar ‘Ohana Fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation. The Natural History Association met the fundraising threshold, benefiting from additional funding help from the National Park Service and Friends of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The Ka‘u Youth Intern Program targets underserved youth in Kau for training and employment in the field of environmental conservation.

Kaiser Permanente Hawaii has donated more than $122,000 in grant funding to six local community organizations: Peoples Advocacy for Trails Hawaii, Honolulu Theatre for Youth, Kanu Hawaii, Kahikolu Ohana Hale O Waianae, North Kohala Community Resources Center and the Hawaii COPD Coalition. Grant funding supports active living, healthy eating and respiratory health initiatives in Hawaii.