Business Briefs

Tesoro Hawaii plans work closure

Tesoro Corp. plans to shut process units at its Kapolei refinery on Oahu for work in January and May, according to two people familiar with the plant’s operations.

The San Antonio-based company will shut a distillate hydrocracker and a hydrogen generation unit in January for maintenance, said the two people, who declined to be identified because the information isn’t public. A crude unit and a catalytic reforming unit at the 95,000-barrel-a-day refinery will be shut in May, they said.

Mike Marcy, a company spokesman based in Martinez, Calif., declined to comment on the work to Bloomberg News. However, he said in an email to the Star-Advertiser that “it is long-standing Tesoro policy that we do not discuss future plans for specific unit operations or the details of planned maintenance at our refineries, as we consider this to be proprietary and competitive information.”

The refinery distributes gasoline, jet fuel and diesel, among other finished products statewide.

Mobile apps can access business records

Searching for information on Hawaii businesses is now easier on smartphones.

The state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs launched a mobile app Thursday to search and view results on its online system of business records.

The free app for iPad, iPhone, Android and other mobile devices enables users to search for registered businesses and buy certificates of good standing, among other things. It is available at business.ehawaii.gov.

Other local government apps have been developed, including ones having to do with bench warrants, camping permits and motor vehicle renewals.

Big Isle ice cream company installs solar

Tropical Dreams Custom Ice Cream Co. has installed solar photovoltaic panels that will generate 90 percent of the electricity it uses at its factory in Waimea on Hawaii island.

The cost of the system was partly offset by a $125,000 grant Tropical Dreams received from the U.S. Department of Agriculture as part of a program designed to help rural, agricultural groups develop sustainable energy systems.

Honolulu-based RevoluSun designed and installed the 101.2-kilowatt system, which covers 8,000 square feet of rooftop. The company said the system is expected cut its electricity bill by about $55,000 a year.

State wins $9.9M Medicaid diabetes grant

The state Department of Human Services has been awarded a five-year, $9.9 million grant for the Medicaid Incentives for Prevention of Chronic Diseases Program by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The funds will be used to provide supplemental services to Medicaid patients with diabetes and for incentives to the physicians who provide treatment. The grant will fund programs to improve early detection and self-management of care for persons with diabetes. The focus will be on Native Hawaiians, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders statewide.

Nike’s first-quarter profit up 15 percent

PORTLAND, Ore. » Nike Inc. reported its fiscal first-quarter profit rose 15 percent as demand grew for its sneakers and athletic apparel in nearly every market worldwide despite an uncertain global economy.

Revenue from North America, which is its largest market, rose 16 percent to $2.2 billion. In emerging markets, revenue soared 35 percent to $799 million.

Overall, Nike’s revenue rose 18 percent to $6.08 billion, with particularly strong performance in its running, basketball and women’s training business.

Nike earned $645 million, or $1.36 a share, for the quarter that ended Aug. 31, up from $559 million, or $1.17 a share, in the same quarter last year.

Shares of Nike fell $1.58 to close at $84.18 as the markets plunged overall on global recession fears. But the stock rose nearly 5 percent after hours.

ON THE MOVE

Kaiser Permanente Hawaii announced its new physicians:

» Dr. Michael Ho, anesthesiologist at Moanalua Medical Center
» Dr. Eugene Toney, orthopedic surgeon at Moanalua Medical Center
» Dr. Tracie Hata, family medicine physician at Waipio Clinic
» Dr. Sandy Liang, physician in internal medicine at Koolau Clinic
New physicians on Maui at Kaiser Permanente Wailuku Clinic: Dr. Adam Cabalo, Dr. Lev Grunstein and Dr. Andrew Tan.
New physicians for Hawaii County: Dr. Michele Gilbert and Dr. Joy Sakai.

American Savings Bank has awarded the Hawaii HomeOwnership Center a $30,000 donation. The grant will support the center’s counseling services and financial education for first-time homebuyers and its foreclosure prevention counseling program.