State tops in energy efficiency investment
Hawaii has been named the top-ranked state when it comes to investing in energy efficiency.
The Energy Services Coalition, a national nonprofit, published a report Wednesday rating the state No. 1 for investment in energy savings for public buildings per capita.
Hawaii’s overall conservation investment totals more than $150 million.
Gov. Neil Abercrombie says this type of investment is what will propel the state toward its goal of 70 percent clean energy by 2030.
The nonprofit has been working at state and local levels to increase building upgrades. The state’s energy office has been providing technical assistance on performance contracting to state agencies and counties since 1996.
Hawaii water now flows in New York area
Honolulu-based Hawaiian Springs LLC has begun selling its bottled water in the New York metropolitan area, increasing the company’s mainland distribution by 25 percent.
The bottled water is now available at 170 locations in Manhattan, Westchester and Brooklyn, the company said in a news release.
The Hawaiian Springs products are being distributed by New York-based Circle KO at a variety of stores, including Gristedes, Chelsea Market Basket, Grand Central Market, Ernest Klein & Co, and Wild Olive Market.
The expansion followed an announcement in September that Hawaiian Springs products were being distributed at stores in Texas and Arizona. The company also sells its products in California, Nevada, Canada, Japan, mainland China and Hong Kong.
Shopping spurts reflect consumers’ savvy
NEW YORK » The holiday shopping season turned out to be two seasons split by a big lull.
A surge in buying in the two weeks before Christmas coupled with a record-breaking Black Friday gave retailers a solid season. The doldrums between the buying binges show how shoppers have learned to wait for the discounts they know will come.
For Dec. 1-24, spending rose 4.7 percent compared with the same period last year, according to research firm ShopperTrak. In November, it rose 4.1 percent. A 4 percent increase is considered a successful season. A combined figure for the whole season will not be available until after Saturday.
The increase is good news for the economy because it shows shoppers were willing and able to fund a holiday splurge.
Consumer spending, including major items such as health care, accounts for 70 percent of the economy.
Morgan Stanley to carve 580 New York jobs
NEW YORK » Of the 1,600 job cuts announced earlier this month by Morgan Stanley, 580 will be at its home base in New York.
The relentless tug of the dismal economy is hitting employees in the banking sector hard, and it’s no surprise that many of the job cuts are hitting the epicenter of the financial industry.
Citigroup, with its headquarters a seven-minute drive up Park Avenue from Morgan Stanley in Manhattan, said recently that it would eliminate 4,500 jobs, or about 1.5 percent of its global work force of 267,000, through the next few quarters.
China firm gets first deal for Afghan oil, gas
KABUL, Afghanistan » Afghanistan’s government signed a deal Wednesday with China’s state-owned National Petroleum Corporation, allowing it to become the first foreign company to exploit the country’s oil and natural gas reserves.
The contract, which covers the northeastern provinces of Sari Pul and Faryab, is the first of several such blocks to be put on the market in coming months, Afghan Minister of Mines Wahidullah Shahrani said during the signing ceremony.
Afghanistan has been seeking to find ways to exploit some of its mineral wealth to offset the loss of foreign aid when international combat troops leave by the end of 2014.
Citigroup puts Belgian business on the block
NEW YORK » Citigroup Inc. is selling its Belgian consumer business to French bank Credit Mutuel Nord Europe as the New York bank continues to sell operations it deems outside its core business.
The company didn’t disclose the deal’s terms.
Citigroup and other banks hurt by 2008’s financial meltdown and the economic downturn have been selling off "noncore" divisions.
For example, Citigroup sold a $1.7 billion private equity portfolio to a French bank in June.
ON THE MOVE
Chaminade University has announced that the chair of Chaminade’s Board of Regents, Kathleen "Kitty" (Sullivan) Wo, and her husband, Ronald C. "Buzz" Wo, donated $150,000 to its interior design program on Tuesday. The gift will be used to endow one of the newly renovated interior design laboratories.
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Hawaii Youth Symphony has announced that Selena Ching, who led the organization for eight years, has resigned effective Jan. 20, 2012. She has accepted a new position as director of institutional advancement at Hanahau‘oli School. HYS is conducting a search for a new executive director. Some of the duties include working with staff and the musical director to develop and implement concerts and special events throughout the year.
