Business Briefs

Annual job fair set for April 4 at LCC

Leeward Community College and the University of Hawaii at West Oahu will hold their 10th Annual Career, College and Job Fair on April 4 on the Leeward Community College campus.

The job fair runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is free to students and the general public. It is the largest job fair in Leeward Oahu, attracting more than 1,500 job seekers annually.

This year’s event is sponsored by Hawaii Energy, the state’s main energy efficiency program. There will be booths offering job seekers and students information about careers and training opportunities in the energy sector.

There is a registration fee of $75 for employers, colleges and organizations that want to reserve space at the event. The fee includes one 6-foot table, two chairs, a wireless Internet connection, free parking and lunch.

To register online go to www.leeward.hawaii.edu/jobs-events. For more information, call 455-0240.

Hokulia CEO De Fries will leave position

The West Hawaii Today newspaper reported Sunday that John De Fries will be stepping down as CEO of 1250 Oceanside Partners, the developer of the 660-lot luxury Hokulia subdivision on Hawaii island.

De Fries’ last day will be March 31, the newspaper said.

Aqua picked to manage Maui Beach Hotel

Aqua Hotels & Resorts will add the Maui Beach Hotel to its portfolio of 21 hotel management contracts in Hawaii.

Aqua, which manages hotels on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai and Lanai, will assume management of its newest property on April 1. The 147-room beachfront hotel is at 170 Kaahumanu Ave. in Kahului.

Hotel owners Elleair Hawaii, whose parent company Daio Paper Corp. was established in Japan in 1943, selected Aqua to run the Maui Beach Hotel. Elleair also owns the Elleair Maui Golf Club in Kihei.

"We are very pleased to be associated with Aqua Hotels," said Hito­shi Joke, vice president of Elleair Hawaii Inc. "Their Hawaii-based roots and management style are very important to us, and we are looking forward to a long partnership."

Carrier to add 5 flights from Golden State

Hawaiian Airlines said it will increase service to Maui from Oakland and San Jose, Calif., during the peak summer travel period to 12 flights weekly, from seven flights currently. During the summer, Hawaiian will have daily service from Oakland, up from four flights weekly. Hawaiian will go to five flights weekly from San Jose by adding two fights per week.

Hawaiian is allowing travelers to book flight connections from Maui to Kauai, Hawaii island and Oahu for no extra charge through Friday as part of a special fare sale.

UPS picks up Europe’s No. 2 delivery firm

UPS is giving a vote of confidence to Europe with its $6.77 billion purchase of Dutch rival TNT Express, by far the company’s biggest deal ever.

After weeks of negotiations, the world’s largest package delivery company locked in a deal for Europe’s No. 2 express mail company Monday. Although TNT has struggled during the European financial crisis, it’s a valuable prize that allows UPS to better compete with Germany’s DHL. UPS will have between a quarter and a third of the vast European package delivery market, according to an analyst’s estimate.

The deal also allows UPS to expand in growing markets such as Brazil, and comes at a time when business is picking up in the U.S. Before this, UPS’ biggest acquisition was Overnite Transportation in 2005. It paid $1.25 billion for the company that later became UPS Freight.

Citi sells bank stake for $349 million gain

SHANGHAI » Citigroup Inc. has sold its 2.71 percent stake in Shanghai Pudong Development Bank for an after-tax gain of about $349 million, as the company maneuvers to build its own business in China.

The $668 million sale was made via a block trade to unnamed institutional investors, the New York-based bank said in a statement Monday.

Citigroup and the state-owned Shanghai Pudong Development Bank plan a new "strategic arrangement" for their cooperation that will involve using Citi’s worldwide networks and credit lines to support SPDB’s global expansion, it said.

ON THE MOVE

American Savings Bank has promoted Michelle Kim Stone to general counsel. She joined the bank in 2007 as an associate counsel, then was promoted to first vice president, managing attorney and, in 2010, senior vice president. Prior to joining the bank, Stone was a commercial litigation associate at Starn O’Toole Marcus & Fisher.

Raymond P. Vara has been elected to the national board of directors of the American Heart Association. He is currently president of Hawaii Pacific Health and oversees the day-to-day operations of the health care system. Vara previously was Hawaii Pacific Health’s executive vice president and chief executive officer.

Graham Builders has announced Olena Kuzma is its design coordinator. She will serve as a liaison with homeowners to keep projects on schedule and assist them with interior design and finish selections. Kuzma was previously an executive office intern at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, a Luxury Collection Resort.