Native Hawaiian wins national honor

Kaleo Nawahine has been named National Minority Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Nawahine, president of Performance Systems Inc., with offices in Washington and Hawaii, was honored at the National 8(a) Training, Business Matchmaking and Awards event at the Carnegie Library in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.

Nawahine’s company is an 8(a) and HUBZone-certified general contractor with projects at the Boise Airport and the West Boise Wastewater Treatment Plant. The company has 78 employees.

Also recognized, with an 8(a) Graduate Firm of the Year Award, was Curt Koutelas, president and founder of Arrowhead Contracting Inc. of Kansas.

"The 8(a) program is one of the most effective tools we have to help small businesses and entrepreneurs in underserved communities grow and succeed," said SBA Deputy Administrator Marie Johns. "Kaleo and Curt are a testament to how effective the program can be in supporting small-business growth."

Johns also announced the launch of an online pre-8(a) Business Development training series to help more small disadvantaged businesses gain access to the 8(a) program.

Microsoft tablet Surface to start at $499

REDMOND, Wash. » Microsoft’s first tablet computer, the Surface, will start at $499 when it goes on sale Oct. 26.

The price matches that of Apple Inc.’s iPad, the most popular tablet computer, but the base model of the Surface has twice as much storage memory: 32 gigabytes. The screen is also slightly larger. The signature hardware feature of the tablet, a cover that doubles as a keyboard, will cost another $100, Microsoft Corp. said Tuesday. A step-up model for $699 has twice the memory, 64 GB, and includes a cover.

IBM’s earnings flat; revenue slides 5%

ARMONK, N.Y. » IBM’s third-quarter earnings held steady, despite the economic jitters that contributed to a steeper decline in revenue than Wall Street anticipated.

The results announced Tuesday included a last-minute $160 million charge that the technology services and business software company absorbed for a U.K. court decision that will increase its costs for paying pensions to some of its retired employees. The adverse court decision came at the end of last week.

Investors seemed more concerned with IBM’s revenue, which dropped 5 percent from the same time last year and missed analyst estimates by about $700 million. IBM attributed the shortfall to a turmoil that has caused the euro and other currencies to weaken during the past year.

IBM Corp. earned $3.8 billion, or $3.33 per share, in the July-September period. The company delivered the same net income a year ago, but its per-share earnings were 14 cents lower in the 2011 quarter because the company had more outstanding stock then.

ON THE MOVE

Network Enterprises has named Jennifer Dotson as president and chief executive officer. Dotson was executive director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving as well as a health care services coordinator for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.