Business briefs

Waianae Health Center blesses new clinic

The Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center held a blessing Monday for its newly completed $17.9 million Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Adult Medical and Pharmacy Building.

The two-story, 22,494-square-foot facility will begin serving the community in early June and will be home to the center’s integrated adult primary care medical clinic, which includes a pharmacy.

The first floor of the new building will serve as the temporary home for the center’s 24-hour emergency room during the construction of a new Emergency Medical Services Building to be completed in late 2014.

A capital campaign is underway to raise the remaining $5.58 million needed for the $12.1 million EMS project.

Consumer spending up

WASHINGTON >> Americans kept increasing their spending in March, and their income grew, further indication that consumers are shaking off higher taxes. The Commerce Department said Monday that consumer spending rose 0.2 percent in March from February while income increased 0.2 percent last month.

Suit over Kona coffee labeling is settled

A federal lawsuit over Kona coffee labeling in California Safeway stores has been settled to the disappointment of the Kona Coffee Farmers Association, which had hoped a federal judge would rule on the issue of labeling Kona coffee outside Hawaii.

The case was filed in 2011 by California consumer Chanee Thurston and aimed to become a class-action suit representing other consumers who bought Safeway’s house brand of "Kona Blend" coffee.

Thurston claimed that the labeling promotes the benefits of Kona coffee as if Kona beans are the major, or at least a substantial, content in the package.

Safeway contended that "blend" accurately discloses that some beans are not from Kona, and that consumers suffered no damages since the Kona Blend coffee was sold at the same price as its other Safeway Select coffees.

Safeway also has since changed its coffee labels to indicate the percentage of Kona beans and the geographical location of other beans in the blend. The company said it made the change in response to a request by the farmers association.

The association said in a statement that it had hoped a court decision would have determined whether federal and state consumer protection and fair marketing laws were violated by using the Kona name on coffee with relatively few beans from the area.

Terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but only involved Thurston and Safeway.

HECO boosts output from renewable sources

Hawaiian Electric Co. said renewable-energy sources accounted for 13.9 percent of all its electricity production in 2012, up from 12 percent in 2011.

The sources included rooftop and utility-scale solar photovoltaic, wind on Maui and Oahu, and geothermal on Hawaii island.

"Our communities’ strong progress in renewable energy is the result of the collective efforts of customers, energy suppliers and our companies," said Scott Seu, HECO vice president for energy resources and operations.

The increase means HECO is on track to meet a target of generating 15 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2015.

The target increases to 40 percent by 2030.

HECO presented the update in its annual Renewable Portfolio Standard Report filed with the state Public Utilities Commission. The report covers HECO’s service area, which includes Hono­lulu, Maui and Hawaii counties.

On the Move

Honolulu HomeLoans has hired Scott Lee as chief compliance officer. He is a licensed attorney in Florida and Hawaii with experience in the real estate industry, previously with Electrovest and Aloha Investment Group III. He has also served as director of finance and operations for Target Engineering Group.

HawkTree International has hired Debbie Kim Mori­kawa as director of human resources. She will oversee employee recruitment and development, compliance and other human resources functions for logistics companies including Island Movers.

RevaComm has promoted Brett Kimura to vice president of operations from Web developer and IT engineer. He has six years’ experience with the company and will continue to oversee all project management and client account support.

JB Brands has hired Quinn Fisher as an account executive. She has experience in public relations, marketing, social media and event coordination for companies on the East Coast and in Hono­lulu, most recently as an account executive for MVNP in Hono­lulu.

Hale Kipa has announced that it has been awarded a $10,000 grant from Weinberg Friends Program as part of a service project led by the Rotary Club of Hono­lulu Sunrise. The grant will be used for job training and computer literacy through Hale Kipa’s Youth Outreach Program.