Blue Hawaiian sold
The sale of Blue Hawaiian Helicopters and its affiliates to Denver-based Air Methods Corp. has closed.
Founded in Hawaii in 1985, Blue Hawaiian Helicopters offers a dozen scheduled aerial tours of five Hawaiian islands using 24 helicopters and generated $47 million in revenue last year.
Big Isle hospital now a Queen’s affiliate
The parent company of the Queen’s Medical Center officially entered into an affiliation agreement Monday with North Hawaii Community Hospital on Hawaii island.
Under the agreement, North Hawaii will become a corporate entity of Queen’s Health Systems on Jan. 1, similar to an arrangement between the Oahu hospital and Molokai General Hospital.
Queen’s has had a clinical affiliation with North Hawaii since 2005. Details of the arrangement weren’t disclosed.
North Hawaii, a private, nonprofit acute-care hospital, serves more than 30,000 residents in Waimea, also known as Kamuela. The facility, which opened in May 1996, has 33 licensed beds, 24-hour emergency services, 376 employees and 68 active physicians.
Deal with Chinese could boost Apple sales
BEIJING » Apple Inc. might have a chance to pep up cooling iPhone sales in China if it finally can reach a deal with the world’s biggest phone carrier.
Once China’s must-have gadget, the iPhone has seen its explosive popularity squeezed as the market filled with lower-priced rivals from Samsung to ambitious local brands. Some analysts say anybody who wants an iPhone and can afford it already has one.
That might change if Apple can gain access to China Mobile Ltd.’s network and a new pool of potential customers.
After a years-long courtship, there are signs the two corporate giants might finally be edging toward a deal. The Wall Street Journal said it could be announced as early as this week, though China Mobile spokesmen have said the companies were still talking.
Most expect stocks to stabilize or decline
NEW YORK » Americans aren’t expecting another bang-up year for the stock market, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll.
Of the people polled, 40 percent think the market will stabilize where it is now by the end of 2014, with 39 percent predicting that it will drop but not crash. Only 14 percent believe the market will rise, and 5 percent think it will crash.
The Standard & Poor’s 500 index has surged 24.5 percent to 1,775 in 2013, putting it on track for its best year in a decade. The rally has been fueled by higher corporate earnings, a slow but steady recovery in the U.S. economy and stimulus from the Federal Reserve.
Output increases by 0.6% at U.S. factories
WASHINGTON » U.S. factories increased output in November for the fourth straight month, led by a surge in auto production. The gains show manufacturing is strengthening and could help boost economic growth at the end of the year.
Factory production rose 0.6 percent in November after a 0.5 percent gain in October, the Federal Reserve said Monday.
Production of motor vehicles and parts increased 3.4 percent, rebounding from a 1.3 percent decline in October. Factories also stepped up production of home electronics and chemical products.
Industrial production, which includes manufacturing, mining and utilities, rose 1.1 percent in November. It was the fourth straight gain.
American workers raise productivity 3%
WASHINGTON » U.S. workers boosted their productivity from July through September at the fastest pace since the end of 2009, adding to signs of stronger economic growth.
The Labor Department said Monday that productivity increased at a 3 percent annual rate in the third quarter. That’s up from an initial estimate of 1.9 percent and much stronger than the 1.8 percent rate from April through June.
Productivity rose because economic growth was much stronger than previously estimated in the third quarter. Productivity is the amount of output per hour of work.
Higher productivity enables companies to pay employees more without sparking inflation. But greater productivity can also slow hiring if it shows companies don’t need more workers to boost output.
However, productivity growth has been mostly flat over the past year. That’s because the gains from the past six months have been offset by declines in previous six months.
On the Move
Bank of Hawaii has promoted:
>> Charleen Ganoot Deuprey to vice president and Safeway Kapolei in-store area and branch manager. She has been with the bank since 1999 and has held positions such as customer service representative and training specialist.
>> Russell Rodriguez to vice president and KTA Puainako in-store area and branch manager. He joined the bank in 2008 as a consumer banking representative at the Safeway Mililani in-store branch.
>> Virgie M. White to vice president and Safeway Beretania in-store area and branch manager. She joined the bank in 2003 as an accounting assistant for the mortgage accounting and servicing department.
JBL Hawaii Ltd. has promoted Taylor M. Kaaina to general manager. He was previously manager of operations.
