Matson increasing fuel surcharge to 39.5%

Matson Inc., the state’s largest ocean shipper, is raising its fuel surcharge by 5 percentage points due to high fuel prices and other energy-related costs.

The fuel surcharge will increase to 39.5 percent from 34.5 percent for its Hawaii service, effective March 23.

"Since our last decrease in July 2013, Matson’s fuel costs have increased," said Dave Hoppes, senior vice president, ocean services. "We are now seeing the impact of Emission Control Area (ECA) regulations that were implemented in 2012, which require carriers to burn the more costly low-sulfur distillate fuel 200 miles off U.S. coastlines."

Hoppes said the new regulations have increased Matson’s fuel costs about 20 percent each voyage, both westbound and eastbound.

The adjustment is the first increase Matson has taken since October 2012 and follows three consecutive decreases for the company’s Hawaii service.

HCDA challenges condo tower appeal

Two groups largely made up of Kakaako condominium owners are facing a challenge to their challenge of a state permit allowing development of a condo tower on a neighboring property.

The association of condo owners at One Waterfront Towers and the organization Kaka’ako United filed a petition in September seeking to invalidate a permit granted in August by the Hawaii Community Development Authority for a project called The Collection on a former CompUSA store site.

But HCDA, the state agency regulating development in Kakaako, questions whether the approval by its board can be appealed.

The agency heard arguments Wednesday from attorneys representing the project opponents, Collection developer Alexander & Baldwin Inc. and landowner Kamehameha Schools. Arguments tended to center on whether state law governing HCDA allows appealing agency board decisions. HCDA’s board, which is being advised by a deputy attorney general, took the arguments under advisement and said it would issue a written decision later.

Hawaii debuts on green building states list

The U.S. Green Building Council’s list of top states has ranked Hawaii for the first time.

The USGBC evaluated commercial and institutional construction in each state for 2013 that followed LEED standards, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and listed each state on a per-capita basis.

Illinois came in first, with 171 certified projects representing 2.29 square feet of LEED space per resident.

Maryland was second with 119 projects, at 2.20 square feet per resident, and Virginia, with 160 projects, was third, with 2.11 square feet per resident.

Hawaii was ranked ninth on the list, with 17 projects, or 1.71 square feet of LEED space per resident.

Minnesota came in at No. 10 with more projects and more actual square footage than Hawaii, but with a larger population the 51 projects worked out to 1.55 square feet of LEED-certified construction per resident.

Maui, Kauai, Big Isle in TripAdvisor’s Top 10

Millions of TripAdvisor.com users have again chosen Maui, Kauai and Hawaii island to be among their favorite U.S. islands. The trio of islands this year are ranked fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively, whereas on last year’s TripAdvisor list, Kauai was No. 2 and Hawaii island was at No. 8. Maui retained its No. 5 spot.

The top island in the U.S., according to TripAdvisor users, is Marco Island, Fla., which the site describes as "the perfect destination for those who crave a peaceful retreat but don’t have time to travel too far off the grid."

TripAdvisor’s annual Travelers’ Choice awards are based on reviews and opinions of people who use the TripAdvisor website. Island winners were determined based on quality and quantity of the most highly rated hotels, restaurants and attractions for each island, gathered during a 12-month period. Seventy-two percent of U.S. respondents plan on visiting an island this year, according to the survey.

The travel site’s list of the top 10 islands in the world is topped by Ambergris Caye in Belize.

Sbarro says it will close 155 locations

NEW YORK » Sbarro Inc. says it’s closing 155 of its U.S. locations, mostly in mall food courts where traffic has declined, but the three stores in Hawaii won’t be affected.

Sbarro spokesman Jonathan Dedmon said the locations at Ala Moana Center, Pearlridge Center and Royal Hawaiian Center will remain open.

Safeway exploring possibility of selling company

Safeway, the nation’s second-largest supermarket chain, said Wednesday it is in discussions to sell the company. The announcement comes after months of downsizing, as Safeway sold its stores in Canada and shed 72 Dominick’s stores in the Chicago area. Safeway also said it plans to distribute its remaining 37.8 million shares of the Blackhawk gift-card business — which the Pleasanton, Calif., company spun off last year — to investors. And the retailer is discussing ways to monetize its 49 percent ownership in Mexican retailer Casa Ley, the fifth-largest food and general merchandise retailer in Mexico.

CVC Capital Partners Ltd., Leonard Green & Partners LP and Cerberus Capital Management LP are among the firms in talks with Safeway about buying some or all of the grocery chain as it weighs a sale, people with knowledge of the matter said.
 

ON THE MOVE

Avalon Development Co. has announced the promotion of Steven Kothenbeutel to vice president of development. He has been with Avalon for the past eight years and was previously its senior project manager as well as market and financial analyst.

Xerox Hawaii has announced that Sydney Stevens and Adam Leggieri have been named marketing representatives. Stevens will be based at the company’s Hawaii island office while Leggieri’s territory will include the Windward and East Oahu districts.

Mark M. Murakami has been promoted to captain in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve. He is a lawyer with Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert and has been an attorney with the Honolulu-based law firm since 2005.