First Hawaiian establishes Puna relief fund

First Hawaiian Bank has established an Aloha for Puna fund to assist Hawaii island residents in the Puna region with relief and recovery efforts after Tropical Storm Iselle.

The bank has contributed the first $25,000 to the fund. Monetary donations are being accepted at all First Hawaiian Bank branches through Sept. 30. All contributions to the fund will be donated to the Hawaii Island United Way, directly benefiting affected residents through their member agencies in Puna.

In addition to the monetary donation, First Hawaiian Bank customers affected by the storm are encouraged to call 643-5626 for assistance with loans and credit card payments.

Resilient sales boost Macy’s earnings

NEW YORK » Macy’s Inc. reported a 4 percent profit increase in its fiscal second quarter on Wednesday as business rebounded from slow sales earlier in the year.

But the department store chain cut its full-year outlook for a key sales measure, saying it couldn’t make up the sales shortfall from the first quarter, when winter storms kept shoppers at home.

Macy’s, a standout among its peers throughout the economic recovery, is the first of the major retailers to report second-quarter results, which should provide insight into shoppers’ mindset heading into the critical final months of the year. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Nordstrom Inc., Kohl’s Inc. and J.C. Penney Co. are set to report their results Thursday.

Macy’s said its second-quarter net income increased to $292 million, or 80 cents a share, from $281 million, or 72 cents a share, in the same quarter a year earlier. Revenue rose 3.3 percent to $6.27 billion from $6.07 billion.

Tribe has spoken: ‘Survivor’ editors protest

LOS ANGELES » The post-production crew of "Survivor" has halted work on the hit reality TV series because of a labor dispute.

The Motion Picture Editors Guild said Wednesday that Santa Monica, Calif.-based post-production workers "voted themselves off the job" at Mark Burnett’s Island Post Productions Inc., saying no editorial work would resume on the series until the company agrees to a union contract.

At the time of the work stoppage, post-production work was underway on the 90-minute premiere of Season 29 of the long-running CBS series, which has been scheduled to air on Sept. 24, the union said.

"This wildly successful program has helped to define the genre of reality television, and editors play a critical role in shaping the show," Editors Guild President Alan Heim said in a statement posted on the union’s website. "They seek the same health benefits, pensions, and basic protections that their counterparts elsewhere in the industry have long enjoyed. After 28 successful seasons and 16 Emmy nominations, that doesn’t seem too much to ask."

The action comes a day after the post-production workers notified their employer of their intent to obtain a union contract with health and retirement benefits. The workers are responsible for distilling approximately 250 hours of raw video down to one hour of entertainment.

The Motion Picture Editors Guild is Local 700 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, which in recent years has stepped up its efforts to extend union contracts to crew members who work on reality TV programs.

Deere takes hit as farm economy weakens

MOLINE, Ill. » Deere’s profit slumped 15 percent in the third quarter and the farming equipment maker, seeing weak sales ahead, trimmed its outlook and will cut production. Chairman and CEO Samuel Allen said Wednesday that the cuts will bring production "in line with demand for our agricultural products."

With commodity prices falling, the U.S. Department of Agriculture in February predicted that farm income in 2014 would sink to levels not seen in four years.

That is cutting into the spending power of farmers and hitting companies like Deere, the world’s biggest farm equipment supplier.

Deere is now forecasting equipment sales will fall about 6 percent for fiscal 2014. Its prior guidance was for a 4 percent decline. For the fourth quarter, the company estimates equipment sales will drop approximately 8 percent.

For the three months ended July 31, Deere earned $850.7 million, or $2.33 a share, compared with $996.5 million, or $2.56 a share, a year ago. Revenue from equipment sales fell to $8.72 billion from $9.32 billion, with equipment sales for the U.S. and Canada dropping 8 percent. Revenue declined to $9.5 billion from $10.01 billion.

Hawaiian Airlines to begin San Francisco-Maui service

Hawaiian Airlines said Wednesday it will offer nonstop service between San Francisco International Airport and Kahului Airport on Maui beginning Nov. 20.

There will be four flights a week on Hawaiian’s 294-seat Airbus A330-200 aircraft before the carrier moves to daily service starting Dec. 17. The daily service will add more than 210,000 seats to both the San Francisco and Maui markets. Flights will depart Maui at 2:55 p.m. and arrive in San Francisco at 9:55 p.m. Return flights from San Francisco will leave at 9:50 a.m. and arrive on Maui at 1:15 p.m.

"This year we’ve brought back our San Jose to Honolulu service, offered new seasonal nonstop flights from Oakland to Kona and Lihue, and now we are launching … service between San Francisco and Maui — all in response to the robust demand we’ve received from the Bay Area," Chief Commercial Officer Peter Ingram said.

ON THE MOVE

La Pietra-Hawaii School for Girls has hired Leilani Arita-Takayama as academic dean and college counselor. Arita-Takayama was previously an academic adviser and counselor to graduate students at Hawaii Pacific University and facilitated applications to various graduate and graduate certificate programs.

Bank of Hawaii Corp. has announced that its board of directors has elected Victor K. Nichols to serve on its board and become a member of the audit and risk committee. Nichols was previously a chief executive officer of North America and president of Global Consumer Services for Experian.

Communications Pacific has promoted Nicole Fuertes to vice president. Her responsibilities include direct and independent management of clients and account service, supervision of staff and new business development, as well as providing strategic direction for the company.

SHIP AHOY!

Today’s ship arrivals and departures:

HONOLULU HARBOR

KALAELOA BARBERS POINT HARBOR