Campaign to help promote farms in Kunia
A nonprofit organization hopes to help 23 small farms in a Kunia agriculture park earn higher prices for their crops by establishing a brand for the produce.
The Hawaii Agricultural Foundation launched a branding campaign this week for the largely immigrant farmers on the 219-acre HAF Ag Park at Kunia.
The campaign includes "Grown in Kunia" produce labels and a brochure identifying the farmers and explaining the ag park, which was created in 2011.
"Providing information as to who the farmer is and where the product comes from helps put a higher price into context for the consumer," Dean Okimoto, foundation board chairman and owner of Nalo Farms, said in a statement. "Many farmers do not understand the value of their produce and how to get the customer to pay the best price for it."
The foundation, which is an offshoot of the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, received a grant from the City and County of Honolulu to develop the brochure and print 75,000 labels reserved for grade-A produce from the farms.
Most farmers in the Kunia ag park got their start through a Pacific Gateway Center program that helps immigrants, refugees and low-income individuals.
Horizon settles suits over proposed sale
Three lawsuits challenging the planned sale of ocean cargo transportation firm Horizon Lines to competitors Matson Inc. and The Pasha Group have led to a settlement agreement that will not affect the deal’s $598 million purchase price.
North Carolina-based Horizon announced the tentative settlement Friday and said it is subject to court approval.
One significant change to the planned sale under the settlement agreement is how much Matson would receive under certain circumstances if the deal falls apart. This so-called termination fee will be cut to $9.5 million from $17.2 million.
Shareholders of Horizon stock are slated to vote on the sale Feb. 25.
The deal, announced in November, involves Pasha acquiring Horizon’s Hawaii business for $141.5 million while Matson acquires Horizon’s operations in Alaska for $456.1 million.
Matson is the largest ocean cargo carrier serving Hawaii.
Three class-action lawsuits filed in Delaware sought to block the sale, alleging that the purchase price was insufficient, that there was misleading or missing information about the deal, and other things.
Horizon said its board regarded the lawsuits, which were consolidated into one case, as having no merit. A settlement, the company said, eliminates risks, costs and other burdens of litigation.
Hawaii properties earn top Forbes stars
Three Hawaii hotels and one Honolulu restaurant have been awarded five stars in the annual Forbes Travel Guide, formerly known as the Mobil Guide.
The five-star hotels are the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, and Trump International Hotel Waikiki Beach Walk, while the isles’ only five-star restaurant is La Mer at Halekulani.
Halekulani is among seven Hawaii hotels awarded four stars, while five Hawaii restaurants spread across the islands and seven spas also made their respective four-star lists.
The stars are awarded by professional inspectors who evaluate a property based on some 500 criteria.
The full list of five-star, four-star and recommended businesses can be found online at www.forbestravelguide.com/about/awardwinners.
Energy Excelerator gets $100,000 grant
Energy Excelerator, a Hawaii-based startup program, will receive a $100,000 grant from The Blackstone Charitable Foundation.
Energy Excelerator is a program that helps energy startups find funding and networking opportunities.
Blackstone announced Friday that the accelerator program is one of 20 recipients selected by the global investment and advisory firm to receive a combined $3 million.
ON THE MOVE
Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing has announced that Blake Oshiro has rejoined the firm as a director of counsel, focusing on government relations. Oshiro was previously deputy chief of staff to Gov. Neil Abercrombie for three years. Prior to that, he was the majority leader for the state House of Representatives for more than 10 years.
Hawaiian Airlines has appointed Tina Larson as director for online travel agencies and distribution. She has 19 years of travel industry experience in sales and marketing, including serving as a strategy, market research and business development consultant to clients such as the Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau and Maui Divers Jewelry. Larson also previously served as a regional manager for operations and sales at Expedia as well as worked in various positions at Northwest Airlines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing has announced that J. Blaine Rogers has been named a stockholder/director of the firm. Before joining the firm in 2008, Rogers clerked for U.S. District Court Judge David Alan Ezra and also served as the first legal fellow in a joint program between the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the state Department of the Attorney General.
