Lawmaker seeks Ellison’s help on Island Air

A Hawaii lawmaker is reaching out to Oracle Corp. co-founder and CEO Larry Ellison after a story in Friday’s Star-Advertiser said the billionaire is finalizing a deal to purchase local carrier Island Air.

Rep. Mele Carroll (D, Lanai-Molokai) said the possible purchase of Island Air will bring positive changes to both the airline and areas within her constituents’ district.

"Island Air’s fleet needs some updating, so I hope that Mr. Ellison will consider this in order to assure the safety of interisland passengers," she said. "I have not spoken to Mr. Ellison directly, but would welcome any meeting in order to keep the lines of communication open between him and the state. My district could also benefit from any additional routes between the islands of Lanai, Molokai and Maui."

Hawaii wins diamonds, loses diamonds

Three Hawaii hotels have been added to the ranks of AAA Four Diamond Lodgings, while two restaurants have lost some sparkle.

Honua Kai Resort & Spa in Kaanapali, Maui; The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas on Kauai; and Aulani — A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina appear on the 2013 Four Diamond list along with 18 previous winners.

Meanwhile, Dondero’s restaurant at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa, which had been on the Four Diamond list since 2008, fell off this year’s listing.

Hawaii’s Five Diamond restaurants and hotels maintained their positions. La Mer, in the Halekulani, has been on the list since 1990, while Chef Mavro earned its five-diamond rating in 2008. Hawaii resorts that maintained AAA Five Diamond ratings are the Ritz-Carlton Kapa­lua and the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wai­lea, on Maui, and the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on Hawaii island, which was named the top luxury resort in the world by TripAdvisor this week.

Corrugated packing plant to open in Kapolei

A production plant to make boxes and other corrugated materials in Kapolei is slated to begin soon in a move that would restore local production of such supplies six years after Weyerhaeuser closed its corrugated packaging plant in Hono­lulu.

Rengo Packaging Inc. announced this week that it bought 8.5 acres of land in the Mala­kole Industrial Park for an undisclosed price. The company said it expects to begin building a 160,000-square-foot production facility on the site by March and have the plant fully operational by the middle of next year. The facility is expected to employ about 60 people, and will alleviate the need for Rengo to import finished boxes and corrugated packaging materials.

Rengo was formed in 2011 by Japa­nese-based Rengo Co. Ltd., which bought the assets and hired the employees of Hawaii Box & Packaging Inc. Hawaii Box was created in 2008 by former Weyerhaeuser employees when Weyerhaeuser, a Washington-based forestry products firm, shut down its Iwilei box plant in 2008.

On The Move

Central Pacific Bank has appointed the following to HomeLoan consultants of its HomeLoan Division:

» Brooke Honda has joined Central Pacific HomeLoan’s Oahu sales team. She has 17 years of operations, merchandising, planning and management experience.

» Joanne Stubenberg has joined

Central Pacific HomeLoan’s Kona sales team. She has 30 years of banking and lending experience.

Ship Ahoy!

Neighborhood Watch