America’s Mattress parent getting bought
The parent company of America’s Mattress stores is being acquired in a deal valued at $425 million.
The Sleep Train Inc., based in California, is being acquired by Houston-based rival Mattress Firm Holding Corp.
If approved by regulators, the combined business will operate some 2,000 mattress specialty retail stores and 70 distribution centers across 40 states, according to Mattress Firm. Sleep Train operates roughly 310 mattress stores in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada and Hawaii.
America’s Mattress has nine locations in Hawaii, including five on Oahu and four on Kauai, Maui and Hawaii island.
U.S. SBA awards $50,000 to Kona startup
The U.S. Small Business Administration has awarded $50,000 to Kailua-Kona’s GVS Transmedia Accelerator on Hawaii island.
The Global Virtual Studio Transmedia Accelerator, a virtual production house that accelerates the development of creative ideas, was among 50 groups that won SBA’s first Growth Accelerator Fund competition.
Each group — representing a broad range of industries from manufacturing to tech startups to farming — is receiving the same amount of funds and is required to commit for one year to quarterly reporting on metrics such as jobs created, funds raised, startups launched and corporate sponsors obtained among other information.
This will allow the SBA to create a database of accelerators and their impact, and to develop long-term relationships with the startups and constituents.
SBA said it received more than 800 applications.
Media literacy workshop is planned
The Hawaii People’s Fund has scheduled a media literacy training workshop for youth, and for mentors of youth programs. Speaker Andrea Quijada, executive director of the New Mexico-based Media Literacy Project, will instruct attendees as to how to read, see and listen to media messages more critically, and to decode misleading messages. She says the ability to analyze and evaluate such messages, including advertising, is the first step in becoming media literate.
The Media Literacy Workshop website, for instance, displays examples of bad advertising, which can include hypersexualization of images used to promote products.
Organizers encourage multiple members of organizations, including youth and mentors, to attend as teams.
Doors will open at 9:30 a.m. for the workshop, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sept. 20, at Hawaii USA Federal Credit Union at 1226 College Walk, which is just off Aala Street, between Beretania and Kukui streets.
The cost is $50 per person, though a small number of partial scholarships are available.
Registration is limited to 50 attendees, with preference given to Hawaii People’s Fund grantees in good standing, and to organizations with budgets under $250,000.
Information is available by calling the Hawaii People’s Fund at 593-9969, sending an email to HPFgrants@lava.net, or going online at www.ChangeNotCharity.org, where a registration form also is available. The registration deadline is Sept. 15.
American Girl to open at Ala Moana Center
American Girl, a subsidiary of toy maker Mattel, is opening its first Hawaii store next month at Ala Moana Center.
The retailer of lifelike dolls of various ethnicities will open a temporary store on Oct. 1, according to Scott Creel, Ala Moana’s senior marketing manager.
A post on craigslist.com said American Girl is opening a 3,000-square-foot specialty boutique at Ala Moana from October to April 2015. The store will sell the company’s popular doll lines, including BeForever, My American Girl, Girl of the Year, Bitty Baby as well as an assortment of Dress Like Your Doll clothing for girls and American Girl books.
The ad said the company is currently hiring assistant store managers and sales clerks.
ON THE MOVE
Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties has announced agents who have joined its King Street office:
>> Prior to rejoining CBP, Melody Pevateaux served as a Realtor for Century 21 Award. She first joined CBP in 2008.
>> Prior to rejoining the company, Robyn A. Schaefer served as a Realtor associate at Keller Williams and has more than 35 years of sales and marketing experience.
The Hawai’i Visitors and Convention Bureau has announced that George Johns is the bureau’s regional director of travel industry sales. Prior to HVCB, Johns served as a regional business development manager for Rocky Mountaineer and also worked in sales at International Expeditions and Lindblad Expeditions.
