Local groups want voice in HEI-NextEra decision

Several local groups want to be involved in the state Public Utilities Commission’s decision whether to approve the sale of Hawaiian Electric Industries to Juno Beach, Fla.-based NextEra Energy Inc.

Hawaiian Electric Industries — parent company for Hawaiian Electric Co., Maui Electric Co., and Hawaii Electric Light — and NextEra Energy filed a joint application in January with the PUC seeking approval of the proposed $4.3 billion deal.

Renewable Energy Action Coalition of Hawaii, Inc., Puna Pono Alliance, Ka Lei Maile Ali‘i Hawaiian Civic Club, Hawaii Water Service Co., County of Maui, Friends of Lana‘i and the Hawaii Solar Energy Association filed requests Tuesday to intervene in the PUC case.

3 isle beaches make TripAdvisor’s top 10

Maui beaches at Kaanapali and Waianapanapa State Park, as well as Kailua Beach on Oahu, are among the 10 best beaches in the United States, according to users of TripAdvisor.com.

Two Florida beaches, including Siesta Beach on Siesta Key and Saint Pete Beach, topped the list at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, while Maui’s Kaanapali Beach is third and Wai­anapanapa is fourth.

At No. 5 is Pensacola Beach, Fla., followed by sixth-ranked La Jolla Cove in La Jolla, Calif.

Kailua Beach is seventh, followed by Florida’s Clearwater Beach, St. Augustine Beach and the beach at Panama City rounding out the top 10.

The online travel site released its 2015 Travelers’ Choice awards for beaches around the world including traveler-chosen top beaches in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, South America, the South Pacific and the United Kingdom, in addition to the U.S.

"For travelers looking to escape the snow and cold, we’ve unveiled the world’s best beaches based on feedback from the TripAdvisor community," said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer, in a statement.

The listed beaches were selected based on the quantity and quality of traveler reviews and ratings gathered by TripAdvisor during a 12-month period.

Aloha Petroleum boosts Sunoco revenue

Sunoco LP, a motor fuel distributor and subsidiary of Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners, said Hawaii Aloha Petroleum Ltd. helped increase company revenue by 20 percent from the same period last year.

The company reported fourth-quarter revenue of $1.3 billion, up 20 percent from the $1.1 billion revenue of the same period in 2013, citing merchandise sales from Aloha Petroleum and Mid-Atlantic Convenience Stores as a main driver.

"The increase was primarily the result of the contribution of $39.3 million of merchandise sales from the MACS and Aloha convenience stores acquired during the quarter, along with a 46 percent increase in gallons sold, partly offset by the impact of a 55-cent-per-gallon decrease in the average selling price per gallon of fuel," said Sunoco in a press release.

Sunoco purchased Aloha on Dec.16.

The fuel company operates a total of 153 retail convenience stores and fuel outlets in Virginia, Hawaii, Tennessee, Maryland and Georgia.

AccesSurf for disabled receives donation

Aloha Petroleum Ltd. donated more than $5,000 to AccesSurf, an organization that offers surfing instruction and therapeutic educational programs on water recreation to people with disabilities.

The company donated $5,655.69, matching the funds raised through a canister collection program at its Aloha Island Mart stores in November and December of last year.

"The support from Aloha Petroleum will directly help many people in the disabled community experience the healing of the ocean. We thank them greatly for assisting us to continue to offer our programs," said AccesSurf Executive Director Cara Troy.

Aloha Petroleum has used its collection canister program to donate to nonprofit organizations including the March of Dimes, Aloha Harvest, American Heart Association and the American Red Cross.

Sony predicts bright future for earnings

TOKYO » Sony Corp. forecast its highest earnings in 20 years as Chief Executive Officer Kazuo Hirai uses games, image sensors and entertainment to revive the electronics maker. The company’s shares rose.

Operating profit will reach 500 billion yen ($4.2 billion) in the year ending in March 2018, the Tokyo-based company said Wednesday. That’s the highest since 520 billion yen in 1998, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, when income was fueled by MiniDisc players and the first "Men in Black" movie.

Stressing profitability instead of volume growth and shifting away from PCs and TVs has helped Hirai step closer to turning around Sony through areas where it has an advantage, such as PlayStation 4 consoles and sensors used in smartphones. Chief Financial Officer Kenichiro Yoshida’s restructuring of operations and move to make division heads more accountable are helping win back credibility for a company that cut its earnings outlook 15 times in the past seven years.

On The Move

» Wingstop has appointed the following general managers at its two new Hawaii locations:

— Melissa Calvetti oversees daily operations at Wingstop at the Gateway, in Mililani Mauka. She was previously a host manager at Zocalo Mexican Restaurant in Sacramento, Calif.

— Gina Neumann is responsible for the daily operations at the Wingstop in Kapalama Center, in Kalihi. She has more than 10 years experience in the food and beverage industry, with an emphasis in bartending and creating custom cocktails.

» Hawaiian Host has promoted John Fujimori to inventory control coordinator from accounting clerk. His responsibilities include monitoring and verifying various warehouse inventories and supplies used in the production of Hawaiian Host products.

» Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties has announced that Eliot Honda is the firm’s marketing coordinator. He has more than 11 years of experience in the multimedia and television industries, and was a Realtor associate at Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties.

Ship Ahoy!

Today’s ship arrivals and departures: