Real estate firm Choi International said Friday it will combine with Hawaii Life, the Hawaii affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate.
Choi International will now be the Choi Group with Hawaii Life.
Hawaii Life has an eponymous show on HGTV now in its 11th season. The show features clients and brokers of the firm as they shop for properties in Hawaii.
Fiat Chrysler recalls nearly 1.8M trucks
DETROIT >> Fiat Chrysler is recalling nearly 1.8 million Ram trucks because they can be shifted out of park without the driver’s foot on the brake or even without a key in the ignition. The recall is mainly in North America and covers trucks with steering-column shifters. Owners will be notified when service is available.
Consumers increased spending in November
WASHINGTON >> American consumers stepped up their spending last month, a good sign for the holiday shopping season.
The Commerce Department said Friday that consumer spending rose a sharp 0.6 percent from October, outpacing a 0.3 percent increase in personal income. As a result, the savings rate fell to 2.9 percent of after-tax income in November, lowest since November 2007.
The numbers bode well for the holidays and for the overall economy: Consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. economic output.
ON THE MOVE
Bank of Hawaii has announced the following new promotions:
>> Dean Y. Shigemura, a chief financial officer, has also been promoted to vice chairman from senior executive vice president. He started with Bank of Hawaii in 1999 and served in numerous positions, including controller, executive vice president and bank treasurer, senior vice president, and vice president and investments officer. Prior to Bank of Hawaii, Shigemura served as a vice president and financial analyst for The Shidler Group.
>> Tony Mizuno has been promoted to senior executive vice president and has become a member of the bank’s Managing Committee. Mizuno was previously executive vice president of the bank’s Commercial Banking Group.