BUSINESS BRIEFS
Hog inventory falls again, to 15,000
Advertiser Staff
The inventory of hogs at Hawai'i farms fell to 15,000 head in 2007, a 6 percent decline from a year earlier.
The marketing hog herd totaled 11,400 head, down 4 percent from 2006, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Breeding hogs totaled 3,600 head, down 12 percent from 2006
The inventory of hogs has been declining for several years and is down 35 percent from 2003, the department reported.
Farmers project 1,600 sows will become pregnant from Dec. 1, 2007 through May 31, 2008. That is unchanged from the previous six-month period and the same period a year earlier.
Nationwide, the inventory of hogs was 65.1 million on Dec. 1, up 4 percent from Dec. 1, 2006.
ONLINE JOB ADS OUTNUMBER JOBLESS
Honolulu's labor market continues to loosen up, at least when measured by the number of online help-wanted ads compared to the number of unemployed people.
The Conference Board reported there were 1.32 online job ads for every unemployed person in Honolulu during January.
Honolulu's supply-demand rate has been slipping over the past year. In December 2006 Honolulu's rate was 0.77, meaning there were more online ads than unemployed persons. The rate was the lowest of all the metropolitan areas measured by the New York-based Conference Board at the time.
2 COSTCOS GET SOLAR ELECTRIC SYSTEMS
REC Solar Inc. said it had completed the installation of solar electric systems on Costco Wholesale locations on Kaua'i and in Kona.
The company said the 680 kilowatt systems combined are capable of generating enough electricity to power 250 homes. REC said it also had completed solar electric systems for Costco in Goleta and San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Wal-Mart on Monday unveiled a 283 kilowatt solar power system on the roof of the Sam's Club store on Ke'eamouku Street.
BIG ISLE SANSEI SEAFOOD OPENS FEB. 11
Developers of the new Queens' MarketPlace retail and entertainment complex at Waikoloa Beach Resort on the Big Island said one of the project's anchor restaurant tenants, Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar, will open Feb. 11.
The restaurant with seating for more than 200 will be the biggest of four Sansei restaurants operated by local chef D.K. Kodama, and his first on the Big Island.
Kodama said the new venture will allow him to work with Big Island agriculture and aquaculture farmers to explore new menu items using ingredients such as Hamakua mushrooms.
Queens' MarketPlace is a $95 million addition to the Kings' Shops retail complex at the resort. The 135,000-square-foot project welcomed initial tenants in October. Other restaurant tenants include Islands Fine Burgers & Drinks and Charlie's Thai Cuisine.
WINDWARD MALL GETS 3 NEW TENANTS
Windward Mall said three food tenants — Taco Del Mar, Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream and Ninja Sushi —will join the mall this summer.
The new eateries will follow other fairly new tenants operating at the Kane'ohe shopping center, including Great Harvest Bread Co. and Oh Wow Lau Lau, which is an affiliate of I Love Country Café.
Windward Mall last year finished a $23 million renovation that coincided with the introduction of many new stores and restaurants, including Borders and IHOP.
