BUSINESS BRIEFS
State Farm auto rate falls 15.2%
Advertiser Staff and News Services
State Farm said its auto insurance rate has declined by 15.2 percent in Hawai'i over the past four years.
The decline compared with a average 14.8 percent drop in auto rates nationally during the period of Jan. 1, 2004, to Dec. 31, 2007.
Hawai'i ranked 22nd highest among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, according to State Farm data.
New Jersey had the highest decline at 29.2 percent, while Louisiana was last at 1.7 percent.
WAL-MART GAVE $504,341 IN HAWAI'I
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said the company and its foundation gave cash and in-kind contributions totaling $504,341 in Hawai'i last year as it made donations to groups locally.
The company gave $296 million nationwide, making it one of the largest corporate cash contributors in the country. Hawai'i ranked 49th in terms of the amount received by each state, placing just ahead of Vermont.
L & L PRESIDENT TO GIVE WORKSHOP
L & L Drive-Inn President Eddie Flores will hold a five-session workshop for low-income entrepreneurs from March 18 to April 8 at the Hawai'i National Bank's Downtown Training Room.
"Eddie Flores Keys to Success in Business" is intended to teach low-income business owners key business skills and have them apply these skills to their business and the communities they reside in. The classes will cover salesmanship, marketing, negotiating and civic responsibility.
The workshops will be limited to 40 people. Applicants must complete an application and submit a resume, two letters of recommendation and a $100 refundable deposit.
For information, call 951-9888 or visit www.hawaiianbarbecue.com.
DECISION RESEARCH DEAL REPORTED
Decision Research Corp., a Honolulu-based maker of software for property and casualty insurers, said Grinnell InfoSystems Inc. has selected its DecisionMaker policy, rating and billing software for integration with Grinnell's claims and accounting software and technology solutions.
Grinnell selected Decision Research's products for deployment to customers across 11 states, the Honolulu company said. Grinnell offers insurance systems and services to a client base of more than 130 farm mutual insurance companies.
LIFESMARTS COMPETITION SATURDAY
The Hawai'i LifeSmarts state competition will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday at the state Capitol auditorium.
The competition tests students' knowledge of personal finance, health and safety, the environment, technology and consumer rights. The winner advances to the national contest April 12 to 15 in Minneapolis.
Kea'au High School on the Big Island will defend its title against Farrington, Kamehameha-Kapalama campus and Waipahu high schools.
LifeSmarts is sponsored by the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and is run by the National Consumers League. Local partners include the Better Business Bureau Foundation and the Hawai'i Credit Union League.
