BUSINESS BRIEFS
Small-business conference set
Advertiser Staff
The Hawai'i District office of the Small Business Administration will hold its Hawai'i Pacific Lending Conference March 27 and 28 at the Honolulu Country Club.
The two-day event is designed for small-business lenders, lending service providers, certified development companies and small-business assistance providers and economic development specialists to increase their knowledge of financing tools and trends, as well as their effectiveness in penetrating the small-business market in the Hawai'i-Pacific region. The conference will cover the latest economic overviews for Hawai'i and the nation, small-business banking trends, SBA loan programs, and industry updates.
The conference begins at 8:30 a.m. March 27 and features executive and industry experts in a general session, as well as a keynote luncheon speaker. On March 28, the half-day schedule will begin with a 7:30 a.m. breakfast, followed by general sessions.
For information and to register, call Karen Sakihama at 541-2990, ext. 209 or e-mail hawaiigeneral@sba.gov. Information also is available at www.sba.gov/hi.
UH ROOM NAMED FOR LUM YIP KEE
The University of Hawai'i's Shidler College of Business held a blessing yesterday for the newly renovated Lum Yip Kee reading room.
The room is named after local businessman and entrepreneur Lum Yip Kee, who died in 1943. For more than 30 years, the company he founded, Lum Yip Kee Ltd., has funded several renovations of the graduate student reading room.
The investment and real estate company is headed by his grandsons, Tan Tek Lum and Wing Tek Lum.
Born in 1866, Lum Yip Kee was considered a pioneer in Hawai'i agriculture, land development, business and finance.
BOYD GAMING REPORTS EARNINGS OFF
Boyd Gaming Corp., the casino company whose downtown Las Vegas properties and Vacations Hawaii travel agency are popular with local residents, said fourth-quarter adjusted earnings from continuing operations fell to $34.9 million from $39.9 million a year earlier as pre-opening expenses cut into profits.
The company reported profit at its downtown Las Vegas segment declined to $66.9 million from $69.1 million a year earlier. The segment includes revenue from Vacations Hawaii, a major purveyor of Las Vegas vacation packages for Hawai'i residents.
Boyd reported revenue at Vacations Hawaii and other travel agency-related entities fell to $12.1 million during the three months ended Dec. 31, or $1 million less than a year earlier.
Adjusted earnings is income from continuing operations before pre-opening expenses, accelerated depreciation of certain assets and other non-operating expenses. Boyd Gaming's operations include gambling operations in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and the Midwest.
3 HAWAI'I BEACHES RATE IN TOP 10
Three Hawai'i beaches made it on the TripAdvisor's list of the top 10 beaches in the United States.
TripAdvisor, which bills itself as the world's largest online "travel community," rated Kailua Beach third, Tunnels Beach on Kaua'i sixth and Waimea Bay 10th.
"A classically beautiful Hawaiian beach, Kailua Beach Park features gorgeous turquoise waters, powder white sand, and palm trees peppering its broad coastline," TripAdvisor said of its No. 3 pick.
Two Florida beaches, Fort De Soto Park's North Beach and St. Andrew's State Park, were rated first and second, respectively.
