BUSINESS BRIEFS
Hoana to sell in Canada, Japan
Advertiser Staff
Hoana Medical Inc. said it will be able to expand the markets for its LifeBed Patient Vigilance System to include Canada and Japan after completing regulatory audits.
The Honolulu-based medical device maker said it recently completed an intensive review for CAN ISO 13485 and J-GMP marks that are similar to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance.
The company said it has received interest in the LifeBed system from hospitals in Canada and Japan. The system allows tracking of a patient's vital signs without intrusive hookups to machinery. At the heart of the system is a mat for beds that can alert hospital nursing staff to deterioration in a patient's condition.
PAPAYA PRODUCTION MOSTLY UP
Hawai'i papaya production was down in July from a year earlier, but was still up for the first seven months of this year compared with the same period last year, according to new estimates from the National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Hawai'i farmers produced an estimated 2 million pounds of the fruit in July, down 23 percent from the same month last year.
The smaller harvest was in part due to mainly sunny weather and light showers in July that negatively affected orchards depending on natural rainfall.
Still, for the first seven months of the year, production is up 9 percent to 17.8 million pounds from a year earlier.
Growers are expected to receive an estimated 52 cents per pound of fresh papaya in July, 1 cent more than in June and 6.2 cents more than a year earlier.
WALLY AMOS OPENS WAIKIKI STORE
Wally Amos, who helped make chocolate-chip cookies famous, opened his new Chip & Cookie shop yesterday in the Royal Hawaiian Center.
In addition to five varieties of cookies, which are made with Amos' personal recipe, the boutique features Wally Wear, including the new Wally Amos Aloha Shirt, T-shirts, bags, accessories, books by Wally Amos, and memorabilia from his days as Famous Amos in the Wally World section.
The new Chip & Cookie is on the second floor of the Royal Hawaiian Center. The first Chip & Cookie is in Kailua.
Amos is active in national literacy programs and donates 10 percent of his profits to the Read it LOUD! Foundation. "Our goal is to get 5 million parents reading aloud to their children for 10 minutes a day over a three-year period," Amos said.
BIG ISLE FIRM GETS SUSTAINABILITY NOD
HPM Building Supply on the Big Island has received Forest Steward Council Chain of Custody Certification for ensuring that the wood products it sells meet international standards for sustainability.
"HPM recognizes its responsibility to promote sustainability within the immediate and extended environment," said HPM President Mike Fujimoto. "HPM also understands that many of our customers share similar concerns regarding supporting a greener environment."
The Forest Stewardship Council promotes "environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world's forests," according to a news release from HPM.
FSC-certified lumber and manufactured trusses may qualify for points toward certification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, HPM said. The federal government, along with many local and state governments, including Hawai'i, now requires certain types of buildings to meet environmental requirements outlined in the LEED program.
