The developer of an assisted-living rental project in Mililani recently opened an office to accept applications for the 72-unit building that is under construction and slated for completion in January.

The Plaza at Mililani, which is being developed by local real estate firm MW Group Ltd. with an affiliate of Washington state-based Sound Health Management Inc., also expects to hire about 80 employees for the project by the end of the year.

Plaza at Mililani is being built in Mililani Mauka next to the Olaloa Retirement Community and will have beds for 128 elderly residents who are frail or suffer with Alzheimer's disease or other memory impairments.

The rental project is modeled after a similar MW Group project, The Plaza at Punchbowl, which opened in 2004 at 918 Lunalilo St. with 137 beds. The developer is accepting applications for the Mililani project at the Punchbowl site from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For information, call 626-8807 or go to www.plazaassistedliving.com online.

HECO VP CHOSEN TO LEAD NONPROFIT

Enterprise Honolulu has elected Robbie Alm to a three-year term as chairman of the nonprofit economic development organization.

Alm, executive vice president of Hawaiian Electric Co., succeeds Allen Uyeda, president and chief executive officer of First Insurance Co. of Hawaii Ltd. Alm's term starts July 1.

Enterprise Honolulu's board of directors also promoted Pono Shim, vice president of Enterprise Honolulu, to president. Shim will succeed Mike Fitzgerald, who notified the board earlier this year of his plan to return to the Mainland in July after eight years as president. Fitzgerald has accepted an invitation to join the board of Enterprise Honolulu.

MADE IN HAWAII, SOLD AT BLAISDELL

Atebara potato chips from Hawaii Island Gourmet and organic cleaners from Jeani's Organics Health & Fitness will be among the thousands of locally crafted products at this year's First Hawaiian Bank's Made in Hawaii Festival Aug. 21 to 23 at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center Exhibition Hall and Arena.

More than 420 exhibitors have signed up for booths at the event, which is in its 14th year.

Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 21 and 22, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 23. Admission is $3 and free for children 6 and under.

INDEX SHOWS FURTHER CONTRACTION

An index of Hawai'i's current economic indicators fell for a 16th consecutive month in May, with the Hawai'i decline outpacing the national decrease.

The coincident index produced by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia shows Hawai'i's index fell by 0.6 percent, or double the 0.3 percent decline nationally.

The index measures economic indicators thought to closely coincide with the overall economy such as jobs, unemployment, average hours worked in manufacturing and inflation-adjusted income. An increase in the number indicates expansion, while a decline indicates contraction.