BUSINESS BRIEFS
Grant extends UH vog research
Advertiser Staff
The John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawai'i has received a $95,000 grant to continue research on the health effects of volcanic air pollution on Big Island children.
The grant, obtained by Hawai'i's U.S. senators from the National Center for Environmental Health, goes to continue work studying the respiratory effects on more than 1,400 Big Island children along with developing ways to help students cope with volcanic pollution.
MARKETING CONFERENCE IN S. KOREA
The state is co-sponsoring a conference that will explore energy, education and communications business opportunities in South Korea.
The 6th Annual Korea-Pacific U.S. States Joint Conference takes place Nov. 14 and 15 in Seoul and Jeju-do, South Korea, and includes a networking event where U.S. companies can meet with Korean counterparts.
"Korean companies entering the U.S. market need to have U.S. partners, just as U.S. companies need Korean partners to enter Asian markets," said Ted Liu, director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. The state is co-sponsoring the conference with Alaska, California, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and the Korea-U.S. Economic Council. The registration deadline is Sept. 30.
Hawai'i representatives will take the lead for one session of the conference in presenting its Hawai'i Clean Energy Initiative and promoting the 2009 Korea-Pacific U.S. States Joint Conference, which will be held in Hawai'i.
PORTLAND CEMENT SHIPMENTS UP
Hawai'i's shipments of finished Portland cement rose in July compared with a year earlier, bucking the national average, which declined.
Data furnished by Bloomberg L.P. show the shipments of Portland cement, a commonly used cement for making concrete, rose to 37,074 metric tons in July, or 1.6 percent more than a year earlier. That compared with a 6.9 percent decline in the shipments nationally.
Hawai'i's July shipments contrast with other months this year when shipments declined.
COLLEGE SAVINGS PLAN THRIVING
Hawai'i's College Savings Program, a savings plan sponsored by the state to help families save for college education, is growing, according to Hawai'i Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona Jr.
He said the program currently holds an estimated $41.1 million in 3,646 accounts. That's up from 2006, when the program held $38.5 million in 3,373 accounts. Aiona attributed the increase to improvements in the program, including a reduced annual administrative fee and an expanded menu of investment options.
S&P RATES STATE'S BOND ISSUE 'AA'
Standard & Poor's Ratings Services has assigned an "AA" rating to the state of Hawai'i's upcoming $619 million bond issue, while affirming its "AA" rating on the state's outstanding general-obligation debt.
Standard & Poor's noted Hawai'i's economy appears to be decelerating after a sustained period of economic expansion, but indications of a severe decline appear minimal. It noted unemployment has been driven primarily by an increase in the labor force rather than a loss of jobs, while nominal personal income increased 5.3 percent during the first quarter.
"The rating is based on the state's growing and diversifying economy, which has experienced a sustained, though likely mature, expansionary phase," said Standard & Poor's credit analyst Rob Williams.
