2007-12-06 News
The Maui 10 Who's the county's most powerful player?
by Anthony Pignataro	write the author
December 06, 2007 RELIABLE RISE RANK PREVIOUS COMPANY 1 2 Alexander & Baldwin  2 1 Monsanto Hawai`i 3 3 Tesoro Hawai`i 4 4 Weinberg Foundation  5 5 Dowling Co.  6 6 Maui Land & Pineapple Co. 7 7 Maui Electric Co. 8 8 Goodfellow Brothers 9 9 Wailuku Water Co. 10 10 Hawaiian Telcom It's not even close to the largest A&B subsidiary, but Matson Navigation still plays a considerable role in Hawai`i's survival. Sure, there are other shippers, but there's no question that the state relies heavily on Matson to get stuff here from, well, the rest of the world. Hence a company decision to raise shipping rates early next year makes all the major papers statewide. Starting Jan. 6, 2008, all container rates will rise about 2.5 percent, according to a Nov. 30 story in the Honolulu Advertiser. Company execs told the paper the rate hikes are necessary to "ensure Hawai`i will be served with modern, reliable service for decades to come." Since "modern, reliable service" will always cost a little bit more each year—and Hawai`i isn't likely to get closer to any major land mass—Matson would seem to have a really good long-term deal going. FLOOD OF CALLS In addition to all Hawaiian Telcom's other problems, we now find out that one of its underground cables is so crappy that rain on Nov. 28 actually flooded it, knocking out phone service to "several areas of Wailuku," according to a brief Nov. 30 story in The Maui News. Sure, other landline providers—we're talking the mainland, here—have managed to sink phone lines into the ground without having to worry about rain, but not good ol' HT. God bless 'em—and I'm not joking, either. Please, bless them! They need all the help they can get! MTW

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