News | /2008/05/09/

Hawaiian Telcom lands new president HawTel nabs new leader from HECO STORY SUMMARY Troubled Hawaiian Telcom, the state's largest communications company, selected a top executive from another state utility ...

[DISPLACED LOCAL BOY]

looks like another rate hike, to get the millions they're over paying this clown, I dont get it

[Slater Kurabate]

DISPLACED LOCAL BOY wrote:

looks like another rate hike, to get the millions they're over paying this clown, I dont get it

Utilities are always profitable and predictable, like death and taxes - just another robber baron who clawed his way to the top

[Paco Loco]

Telcom Hawaii is in a death spiral despite what they say...new telecom technologies are killing land lines and the cableco already has captured the TV, internet and voice over internet market here.Just a matter of time and Pau! Carlyle made a blunder when they bought HawHawTel and a non telecom industry executive from HECO will only accelerate the companies demise.

[WhatsGoingOn]

Dodds was the idiot who put the Hawaiian Telcom deal together. He thought he new everything from being in the right place at the right time replacing Bellinger at FHB.

Dodds had no real brains, he did like to party, was easy to talk to, but when it came to analysis he had no idea, being in a bank that virtually ran itself.

Hawaiian Telcom is going down, why would Verizon, a Ma-Bell company with 100 years of telephone experience want out?

You can now get a USB Magic Jack phone for $19.95 a year and no long distance fees! You can even call back from anywhere in the world for free too!

Hawaiian Tel is obsolete technology and will never be anything other.

I hear the bell chiming, all thats left is these "executives" to milk it, with inflated pay-checks and bonuses.

[Bibidibabidibo]

Dodds is part of the problem to begin with. They'll asset strip anything left, and State taxpayers will be left holding the bag.

[gimme a break]

It's funny how their board consists of old timers and political animals (I think alan oshima is Maizie Hirono's husband) It really shows how out of touch they are with why they are in trouble: disruptive technologies.

Hawaiian Telcom is like a buggy whip manufacturer in 1905 trying to outlaw cars.

[Economy]

To clarify, Warren Haruki is the one who sold a bill of goods to Dods and Co. Warren sat back painfully unaware of the mess he was creating in he years at HT. HT's systems are antiquated, however they run at the speed of the morons within.

Biggest question - what does Yeaman know about Telcom????

[alice]

Dodds is so overratted it is a joke. He was the one who forced the crook Evan Dobelle on the UH and it cost the UH and the state dearly. He is a moron who inflates his own ego by taking credit for community service and gifts he had zero to do with. Watch Hawaiian Tel decline onto oblivion.

[Best wishes to Eric]

Eric will need best wishes because obiviously he hasn't been given the full scoop by the folks that recruited him/snowed him over. Just ask Ron Mizutani who recently returned to KHON2 after being enlightened. He should have done his homework and spoken with employees/retirees for the true insider info on what can only be described as the sadest state of affairs next to Aloha and Molokai Ranch. It's a 1000 times different ( in a bad way) from when he was there as an auditor. So again best wishes!!!!

[bsquare]

Yes, Verizon knows what it's doing by dumping HT. It's too bad because VZ has a fantastic TV service called FIOS which distributes HD channels uncompressed. We'll probably never get that service here.

[John Kamaka]

bsquare wrote:

Yes, Verizon knows what it's doing by dumping HT. It's too bad because VZ has a fantastic TV service called FIOS which distributes HD channels uncompressed. We'll probably never get that service here.

I used to work for Verizon when they first introduced the digital TV service known here as "Americast". It was a fine service that used the wrong distribution micro-wave format.There were just too many problems using that format in a densely populated environment like Oahu.

They could have easily taken over the cable service throughout Hawaii had they utilized their network lines. The other major problem was that they used the incompetent management to run this TV service.

Many times, we brought up glaring issues directly to Waren Haruki and the CEO of Verizon, but they did nothing. Guess they already decided to dump this service.

Another issue is IBEW local 1357, the union that currently represents HawaiianTelCom. I sat on the executive board and also represented the workers on dozens of cases throughout the 4 plus years. This union has no idea about technology advances or management practices.

I would have more confidence is seeing locally run management than these so called "proven" characters listed in this article.

Hate to say it, but HawaiianTelCom is going the way of Aloha Airlines, if they don't start improvising new management styles along with technology intergation. There are still options on hard-wire technology, but the company needs to adjust to it, not the other way around.

HawaiianTelCom probably need to downsize its workforce and management. It also needs to re-access its Union and adjust its dues to benefit its members, not the Union staff.

[Yeah right]

The 'turn around specialist' is leaving already??? He didn't turn anything around except his pocket book with $7,000,000.00 of our hard earned money which is always overcharged because of being an 'island state' and 'the cost of living in paradise'.....

And now this HECO jerk! Who couldn't even keep the electricity on after an earth quake off the Big Island....brags about record profits and then begs for rate hikes!!!!

Where is Teddy Roosevelt when we need these Robber Barron's and Monopolies broken up!!!!

[Bankruptcy]

Hawaiian Telcom is next. Give them till December to file since liquidity/cash flow to pay bills becomes the issue! Plus is is the PUC going hold service their feet to the coals regarding service levels. The best thing is for TW to do a hostile takeover !

[Same o Same o]

Better be lucky than good. That's probably the mantra of Dods and Yeaman behind closed doors. Both are overrated big time. Goes to show you in Hawaii business, it is not how much you know but who you know.

[Time to Say Goodbye]

If Dods is only being paid $1.00 a year, you can bet your okole theirs a buck in it for him!

What a great humanitarian his only thought is for the good of the people and the party!

[small correction]

gimme a break wrote:

It's funny how their board consists of old timers and political animals (I think alan oshima is Maizie Hirono's husband) It really shows how out of touch they are with why they are in trouble: disruptive technologies.
Hawaiian Telcom is like a buggy whip manufacturer in 1905 trying to outlaw cars.

Maizie Hirono is not married to Alan Oshima. She's married to Leighton Oshima.

[alice]

True, Dodds is a joke but I do like Mazie. Hawaiian Tel is a sad joke. As is HECO which routinely over charges and fails to deliver reliable service.

[J Warta]

Aloha All,

Frankly this is a great change for HT, it clearly signals that Carlyle is stepping aside, and now Walter will have a chance to do it right. I for one thank him for trying to right the ship. It does have alot of issues, but it still is not too late to turn it around. They have some great people, and a significant customer base. They need to finish fixing the back office, they need a new Union agreement with performance measurements, they need someone to take the capital pressure off management's focus, and they need to remember we are their customers. I wish Walter and Eric well in this effort.

Aloha

[alice]

Warta is very kind. He has more faith in the self-referential Waltah than the community does.

[John Kamaka]

I wonder what the State politicians will do if HawaiianTelCom goes under?

Performance measurements for the Union sounds great, but who will track them? I had to threaten them with a lawsuit to address overtime issues, which we won and they took credit for!

Another big problem is the local attitude of not getting involved in issues that concern their very well being. The lawsuit involved my own money and efforts in which only two other employees stepped forward, in court.

The rest all refused to back us up, but was the first in line to collect their money!

So what they need is not just a change of management, but a court appointed business arbritrator, similar to the non-profit organizations use to keep the business on track.

That way all parties, from the floor employees, union representatives, supervisors, PUC and upper management all have equal access to the decision formulation to ensure business growth.

Don't leave it solely on the CEO or top management.