Business and Finance news

SAN FRANCISCO — This year, Netflix made what looked like a peculiar choice: The DVD-by-mail company decided that over the next two years, it would move most of its Web technology — customer movie queues, search tools and the like — over to the computer servers of one of its chief rivals, Amazon.com.
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We’re with R.E.M. when it comes to the end of the Federal Reserve’s quantitative easing program: "It’s the end of the world as we know it (and we feel fine)." Michael Stipe isn’t known for his musings on monetary policy, but it’s a good metaphor — for now.
The unprecedented program, which in late […]

PlaneSmart! Aviation, which manages high performance aircraft, has opened a new headquarters at Addison Airport.
The company transformed an old maintenance building into an aircraft showroom, allowing it to accommodate more planes.
“Our business has expanded during hard economic times because the market found our service to be needed and desirable” said Michael Brosler, president and CEO. […]

The Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co., is seeking to ramp up its renewable energy production in a partnership with the University of Hawaii and federal government.
Federal agencies are investing up to $12 million for biofuel research at HC&S, which is a division of Alexander & Baldwin (NYSE: ALEX).
The Office of Naval Research is giving $2 […]

Sweet Leaf Tea Co. has acquired Cincinnati competitor Tradewinds Beverage Co., officials said this morning.
The Austin-based natural tea maker said the purchase will help it expand market reach, particularly in the Midwest where Tradewinds has strong distribution channels. The acquired company was founded in 1993 and makes teas and juices kettle-brewed in Ohio. The company […]

Hawaii Medical Assurance Association on Thursday closed its deal to buy the fully insured health insurance membership of Summerlin Life and Health Insurance Hawaii.
The deal, first announced in February and recently approved by the state Insurance Division, makes HMAA the state’s second-largest preferred-provider health insurer with more than 46,000 members, after the addition of Summerlin’s […]