385 workers to lose jobs after Maui resort closure

WAILUKU, Maui (AP) — The owner of the Makena Beach & Golf Resort on Maui announced the resort will be shutting down, a move that will result in 385 employees being laid off.

ATC Makena Holdings LLC said Tuesday the 1,800-acre resort with 310 rooms will close July 1.

General Manager Declan McCarthy said in a statement the resort will work with employees to ensure they are prepared to seek other job opportunities.

“The foundation of Makena Beach & Golf Resort has been its employees, many of whom have been working at the property for over 20 years,” he said. “Our ohana has attained a level of service that has been well recognized within the islands and around the world as attentive, welcoming and sincere.”

McCarthy said employees will be provided access to training on resume writing, interviewing skills and job search tools.

“We will work closely with county and state government agencies and have already begun planning a job fair at the hotel in the near future,” he said.

According to the resort’s announcement, plans for the hotel site include the development of the Makena Golf & Beach Club, which will be managed by Discover Land Co.

The Makena resort’s closure is the second announcement this year of major layoffs in Hawaii. In January, Alexander & Baldwin said it would close Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. by the end of the year, affecting about 660 employees at the state’s last sugar plantation.