Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 29, Number 5, 1 May 2012 — Idea for poi mill on wheels wins business plan award [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Idea for poi mill on wheels wins business plan award

By Lisa Asato Hi'ilei Aloha LLC - a subsidiary of OHA - won first plaee and $10,000 in the Hogan/American Savings Bank Nonprofit Business Plan Competition. Hi'ilei Aloha plans to start a mohile poi mill and certified kitchen that will help taro farmers get a higher price for their product by processing their own taro and selling their poi directly to stores, said Peter Hanohano, capacity building manager for Hi'ilei Aloha. Hanohano called the first-place win "amazing," adding that the idea for a mohile poi mill and certified kitchen eame from taro farmers who had said they earn about 63 cents a pound for taro that is then sold as poi for $5 to $6 a pound at the market. "Hopefully this will be a big help for them and make growing taro a sustainable lifestyle for them," said Hanohano. Hi'ilei Aloha will use the $10,000 to buy a steamer, grinder and other equipment to outfit a luneh wagon or similar vehicle, Hanohano said. The certified kitchen will

be based at Waimea Valley on 0'ahu's North Shore. Awards were presented April 18 for the competition designed to help nonprofit organizations starting new ventures that will benefit society. According to the Honoluhi Star-Advertiser, the other winners were: » HOPE Services Hawai'i, $6,000, Mālama our Kūpuna recycled housing project » Kanu Hawai'i, $4,000, Engage Donors project » Waikīkl Health Center, $2,000, Next Step janitorial school job-training program » Full Life Hawai'i, $1,000, and 80 hours of free consulting services from puhlie relations and marketing firm Olomana Loomis-ISC The remaining three finalists eaeh won $1,000: Business Law Corps, BizGym Foundation and United Cerebral Palsy Association and its partners. This was the fifth year of the business plan competition through Chaminade University's Hogan Entrepreneurs Program. ■

Hi'ilei Aloha LLC received lop honors in the Hogan/American Savings Bank Nonprofit Business Plan Competition. From left are: Gigi Cairel of Hi'ilei Aloha; Edward Hogan, chairman of Hogan Family Foundation; Peter Hanohano of Hi'ilei Aloha; Gabriel Lee, Amehean Savings Bank executive vice president; Alan Tang, chairman, CE0 and president of Olomana Loomis ISC; and Mona Bernardino and Lena Racimo of Hi'ilei Aloha. - Courtesy: Olomana Loomis ISC