PUHI — A plan is a requisite when acquiring lands or loans for businesses, whether it involves agricuture for value-added food production or renewable energy. This was confirmed by presentations from Mike Tresler of Grove Farm Company and Sonia Topenio
PUHI — A plan is a requisite when acquiring lands or loans for businesses, whether it involves agricuture for value-added food production or renewable energy.
This was confirmed by presentations from Mike Tresler of Grove Farm Company and Sonia Topenio of Bank of Hawai‘i, Wednesday at Kaua‘i Community College.
More than three dozen people turned out for the inaugural rollout of the Kaua‘i Coffee Agricultural Business Plan Competition hosted by the Kaua‘i Economic Development Board and its Food and Agriculture Committee.
“We’re serious about this,” said Susan Tai Kaneko of the KEDB. “Based on findings from the 2009 Agricultural Summit, the 2010 Agricultural Conference and other agriculture initiatives, the KCABPC is the first of its kind on Kaua‘i for the food and agriculture industry.”
KCABPC was created to foster and promote business growth in the food and agriculture sector on Kaua‘i, a KEDB news release states.
Business planning is crucial to success for new and established businesses. The mission of the KCABPC is to bring together and provide the best possible resources including education and training, networking and mentorship, team-building facilitation, and access to venture funding so agricultural ventures can create the best business model and business plan to present to landowners, venture capitalists and other investors.
Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr., returning from a trip to Iwaki, Japan, Monday night, said while there, in addition to touring the devastated areas, he was treated to visits in the agricultural, tourism and sustainability arenas.
“Just as Iwaki people pull together in agriculture, we need to pull together for our own agriculture growth,” Carvalho said in his remarks. “The launch of the KCABPC is designed to help with money profits and is an opportunity to assist those who are currently in business as well as those who are exploring the possibility of getting into one of these types of businesses.”
Carvalho commended the collaborative efforts of the program leaders for taking the lead in this initiative.
“There are many organizations, businesses and the county who are committed to the renewal of the agriculture industry on Kaua‘i,” the mayor said.
The KCABPC initiative has been created to stimulate the Kaua‘i agriculture sector to build diversified, healthy and profitable agri-business, the release states.
Currently, millions of dollars leave our state to support agri-businesses elsewhere. By producing and consuming locally-grown foods, these monies stays in our local economy, reduces our dependence on imports, decreases the “food miles” involved in transporting imported foods, conserves energy and reduces our carbon footprint while creating new business and new jobs.
Additionally, non-monetary benefits include promoting healthier lifestyles and good nutrition while building pride in supporting local agri-business, the release states.
Wednesday’s meeting was the first of four scheduled for the different parts of the island and Matty Yoshioka, director of KEDB, said people are invited to any, or all of the meetings.
The informational, networking and team-building reception moves to the Kapa‘a Public Library conference room, Oct. 13.
Following the Kapa‘a meeting, the KEDB leaders will move to Waimea on Oct. 17 at the West Kaua‘i Technology and Visitors Center conference room, and the final meeting will be on Oct. 24 at the Kilauea Neighborhood Center meeting room. All meetings run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
During the initial meetings, people will learn more details about the KCABPC, eligibility requirements and other details to build one’s own network.
“There is a lot at stake,” Kaneko said. “To demonstrate our commitment and how serious this is, there is a prize pool of more than $30,000 for three prizes at the end of the KCABPC. Participants will also get the benefit of ongoing incubation services with the participating mentors while receiving training from some of the top agriculture faculty in the state.”
The first phase of the competition will start in January with “How to Write an Executive Summary” workshops to prepare potential participants in submitting Executive Summaries in February, 2012.
Team selected from this phase by judges advance to Phase II which involves taking an eight-week “How to Write a Business Plan” course during March and April, 2012. Topics in this class include training in marketing, financial management, legal issues, human resource management, food safety, conservation planning, financing and more.
Following the class which will also be honing participants on presentation skills, each team will submit a full business plan to be reviewed by judges who will select the top seven to 10 teams to advance to Phase III.
This phase involves in-person presentations to the judges panel which will select the top three winning teams who will receive the prize monies for their businesses.
The KCABPC is presented by the KEDB in partnership with the County of Kaua‘i, Office of Economic Development, the Hawai‘i State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, the Kaua‘i office of the Hawai‘i Small Business Development Center, the Kaua‘i Community College, the KCC Office of Continuing Education and Training and the Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau.
Visit the Kaua‘i Coffee Agricultural Business Plan Competition website at www.kedb.com or contact Kaneko at stai@kedb.com, or 245-6692 for more information.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
