KEKAHA — Kaua‘i Shrimp said on Thursday that the westside business is being acquired by Aloun Farms, a Hawai‘i agriculture leader.
The deal will keep the Kaua‘i Shrimp business local and preserves 31 local jobs.
“Our roots on Kaua‘i are strong, as are the roots of our team members. The values of our community are reflected in our team. Aloun Farms is a local company that shares those values,” said Kaua‘i Shrimp General Manager Grant Kunishima in an announcement about the transaction.
“Aloun Farms has been giving back to our community long before this acquisition, donating countless pounds of fresh local produce through our Kekaha Agriculture Association, our local food banks, and other organizations to support our Kaua‘i families. We are proud to join the Aloun ‘ohana.”
Kaua‘i Shrimp currently produces over 500,000 pounds of premium Pacific White Leg shrimp every year on its 238-acre farm in Kekaha. The shrimp are produced with no chemicals or antibiotics — just pure Kaua‘i water and tropical sunshine.
The shrimp are prized across Hawai‘i, the United States, and internationally, and are shipped fresh chilled or frozen. The growing, harvesting, processing and packaging is all done on Kaua‘i, employing 31 kama‘aina year-round.
“My father Aloun Sou committed our family farm to reducing Hawai‘i’s dependence on imported food, and I am humbled to welcome Kaua‘i Shrimp into our family business to diversify our efforts to further his commitment,” said Alec Sou, president and Chief Executive Officer of Aloun Farms.
Aloun Farms, founded in 1977 on 5 acres in Lualualei Valley on O‘ahu, is one of Hawai‘i’s agriculture leaders with 2,500 acres combined now under cultivation on O‘ahu and Kaua‘i. The family owned Aloun Farms supplies Hawai‘i’s largest wholesalers and retail outlets.
The announcement said as Aloun Farms expands its footprint on Kaua‘i, it will also broaden its range of fresh produce offerings on the island and across Hawai‘i.
The acquisition will enable the transformation of Kaua‘i Shrimp’s currently unused land with growth potential with other aquaculture species. By combining aquaculture and agriculture, Kaua‘i Shrimp will advance to a more sustainable future for food production in Hawai‘i.
As part of the acquisition, Aloun Farms committed to retaining Kaua‘i Shrimp’s 31 employees, extending opportunities for career advancement, cross-training for additional skills, mobility options across various agriculture operations on Kaua‘i and O‘ahu, and potentially other islands in Hawai‘i in the future.
The acquisition is expected to close on Oct. 1, subject to the approval of its lessors.
