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Anahola Granola LLC - Third Party Audit
With the help of: INNOVATE Hawaii
About
Anahola Granola was started in 1986 by Becky Burns on the island of Kauai. With unwavering focus and determination, she has turned her modest business into a leader in the Hawaii granola market.
As a company, Anahola Granola believes in the simple idea that granola is best when the ingredients are fresh, local and unadulterated. Their products are made with the highest quality ingredients and without any preservatives. The company sources local ingredients, when available, which provides their products with a distinct and unmatchable tropical flavor.
The company is also focused on the local Kauai community. Anahola Granola currently has twelve local employees, over 50% of whom have been at the company for 12-15 years. Management understands the importance of employee retention and creating a company that truly feels like family.
Today, you can find Anahola Granola in most of the upscale hotels, specialty shops, health food stores, bed and breakfasts, cafes, and grocery stores throughout Hawaii. The company also bakes and packs Anahola Granola by hand and ships it throughout Hawaii and the Mainland within days. Their ‘Original Granola’ can be found at Costco stores on Oahu, Kauai and the Big Island.
The Challenge
In 2017, Costco contacted Anahola Granola’s management and let them know that the company would need to successfully complete a third-party audit to meet the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requirements. Owner Becky Burns previously met members of the Innovate Hawaii team, part of the MEP National Network™, at the local "Made in Hawaii" festival and turned to them for assistance with the audit.
Owning a company means that you need to stay current and up-to-date on all aspects of business. The seminars and workshops that Innovate Hawaii holds have allowed me to keep my business on track. Also, the business connections that Innovate Hawaii has with local manufacturing professionals are extremely valuable to manufacturing companies seeking assistance.
MEP's Role
Innovate Hawaii team members flew out to Kauai to meet with Becky to discuss the third-party audit for Costco and provide a gap analysis of their current manufacturing methods.
From this gap analysis, management was able to address areas that needed improvement to successfully pass the third-party audit. The level of detail that was included with the analysis was extremely beneficial and led the company to achieving an impressive 93.6% on their audit in February 2018.
With the gap analysis it became clear that the company needed to add a metal detector to their current manufacturing equipment line to keep with the company’s high quality standards. Through the MEP National Network, Innovate Hawaii was able to connect the company with consultants that could further analyze their specific metal detector needs and customize a machine for them.