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MEP Success Stories from Hawaii

Innovation in Hawaii’s Aquaculture Industry

Reported Year
2024
Ocean Era is diligently working to move commercial fish farming from carnivorous fish species, which makes production scaling more environmentally impactful and expensive, to herbivorous fish that feed on seaweed. This allows for greater scalability and is better for the environment. This research is done through their broodstock, hatchery, and

A Brighter, Cleaner Future for Hawaii

Reported Year
2024
In 2019, Greg was talking with a Kauai Council Member about new legislation banning cesspool installation and mandating the upgrade of existing cesspools by 2050. As of 2024, there are still at least 83,000 cesspools in Hawaii that will need to be upgraded to meet the new state regulations. Hawaii is the last state in the United States to ban

Hawaii SBIR Success Story - Makai Ocean Engineering, Inc.

Reported Year
2024
The Makai Ocean Engineering team manufactures Thin Foil Heat Exchangers (TFHX) for government agencies and private businesses at their Kona location. These devices are noted for their compact design, yet their production involves a complex process requiring special bonding equipment. Seeking assistance for this complex manufacturing process, the

Machine Audits, Manufacturing Equipment Consultation, and Food Safety Training

Reported Year
2024
Lindsay and her two brothers are third-generation owners of Okuhara Foods. When they began running the business they were taking over a 70-year-old established company that was renowned for their exceptional seafood products but required updates on the operations and manufacturing side of the business to increase efficiency and reduce costs. The

Hawaii SBIR Success Story - PacMar Technologies

Reported Year
2023
A government customer reached out to the PacMar Technologies team because of the company’s extensive knowledge and cutting-edge innovations in marine engineering. The customer was struggling with a heavy and ineffective recovery platform that was posing a challenge in demanding ocean conditions. The customer needed a platform solution that had high

E-Commerce and Digital Marketing Cohort - Ahualoa Family Farms

Reported Year
2023
Ahualoa Family Farms management worked tirelessly renovating Hawaii’s historic macadamia nut processing facility that had been closed for decades. By early 2019 the historic building had been brought up to code and back to life as new manufacturing equipment was installed. However, the COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on tourism and presented a new

RVCM’s SBIR Journey: From Phase I to Phase II and Beyond

Reported Year
2023
In 2019, RVCM was a leading custom software development firm in Hawaii. This same year an Air Force Captain contacted the company inquiring about a SBIR proposal for software development. This was the first time RVCM had heard about the SBIR program. With a deadline approaching for SBIR proposal submission, the company had two days to get

Lubrco LLC - PPE Program and Business Expansion

Reported Year
2023
In early 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic began to change all aspects of business and life. Up until this time Lubrco had run a successful business manufacturing lubricants, oils, and greases. However, the pandemic made the company shift focus and pivot into a new area of manufacturing - cleaning supplies - but Hawaii’s supply chain was strained by

Hanalei Spirits Distillery - PPE Program and Business Expansion

Reported Year
2022
In 2020, COVID-19 was making waves across the globe and first responders, schools, hospitals, and businesses were in need of hand sanitizer. Vindi and Grant Wells knew they could make a shift and start manufacturing hand sanitizer locally. Their first bottles of hand sanitizer were donated to hospitals, schools and first responders on Kaua‘i. They

Phase I to Phase III Success through the Hawaii SBIR Program

Reported Year
2022
PSHI had found much success as an 8(a) company, however they wanted to continue to grow and move into SBIR R&D projects. In 2012, the company had launched their Financial Audit Compliance Enhancement Tool (FACET) with the U.S. Navy to great success. FACET focuses on eliminating paper waste while enhancing financial record management. It converts