Hawaiian Host Group facts for kids
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| Industry | Agriculture Manufacturing and Consumer Goods |
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| Founded | 1927 in Honolulu, Hawai‘i |
| Founder | Mamoru Takitani and Aiko Takitani |
| Headquarters | Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States |
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Key people
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Ed Schultz (President & CEO) |
| Products | Macadamia products |
Hawaiian Host Group (HHG) is a company from Hawai‘i. They make and sell many different products, especially tasty macadamia nuts. It's the biggest company in the world for branded macadamia nuts!
HHG owns popular brands like Hawaiian Host, Mauna Loa, MacFarms, KOHO, and Kapua Orchards. You can find their products in over 23 countries. They make everything from flavored macadamia nuts to fancy chocolates and even macadamia milk ice cream.
About 500 people work for HHG. Their main office is in Honolulu. They also have offices in Hilo, Kona, Los Angeles, and Tokyo. HHG has factories in Honolulu and Kea‘au. They also own Hawai‘i’s biggest macadamia farm, located south of Kona.
Contents
The Story of Hawaiian Host Group
In 1927, a candymaker named John Dye and his wife, Georgina Dias, opened Ellen Dye Candies. This shop was in downtown Honolulu. They were the first to make chocolate-dipped macadamia nuts. At the same time, Mamoru Takitani was making his own chocolate-covered macadamias. He had a secret recipe and worked in his parents’ attic on Maui.
On January 1, 1960, Mamoru Takitani and his wife, Aiko Takitani, moved to Honolulu. They bought Ellen Dye Candies and changed its name to Hawaiian Host.
Mamoru and Aiko worked hard to make their chocolate-covered macadamias even better. They sold chocolates door-to-door and met with stores. Aiko even sold them from the back of her car! Soon, their business grew very fast. It became popular in local stores and restaurants. Later, they started selling their treats in the US mainland, Japan, Singapore, and other countries.
In 2002, Hawaiian Host started using its famous saying: “Genuine, Classic, Original. Since 1927.”
In 2015, Hawaiian Host bought Mauna Loa Macadamia Nuts. Mauna Loa is one of the world's largest macadamia processors. Before 2015, The Hershey Company owned Mauna Loa. Mauna Loa's main office and factory are in Keaau, Hawaii.
In 2020, Hawaiian Host Group officially became the main company. It now oversees its brands: Hawaiian Host and Mauna Loa.
In 2021, Hawaiian Host Group launched a new luxury chocolate brand called KOHO. This brand makes special island-inspired chocolates.
In 2023, Hawaiian Host Group bought MacFarms and Kapua Orchards. Kapua Orchards is one of the biggest macadamia farms in the world. It has 4,000 acres of macadamia trees south of Kona.
Hawaiian Host Group's Brands
Hawaiian Host
Hawaiian Host's story began in 1927 with John Dye's candy shop. He made chocolate-dipped macadamia nuts. In 1960, Mamoru and Aiko Takitani bought the shop and renamed it Hawaiian Host. By 2018, Hawaiian Host was the world's largest maker of chocolate-covered macadamias. Each year, Hawaiian Host makes 250 million chocolate-covered macadamias. They sell their products in over 23 countries.
Mauna Loa
Hawaiian Host Group bought Mauna Loa in 2015 from The Hershey Company. Mauna Loa makes dry-roasted, chocolate-covered, and flavored macadamias. They also make macadamia milk-based ice cream. Their main office and factory are in Kea‘au, Hawai‘i.
In 2021, Mauna Loa won an award for its packaging. In 2022, Mauna Loa added a large solar farm to its factory. This solar farm has 2,916 panels and helps power the facility. The Mauna Loa Visitor Center was updated in 2022. It had been closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
MacFarms
In 2023, Hawaiian Host Group bought MacFarms LLC. This brought MacFarms and Kapua Orchards back under Hawai‘i ownership. MacFarms sells dry-roasted and chocolate-covered macadamias. You can find their products mainly in club stores.
KOHO
KOHO started in 2021 as HHG’s luxury brand. It makes fancy, island-inspired chocolates. KOHO opened its first temporary shop in November 2021. In December 2022, KOHO opened its main store in Honolulu. In 2023, Honolulu Magazine named KOHO the "Best Luxury Chocolates Made in Hawaii."
Kapua Orchards
Kapua Orchards is one of the biggest macadamia farms in the world. It has 240,000 macadamia trees. These trees cover 4,000 acres of land south of Kona on Hawai‘i Island. At Kapua Orchards, macadamias are picked by hand. They are also cracked open right there on the farm.
Helping the Community
Hawaiian Host Group wants to help Hawai‘i's future grow strong. They do this in many ways.
Mamoru and Aiko Takitani Foundation
After becoming very successful, Mamoru and Aiko Takitani started a foundation. It's called the Mamoru and Aiko Takitani Foundation. Its goal is to help young people in Hawaiʻi get an education. Since 1993, the foundation has given scholarships every year. These scholarships go to outstanding students from high schools across Hawaiʻi. The foundation has given over $12.5 million in scholarships and grants. Hawaiian Host Group has donated over $2 million of that amount.
Community Support
Hawaiian Host Group also helps the local Hawai‘i community with donations. In 2022, they gave over $180,000 worth of products and support. This went to more than 88 local groups and events. These groups help teach, develop, and support the community. Hawaiian Host Group was named one of “Hawai‘i’s Most Charitable Organizations” in 2022 and 2023.
They often work with groups like the Merrie Monarch Festival Foundation, the University of Hawaii, Hawaii Foodbank, Make-A-Wish Hawaii, and many others.
Mana Up Partnership
Hawaiian Host Group works with Mana Up, a business program in Hawai‘i. Through this, they offer advice to new local business owners. Hawaiian Host Group helps over 20 Big Island businesses. They give them a chance to sell their products at the Mauna Loa Visitor Center. This helps these small businesses reach many more people.
Solar Power
In 2022, Hawaiian Host Group added a large solar farm at its Mauna Loa factory. This solar farm can power 85% of the factory with clean energy. With other clean energy sources, the factory can now run on 100% renewable energy.
This solar project is the biggest one for a private company in Hawai‘i. It is expected to create 1.55 million kWh of solar energy each year. This will stop over 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide from going into the air. The solar farm has 2,916 solar panels. They cover three acres of land at Mauna Loa.
