Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation facts for kids
.jpg)
The Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation is a famous American company. It is known for being the biggest company in the world that processes macadamia nuts. These tasty nuts come from macadamia trees.
From 2004 to 2015, the company was owned by The Hershey Company, which makes chocolate. Then, in 2015, another company called Hawaiian Host bought it. Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation gets its name from the huge Mauna Loa volcano. The company's main office and processing factory are located close to this volcano. They are south of Hilo, in an area called the Puna District on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi.
Contents
History of Mauna Loa Nuts
How the Plantation Started
The very first Mauna Loa macadamia nut farm was planted in 1946. It took some time for the trees to grow and produce nuts. The first nuts that were sold commercially were harvested in 1956. This marked the beginning of the company's journey.
Company Ownership Over Time
From 1974 until 2000, a large company called C. Brewer & Co. owned Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation. After that, it became part of The Hershey Company for a while. Then, in 2015, Hawaiian Host took over.
Visiting the Mauna Loa Factory
Today, the Mauna Loa visitors center is a popular place for tourists. You can take a self-guided tour to see how the nuts are processed. You watch from a walkway on the second floor for safety reasons. There is also a big gift shop where you can buy things. They even sell homemade macadamia ice cream! Plus, you can try free samples of all the different flavors of nuts they sell. The center is located at One Macadamia Road, near the town of Keaʻau.
Helping the Planet: Sustainability
Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation cares about the environment. They work hard to be more sustainable and "green." The company is trying to become completely carbon neutral. This means they want to stop adding carbon to the air. They are doing this by using less electricity that comes from burning coal or oil.
At their main factory, the company has its own special steam generator. This generator uses waste materials from the macadamia plants. It turns this plant waste into electricity. This electricity then helps power the machines that harvest and package the macadamia nuts. It's a great way to reuse materials and protect the planet!
More Information
- Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation official web site: http://www.maunaloa.com/
