New Members and Member News

Proud to be a Hawaii-owned and operated business—Wai Koko Coconut Water got its start on the island of Kauai in 2012 and quickly spread across the state as people discovered its pure flavor and natural benefits. Whether you’re running a marathon, practicing yoga, or just hanging out at the beach, with each sip of Wai Koko coconut water you get healthy hydration.

Supporting Hawaii’s community and local organizations is an essential key to the success of Wai Koko Coconut Water. We are pleased to support awesome organizations such as Special Olympics Hawaii, 41 Trouble Youth Boxing Club, Malama Kaua’i, The Ke’ala Foundation, NAMI Hawaii and many others.

We recently celebrated 11 years of incredible support across the islands, and look forward to many more decades of serving the islands with a healthy and naturally sweet product and a brand that Hawaii can be proud to call its own.

Born in a humble shed on the back-forty of the family vineyard, Firestone Walker is a California beer company like no other—founded by two brothers-in-law who simply wanted to make the perfect beer. The story begins with Adam Firestone (a.k.a. The Bear) and David Walker (a.k.a. The Lion) debating the subject of beer. California has been our home since we started in 1996. We live and brew here, and we draw energy from the communities that surround us. Our beers are available nationwide, yet they always reflect where they come from—a land where creativity and innovation are the rule. This is what it means to us to be a California beer company. At Firestone Walker, Beer Before Glory is our mantra for reminding ourselves we do what we do because of the beer.

Blue Ocean Mariculture is a pioneering force in sustainable aquaculture, specializing in the responsible cultivation of premium seafood. Committed to safeguarding ocean ecosystems, we employ state-of-the-art farming practices that prioritize environmental stewardship and the well-being of marine life. Our mission is to deliver high-quality, traceable seafood to consumers while minimizing our ecological footprint. By harnessing innovation and technology, we strive to redefine the future of aquaculture, ensuring a harmonious balance between meeting global seafood demand and preserving the world’s oceans for generations to come. Join us in our commitment to a Blue Ocean future, where responsible farming practices lead to a more sustainable and thriving aquatic environment.

We are HEINEKEN^® USA

It started with the iconic green bottle. Back in 1933, Heineken® was the first import to arrive in a post-prohibition America that was thirsty for new flavors. Today, in addition to our beloved flagship brew, our diverse U.S. portfolio includes more than 20 beers, seltzers, spirit-based drinks, and ciders. Though our headquarters are located in beautiful White Plains, New York, our 200+ dynamic employees are spread all across the country, capturing the distinctive character of each diverse region. As the leading importer of high-end beer, we continue innovating throughout the U.S. with new brands, products, and always, that famous green bottle that started it all.

Hawaiian Soda Co. was born on the beaches of Hawai’i when our founders Caesar and Gina Ho were wishing for some tropical refreshment that they could feel good about drinking that also tastes good too. That’s why they set off to create a line of tropical island sodas with real ingredients, as nature intended. Added Sugar? Nope. Artificial junk? None. Preservatives? Not here, brah.

Headquartered in Honolulu, HI and proudly AAPI owned, Hawaiian Soda Co is excited to bring you a taste of paradise. We’ve carefully crafted a beverage we feel good about sharing with our ohana – and when you’ve got a Hawaiian Soda in your hand everyone is ohana. Do we think you’ll love it? You bet your sweet pineapples we do.

Piko Provisions is expanding their 100% Hawaii-grown and made product lines with investment and support from Kamehameha Schools. Their new products will include additional fresh fruit and vegetable purees as well as puffs, finger foods and juices to connect local families with healthy, delicious local food for their growing families.

The new stage 1 purees which will be going live in March!

Dole Food Company has started the year a busy year by extending its partnership with No Kid Hungry, a campaign of Share Our Strength, committed to ending hunger and poverty. The company’s alliance with the national nonprofit began in summer 2020 in response to the impact of COVID-19 when schools closed and millions more U.S. children were left facing hunger.

Dole’s ongoing work with No Kid Hungry includes nutrition education, fundraising support and at-retail initiatives to help the thirteen million kids in the U.S. who are living with hunger to have access to three healthy meals a day.

The produce leader is also the presenting sponsor of Get Fit for No Kid Hungry, an influencer-based health and wellness fundraising initiative designed to rally the nation’s top fitness and nutrition experts to host health-related livestream classes and web-based instruction throughout January. In addition to sponsoring the program, Dole is encouraging its own partner bloggers and influencers to inspire their followers to get fit and give back in the New Year by donating to No Kid Hungry.

In the grocery industry, it is imperative for store owners to prioritize continuous training and keep their teams well-versed in the latest compliance and regulatory requirements to uphold operational excellence and ensure customer satisfaction.

Thankfully, the IGA Coca-Cola Institute offers a wide range of updated courses and resources to simplify the training process. Find out what’s new, how to update your 2024 learning plans, and register your team for the International Supermarket Management Course (ISMC).

What’s New? Microlearning

One of the most exciting new offerings from the IGA Coca-Cola Institute is also the smallest. Introducing microlearning, or On the Go Learning, an innovative learning system developed at Harvard Medical School that combines gaming with a scientifically proven methodology that increases long-term knowledge retention by up to 170%.

The Institute is deploying microlearning courses to retailers across the globe to help them meet their training needs effectively, which includes a “spaced education” methodology that is based on the neuroscience of how human memory works. Students enrolled in this option receive a daily micro-lesson that is 2-3 minutes long.

This winter Safeway wrapped up a very successfull nourishing neighbors campaign that extened from October to December. Hawaii customers were able to easily make donations at checkout or online. Their contributions went to one of several local food banks including the Hawaii Foodbank, the Maui Food Bank, and the Hawaii Foodbank of Kauai. The program has a big impact in delivering essential food items, as well as a sense of community. In Kaui alone the program provided approximately 22,000 meals for neighbors in need.