Four Maui companies are among 26 statewide that received grants totaling nearly $1 million to help with manufacturing expenses, the Hawai’i Technology Development Corporation announced last week.
The grants were awarded through Innovate Hawai’i’s Manufacturing Assistance Program. The program grants cover up to 20 percent of the total company investment in the requested project, capped at $100,000. The companies themselves must fund the balance. The total investment in these 26 projects by the awardees amounts to more than $11 million, according to a news release from HTDC, which is a state agency attached to the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.
“We were impressed by the quality of this year’s grant applications,” said Wayne Inouye, center director of Innovate Hawai’i. “The grants will allow these companies to improve their operations, create more jobs, and further diversify our economic base. We are proud to be able to work with these companies in developing the state’s manufacturing sector.”
Seven companies were first-time grant recipients. Seventeen grants were awarded to Oahu companies, while Maui received four grants and Hawaii island and Kauai each received three grants.
The Maui awardees were: Aumakua Holdings Inc. (doing business as Maui Brewing Company), Maui Wine Ltd. and Pacific Biodiesel Technologies LLC. Hawaii Sea Spirits LLC, also of Maui, was a first-time grant recipient.
Innovate Hawai’i received 85 applications for grants for fiscal year 2023. The Manufacturing Assistance Program grants are available to companies across the state and the application period for fiscal year 2024 will open later this year. For more information, see www.htdc.org.
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