Success Stories
Pineapple Grower and Processor
Hawaii
The company is engaged in the growing and marketing
of tropical fruit. Its products include canned
fruit, juice, and fresh fruit. Imports of tropical
fruit have captured a large share of the domestic
market based on cost advantages enjoyed by the
foreign producers. As a result, the company’s sales
declined 17% and employment declined 26%.
The company with the assistance from the University
of Southern California’s Western Trade Adjustment
Assistance Center (Western TAAC) became certified as
trade impacted by the US Dept. of Commerce, Economic
Development Administration (EDA) in June 1994.
Western TAAC and the company's management
developed a strategy to restructure internal
operations, reduce operating costs, and add new
products. To implement this strategy the company
implemented higher volume cultivation, streamlined
production operations, and redesigned fresh fruit
packaging and shipping containers.
In May 1995 the company began participation in the
Post Approval phase of the TAA program. Over a three
year period, Western TAAC and the company’s
management implement five production engineering
projects that were key factors in expanding
processed pineapple production and reducing
operating expenses.
These projects along with other strategy
implementation led to outstanding growth and
stability for the company. As a result, in the eight
years since the company began working with the Trade
Adjustment Assistance for Firms program, sales
increased 14% to$94.6M, employment increased 9% to
1,475, the company achieved its most profitable year
in 8 years, , and productivity improved 4% to
$64,136 sales per employee.
|
