Wahiawā Value-Added Product Development Center
LOCATED IN CENTRAL O‘AHU, the small plantation town of Wahiawā was once a thriving hub for Hawai‘i’s pineapple industry. While the historic Dole Plantation still remains, it has become a tourist attraction and a symbol of a more prosperous time in the state’s agricultural history. A time before the pineapple industry moved overseas in pursuit of cheaper foreign labor in the 1980s, which was followed by the end of the sugarcane industry in 2016. Since then, Wahiawā has managed to get by primarily on the shoulders of the area’s military presence based at nearby Schofield Barracks, home to U.S. Army Garrison Hawai‘i.
However, with a history so deeply rooted in agriculture, there are many island residents who fondly recall the glory days of pineapple and sugar cane powering the state’s economy. While that scenario will most likely remain in the history books, there is a new movement that is emerging that could bring economic prosperity back to Wahiawā and re-establish the value of Hawai‘i-made products.
Leeward Community College (Leeward CC), a part of the University of Hawai‘i System, is helping lead the charge with the recent opening of its Wahiawā Value-Added Product Development Center (WVAPDC). A $35 million joint project between the State of Hawai‘i and Leeward CC, the 33,000 square foot, state-of-the-art educational and manufacturing facility that features an impressive array of equipment, including wet and dry kitchens, high pressure processing chamber, allergen kitchen, refrigerated storage and food processing and packaging spaces.
Value-added food product manufacturing is a process that takes raw agricultural products and modifies or enhances them to have a higher market value and/or a longer shelf life. Examples include fruits made into jams/jellies, tomatoes and peppers made into salsa, and meats made into jerky. In a state where close to 90 percent of food consumed is imported and about 30 percent of off-grade or imperfect produce is discarded by farmers, the creation of value-added products can limit food waste and contribute to the local economy at the same time.
The WVAPDC is the culmination of years of discussion surrounding food innovation at the state level, which has been driven by Hawai‘i State Senator Donovan Dela Cruz, who represents Wahiawā and is a native son. He is hoping to revitalize his hometown by increasing food production and related opportunities in the area through efforts by UH, the state’s Agriculture Development Corporation and Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Senator Dela Cruz’s long-range vision is to establish a network of food innovation centers on each island to assist entrepreneurs to scale their businesses, with the WVAPDC maintaining a larger focus on education.
To lead WVAPDC’s operations, Leeward CC hired Manager Chris Bailey, who grew up on O‘ahu and attended grade school in Wahiawā just across the street from where the new facility was built. Bailey and his brother practically grew up in the Thai restaurant that his mother owned and operated with his aunt in the nearby town of Waipahu, often spending much of their afterschool time there. Food and small business became a part of his soul.
After graduating from college in Portland, Oregon, Bailey returned home to work for a publication that often put him in touch with local food entrepreneurs. This stirred up old memories of his childhood and reignited his passion for food. Unfortunately, his inability to find the necessary resources to start his own business in Hawai‘i forced him to move back and join Portland’s emerging food scene, first as a research chef at Oregon State University’s Food Innovation Center and later as a business developer for Portland Mercado, a Latinx incubator. During this time, Bailey also successfully launched his own value-added, white label product line that is available throughout the Pacific Northwest. Another one of his startups offers a line of plant-based sauces, dressings and broths that are sold across the country.
In spite of his mainstream and entrepreneurial success on the mainland, chatter from family, mutual friends, and industry connections about WVAPDC and the potential of the state’s plan piqued his interest.
“When I left Hawai‘i over a decade ago, I was an aspiring value-added entrepreneur who couldn’t find the resources or available infrastructure like we now have at Wahiawā,” said Bailey, who’s been at the helm of WVAPDC for over a year and a half. “Had this facility been in existence back then, my entire trajectory would’ve been much different, and I could have pursued my passion from home.”
Bailey is also able to share his passion with others through Leeward CC’s ‘Āina to Mākeke (land to market) program that is now supported by the WVAPDC. The incubator program was developed in partnership with the Hawai‘i Ag & Culinary Alliance and Leeward CC’s Office of Workforce Development, and is a 12-week, crash course on food product development for local entrepreneurs using Hawai‘i-grown ingredients. The program connects students with industry experts in the areas of product development, food safety, licensing, legal affairs, and marketing. The incubator completed its first two cohorts in 2023, finished its third in May 2024, and began the fourth in June.
For Poni Askew, a member of the first ‘Āina to Mākeke cohort and co-founder of Hawaiian Vinegar & Spice Co., access to WVAPDC’s processing equipment will increase their ability to scale production of their world-class tropical vinegars and shrubs; a vinegar-based syrup infused with locally produced fruits, vegetables; and spices that can be used in cocktails, dressings and sauces.
“Upcycled foods are gaining significant attention in today’s market as consumers and the food industry increasingly focus on sustainability and reducing waste,” said Askew, who along with her husband Brandon, are well-known in the state’s culinary and entrepreneurial community.
Contributing to the growth of a more sustainable food system and empowering value-added product business to thrive is what the Wahiawa Value-Added Product Development Center is all about.
“Coming out of the pandemic, we not only witnessed how volatile our food system is, but how we can support our ag community and farmers in the future — and a lot of it lies in value-added products,” said Bailey. “We can help farmers by transforming their off-grades into globally recognized Hawai‘i-made products, addressing some of the issues surrounding food sustainability and security in the state, diversifying the economy, and creating more entrepreneurial and workforce opportunities to help reverse brain drain.”