Biz Wrap: Big Island Businesses Rack up Awards

Around the island in a variety of industries Big Island businesses are collecting impressive national awards.

Earlier this month Kona Brewing Company took gold at the US Open Beer Championship, while Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation won gold for the second straight year at a prestigious coffee cupping event in Canada.

In addition, the Fairmont Orchid has made the Virtuoso Travel Network’s list of nominees for best hotels in the world.

Also, nominees are being sought from around the state for the first-ever New Media Awards, recognizing Hawaii’s best blogs, online marketing and social media campaigns.

Kona Brewing Company Wins Gold at US Open Beer Championship

Kona Brewing Company’s Big Wave Golden Ale took home the gold earlier this month at the US Open Beer Championship in Georgia. Sampling more than 2,500 beer entries in the competition, judges selected Big Wave Golden Ale as the gold medal winner in the Session Beer category.

Big Wave Golden Ale was the first beer brewed by Kona Brewing Company after it was founded in 1994 by father-and-son team Cameron Healy and Spoon Khalsa.

This marks the third medal the brewery has won at the US Open Beer Championship. In 2009 Kona Brewing Company won two bronze medals for its Longboard Island Lager and Fire Rock Pale Ale in the American Lager/Pilsener and the Pale Ale categories, respectively.

Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation Takes Gold for Second Time

Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation won gold for the second straight year an an international coffee competition in Canada. Photo Credit: Mountain Thunder.

Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation won a gold medal for a second straight year at the SIAL Gold Bean Cupping Contest in Canada. It was the first time in the competition’s history that the same coffee won gold two years in a row.

In addition to being recognized at SIAL, a professional food show, Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation also received TripAdvisor’s 2013 Certificate of Excellence. Located in Kailua-Kona, the coffee plantation is the largest organic coffee farm in the state.

Fairmont Orchid Vying for Best Hotel in the World

The Fairmont Orchid is one of 50 nominees being considered for best hotels in the world. Virtuoso Travel Network narrowed the list of nominees after receiving submissions through its magazine.

The Fairmont was nominated in the Most Innovative Guest Experience category and is competing against hotels in French Polynesia, Italy and Thailand. The Kohala Coast resort and the Four Seasons Resort Maui were the only two Hawaii hotels to make the nominee list.

Winners will be announced next month in Las Vegas and published in the September/October issue of Virtuoso Magazine.

Nominations Sought for New Media Awards

Nominations are being sought statewide for the first-ever New Media Awards to honor online marketing and social media campaigns conducted by Hawaii businesses and individuals. The winners will be announced in October during the Hawaii Social Media Summit on Oahu.

Categories are open to all residents, agencies, companies, organizations and institutions from Hawaii. Nominees must have had an established presence in its category in 2013.

Award categories include best social media campaign, best content marketing, best social media online presence, best blog, best local Youtube video, best social media agency, social media personality of the year and best use of social media in education.

The deadline for all nominations is September 23. For more information or to nominate a company or individual, go to http://hawaiitechevents.com/.

Hawaiian Springs Offering Greener Bottles

Keaau-based Hawaiian Springs is making its water bottles more environmentally friendly. Courtesy photo.

Bottled-water company Hawaiian Springs is making its plastic bottles more eco-friendly. The company’s signature teal-colored bottles, which are produced at its facility in Keaau, will now be created out of 30% post-consumer plastic or recycled polyethylene terephthalate, referred to as rPET plastic.

The change cuts the company’s use of virgin plastic and requires 15% less energy to produce. The new Hawaiian Springs bottles will include a “30 percent rPET” symbol and “BPA Free” icon on the label.

If your business has an opening, closing, promotion, retirement, new product release, special event, award, new location, or expansion, please let us know. Email us at [email protected]