renewable · sustainable · community-based
Pacific Biodiesel Newsletter
After unveiling the new facility sign, Pacific Biodiesel employees, families and guests from all three island operations participated in a Hawaian blessing, performed by Kumu Da Pavao, at the Big Island refinery that began operations five years ago.
February 2018

In This Issue
 
  • Pacific Biodiesel Celebrates Milestone Year
  • Employee of the Year Announced
  • Pacific Biodiesel Named in "Best Places to Work in Hawaii"
  • State Biofuel Blending Mandate Bill Introduced
  • Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Revolution Green
  • In the Spotlight
  • Customer Corner
  • 2018 Agricultural Season Underway
  • Upcoming Events

     
 
 
 
 
Editor: Joy Galatro, Marketing Director 
Staff Writer & Layout: Beth Mathias, Marketing Associate
 
For more information
about Pacific Biodiesel visit
  www.biodiesel.com or contact
Beth Mathias at bmathias@biodiesel.com







Our Mission:
 
To promote a clean, sustainable energy future through the community-based production of renewable fuels. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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On Earth Day 2016, the Pacific Biodiesel plant on the Big Island became the first biodiesel facility in the United States to earn certification by the Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance for showcasing sustainable biodiesel production and distribution practices.   







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Pacific Biodiesel Celebrates Milestone Year                  
Employees gather for Refinery Blessing and Employee Celebration 
 
      
Pacific Biodiesel brought together employees from Maui and Oahu to join coworkers from Hawaii Island to celebrate the achievements of 2017 and see the biodiesel processing operation first hand.
Plant Manager Tony Pastrama shows off the facility's new pretreatment filter screening system during the biodiesel refinery tour. 
     Neighbor island employees and their guests were given a tour of the Big Island biodiesel facility by Plant Manager Tony Pastrama and Crushing Mill Manager Chris Long.
     As 2017 marked a full 5 years of operation for the Big Island plant, the tour featured numerous facility upgrades completed during the past 12 months. According to Plant Manager Tony Pastrama, "the upgrades included the construction of a new shipping and receiving loading bay, ISO container loading platform, a pre-treatment filtration trough system and three new reactors for more efficient production and storage capabilities."
     Following the tour, employees and guests from all three island operations witnessed the unveiling of the new facility sign which signified a unification of Pacific Biodiesel branding throughout the state.
       Kumu Da Pavao, from Punana Leo o Hilo in Keaau, then gathered the employees, families and friends together with a Hawaiian chant and prayer to celebrate the Pacific Biodiesel ohana and the many accomplishments of the year.
     In 2017, the Big Island facility saw record production, and for the first time exceeded its annual nameplate capacity of 5.5 million gallons of biodiesel.
     Following the blessing, the group gathered at Nani Mau Gardens for the company's annual Employee Celebration. 
   
Employees listen in as Crushing Mill Manager Chris Long explains the operation.
 
Employees and guests capture the moment as the new Pacific Biodiesel sign is unveiled at the Keaau refinery, retiring the "Big Island Biodiesel" name. 
Bob at Blessing
As daughter and Operations Director Jenna Long, wife and Vice President Kelly King and granddaughter Viviana look on, President Bob King addresses the gathering in Keaau. At right, Kumu Da Pavao. 
 

Employee of the Year Announced
Oahu's Brigitte Koike earns top honors for 2017    
 
One of the highlights of Pacific Biodiesel's 2018 Employee Celebration was the
Vice President Kelly King, Operations Director Jenna Long and President Bob King presented 2017 Employee of the Year Brigitte Koike with a maile lei along with an inscribed monkeypod bowl and a check for $500.
announcement of the company's first "Employee of the Year".
     Selected from the three quarterly nominees of 2017, Account Executive and Administrative Assistant Brigitte Koike received top honors during the awards portion of the event held late last month on Hawaii Island.
     President Bob King noted, "I know everyone at Pacific Biodiesel works very hard and choosing just one person for this award was very challenging."
     Quarterly recipients were selected from employee nominations of co-workers, called "Shaka Shoutouts", for exemplifying company values of sustainability, innovation, relationships, walking the talk and ohana.
     "I am shocked and overwhelmed," Koike said, at the awards presentation. "But accept this honor on behalf of our entire Oahu team."
     Director of Operations Jenna Long commented about this year's award recipient saying, "Brigitte really lives the values of the company and takes our mission to heart. The award is well deserved."  
          
Pacific Biodiesel Named "Best Places to Work in Hawaii"
Company receives "Best" designation for the 7th consecutive year
 
For the seventh year in a row, Hawaii Business magazine has selected Pacific Biodiesel as one of the "Best Places to Work" in Hawaii, President Bob King announced at the Employee Celebration.
      To be considered for this prestigious honor, employees are asked to complete an optional survey about the company culture, its practices and workplace environment. Pacific Biodiesel employees have always risen to the occasion, well exceeding the participation requirements.
     Pacific Biodiesel will be acknowledged at the March 2018 awards banquet at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki where company employees and managers will be invited to attend. 

2018 Drone Groupshot
Employees, families and guests posed for a group shot at Nani Mau Gardens to celebrate the company's acheivements including being named one of Hawaii's "Best Places to Work" by Hawaii Business magazine.  
State Biofuel Blending Mandate Bill Introduced
Company shows up to show support on Hawaii State Legislature's Opening Day      
        
Pacific Biodiesel President Bob King along with Director of Operations Jenna Long and Marketing Director Joy Galatro attended the January 17 opening day of Hawaii's 2018 Legislative Session at the State Capitol. The team visited with elected officials and distributed fact sheets about the company's current renewable energy and sustainable agriculture operations, provided on Pacific Biodiesel-branded flash drives.
Marketing Director Joy Galatro, Operations Director Jenna Long and President Bob King met with Senator Lorraine Inouye at her office during opening day of Hawaii's 2018 Legislative Session. 
   
     This session, Senator Lorraine Inouye introduced Senate Bill 2019 (SB2019) that "requires fuel sold in the State to contain no less than ten per cent biofuel by volume, provided certain quantities of biofuel produced in the State are available." This would require those selling on-road petroleum diesel to blend at least 10% biodiesel into their fuel throughout the state of Hawaii. This would move our state toward its intended transportation renewable energy goals.
     "A blending mandate isn't anything new - biodiesel mandates are already in place in over a dozen states on the mainland, in various blends from 5% to 20%," said Jenna Long. "In Hawaii, a state that was the first in the nation to mandate becoming powered by 100% renewable sources, we are lagging behind in showing support for locally produced biofuels."
     More locally produced biodiesel also means local jobs and more energy dollars spent locally, staying in Hawaii's economy.
     "This blending mandate would be a significant boost to the local biofuel industry, which currently does not benefit from government subsidies and other support given to the wind and solar industries," said Bob King. "Pacific Biodiesel is proud to play a key role in helping Hawaii achieve a clean, sustainable energy future. The City and County of Honolulu has successfully used our biodiesel in their fleet vehicles for more than 12 years. We need greater support of local renewable energy companies to increase local fuel production and the use of renewable transportation systems in Hawaii."
     To follow progress on SB 2019 and submit testimony, click here. And stay tuned for updates from Pacific Biodiesel on ways you can learn more and show support for biofuels for a cleaner, greener Hawaii.   
 
Why Biofuels? 
 
Hawaii is the most petroleum-dependent state in the nation - and transportation accounts for nearly two-thirds of the state's fossil fuel consumption. Government support helps biofuel maintain competitiveness as compared to the highly subsidized and mature petroleum industry. The economic benefits of our locally made biodiesel for Hawaii include:
  • Family wage-earning jobs
  • Tax revenue for State
  • Energy Security - firm back-up for other renewables
  • Biofuel production supports HCEI/State renewable energy goals
Sample Testimony Statement
 
If you choose to support the biofuel blending mandate, below is sample wording you can incorporate into your testimony statement:
    "Given the magnitude of fossil fuel imported into the most petroleum-dependent state in the nation - and with the majority of Hawaii's fuel consumed by our transportation sector, this blending mandate is an important step in the fight against climate change. A mandate of 10% biodiesel for on-road diesel engines can significantly advance the reduction and eventual elimination of imported fossil fuels, help drive Hawaii to a stronger, more resilient and energy secure economy, and ensure that we are doing our part to minimize the negative impacts of greenhouse gas-induced climate change."
Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Revolution Green
Documentary film about Pacific Biodiesel draws capacity crowd     
        
In December, community members and supporters of renewable energy
Revolution Green
Panelists and special guests at the Revolution Green 10th Anniversary event included, from left to right: Michah Nelson, Bob and Kelly King, Steve Strout, Mike Bowman and Annie Nelson, also a co-founder of the Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance and wife of country music legend and early biodiesel supporter, Willie Nelson.
gathered  at Akaku Upstairs Salon on Maui for the 10th anniversary screening of the documentary Revolution Green.
     The film, narrated by Woody Harrelson and featuring Willie Nelson, presents the story of Pacific Biodiesel and its pioneering founders, Bob and Kelly King and highlights the 10 years following company's inception.
     After the documentary was shown, the standing-room-only crowd remained for the filmmakers panel where Bob and Kelly King were joined by Director/Producer Stephen Strout and Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance co-founder Michael Bowman. The panel answered questions from Akaku moderator Chivo Ching-Johnson about the film and Pacific Biodiesel's vision and plans for the future.
    Akaku: Maui Community Media is an independent, non-profit corporation established in 1992 that promotes the creation of media by, for and about the Maui community. Their goal is to promote community media in order to preserve, develop and enhance diversity of thought, culture and heritage. 
 
Rev Green banner
Akaku's Marketing Director Nicole Fisher introduced the filmmaker's panel to the capacity crowd. Left to Right: Nicole Fisher, Pacific Biodiesel President Bob King, Pacific Biodiesel Vice President Kelly King, Revolution Green producer/director Steve Strout and SBA co-founder Michael Bowman.
 
In the Spotlight
Pacific Biodiesel in Hawaii and around the world    
  • On the Cover - Maui No Ka Oi features Pacific Biodiesel's sunflower crop in the cover story of the January-February issue of the magazine. The article highlights the company's sustainable community-based agriculture model that means farming for more than just biodiesel feedstock. It explains how the company's oil seed crops are designed for fuel, feed, food and now face, with cosmetic grade sunflower oil available for spas and salons under the retail brand Kuleana™.  This is the first in a series of articles by Maui No Ka OI magazine about the changing landscape on Maui.  Read the full article here.
  • 2018 Volcom Pipe Pro - Each year the world's best surfers convene on Oahu to compete at the world-famous Banzai Pipeline in this January surfing competition. This year, the Volcom Pipe Pro used 100% biodiesel to power the diesel generators for live broadcast of the North Shore event. The World Surf League insisted on using 100% biodiesel at this year's event to reinforce their sustainability goals.
  • COSME Tech 2018 - In January, Pacific Biodiesel returned to Japan for a second consecutiveCosmeTech 2018 year  to exhibit at COSME Tech, Asia's leading trade show for cosmetic ingredients, contract manufacturing and packaging. The show attracts global cosmetics manufacturers to compare/purchase new products and find partners. Pacific Biodiesel through its wholly owned subsidiary Maiden Hawaii Naturals is producing and marketing pure Hawaiian Macadamia nut oil as a bulk raw ingredient for use by manufacturers of cosmetic products. President Bob King along with Vice President Kelly King and Marketing Director Joy Galatro met with prospective customers at the company's booth. The company also previewed its Kuleana beauty oil products at the show to begin targeting prospective spa customers and retail product distributors. More than 60,000 visitors attended the three-day COSME Tech 2018 show.
  • WiRE - Last month Vice President Kelly King was a featured panelist at a luncheon meeting hosted by the Honolulu chapter of Women in Renewable Energy (WiRE). Also appearing on the panel to address the topic, "The State and Future of Geothermal, Biodiesel and Biogas in Hawaii" were Nicole Lautze, PhD, Faculty, University of Hawaii and Aaron Kirk, VP Sales and Marketing, Hawaii Gas. ""Many thanks for today's wonderful discussion," wrote Veronica Rocha, Renewable Energy Branch Manager,  Hawaii State Energy Office following the program.  "We've received great feedback from WiRE participants about how much they learned from and enjoyed today's discussion."   
  • Hawaii Bioeconomy Forum 2018Director of Operations Jenna Long participated in an "Integrated Food and Energy Systems" panel discussion January 16 at the 3rd annual Bioeconomy Forum held at the State of Hawaii Capitol Auditorium in Honolulu. Pacific Biodiesel sponsored this year's conference, which focuses on current issues and opportunities with local food and renewable energy production. Long was joined on the panel by Dr. Fabio Soller from the Oceanic Institute at Hawaii Pacific University's Hilo Feed Mill and Mr. William Kusch from Terviva Inc. Following the morning program, also attended by Kelly King and Joy Galatro, the team participated in interactive policy workshops focused on cost reduction/project planning and funding/incentives. As a sponsor of the event, Pacific Biodiesel exhibited information about its company's agriculture and renewable fuel operation, including its latest products such as Maui sunflower oil and Kuleana beauty oils.
     
    Representing our Maiden Hawaii Naturals line at COSME Tech were Bob King, Kelly King, Joy Galatro and members of the Japan importer's team.
     
    Gathered after the WiRE presentation are left to right: WiRE President Yvette Maskrey; Nicole Lautz, University of Hawaii; Pacific Biodiesel Vice President Kelly King; Caroline Carl, Hawaii Energy; Melissa Miyashiro, Blue Planet Foundation, Aaron Kirk, Hawaii Gas; Veronica Rocha, Hawaii State Energy Office. 
     
    Pacific Biodiesel Director of Operations Jenna Long presented at the 3rd annual Bioeconomy Forum at the State Capitol in January.
Customer Corner
 
  • With the new Drain Cleaning Services now offered by our team on Oahu, Pacific Biodiesel  has added ten Zippy's restaurants to its list of customers who recycle used cooking oil and grease trap waste on that island. Pacific Biodiesel also provides oil recycling services to the restaurant chain's locations on Maui and Hawaii Island.
     
  • On Maui, the Merriman Restaurant Group has opened a new Monkeypod Kitchen in Kaanapali. Pacific Biodiesel now provides waste oil recycling services to both their restaurant locations on the Valley Isle.
  • Pacific Biodiesel is now servicing all 6 locations of Hawaii Island's own KTA Super StoresWith the recent addition of the Palani Road location in Kailua-Kona, the Pacific Biodiesel is providing recycling services to the grocery chain's locations across the island, including those in Hilo, Puainako and Waikoloa Village.
 
2018 Agricultural Season Underway
From blessing to blooms, Pacific Biodiesel ow farming second season of crops
         
Pacific Biodiesel has begun farming its 2018 season of biofuel crops in Maui's central valley, beginning with a 16-acre field of sunflowers that's currently in full bloom.
     The company held a media tour this week to provide an update on the company's farming operation, including highlights of the 2017 farming season and plans for the year ahead. President Bob King provided these updates:   
  • Last year, the company farmed 10 to 15-acre fields of sunflower within the
    Press Tour
    Kimokeo Kapahulehua poses with Kelly and Bob King during the media tour held earlier this week at the company's farming operation.
    115-acre farm site. A total of three harvests were completed.
  • The company has begun actively selling cosmetic grade sunflower oil to several spas in Hawaii, including Andaz Maui, which was the first spa in the state to begin using the oil for massage and spa treatments. The oil has also been used to make biodiesel at the  company's refinery on Hawaii Island.   
  • For the 2018 farming season, the company will plant crops on 30 to 50-acre fields and will rotate crops of sunflower and safflower.
  • In addition to the current 115-acre site, the company has also begun farming on an adjacent 150-acre site.
  • Chick peas will also be planted this year, a crop the company is farming for Maui-based Chic Naturals. This crop helps to replenish nitrogen in the soil and provides pest control.
     Also new this year, Pacific Biodiesel is working with Kimokeo Kapahulehua, who performed the Hawaiian blessings for the company's first crops of the 2017 and 2018 plantings, to help integrate farming practices using the Hawaiian Moon Calendar. In November, Maui employees gathered at the farm for the blessing of the first field; each employee planted sunflower seeds in the newly tilled ground while Kimokeo explained that day's  phase  of the  Hawaiian  Moon Calendar.
 
In November, with the West Maui mountains in the background, Kimokeo blew a conch shell to signify the start of the blessing of the planting of the first field of the 2018 season.  
 
Lead Maui Driver David Mollena took his turn to plant a sunflower seed as others looked on.
 
It was such a perfect morning that the team took time for a group photograph at the conclusion of the blessing ceremony. 
 
     The current, stunning crop of sunflowers at the central Maui farm site are once again a topic of great interest on the Valley Isle. Although each crop of blooms is only at its peak for two weeks, the 2018 planting schedule is designed for different fields to be flowering through May.
     Educational tours at the farm will begin to be scheduled on specific days to accommodate interest from the community to learn about the farming operation and see the sunflowers up close. The most recent tour was conducted for students from Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. Evan Ryan, President of Pono Grown Farm Center, arranged the visit as part of his month-long course in permaculture and sustainable living. The students were provided an overview of Pacific Biodiesel's history and its current sustainable food and fuel model of agriculture. Crushing Mill Manager Chris Long spoke with the group via FaceTime from Hawaii Island, answering specific questions about yield, co-products and by-products from both agricultural crops and the biodiesel process.
     For more information or to sign up to receive announcements for future tour dates, please email us at tours@biodiesel.com
 
The recent press tour began with a briefing by President Bob King and Marketing Director Joy Galatro.
 
Students from Evergreen State College get information from Crushing Mill Manager Chris Long via FaceTime during their Maui farm tour. 
Sunflower Group Shot
The Evergreen students couldn't resist the opportunity to gather in the sunflower fields before heading off the farm for their next class. 

Upcoming Events  
   
March 7 & 8 - Hawaii Buildings, Facilities & Property Management Expo, Oahu     Hawaii Bldg Expo logo  
The Pacific Biodiesel team will be on site at the Neal Blaisdell Center in Honolulu for the 2018 Hawaii Buildings, Facilities and Property Management Expo in March. The event attracts Hawaii's property managers, engineers and general managers from across the state.  
   
March 10 - Kona Brewer's Festival, Hawaii Island 
Pacific Biodiesel is a sponsor for this year's Kona Brewers Festival held at the King Kamehameha  Kona Beach Hotel in Kailua-Kona in March. In addition to great food and music, the festival will feature 36 breweries from Hawaii and the mainland to tap up a variety of beers sure to satisfy every palate. This annual event is a benefit for local organizations serving youth, the environment and cultural programs, and has donated more than $1,000 to local organizations since its inception. Click here for ticket information.
 
 
March 18 - National Biodiesel Day
Celebrated on March 18th is National Biodiesel Day, the birth date of Rudolf Diesel who invented the diesel engine that was originally designed to operate on peanut oil. Pacific Biodiesel's high quality biodiesel can be used in any diesel engine without modification.
  Ag Fest
April 7 - Maui Ag Fest - Maui
You'll be able to find the Pacific Biodiesel team in the educational tent at this year's Ag Fest at the Maui  Tropical Plantation. Our staff will be on hand to talk about our sustainable food and fuel model of agriculture and the many benefits of the country's highest quality biodiesel. The entire industry, its allies, and supporters come together at this event in Waikapu to share what each group does for the collective good of agriculture in the County, and to showcase ag's vital role in the economy, environment, and lifestyle of Maui. 
 
April 13 - Aipono Awards - Maui
This year's "Excellence in Sustainabilty" award, co-sponsored by Pacific Biodiesel and Maui No Ka Oi Magazine will be presented at the 2018 Aipono Awards on Friday, April 13 at the Fairmont Kea Lani Resort in Wailea. The event is a highlight for the food industry on Maui when awards are presented in numerous categories as voted by the readers of the magazine. Proceeds benefit the Culinary Arts program at UH Maui College. Go to Maui No Ka Oi Magazine for more information about the Aipono Awards and to purchase tickets to attend this special gala.   
 

Founded in 1995, Pacific Biodiesel is Hawaii's award-winning and internationally recognized producer of renewable fuels and the only commercial biofuel producer in the state. This Maui-based company established and operated the very first retail biodiesel pump in America and for the past two decades has built a solid reputation as a leading pioneer in the renewable energy industry. Throughout its history, Pacific Biodiesel's mission has remained constant: to promote a clean, sustainable energy future through the community-based production of renewable fuels. Today, with more than 95 employees statewide, Pacific Biodiesel excels in constructing and operating biodiesel processing plants, advancing process technology, and producing and marketing quality fuels. The company is also involved in many sustainable agriculture-related projects - including testing sunflowers as a potential year-round feedstock for producing biodiesel and exploring innovative ways to turn agriculture waste into useful products that can create new revenue streams for farmers, such as recycling waste papaya to grow algae for use in farm fertilizer and as feed for local aquaculture and livestock. With a nameplate production capacity of 5.5 million gallons annually, Pacific Biodiesel's Big Island plant utilizes state-of-the art distillation technology to produce the highest-quality biodiesel in the country.
For more information please visit our website at:
biodiesel.com
or contact Beth Mathias at:
bmathias@biodiesel.com
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