Manufacturing
Washington Manufacturing Awards 2014: Food Processor of the Year (Small Firms)
By Bill Virgin April 23, 2014
This article originally appeared in the May 2014 issue of Seattle magazine.
WINNER
Sahale Snacks
Seattle | sahalesnacks.com
The snack category is a crowded one with lots of big, established players. But in just shy of a decade, Sahale Snacks has managed to get its gourmet products into major retailers like Costco, Whole Foods, REI and Walmart and on board Alaska and Delta flights. Sales have grown more than 30 percent annually for the past three years. New product introductions continue, such as Pomegranate Pistachios. With more products and more growth on the way, Sahale invested more than $2 million on its south Seattle facility, doubling square footage and tripling production capacity.
SILVER AWARD
Partners
Kent | partnerscrackers.com
Partners has been turning out gourmet crackers for more than 20 years, but it hasnt lost its appetite for production innovation. The latest addition to the lineup, one that required three years of research and development, is a gluten-free cracker that has no soy, rice or corn (its made with cassava root flour and a blend of amaranth, quinoa, millet, sorghum and teff). Partners pays attention to how its products are made and by whom. It recycles 95 percent of its waste; food waste, for example, goes to a maker of chicken feed. This year, Partners is launching a scholarship fund to support the children and grandchildren of employees.