Months of uncertainty are over for Kauai Coffee and its employees.
The company has signed a new 15-year lease for its 3,100-acre coffee farm in Kalaheo, securing the future of one of Hawaii's largest agricultural operations and protecting 141 local jobs.
The agreement was reached between landowner Brue Baukol Capital Partners and Kauai Coffee's parent company, Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA.
The lease comes after a difficult start to the year. In January, Kauai Coffee issued WARN notices to employees as the future of the farm remained uncertain while lease negotiations continued.
With a new agreement now in place, those layoffs are off the table.
The deal is significant beyond the workforce. Kauai Coffee is the largest coffee grower in the United States, managing roughly 4 million coffee trees on Kauai's west side. The farm plays a major role in Hawaii's agricultural economy, attracting visitors while supplying coffee to customers around the world.
For employees, the new lease provides job security. For Kauai, it preserves one of the island's largest private employers and one of Hawaii's most recognizable agricultural brands.