Charlottetown, PE (August 10, 2021) – On Monday, August 9th, Island Abbey Foods, owners of the Honibe® brand, hosted local, provincial and federal officials, members of the media, representatives from the business community and other invited guests for a milestone groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the expansion of their local Island Abbey Foods facility.
Home to the company’s honey-based specialty health products, the event featured speeches and appearances by Honibe executives and Prince Edward Island dignitaries such as Zach Bell representing the province, MP Sean Casey from the federal government, Jamie Aiken, CEO of Finance PEI, Stephanie Corbett CEO of Innovation PEI, and Wade Aresnault, CEO of CADC.
“Over the last fifteen years Island Abbey Foods has firmly established itself as an anchor of Prince Edward Island’s fast growing bioscience sector,” said Premier Dennis King. “This new expansion will further that growth, creating new high skill and high paying career opportunities here at home”
Honibe is known for adult and child-friendly over-the-counter offerings, including lozenges, gummy vitamins and their recent addition, HoneyPops ⎯ all made using natural ingredients with Canadian honey at the forefront.
“The new facility will accommodate the growth in our gummy production,” said Scott Spencer, COO at Honibe. “We’re adding another 30K square feet of facility space at our current location to accommodate our growing need for production, warehouse, and office spaces. With the expansion, we will be able to produce 50M bottles per year, 5X our current capacity.”
Honibe attributes the growth of its brand to its products’ unique properties and the proprietary technology of turning liquid honey into solid form without losing its nutritional benefits.
“Most gummies are made with sugar, but at Island Abbey Foods, we use honey as the foundation of our Honibe products. Sugar has no benefits to the health of the human body, whereas honey has natural benefits such as antioxidants, antimicrobials and a lower glycemic index. So when you buy a bottle of Honibe gummies, you’re not just getting what’s on the label, you’re getting all the benefits of honey too.”
Scott believes an increase in advertising and further investment in a digital presence will help Honibe continue to resonate with consumers — especially those caring for children and older adults — who want better products than those comprised mostly of sugar.
In addition to sourcing 100% of its honey from Canadian farmers for the Honibe brand, Island Abbey Foods currently employs 120 local employees, a number expected to increase by about 30% by the facility’s completion.
Visit the Honibe website for more information.
About Island Abbey Foods
Island Abbey Foods Ltd®., owners of the Honibe® brand, produces natural health products and specialty foods that pursue health and wellness with the fewest ingredients possible. After shattering a jar of liquid honey while hiking, Honibe founder John Rowe invented a better way to travel with honey. Research led to the patented Honibe® Technology – the only pure solid honey in the world scientifically proven to retain its natural health benefits.