Smiling Hara Tempeh is expanding its distribution in the Asheville area. Mother Earth Produce recently added the tempeh to its list of local and organic products available for home delivery, and City Bakery is featuring the soy-free product in the form of an Asian barbecue sandwich with Sriracha slaw and sunflower sprouts on a Hawaiian bun.
The Smiling Hara team is also in the running for one of ten small business grants from FedEx, including a $25,000 grand prize. Advancing requires the company to make the top 100 businesses based on a popular vote.
“If Smiling Hara is awarded this grant, we would utilize it to purchase new equipment to strengthen our production efficiency,” reads Smiling Hara’s FedEx page. “The time is coming for Smiling Hara to move into a new facility in order to meet demands, launch our new Hempeh product line, and continue to grow our company. We would be interested in purchasing a pasteurizing unit with the grant, to pasteurize our retail line and launch it on a multi-regional level. Our products are currently only available throughout the Southeast.”
This is Smiling Hara’s third year in the running. Readers can support the business by voting here through social media. The contest is open until Tuesday, March 17.
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