While on one of her morning jogs, Mariam Ekram wanted to power up with a snack. She was
unsatisfied with her options and had a burning desire to have something healthy, with natural
ingredients that were easy to understand. On that jog, KOA Natural Foods was born. Five
years later, Mariam has a new facility in Toronto producing organic and gluten-free snacks
like the Vegan Better Brownie, A Lil Nutty Trail Mix, and Kewaza Energy Bites.
Mariam was mixing her product by hand when she first started, she knew she needed to
expand her business which would require some heavy-duty equipment, “I started going to
banks when I was first starting the business and you know no bank would even consider
giving me any kind of loan for any kind of equipment and so it was very very challenging and
I I thought I would never make it happen.” That’s when Econolease stepped in. “I found
Econolease and I contacted Mike and he said ‘you know kiddo I’m gonna believe in you
and I’m gonna help you out’ and that’s exactly what he did.” Econolease helped make
Mariam’s dreams a reality by funding her for her mixers, packaging machines, and a date
stamper, all to help her automate the packaging process of her multiple products. Foodservice businesses come in many different forms, just like the multiple bites KOA offers.
Whether you are a restaurant, a cafe, a caterer, or a manufacturer we’re here to make the
process of equipment financing as digestible as the food you serve. “I’m so glad to have met
Econolease, they helped me grow my business and are continually helping us expand.”
Learn more about KOA Natural Foods here!
Learn more about financing here!
