The timeline of the process is dependent on the applicant. We manage the process at your pace, but choose partners that are on the same page in terms of motivation, urgency to create positive impact on the environment and have a location in mind when signing an agreement with us. If you would like to get it done as quickly as possible, our local supplier relationships can support that globally, and if you want to take your time with each step we are happy to accommodate your opening within 12 months. 

It’s important to us that you are comfortable in each step of opening your Location, feeling even more motivated to make a difference in your community. It can take as little as 3 months (North America) depending on how well both parties are prepared before entering an agreement.

The projected development cost is dependent on multiple variables and can have a wide range. We typically land between US$145,000 – $385,000 for an all-in cost, depending if you are building on top of an existing business or from the ground up in a new market.

The range of development cost is primarily due to the varying site conditions and square footage (such as from a 500 square foot Nanofactory retail space to a 3,500 square foot Microfactory location).

Locations that have previously been used as studios, commercial or light industrial units may have the necessary electrical infrastructure in place that can reduce your development costs significantly. 

For a general breakdown of costs, please fill out an application and join us for a personalized info session.

The initial fee is US$65,000 plus applicable taxes, with an ongoing 6% royalty fee and a range of 2-3% for our global branding fund. 

For detailed information on fees and our development structure for multi-unit partnerships, please get in touch with us for more information. 

No, you don’t — our Microfactory owners come from a diverse set of backgrounds, but share a vision to make a positive impact in their local community, or diverse their existing product portfolio with tangible, sustainable solutions that are made locally. Your experience in trades or a production setting will be helpful as we scale with you. 

As we scale globally, we seek partners who have a drive for success and a willingness to learn and follow our operating manuals. Our in-house experts with over 15 years of experience in manufacturing and product development will train you in all aspects of running a successful business.

From community building (market entry and partnership guidelines), administrative support in accounting, hiring and inventory management leading up to your grand opening day - all the way to the ongoing operational support after you start production, we are here every step of the way. We offer weekly check-in calls as well as a technology platform for instant communications. 

A minimum of 7 days on-site training after equipment installation is provided by our training staff (technicians, production lead, business development) to make sure that you are well versed in running your own ChopValue Microfactory.

The number of community partners is entirely dependent on your very own definition of success: Typically, one of our locations will start their operations with a minimum 75 restaurant partners, which typically results in an estimated 300-450kg of chopsticks per week. In denser, larger populated areas, malls and food courts can provide a significant amount of additional chopsticks. 

Our Microfactories are designed to process up to 100,000 chopsticks per day into end product, which does not consider improvements in efficiencies, additional machinery or other tools to work on your personalized economy of scale as we support your success.

We are looking for partners across North America, specifically Area Developers in WA/OR, CA, TX, FL, and NY. Master Partnership Opportunities are available across Europe, and APAC. 

For detailed information and the latest news on our global developments, please visit our Newsroom or get in touch with us for more information.

By being part of the global, decentralized ChopValue Manufacturing network, you will have access to all marketing materials, sales assets, photography and brand visuals that are in constant development by our team. 

We are providing comprehensive guidance and training to help you create your localized marketing plan, and also share a library of sales enablement tools to help with your business development efforts. We treat you as an extension to our team, integrate you into our CRM to support you in your deal flow and mirror our success plan to your local market needs. 

Without promising business performance expectations, one of the biggest advantages of being part of our distributed manufacturing network is your active role in our order distribution system. From time to time, your Microfactory is serving as a manufacturing arm for our national and international clients that have already established relationships with ChopValue HQ - our motivation: as we scale, our network scales.

At the beginning of your journey with us, you are required to hire 1 Production Lead, 1 Community Builder, and 1 Business Manager (either yourself, or someone that is our key contact for all day to day). All people you identify as key people in your business will receive the initial and ongoing training from us directly. 

A single-shift Microfactory site employs on average 5-7 staff, but you can hire your team as your growth demands.