PLAINVILLE, Conn. — A new player has just emerged among North American specialty coffee purveyors ... one founded on the principals of social consciousness, environmental responsibility and great taste. Called Sun Coffee Roasters (www.suncoffeeroasters.com), the company is dedicated to supplying the world’s freshest, most flavorful blends – branded or private label – to wholesalers and retailers interested in premium organic, fair trade (OFT) and single-origin products.
Conceived in May 2008, Sun Coffee Roasters officially opened its doors in April 2009. It is led by an executive partnership consisting of veteran coffee entrepreneur, Keith Lemnios, who serves as chief executive officer; Ken Lewis, chief marketing officer; Barry Kostin, chief financial officer; and Charles Ciaccio, commodity specialist/trader. Together, the four offer more than 90 years of specialty coffee, global brand and financial experience, which they have applied to create a highly distinctive market presence for the new company.
"Unlike our industry counterparts, who focus on retail and the general public, we’ve elected to establish Sun Coffee as the premier supplier of 100 percent Arabica-based OFT branded and private label coffees to wholesalers, distributors and retailers across a wide variety of industries throughout the country," stated Lemnios. "While we also provide traditional coffee products, our expertise lies in the organic fair trade arena."
Noting the OFT segment is enjoying double-digit growth at a time when the specialty coffee market as whole is relatively flat, Lewis contributed, "Launching a successful new enterprise in today’s uncertain economy requires courage, careful planning and a keen understanding of the market entered. By doing our homework, we have devised a unique business model centered on strategic vendor partnerships and a vision of global sustainability."
He added, "This strategy, combined with proprietary short-run packaging capabilities, a just-in-time (JIT) delivery system, and clean, energy-efficient state-of-the-art production equipment, positions Sun Coffee Roasters to compete very effectively in a marketplace marked by increasing demand for socially and ecologically sound coffee sources."
In keeping with that objective, Sun Coffee Roasters is home to the world’s most sophisticated and eco-friendly roasting, grinding and packaging technologies. The company’s Diedrich CR 280 solid drum roaster, with precision electronics and patented carbon steel fins, is the only one of its kind in the United States.
Similarly, Sun Coffee’s high-end granulizer with water-cooled European heads – rare in the U.S. – produces the highest quality drip and espresso grinds. And its Matrix Elete print-on-demand packaging machine allows Sun Coffee Roasters to specialize in private label branding. Finally, the company’s JIT methodology allows delivery of any product within a few days of order receipt, thereby assuring consumption of the coffee at peak flavor.
"In this way, we are able to offer OFT-certified and estate coffees that are exceptionally fresh, extraordinary in taste, competitively priced and green manufactured," Lemnios concluded. Sun Coffee Roasters operates a roasting plant and cupping facility at its corporate headquarters in Plainville, Conn. The company currently offers 18 basic blends, including natural- and organic-flavored products, 90 percent of which meet strict OFT requirements. Several are available as Swiss Water Process decaffeinated blends and/or as traditional non-organic fair trade products.
Sun Coffee Roasters is a socially conscious, earth friendly, and highly innovative U.S. coffee roaster specializing in the roasting, packaging and distribution of premium, organic fair trade and single origin coffees — branded and private label — for wholesale suppliers and retailers in various industries. Headquartered in Plainville, Conn., the company is the only roaster in the United States equipped with the world’s most sophisticated roasting, grinding and packaging equipment — all manufactured in America. For more information, visit www.suncoffeeroasters.com.
Fair trade is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in conventional international trade by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers … especially in developing countries. The goal of fair trade organizations is to help these individuals and cooperatives move from a position of vulnerability to security and economic self-sufficiency.
The term “fair trade” is used to describe a strict certification and labeling system that allows consumers to identify goods purchased under agreed labor and environmental standards.