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Watch List: Volcanica Coffee

4/10/2023
Volcanica Coffee
Maurice Contreras, President & Founder, Volcanica Coffee

Welcome to the Watch List, where we highlight new, emerging, and creative consumer goods manufacturers and retailers that are leveraging technology for innovative purposes and results. Know a company we should have on our radar? Drop us a line.

Founded in 2004 by Maurice Contreras, Volcanica Coffee is a privately-owned specialty coffee roaster that imports 150-plus exotic coffees from volcanic regions around the world. The company started part-time in Contreras’ garage and has expanded without any outside investors, operating via a coffee plant near Atlanta, Georgia, with 20 employees, including his’ wife and two adult children. The growing brand, which has zoned in on the importance of sustainability and tech-powered productivity, was recently recognized by the National Retail Federation within its Consumer Products Showcase.

How do you explain Volcanica Coffee to retailers that are not familiar with you?  

Volcanica Coffee is a specialty importer and retailer of exotic single-origin coffee beans. The company is committed to offering only the finest quality coffee from volcanic regions around the world that are rare and remarkable in taste. We roast on demand in Atlanta and Georgia, and immediately ship.  

How does technology contribute to your overall growth strategy?

We are leveraging various funnels to introduce customers to our brand. To do this, we partner with leaders in customer contact and engagement on the internet.

"At the start of COVID, our online sales increased dramatically as consumers had to stay home to brew the coffee they often relied upon getting at the corner coffee shop. Our sales have continued to increase, and we attribute that to more consumers ordering our goods online and loving our selection. Also, consumers have become accustomed to getting high-quality coffee delivered to their front door." — Maurice Contreras, President & Founder, Volcanica Coffee

We also support coffee farmers that are leveraging technology to improve the sustainability and productivity of their operations. By using tools like sensors, drones, and data analytics, farmers can optimize their use of resources and better respond to climate change and other environmental challenges. By backing these efforts, we are not only supporting the development of innovative technologies, but also contributing to the environmental and social impact of the coffee industry. 

We are also committed to producing quality coffee with little to no impact on the environment. To provide a smaller carbon footprint, we utilize state-of-the-art technology in our roasting process.  We made an investment in the Maxon Industrial high-low-high afterburner to remove smoke and odor while cleaning harmful particulates caused by the roasting process. 

The afterburner’s design ensures that roasting pollutants — such as NOx, CO, various dust, and other harmful components — are removed and disposed of during the roasting process with clean natural gas. Essentially, our afterburner controls the output of emissions, while complying with local and federal environmental regulations.

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Volcanica Coffee
Volcanica Coffee's Arabica Beans; Credit: Volcanica Coffee

What role do consumer insights play within your marketing and product development? 

Consumer insights play an important role as we try to target coffee drinkers based on trends we see from our existing customers. We actively monitor online sales and reviews to garner insight into what consumers like and want in their coffee choices.

For example, we recently introduced a Private Estate Collection as we’ve seen an increase in consumer demand for rare and limited-edition goods across industries. We’ve also found that many consumers have acid-related sensitivity and have seen an increase in sales of our Low Acid Coffee. 

What’s the biggest tech challenge for Volcanica Coffee, and how do you plan to solve and scale it?

The biggest tech challenge is staying up to date with website innovations and search algorithms. We stay ahead by investing in key partners and agencies that advise us.

Where do you see the most innovation in retail technology? 

Sustainability, environmental, and ethical practices/goods are at the forefront of consumer purchasing choices. We actively support farmers that adhere to similar practices and ethics.

[More sustainability news: Unilever Combats Food Waste with New Temperature-Sensitive Smart Mayonnaise Jars]

What’s next for Volcanica Coffee?

We want to stay focused on growing within our current sweet spot by offering a large selection of premium specialty coffees that are freshly roasted. We do plan on entering the office coffee market in the near future.

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