Watch List: Volcanica Coffee

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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. 

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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.