Atlantic Specialty Coffee
Atlantic Specialty Coffee is a US specialty green coffee importer (founded 1996, San Leandro, CA) that sources sustainable, conventional, and decaffeinated coffees directly from producers worldwide and sells them to specialty coffee roasters across the US, operating as a subsidiary of the ECOM Coffee Group.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersSan Leandro, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Atlantic Specialty Coffee does
Atlantic Specialty Coffee, Inc. (ASCI) is a specialty green coffee importer founded in 1996 and headquartered in San Leandro, California. The company sources and supplies sustainable, conventional, and decaffeinated green coffees from origins including Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Mexico, Sumatra, El Salvador, and Uganda, working directly with small cooperatives, large estates, mills, and exporters to assemble microlots through full-container volumes. ASCI is a subsidiary of ECOM Agroindustrial Corp. Limited (ECOM Coffee Group, Switzerland), and leverages ECOM's global purchasing, milling, and exporting network alongside third-party independent farms and exporters; the company sits on ECOM's Specialty Committee.
ASCI operates an in-house Quality Control Lab that performs daily cupping on pre-shipment, arrival, and offer samples using Specialty Coffee Association cupping protocols, with cupping notes recorded in quality control software and communicated back to producer and export partners. It offers sustainable certifications (Organic, Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, and ECOM's in-house Sustainable Management Services), as well as market analysis and ICE futures hedging assistance. Distribution is handled through eight warehouses on both US coasts (San Leandro, Auburn, Jersey City, Suffolk, Jacksonville, Edison, Chesapeake), supporting both spot inventory release and forward delivery contracts.
The business model is B2B transaction-based: green coffee is sold directly to specialty coffee roasters across the US and Canada, either from spot inventory (pay-as-you-go, FOT terms) or via multi-year Direct Source and forward delivery contracts that include freight optimization, carry/financing charges, and price-to-be-fixed or flat-price options. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with payment terms of prepayment for the first three orders followed by Net 30 credit terms. ASCI's GTM motion combines direct sales to roasters through an offering list and email-led inquiry handling, supported by content marketing (Knowledge Base, social channels) and participation in Cup of Excellence and origin auctions. The team of approximately 16 people spans Trading, Traffic/Logistics, and Lab functions.
Atlantic Specialty Coffee firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Atlantic Specialty Coffee
- Legal name
- Atlantic Specialty Coffee, Inc.
- Website
- https://atlanticspecialtycoffee.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Atlantic Specialty Coffee is a US specialty green coffee importer (founded 1996, San Leandro, CA) that sources sustainable, conventional, and decaffeinated coffees directly from producers worldwide and sells them to specialty coffee roasters across the US, operating as a subsidiary of the ECOM Coffee Group.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Atlantic Specialty Coffee industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Coffee Importing
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Beverage Wholesale (AFAIAGAD)
Keywords
Where Atlantic Specialty Coffee is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Leandro
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices9 records
Markets served
Atlantic Specialty Coffee business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Green Coffee Sales: Importing and selling specialty green coffee beans (Arabica and Robusta) from origin countries including Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Mexico, Sumatra, El Salvador, and Uganda. Coffees are sold from spot inventory and via direct shipments to roasters. Volume sold in 70kg, 69kg, and 60kg bag units.
- Direct Source Import Services: Platform for importing carefully selected lots on behalf of customers, providing logistics, contracting, and freight optimization services with streamlined communications and organization of complex imports.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Spot Coffee |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Delivery/Extended Delivery |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Direct Source |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Atlantic Specialty Coffee product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Atlantic Specialty Coffee is a US green coffee importer that sources, supplies, and distributes sustainable, conventional, and decaffeinated specialty green coffees (Arabica and Robusta) from origins including Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Mexico, Sumatra, El Salvador, and Uganda. The company sells spot inventory and forward contracts to coffee roasters from warehouses on both US coasts, and operates a Direct Source Program that handles logistics, freight optimization, and contracting for customers importing full container lots. Quality is assured through an in-house cupping lab using Specialty Coffee Association protocols.
Product overview
Atlantic Specialty Coffee operates as a specialty green coffee importing company, not a software product company. Their core offerings include green coffee importing from global origins (microlots to full containers), a Direct Source Program for streamlined import services, and a Quality Control & Cupping Lab for quality assurance. They offer an Offering List catalog of spot and forward coffee products (Arabica, Decaf, with various origins and certifications), sustainable certification programs (Organic, Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, SMS), and market analysis & hedging assistance services. The company is part of the ECOM Coffee Group and focuses on direct origin relationships with producers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Offering List (Spot and Forward Green Coffee) A catalog of available specialty green coffee products including Arabica, Robusta, and Decaf varieties from multiple origins (Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Mexico, Sumatra, El Salvador) available as spot inventory for immediate release or as forward/extended delivery contracts with carry and financing charges. Sold in 70kg, 69kg, and 60kg bag units to coffee roasters.
- Direct Source Import Program A platform that enables customers to import carefully selected green coffee lots with optimized freight and shipping, leveraging over 20 years of experience in costing, logistics, and contracting. Offers fixed price or flat price options, organized import communications, and streamlined direct source buying.
- Quality Control and Cupping Lab Services Modern cupping lab services including roasting and cupping of pre-shipment, arrival, offer, and type samples; daily cupping notes recorded in quality control software and communicated back to producer, mill, and export offices. Built on Specialty Coffee Association cupping protocols.
- Sustainably Certified Green Coffee Green coffee sourced and supplied with sustainable certifications including Organic, Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, and ECOM's in-house Sustainable Management Services program, available through the offering list and direct source program.
Companies that use Atlantic Specialty Coffee
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Atlantic Specialty Coffee technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Atlantic Specialty Coffee partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ECOM Coffee GroupcoreAtlantic Specialty Coffee is a member of The ECOM Coffee Group. They work closely with ECOM's global purchasing, milling and exporting operations to produce and deliver specialty coffee. The company receives support from sister companies at origin and participates in the ECOM Specialty Committee. ECOM Agroindustrial Corp. Limited is the parent company based in Switzerland.
- Independent Farms, Mills, and ExporterscoreIn addition to ECOM's integrated network, ASCI works with 3rd party independent farms, mills, and exporters. This unique and integrated sourcing approach enables them to meet all green coffee buying requirements.
- Sustainable Certification BodiesminorASCI offers sustainable certifications through partnerships with Organic, Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, and ECOM's in-house program Sustainable Management Services.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Atlantic Specialty Coffee competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Royal Coffee, Inc. Bay Area specialty green coffee importer with deep origin relationships, in-house cupping lab, and educational programming (The Crown: Royal Coffee Lab & Tasting Bar). Directly comparable to ASCI in customer base (US specialty roasters), product (green coffee from microlots to containers), and quality-control approach.
- Cafe Imports: Minneapolis-based specialty green coffee importer serving roasters across the US, with sourcing in Latin America, Africa, and Indonesia, plus an in-house quality lab. Closest US-headquartered specialty importer peer to ASCI in offering breadth and customer model.
- Volcafe: Global specialty and commercial coffee trader (part of ED&F Man) sourcing from major origins and supplying roasters worldwide. Comparable to ASCI in core green coffee trading, but at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.
- Sucafina: Swiss-headquartered green coffee trader with operations across origins and a US specialty arm (including Sustainable Harvest). Comparable to ASCI in direct trade programs, origin coverage, and roaster customer base.
- Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importers: Specialty green coffee importer focused on relationship coffee, transparent sourcing, and producer-impact programs. Highly comparable to ASCI's certified/sustainable positioning and direct roaster relationships; now part of Sucafina.
- Caravela Coffee: Latin America-origin specialty coffee importer with strong producer relationships in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, supplying roasters in North America, Europe, and Asia. Comparable to ASCI in microlot specialty positioning and quality-control emphasis.
- Coffee Holding Company, Inc. US-based green coffee trading and processing company serving roasters and brand customers. Comparable to ASCI in green coffee wholesaling and warehousing, though more diversified into roasted/finished coffee products.
Broad incumbents
- Olam Food Ingredients (ofi) - Coffee: Global commodity trader with a major specialty coffee platform spanning origins, processing, and supply to roasters worldwide. Overlaps with ASCI in specialty green coffee but operates at vastly larger scale across multiple ingredient categories (cocoa, nuts, dairy).
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Atlantic Specialty Coffee social profiles
Digital presenceAtlantic Specialty Coffee financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Atlantic Specialty Coffee leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Atlantic Specialty Coffee funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Atlantic Specialty Coffee M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Atlantic Specialty Coffee
What does Atlantic Specialty Coffee do?
Atlantic Specialty Coffee is a US green coffee importer that sources, supplies, and distributes sustainable, conventional, and decaffeinated specialty green coffees (Arabica and Robusta) from origins including Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Mexico, Sumatra, El Salvador, and Uganda. The company sells spot inventory and forward contracts to coffee roasters from warehouses on both US coasts, and operates a Direct Source Program that handles logistics, freight optimization, and contracting for customers importing full container lots. Quality is assured through an in-house cupping lab using Specialty Coffee Association protocols.
Is Atlantic Specialty Coffee a public or private company?
Atlantic Specialty Coffee is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Atlantic Specialty Coffee founded?
Atlantic Specialty Coffee was founded in 1996. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Atlantic Specialty Coffee based?
Atlantic Specialty Coffee is headquartered in San Leandro, United States, in the North America region.
How does Atlantic Specialty Coffee make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Green Coffee Sales are the primary driver. The others are direct Source Import Services.
Who are Atlantic Specialty Coffee's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Royal Coffee, Inc., Cafe Imports, Volcafe, Sucafina, Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importers, Caravela Coffee and Coffee Holding Company, Inc.. Olam Food Ingredients (ofi) - Coffee is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Atlantic Specialty Coffee have an API?
No public API is recorded for Atlantic Specialty Coffee.
What industry is Atlantic Specialty Coffee in?
Atlantic Specialty Coffee's product category is Specialty Coffee Importing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAIAKAD, Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Trading/Wholesale, with a secondary code of AFAIAGAD, Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Beverage Wholesale. Its NAICS code is 31192 and its SIC code is 2080.