RGC Coffee
RGC Coffee is a family-owned green coffee importer and trader founded around 1970, headquartered in Westmount, Quebec, serving roasters, retailers, and brands across the Americas, Africa, and Asia through its RGC 3E sustainability program and Greensource specialty sub-brand.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersWestmount, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What RGC Coffee does
RGC Coffee Inc. is a family-owned, private green coffee importer and trading company headquartered in Westmount, Quebec. Founded around 1970 and operating for over 50 years, the company operates through wholly-owned subsidiaries — RGC Americas SAS in Bogotá, Colombia and RGC USA in Culver City, California — to source coffee across more than 19 countries in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Its core product is green coffee trading for roasters, retailers, and brands, with Greensource as a specialty sub-brand that channels smallholder-farmer coffee into the specialty market. The RGC 3E Program and Validation Scheme (45 supplier indicators + 86 farmer indicators across Elevate, Empower, Educate) provide a proprietary ESG framework that underpins the company's positioning and supports premium pricing on certified coffees.
The business model is transaction-based: RGC buys green coffee at origin (directly and via cooperatives) and sells to roasters and brands, earning a trading margin plus premiums on 3E-certified lots. Pricing is quote-based with no public list, and the go-to-market motion is sales-led — relationship-driven through direct engagement, a quote request flow on the website, and an "order coffee" platform. RGC runs three branded social projects — Los Sueños del Café (women's empowerment), Las Manos del Café (farmworker welfare, co-developed with the ILO and Fair Trade USA), and Todos al Agua (ecosystem regeneration) — which together with the 3E program form a vertically-integrated sustainability offering that connects smallholder producers to specialty buyers.
In 2022 RGC purchased 17 million pounds of 3E-certified coffee and reinvested $2.6M USD in community supply chain projects, reaching 32,209+ participants. Scale is limited (11–50 employees), there is no external funding, no disclosed revenue, and the firm operates as a going concern across Canada, the US, and Colombia with multi-language customer engagement in English, Spanish, and French.
RGC Coffee firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RGC Coffee
- Legal name
- RGC Coffee Inc.
- Website
- https://rgccoffee.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- RGC Coffee is a family-owned green coffee importer and trader founded around 1970, headquartered in Westmount, Quebec, serving roasters, retailers, and brands across the Americas, Africa, and Asia through its RGC 3E sustainability program and Greensource specialty sub-brand.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
RGC Coffee industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Green Coffee Import & Trading
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing (AFAFADAJ)
Keywords
Where RGC Coffee is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Westmount
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
RGC Coffee business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Green Coffee Trading and Importing: RGC Coffee operates as a full-service importer and trading company, sourcing and trading coffee sustainably. They buy and sell green coffee to roasters, retailers, and brands, earning margins on the trading of coffee commodities. The company also generates additional value through their RGC 3E certified coffees which command premium prices.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Quote-based pricing for green coffee trading services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
RGC Coffee product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RGC Coffee imports and trades green coffee for B2B customers, sourcing from producing countries and supplying roasters, retailers, and brands with both commodity and specialty-grade green coffee. Specialty offerings are delivered through a dedicated sub-brand (Greensource). The company complements its trading activity with a proprietary sustainability validation framework (RGC 3E) and supporting social programs.
Product overview
RGC Coffee operates as a single unified offering: a full-service green coffee importer and trading company. The core product is RGC Coffee itself, a purpose-driven company dedicated to sustainable coffee sourcing and trading. Complementing the core trading service is Greensource, a specialty coffee sub-brand focused on bridging quality and sustainability for small-scale farmers. The company also offers the RGC 3E Program as a sustainability framework that guides its corporate mission, supported by three community-based social projects: Los Sueños del Café (women's empowerment), Las Manos del Café (farmworkers support), and Todos al Agua (ecosystem regeneration). The RGC Coffee Origins service provides sourcing details from coffee-growing regions worldwide. Together, these form a vertically-integrated approach to sustainable coffee trade, connecting producers to roasters while delivering social and environmental impact programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Greensource: Specialty coffee brand focused on sustainable sourcing, bridging quality and sustainability while empowering small-scale farmers.
Products and services
- RGC Coffee green coffee import & trading
Quantifiable outcome
- 17 million pounds of RGC 3E coffee purchased with additional premiums for community projects
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use RGC Coffee
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
RGC Coffee technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
RGC Coffee partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- International Labour Organization (ILO)coreRGC partnered with the ILO to implement the Las Manos del Café program, supporting the Decent Work Agenda in coffee supply chains. The partnership leverages ILO's framework of four pillars: employment promotion, social protection, rights at work, and social dialogue.
- Fair Trade USAcoreRGC Coffee & Fair Trade USA Farmworkers Colombia Origin Project - a pilot program to improve conditions for coffee farmworkers in the municipality of Aguadas, Colombia.
- Cooperativas de Cafe Alto Occidente de CaldascoreColombian coffee cooperative partnering with RGC for the Las Manos del Café project to improve farmworker welfare.
- Cooperativa Norte de CaldascoreColombian coffee cooperative partnering with RGC for farmworker programs.
- Cooperativa AguadascoreColombian coffee cooperative in Aguadas, focus of Fair Trade USA pilot project for farmworker conditions.
- Cooperativa SalgarcoreColombian coffee cooperative partnering with RGC for Las Manos del Café project.
- Rainforest AllianceminorCertifying partner for sustainable coffee sourcing, displayed as certification badge on Origins page.
- Fairtrade CanadaminorCertifying partner for fair trade coffee, displayed as certification badge.
- Fairtrade USAminorCertifying partner for fair trade coffee sourcing, displayed as certification badge.
- EcocertminorCertifying partner for sustainable and organic coffee, displayed as certification badge.
- USDA OrganicminorCertifying partner for organic coffee products, displayed as certification badge.
- UTZminorCertifying partner for sustainable coffee (now part of Rainforest Alliance), displayed as certification badge.
- UN Global CompactcoreRGC participates in UN Global Compact Colombia, with Todos al Agua selected as winning initiative for SDG #13 and Las Rosas receiving recognition for SDG #5.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
RGC Coffee competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- ofi (Olam Food Ingredients) Coffee: Vertically integrated coffee business within a global agri-commodities platform; competes in green coffee supply at much larger scale with growing specialty/sustainable offerings.
- Volcafe (ED&F Man): One of the world's largest green coffee traders, operating across producing origins and supplying roasters and brands globally; broader scale but overlapping core activity of green coffee importing and trading.
- ECOM Trading: Major merchant of soft commodities including green coffee with extensive origination networks; competes head-to-head with RGC for roaster supply and, increasingly, in specialty/sustainable programs.
- Royal Cup Coffee: Family-owned importer and roaster with deep specialty and traditional coffee segments for foodservice and retail customers; broader product breadth but overlapping green coffee trading activity.
Direct peers
- Atlas Coffee Importers: Boutique green coffee importer supplying specialty roasters in North America with curated single-origin and relationship-driven sourcing; directly comparable to RGC in scale and customer base.
- Sucafina: Global green coffee trader and importer with a specialty arm (Specialty Sucafina) serving roasters in North America; comparable business model of spot and forward coffee trading with sustainability programs.
- Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importers: Specialty green coffee importer focused on relationship-based sourcing from Latin America and Africa with a strong sustainability/impact program; competes for the same mission-driven roaster accounts as RGC's Greensource.
- Cafe Imports: Specialty green coffee importer working with smallholder producers across Latin America, Africa, and Asia to supply craft roasters; near-twin in mission, customer base, and program structure.
- Atlantic (USA) Coffee Company: Family-owned green coffee importer serving roasters across the U.S. with multi-origin sourcing; very similar ownership model and customer orientation to RGC.
- Intercontinental Coffee Trading: Specialty green coffee importer focused on relationship-driven sourcing and direct trade, primarily servicing North American roasters; comparable scale and origin portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
RGC Coffee social profiles
Digital presenceRGC Coffee financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RGC Coffee leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
RGC Coffee subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
RGC Coffee funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RGC 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 RGC Coffee
What does RGC Coffee do?
RGC Coffee imports and trades green coffee for B2B customers, sourcing from producing countries and supplying roasters, retailers, and brands with both commodity and specialty-grade green coffee. Specialty offerings are delivered through a dedicated sub-brand (Greensource). The company complements its trading activity with a proprietary sustainability validation framework (RGC 3E) and supporting social programs.
Is RGC Coffee a public or private company?
RGC Coffee is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was RGC Coffee founded?
RGC Coffee was founded in 1970. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is RGC Coffee based?
RGC Coffee is headquartered in Westmount, Canada, in the North America region.
How does RGC Coffee make money?
One revenue line is on record: green Coffee Trading and Importing.
Who are RGC Coffee's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are ofi (Olam Food Ingredients) Coffee, Volcafe (ED&F Man), ECOM Trading and Royal Cup Coffee. Direct peers are Atlas Coffee Importers, Sucafina, Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importers, Cafe Imports, Atlantic (USA) Coffee Company and Intercontinental Coffee Trading.
Does RGC Coffee have an API?
No public API is recorded for RGC Coffee.
What industry is RGC Coffee in?
RGC Coffee's product category is Green Coffee Import & Trading. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAIAKAD, Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Trading/Wholesale, with a secondary code of AFAFADAJ, Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing. Its NAICS code is 311920 and its SIC code is 2080.