Descafeinadores Mexicanos

What Descafeinadores Mexicanos does

DESCAMEX (Descafeinadores Mexicanos) is a privately held, family-owned Mexican coffee decaffeination company founded in 1980 by Domingo Muguira Revuelta in Córdoba, Veracruz. It operates a single integrated processing facility running two complementary extraction methods: the patented Mountain Water Process (water-based, 1987 patent, claimed >97% caffeine removal) and the EM Process (European Method using methylene chloride, with residues held 10x below FDA limits). The company is the first and longest-established decaffeination plant in Latin America, holding an unusually broad certification stack that includes OCIA organic, USDA NOP, EU Organic, JAS Japan, Fair Trade/Fair Trade USA, Rainforest Alliance, Bird Friendly, FSSC 22000, and KosherMex.

The business model is B2B and operates on three revenue streams: (1) tolling — processing client-owned green coffee via either method; (2) custom blend processing per client specifications; and (3) DESCAMEX-developed proprietary blends sold to clients after approval, marketed across a tiered SKU portfolio (HGMC, HGMW, PWMC, PWMW, Onix MC, Onix MW) under the Mountain Water and EM D'caff sub-brands. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales with global export reach; roasters, importers, and specialty coffee companies engage via direct relationship, quote-based pricing, and a sample-request workflow. The company employs 51–100 people, including Q-grader certified cuppers supporting an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited lab for cupping, roasting curve development, and blend quality assurance.

Strategic positioning rests on incumbency in a capital-intensive niche, dual-process flexibility, multi-jurisdictional organic certification, and membership in World Coffee Research (since 2012). Marketing and brand-building are executed through the MW Decaf Blog, a full social media footprint, and trade-event participation (Latin American Coffee Summit), with periodic earned media in outlets such as Comunicaffe. The company remains privately held with no external institutional investors identified and no disclosed M&A activity.

Name

Descafeinadores Mexicanos

Legal name

DESCAMEX

Website

https://descamex.com.mx

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

DESCAMEX is a privately held, family-owned Mexican B2B coffee decaffeination company operating since 1980 from Córdoba, Veracruz. It provides tolling and proprietary blend services to global roasters and importers using its patented Mountain Water Process and EM European Method.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Decaffeination Processing

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee & Tea Beverage Co-Packing (RTD Coffee/Tea, Cold Brew) (AFAFAIAD)

Keywords

• Coffee decaffeination services
• Water-based decaffeination
• Methylene chloride decaffeination
• Specialty coffee processing
• Organic decaf coffee

Headquarters

HQ city

Córdoba

HQ country

Argentina

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Decaffeination Processing Services (Tolling): DESCAMEX performs the decaffeination process on client-owned coffee. Clients send their coffee and request specific processing (Mountain Water or EM method). This is the core B2B service model.
2. Custom Blend Development: DESCAMEX creates custom blends following client specifications and confidentiality guidelines, offering roasting curve recommendations and certified Q-grader tasting panels.
3. DESCAMEX Proprietary Blends: DESCAMEX develops proprietary blends that clients approve, maintaining confidentiality and providing full tasting panel results with roasting recommendations. Product offerings include HGMC, HGMW, PWMC, PWMW, Onix MC, and Onix MW product lines.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

DESCAMEX provides B2B coffee decaffeination services using two proprietary processes: the Mountain Water Process (water-based, patented in 1987, achieving over 97% caffeine extraction) and the EM Process (European Method using methylene chloride). The company offers tolling services where clients send their coffee for processing, custom blend development following client specifications, and proprietary blends such as HGMC, HGMW, PWMC, PWMW, Onix MC, and Onix MW. Operations are conducted at the Córdoba, Veracruz facility with Q-Grader certified cuppers and an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory.

Product overview

DESCAMEX operates as a specialty coffee decaffeination company with two primary processing methods: the Mountain Water Process (water-based, patented in 1987, achieving over 97% caffeine extraction) and the EM Process (European Method using methylene chloride). The company offers a portfolio of decaffeinated coffee products categorized by origin type (High Coffee, Washed Premium) and process type (MC or Mountain Water), including HGMC, HGMW, PWMC, PWMW, Onix MC, and Onix MW. Services include tolling (processing client-owned coffee), custom blend processing, and DESCAMEX-defined blend creation with Q Grader quality assurance. Founded in 1980, DESCAMEX is recognized as the first decaffeination plant in Latin America and the creator of the Mountain Water Process brand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mountain Water Process: Water-based decaffeination process patented in 1987, achieving over 97% caffeine extraction.
• MW D'caff
• EM Process
• EM D'caff

Products and services

• Mountain Water Process A water-based decaffeination process using a saturated solution of solid soluble obtained from coffee beans to extract caffeine under controlled conditions of flow, temperature, pressure and vacuum, achieving over 97% caffeine extraction. Sold as a B2B processing service to coffee roasters, importers, and specialty coffee companies.
• EM Process (European Method) A methylene chloride-based decaffeination process that selectively extracts caffeine while preserving the taste and aroma of the coffee bean. DESCAMEX is the first decaffeination plant of the EM process in Latin America and removes methylene chloride residues at 10 times lower limits than allowed by the FDA. Sold as a B2B processing service.
• Tolling Service B2B tolling service in which DESCAMEX performs the decaffeination process on client-owned coffee. Clients send their coffee and request specific processing (Mountain Water or EM method). For coffee roasters, importers, and specialty coffee companies.
• Custom Blend Processing B2B service in which DESCAMEX processes blends according to client-defined specifications, following confidentiality guidelines. For coffee companies seeking custom decaffeinated blends.
• DESCAMEX-Defined Blend Processing B2B service in which DESCAMEX creates and processes proprietary blends for client approval, maintaining confidentiality guidelines with tasting panel results and roasting curve recommendations from certified Q Graders. For coffee companies seeking premium pre-developed decaffeinated blends.
• Sample Request Service B2B service in which DESCAMEX sends samples of different grades of green and decaffeinated coffee to prospective clients for quality verification prior to processing contracts.
• DESCAMEX Decaffeinated Coffee Products (HGMC, HGMW, PWMC, PWMW, Onix MC, Onix MW) A portfolio of finished decaffeinated green coffee products sold B2B: HGMC (High Coffee MC), HGMW (High Coffee Mountain Water), PWMC (Washed Premium MC), PWMW (Washed Premium Mountain Water), Onix MC (Special Blend MC), and Onix MW (Special Blend Mountain Water). For coffee roasters and importers seeking ready-to-roast decaf green coffee.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 97% caffeine extraction rate
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• World Coffee Research (WCR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012DESCAMEX is a proud member of World Coffee Research (WCR), an organization founded in 2012 by the global coffee industry. WCR focuses on agricultural innovation to improve coffee quality, reduce supply chain risks, and make coffee production more profitable and sustainable. DESCAMEX's membership demonstrates commitment to industry research and development.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Louis Dreyfus Company: A global commodity merchant with a coffee platform spanning origination, processing, and export. Much broader scale than DESCAMEX but operates in the same green coffee processing value chain.
• Volcafe: A leading global green coffee service company (part of ED&F Man) offering processing, logistics, and supply chain services including decaffeination. Significantly larger than DESCAMEX but overlapping in B2B specialty coffee processing.
• Neumann Kaffee Gruppe: A global green coffee service group with operations spanning origin, milling, decaffeination, and export. While much larger and more diversified than DESCAMEX, its decaffeination activities compete directly in the same B2B decaf services segment.
• Cargill: A global agricultural commodity giant with extensive coffee operations including processing, trading, and decaf. Operates at vastly greater scale and broader portfolio than DESCAMEX, but is a tangential competitor in commercial-scale decaf services.
• ECOM Trading: A global soft commodity merchant with significant coffee trading and processing operations across origins, including decaf capabilities. Operates at much broader scale than DESCAMEX but competes for the same international roaster clients.
• Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group: A global coffee company with roasting, processing, and decaffeination operations across multiple brands. Operates at much broader portfolio scale than DESCAMEX but has overlapping decaf processing capabilities and roaster customers.
• Sucafina: A Swiss-based green coffee service company offering sourcing, processing, and supply chain solutions to global roasters. Larger scale than DESCAMEX but competes in similar B2B specialty and commercial coffee processing segments.

Direct peers

• Bernhard Rothfos GmbH: A Hamburg-based green coffee specialist with decaffeination capabilities serving European specialty and commercial roasters. Operates in the same B2B coffee processing niche as DESCAMEX, including tolling and proprietary blend offerings.
• Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Company: A Canadian publicly-traded decaffeination company operating a proprietary 100% chemical-free water-based decaffeination process, directly comparable to DESCAMEX's Mountain Water Process. Both serve global specialty roasters seeking high-quality, chemical-free decaf green coffee at scale.
• Demus S.p.A. An Italian specialty coffee decaffeination company operating both water-based and methylene chloride processes, mirroring DESCAMEX's dual-process platform. Demus serves European roasters and exporters with comparable services including tolling and custom blends.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/descamex
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCBrXC8PfyjZHRWEiN0eT9Ug
• Facebookfacebook.com/DescafeinadoresMexicanos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/descamex
• Instagraminstagram.com/descamex
• Pinterestpinterest.com.mx/descamex01

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Descafeinadores Mexicanos