Name

C. Dorman

Legal name

C.Dorman Ltd

Website

https://cdormancoffee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Green Coffee Trading

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Green Coffee Processing (Hulling, Grading, Decaffeination) (AFAFADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tea, Coffee & Cocoa Farming (Beverage Specialty Crops) (AFAGAGAG), Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG)

Keywords

• Green coffee export
• Specialty coffee sourcing
• Coffee supply chain
• East African coffee
• Coffee trading

Headquarters

HQ city

Ruiru

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Green Coffee Trading and Export: C. Dorman Ltd operates as a green coffee merchant and exporter, sourcing coffee from Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania, and selling to roasters and importers worldwide. The company handles processing, packaging, and global logistics for coffee exports.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

C. Dorman Ltd operates as a green coffee merchant and exporter, sourcing unroasted coffee beans from Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda and selling them directly to roasters and importers worldwide. The company handles processing, packaging to client specifications, and global shipment logistics from its modern facilities at Tatu City Industrial Park in Nairobi, Kenya. The broader Dorman Group also includes Dormans Coffee Limited for roasted coffee production and the Nairobi School of Coffee for industry training.

Product overview

C. Dorman operates as a green coffee merchant and exporter with two primary product lines: (1) C. Dorman Ltd, the core green coffee trading business established in 1950, sourcing unroasted coffee beans from Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda for global roasters and importers; and (2) Dormans Coffee Limited, the group's roasting company that handles roasted coffee production, operating as a separate entity. The company also maintains a partnership with Coffee Management Services Limited for farmer support services and agronomy assistance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• C. Dorman Green Coffee Green coffee beans sourced from Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda, processed and packaged to client specifications at C. Dorman's Tatu City Industrial Park facilities, and exported to roasters and importers worldwide. Established as C. Dorman's core product since the company's founding in 1950.
• Dormans Coffee Roasted Coffee Roasted coffee produced by Dormans Coffee Limited, the Dorman Group's wholly-owned roasting subsidiary, operating as a distinct business unit within the group.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Coffee Management Services Limited (CMS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Coffee Management Services Limited (CMS), founded in 2006, is a key strategic partner offering services to smallholder and estate farmers including agronomy support, training in agricultural best practices, financial assistance, and access to agricultural inputs. CMS owns and operates primary processing units and dry mills, providing infrastructure for coffee production. Acting as a marketing agent, CMS facilitates direct contact between farmers and buyers, empowering producers with stronger negotiating positions. This partnership exemplifies C. Dorman's dedication to supporting coffee farmers.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Taylor Winch Coffee (TWC): Taylor Winch Coffee is one of Kenya's largest licensed coffee marketing agents and exporters, operating from Nairobi with grower schemes, dry mills, and global roaster relationships — a direct competitor for premium Kenyan lots and the same importer customer base.
• Sucafina: Sucafina is a global green coffee merchant with significant East African sourcing operations and direct relationships with specialty roasters in North America and Europe. It is directly comparable to C. Dorman in business model — sourcing, processing, and exporting green coffee to roasters — but operates at greater scale.
• Dormans Coffee Limited: Dormans Coffee is C. Dorman's own roasting subsidiary under the Dorman Group, operating as a separate specialty roaster in East Africa. It is comparable to C. Dorman as part of the same value chain and family of companies, though focused on downstream roasting rather than green export.
• Ibero Kenya: Ibero Kenya is a Nairobi-based green coffee exporter sourcing from Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and DRC, competing directly with C. Dorman for the same East African origins and roaster customers across Europe and North America.

Broad incumbents

• Volcafe (ED&F Man): Volcafe is one of the world's largest green coffee traders, with deep sourcing across East Africa and a global roaster sales network. It competes with C. Dorman for premium Kenyan lots and the same specialty roaster accounts, but at vastly greater scale and geographic breadth.
• ECOM Trading: ECOM is a major global coffee commodity trader with extensive East African operations and direct farmer programs. It competes with C. Dorman for origin supply and downstream roaster customers, though as a broader diversified commodity trader rather than a specialty-focused merchant.
• Cargill Coffee: Cargill's coffee platform is a major global green coffee trader with East African sourcing and risk-management capabilities. It serves many of the same large roaster and importer customers as C. Dorman, though as a diversified agricultural commodity giant rather than a specialty-focused merchant.
• Neumann Kaffee Gruppe: Neumann Kaffee Gruppe is one of the world's largest green coffee service companies, with origins in East Africa and a global roaster network. It overlaps with C. Dorman in Kenyan and Rwandan sourcing and specialty roaster distribution, but at a much larger scale across multiple origins.
• Olam Food Ingredients (ofi) Coffee: ofi's coffee business is a top-tier global green coffee trader with significant East African presence and direct farmer programs. It competes with C. Dorman for the same premium origins and roaster accounts, though as part of a much broader ingredients platform.

Regional players

• Kenya Coffee Producers Association: KCPA is a regional industry body representing many of Kenya's smaller coffee marketing agents and exporters. It is comparable to C. Dorman in that its members operate in the same Kenyan green coffee export space, though as a collective rather than a single competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 C. Dorman