APEX Coffee Imports

What APEX Coffee Imports does

APEX Coffee Imports is a privately held, boutique green coffee importer founded in 2016 in Calgary by Jeff Fleming and now part of the Origine 117 group following Sébastien Grenache's 2022 acquisition. The company sources unroasted specialty coffee from eleven origins — Bolivia, Burundi, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Kenya, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru — through long-term partnerships with producers and exporters such as Agricafé, CafeBras, PROCAAL, Exclusive Coffees, Ethio Catalyst, San Miguel Coffees, Ibero, Café Solidario, and Origin Coffee Lab.

Its commercial offering is organized around two products: Spot Coffee, comprising ready-to-ship micro-lots curated for clarity, consistency and character and stored in Canadian warehouses, and Forward Booking, which lets roasters reserve upcoming harvests through pre-committed origin contracts. Offer lists are distributed as PDF catalogs hosted on Google Sheets and through a Shopify-powered e-commerce storefront; the broader go-to-market is sales-led, with professional roasters engaging sales reps for samples, pricing quotes, and logistics coordination, while home roasters transact directly online.

The five-person team operates from offices in Calgary (sales and logistics) and Montreal (sourcing and QC/content), serving the Canadian market exclusively. The business generates revenue by capturing the margin between origin purchase prices and Canadian resale on traceable micro-lots. Apex scaled import volume from 5 containers in 2021 to 30 containers in 2024 — a 6x increase over three years — supported by the 2022 expansion to Montreal, the addition of Guatemala and Peru in 2023, and the Origine 117 integration that brought additional resources and producer relationships. No AI/ML capabilities are disclosed and no proprietary technology platform exists beyond standard e-commerce tooling.

Name

APEX Coffee Imports

Legal name

Apex Coffee Imports

Website

https://apexcoffeeimports.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

APEX Coffee Imports is a Calgary- and Montreal-based boutique green coffee importer that sources specialty micro-lots from eleven origins and supplies Canadian professional and home roasters through spot and forward-booking sales channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Green Coffee Import

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Beverage Wholesale (AFAIAGAD), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Green coffee import
• Specialty coffee sourcing
• Micro-lot coffee
• Coffee import wholesale
• Green coffee distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal-nord

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Green Coffee Import and Resale: Apex Coffee Imports generates revenue by importing and reselling green (unroasted) specialty coffee to professional and home roasters. The company operates two purchasing models: spot coffee (ready-to-ship lots, warehouse-stored) and forward booking (pre-committed purchases of upcoming harvests). Revenue is derived from the margin between origin purchase prices and Canadian resale, with premiums earned on traceable micro-lots. The business is B2B-focused with a smaller direct-to-consumer e-commerce component.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Apex Coffee Imports is a boutique importer that sources and supplies specialty green (unroasted) coffee from eleven origins to professional and home roasters across Canada. The company operates two purchasing models: Spot Coffee (ready-to-ship lots stored in Canadian warehouses for immediate purchase) and Forward Booking (pre-committed purchases of upcoming harvests with origin producers). The company purchases traceable micro-lots and regional blends directly from smallholder farmers and family estates, separating individual producer lots for Canadian roasters.

Product overview

APEX Coffee Imports is a boutique green coffee importer serving professional and home roasters across Canada. The company operates as a unified offering built around two core products: Spot Coffee (ready-to-ship lots selected for clarity, consistency and character, warehouse-stored for immediate availability) and Forward Booking (pre-reservation of upcoming harvests through long-term origin commitments). Coffee is sourced directly from quality-driven producers across eleven origins: Bolivia, Burundi, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Kenya, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru. The company provides product catalogs via downloadable PDF spot and forward lists, and maintains offices in Montreal and Calgary. The business was founded in Calgary in 2016 by Jeff Fleming and, following acquisition by Sébastien Grenache in 2022, expanded to Montreal as part of the Origine 117 group, growing from 5 containers in 2021 to 30 containers in 2024.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Scaled from 5 containers (2021) to 30 containers (2024) in three years, representing 6x growth
• +3 more outcomes

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

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AgricafécoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricafé is a family-run Bolivian coffee business (founded by Pedro Rodríguez, now co-led by his children Daniela and Pedro Pablo) that operates Fincas Los Rodríguez (12 farms) and the Sol de la Mañana program supporting over 200 smallholder producers. The partnership, active since 2022, was initiated by Julie Audet's pre-existing relationship with Daniela Rodríguez. Apex imports micro-lots from producers like Silverio Nina and Carmelita Aduviri, with full traceability to individual farms and producers.
• CafeBrascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBased in Brazil, CafeBras has worked directly with coffee producers since 2013 to ensure traceable, high-quality coffees. Apex Coffee Imports has collaborated with CafeBras since 2020 on a smallholder program in and around São Bartolomeu in Mantiqueira de Minas, purchasing community lots and separated micro-lots with additional premiums for the highest quality selections.
• PROCAALcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBased in Nariño, Colombia, PROCAAL is a Colombian coffee exporter supporting smallholder farmers through a transparent, quality-driven supply chain. Led by Pablo Guerrero and José Gómez, who are producers first. Apex began working with PROCAAL in 2019 to gain closer access to producers who lacked consistent market access. PROCAAL connects Apex with producers including Frank Torres, Francy Castillo, Raquel Lasso, Emerson Narváez, and José Gómez.
• Exclusive CoffeescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Francisco Mena in 2008, Exclusive Coffees represents over 90 micro-mills across Costa Rica and has been pivotal in the country's 'micro-mill revolution.' The partnership with Apex began in 2023, focusing on Tarrazú, Central Valley, and West Valley regions. Exclusive Coffees provides milling, quality control, education, and market access, connecting Apex with producers including Allan Oviedo (Don Joel micromill) and the Monge brothers (La Lía).
• Ethio CatalystcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA specialized Ethiopian coffee exporter led by Zelalem Birma, operating since the 2013/14 harvest and focused on Bensa, Sidama. The company has been instrumental in raising international recognition for Ethiopian coffees through experimental processing methods. Apex Coffee Imports began working with Ethio Catalyst in 2018, sourcing from Sidama, Yirgacheffe, Guji, and West Arsi regions. Ethio Catalyst supports 500+ smallholder farmers in Kokose village and communities in Bombe and Shantawene.
• San Miguel CoffeescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSan Miguel Coffees is a 130-year legacy business of the Falla family in Guatemala, sourcing from Antigua, Acatenango, Fraijanes, and other regions. Founded in 1890 with the first farm in Antigua, the family now owns Finca El Tempixque and Finca La Tacita, operating the San Miguel Mill. Apex began sourcing from Guatemala in 2022 through the San Miguel relationship, which provides access to producers including Alfredo Amenabar, Cesar Higueros, and Luis Sagche.
• IberocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIbero is one of Kenya's oldest and most established coffee exporters, dating back to 1964, operating as part of NKG. The company sources high-quality Kenyan coffees through the national auction system and direct purchasing channels. Apex Coffee Imports partners with Ibero to source the highest quality AA lots each season, focusing on Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Kiambu, and Murang'a regions.
• Solidario (Café Solidario)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded June 13, 2017, Café Solidario unites small coffee producers in northern Peru (Cajamarca region, districts of Jaén, Tabaconas, El Huabal, and Cutervo). Started with 85 producers; today supports 320+ producers and 440+ families. The association holds international certifications and focuses on sustainable practices and traceable coffee. Apex added Solidario as a supply partner in 2023.
• Origin Coffee Lab (OCL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by José Rivera in 2016, Origin Coffee Lab is a Peruvian coffee exporter based in Jaén, Cajamarca, with a mission to ensure fair and sustainable pricing for producers. OCL cups every parchment delivery and awards quality-based premiums. The company organizes 220+ growers into comités focusing on training, financial access, market access, and data sharing. Apex began sourcing from Peru in 2022 through Julie Audet's pre-existing relationship with OCL.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Neumann Kaffee Gruppe (NKG): German-headquartered global coffee group that owns Ibero, one of Apex's Kenya sourcing partners; NKG's scale across origins and the direct conflict of interest with Apex's partner illustrate the competitive threat from large integrated traders.
• Volcafe (ED&F Man): One of the world's largest green coffee traders (part of ED&F Man), combining origin operations with global distribution; its scale and origin footprint dwarf Apex's, but it operates in the same green coffee supply category to roasters worldwide.
• ECOM Trading Group: Global commodities trader with a large coffee division sourcing from multiple origins, competing with Apex for premium lots and offering an alternative for larger Canadian roasters seeking a global, vertically integrated supplier.
• Sucafina: Swiss-headquartered global green coffee trader that operates at significantly greater scale than Apex across origins and customer segments, representing the type of broad incumbent against which boutique specialty importers compete for premium lots and large roaster accounts.
• ofi (Olam Food Ingredients) Coffee: Global coffee supplier (now operating as ofi following Olam Group restructuring) with extensive origin operations and roaster-facing sales, representing another large-scale incumbent in the green coffee sourcing category where Apex competes.

Direct peers

• Caravela Coffee: Latin America-origin specialty coffee importer focused on traceable micro-lots and producer partnerships, operating a similar direct-to-roaster sourcing model to Apex across overlapping origins including Colombia, Peru, and Costa Rica.
• Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importers: U.S.-based specialty green coffee importer with deep direct-trade producer relationships and a relationship-driven model that closely mirrors Apex's sourcing-led, roaster-facing approach, differing mainly by geography (U.S. vs. Canada).
• Atlantic Specialty Coffee: Canadian specialty green coffee importer serving professional roasters with a multi-origin catalog and direct producer relationships, making it one of Apex's closest domestic competitors in the Canadian boutique importer segment.
• Tropix Coffee: Canadian specialty green coffee importer focused on quality-driven micro-lots for Canadian roasters, with a product positioning and customer base that overlaps directly with Apex's professional roaster segment.

Emerging players

• Reunion Coffee Roasters: Canadian specialty coffee roaster with an integrated sourcing arm, cited alongside Apex in the BNN Bloomberg December 2025 piece on coffee prices; overlaps with Apex in the Canadian specialty market and serves a similar roaster consumer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/apexcoffeeimports
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apex-coffee-imports

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 APEX Coffee Imports