Archive: Business & Technology

July 7th, 2015 - Ithaca Coffee Company, a small batch coffee roaster/retailer located in Ithaca, NY, is introducing a completely new package and design. The new packaging coincides with the recent acquisition of a custom built, state of the art drum roaster which will allow for the extraction of an even broader range of flavors than their previous roaster. The roaster was commissioned into service 6 weeks ago and is currently housed in the Ithaca Coffee Company roasting and production facility which was purchased in July of 2013.
 
The new recyclable and biodegradable package was conceived completely in-house, and features a screen printed custom made Kraft Paper box. The box is designed to stand out on the crowded coffee retail shelf, with a sharp unique design.  The company’s local origin of Ithaca, NY is prominently featured along the side. Each box features a concise list of brewing suggestions, as well as succinct descriptions of Ithaca Coffee Company’s philosophy and practices. Color coded labels are used to easily identify specific coffee varieties and countries of origin, along with tasting notes. The provenance of each coffee can be found on the back label of each box.
 
“We wanted to provide the customer with some helpful information without it being overwhelming,” said Chris Ganger, Manager of Coffee Roasting and Production at Ithaca Coffee Company. “The drum roaster is allowing us to explore some explosive new flavors, and the new package really helps to clearly showcase our quality, without sacrificing useful information for those customers who are interested.”

 
Ithaca Coffee Company’s packaged coffee can currently be found on retail shelves in a number of local and regional grocery markets including Wegmans, P&C Fresh, GreenStar Cooperative Market, and the Village Bakery and Cafés. Initial response from wholesale customers was very positive. The sturdy new package will be better able to maintain integrity in transport, and much easier to store and stack on shelving and for in-store displays.
 
“Seeing the new packaging come to life is exhilarating,” said Aaron Rovitz, Marketing Director for Ithaca Coffee Company. “The box concept really reflects our goals of remaining approachable to the casual customer, but still highlighting the fact that our coffees offer some very exotic and complex flavors. It’s like the packaging of a nice bottle of scotch, which is what inspired the box idea. It’s nice to have a package that reflects the quality of the product.”
 
The boxes are scheduled to be introduced in mid-July, with a full rollout expected by August 1, 2015.

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