Green Coffee Trader ICT Adds Key Staff, Unveils Brand Refresh

San Diego-based green coffee importer InterContinental Coffee Trading has added several new traders, plus a new logistics coordinator and marketing director, resulting in a complete brand refresh and operational expansions.

The company, a majority stake of which was acquired by Dutch trading firm Daarnhouwer & Co. in 2011, boasts a new logo that stresses the ICT initialism, plus a new website that includes current coffee offerings while encouraging interaction from potential roaster clients through blog posts, contact forms and resources for those who may be relatively new to the roasting game.

“There’s no official name change but I’ve sort of made a conscious effort to help get that name out there,” new marketing director Dan Green told Daily Coffee News in reference to the ICT name.

A primary goal in revamping the website, he said, is to attract more clients who may be smaller buyers, while simplifying relationships with existing larger-volume clients through presenting current green offerings online. “We do have some big accounts and some big people, but we do also sell to a lot of local roasters,” Green said. “I think the growth in our industry is the smaller roasters and that’s really a focus of the website.” Green said ICT is hoping to add a direct e-commerce platform next year.

Key staff additions include traders Alice Peters, a former manager and roaster at San Diego’s Cafe Virtuoso, and Harris Haase, a former trader with Comexim in Brazil and with Ecom Trading. Former Cafe Virtuoso co-owner Steven Von Kolkow has assumed the role of logistics coordinator for ICT, while Zach Erick has come aboard as a junior trader. Green comes to ICT with years of management experience at Starbucks and, more recently, Peet’s, where he was a district manager in charge of nine retail locations.

Said Green of the new staff members, all of whom have joined within the past three months, “It’s a really interesting group of people from all over the industry.”