Seattle’s Atlas Coffee Importers Joins the Neumann Kaffee Gruppe

Atlas Coffee Importers. Facebook photo.

The multinational green trading company Neumann Kaffee Gruppe has made a majority investment in the Seattle green coffee import company Atlas Coffee Importers. The financial terms have not been made public.

Atlas said in an announcement today that it would be joining the Hamburg, Germany-based company as a subsidiary, though it will “continue as an independent company focused on providing personalized, specialty coffee trading services to benefit the global coffee community.”

Atlas joins nearly 50 companies in some 27 countries as part of Neumann’s coffee group, which has a stake in coffee companies operating throughout the supply chain, but primarily in cultivation, processing, exports and imports. The group’s other major U.S. partner company is importer InterAmerican Coffee.

“This recent addition to our portfolio stresses the importance of North America as the world’s largest coffee consuming market and our lasting commitment to it,” Neumann Kaffee Gruppe CEO David M. Neumann said in today’s announcement. “With operations in New York, Rhode Island, Houston, San Diego and now Seattle, we cover the entire demand spectrum from commercial grades to specialty and premium specialty.”

Founded by Craig Holt in 1998, Atlas has traditionally catered to the higher end of the specialty coffee spectrum, while also offering coffee education services and certified training, and contributing to programs and individual projects at origin.

“Neumann and Atlas are a perfect match in terms of core values and our approach to sustainability,” said Holt, “and we are excited to work with Neumann Kaffee Gruppe as we continue to support our clients and develop quality coffee in partnership with growers.”