Importer Ally Coffee Unveils Global Specialty Coffee HQ in Greenville, SC

Ally Coffee’s new global specialty coffee headquarters in Greenville, South Carolina. Photo by Tony Abbott, courtesy of Ally Coffee.

Green coffee importer Ally Coffee has opened a new global headquarters for its specialty coffee operations. Officially opened last month in a revitalized business district in Greenville, South Carolina, the more than 7,000-square-foot facility will serve as Ally’s home for specialty purchasing, sales and education, while offering ample space for training, coffee community events and educational programming.

Ally Coffee first opened a quality control lab and offices in Greenville in 2014, making a concerted effort to grow its green coffee sales in the U.S. since. In an announcement yesterday, the company said the move to the much larger facility was precipitated by “consistent growth” and new projects for the specialty division.

The new open-concept facility includes a bar outfitted with two Mahlkonig grinders and a Nuova Simonelli Mythos Clima Pro grinder supporting La Marzocco Linea and Nuova Simonelli Eagle-model espresso machines.

A separate roasting room includes an Ikawa electric roaster and a Probat BRZ for sample roasts, while production and educational roasting are supported by a Diedrich IR-2.5 and a 5-kilo-capacity machine from Brazilian roaster-maker Atilla. The facility also includes a cupping lab “outfitted per CQI Q Grader specifications.”

“We offer a range of classes and customized programs blending online learning with practical classes in green coffee, roasting, brewing, and food safety compliance,” Ally’s Director of Education Ildi Revi said in yesterday’s announcement. “We also are developing company retreats for roasting and retailing operations that combine specialized sensory learning and business issues in an enriching atmosphere allowing co-workers to collaborate in different ways.”

Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, Ally Coffee is part of Brazil’s Montesanto Tavares Group, which owns multiple businesses throughout the supply chain, including two Brazilian coffee farms, a dry mill and export houses. Ally maintains satellite offices throughout the U.S. and Europe, in Los Angeles, Kansas City (Missouri), New York, Portland (Oregon), Atlanta, Plantation (Florida), Berlin and Gothenburg.

(Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify the business holdings of Montesanto Tavares Group.)