Coffee Roasters brew up award win

Written on the 28 June 2015 by Gold Coast PR Company Consulting Hall

AN Arundel company that specialises in supplying coffee roasting equipment and coffee capsules has brewed up a win in the Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards.

Coffee Roasters Australia, which was set up in 2002, has transformed since former Nestle executives Mark and Alana Beattie bought the company in 2009.

Coffee Roasters was previously a wholesaler for imported coffee roasting machines to the Australian market. The company has evolved to now design and manufacture coffee roasting equipment, write coffee roasting software, and manufacture coffee capsules for a large range of customers.

Ms Beattie said they had established Coffee Roasters Asia in January 2015, with an outlet opening in Hong Kong to provide a base for the company's planned expansion into South East Asia.

"We believe the coffee market in South East Asia is 5-10 years behind Australia but we predict it will catch up quickly,'' she said.

"We felt the best way we could service the market was to set up a roasterie. 

"We have four employees in the roasterie in Hong Kong and 20 members on a sales team."

Coffee Roasters Asia is targeting cafes that are using products imported from the UK and US.

"Their coffees are not as fresh as ours and are not manufactured to the same standards,'' said Ms Beattie. "We are experiencing strong demand for Australian coffees in that sector."

The company is also targeting boutique hotels that cater for Australian travellers and the office market, particularly the high-end financial services market.

"There is a huge potential target market in South-East Asia and we are signing up new customers every day,'' said Ms Beattie.

In honour of their achievements, the company received the Mayor's Innovation GC Award for June at the Gold Coast Business Excellence Award at a ceremony held at KPMG.

Winners in other categories include Planit Consulting who cleaned up the Environment and Sustainability Award, sports apparel business BLK collected the Retail, Wholesale and Distribution jersey, SEO Web Logistics won the Knowledge Management and IT section, Evolve Skateboards rode off with the Manufacturing and Construction trophy, Timezone Surfers Paradise scored in Tourism, GANDEN Engineers and Project Managers secured the Emerging Business award, giftware company Annabel Trends won Family Business, tram operator KDR Gold Coast took out the Trades, Services and Professionals, and Medical Rescue won the Health and Wellbeing award.

The awards' sponsors include City of Gold Coast, Suncorp Bank, Department of Industry and Science, OntheNet, Griffith University, Regional Development Australia Gold Coast, Pindara Private Hospital and Gold Coast Airport.

The major supporters are SMART McCann Worldgroup, Document Solutions Australia, Consulting Hall, Jupiter's Gold Coast, Regina King Photography, Bruce Lynton BMW, Bond University, KPMG, Dreamweavers and CGC Premiums and Merchandise.

The awards' media sponsors include the Gold Coast Bulletin, NBN Television, 92.5 Gold FM and 90.9 Sea FM.