Louis Dreyfus Company Opens Coffee Drying Plant in Lempira, Honduras

Multinational food and agriculture merchant Louis Dreyfus Company has inaugurated a new coffee drying plant in the key Western Honduras coffee region of Lempira. The facility, which is expected to employ approximately 20 people, complements an existing LDC coffee processing facility in Villanueva, near San Pedro Sula. In an announcement of the opening, LDC Head of Coffee for South and West Latin America Pablo Pereyra said, “The new plant’s proximity to the country’s coffee plantations makes it an attractive alternative for local coffee growers, by giving them the possibility to market their coffee and access an excellent drying service, all in one place.”

Applications Open for “Australia’s Richest Barista” Contest

The Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) has opened submissions and sponsorships for its second “Australia’s Richest Barista” competition. Now in its second year, the three-stage competition will result in prizes, including cash, worth AUS$40,000 (approximately US$26,000).

Massimiliano Bizzari Named CEO of Italy’s Rancilio Group

Massimiliano Bizzarri has assumed the CEO role at Italy-based professional coffee equipment conglomerate Rancilio Group. He is succeeding Ruggero Ferrari, who is stepping down after four years as CEO for personal reasons. Bizzarri comes to Rancilio from Ali Group, where he served as senior vice president of EMEA APAC since September 2023.

De’Longhi Names Eliza Woolston President of De’Longhi America

Home coffee equipment maker De’Longhi appointed Eliza Woolston Sheffield president of De’Longhi America, based in New Jersey. Sheffield, who most recently served as the president of BlueStar Appliances, will report to Mike Prager, CEO of De’Longhi Group North America.

Ahlstrom Announces Launch of Home-Compostable Capsule Lid

Multinational building and packaging materials maker Ahlstrom announced the launch of a fiber-based Nespresso-style capsule lid that is home compostable, according to the company. A recent European study assessed which types of common commercially available capsules are worst for the environment.

IWCA Celebrating 20th Anniversary at NCA Convention Luncheon

The International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA) plans to celebrate its 20th anniversary at a luncheon during the annual National Coffee Association convention on March 9. Registration info is available through the IWCA website.

Dean’s Beans CEO Beth Spong Appointed to IWCA Board

Beth Spong, the CEO of the Massachusetts-based worker-owned cooperative Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee, has been appointed to serve on the board of the International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA).

ICO Releases Monthly Global Coffee Market Report for January

The International Coffee Organization (ICO) released its monthly global coffee market report. The January report showed the ICO’s composite indicator coffee price at US$1.764 per pound, a 0.4% decrease from the prior month. The 12-month rolling average of the composite indicator price — which reflects arabica and robusta futures — was $1.668.

La Marzocco USA Pays Tribute to Daymond Jordan

La Marzocco USA shared news this week of the passing of coffee Seattle-area coffee equipment technician Daymond Jordan. In a remembrance, La Marzocco wrote, “He truly understood how coffee was a way to bring people together, and his trailblazing work near the beginning of his career helped him spread that message to every new part of the country he traveled to in order to install coffee equipment.”

Cometeer and Seth Rogen’s Houseplant Team Up for Coffee Launch

Single-serve frozen coffee pod maker Cometeer and the actor Seth Rogen’s cannabis-focused lifestyle company Houseplant have collaborated for a coffee product launch, with the names “Bean There Done That” and “Get Roasted.”