Paris Brothers' Green Coffee Warehouse Receives Organic Certification.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Paris Brothers, a family-owned company, has received Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA) International certification for its climate-controlled green coffee warehouse. Company Vice President Joseph Paris believes this is a major step for specialty coffee companies with organic products. "Growing organic coffee requires a significant commitment. Growers and importers have to take every measure to protect their products' organic integrity from field to shelf, and our OCIA-certified warehouse gives them an excellent opportunity to offer their product to a broad Midwestern market."

Patrick Stewart of Greenwell Farms, which produces Kona coffee, agrees: "Because Paris Brothers is now certified organic, we will store our new organic Kona Coffee in Kansas City. We want to keep our coffee in a climate-controlled OCIA-certified facility, and Paris Brothers gives us the ideal means to do that."

Paris Brothers developed its coffee warehousing business to serve importers and specialty coffee companies who wanted to reach more customers in the central United States. Being in Kansas City gave them the opportunity to meet those needs because Kansas City is the USA's Inland Port Solution. Kansas City's rail system and its position at the center of the nation's east-west and north-south interstate highway systems make it a natural transportation center. As a result, Kansas City has the country's largest rail volume and its third largest trucking volume.

Paris Brothers is situated in the heart of Kansas City's transportation hub. In addition to providing a cost-efficient location for its customers, the company has developed other services to support its customers' needs, including IT systems, supply management, and freight services.

Since Paris Brothers opened its green coffee warehouse last spring, specialty coffee companies have been quick to take advantage of what it offers. Swiss Water Decaffeination Coffee Company is one of those. The company's Swiss Water[R] Process uses no chemicals, only pure water, and is sought by customers who want premium decaffeinated coffee. Swiss Water[R] VP Marketing Bob Weagle explains why Paris Brothers is important to his company's efforts: "This new distribution point will simplify getting our coffee to roasters, dealers, and brokers in the Midwest. Many dealers are storing coffee at Paris Brothers, which means we can consolidate orders and minimize freight costs. Small and premium roasters benefit from this centralized distribution location, and the OCIA certification makes the whole package all the more effective in satisfying the growing demand for specialty coffee, like ours."

David Kastle of Zephyr Green Coffee, LLC agrees that the OCIA certification is a major addition to the list of features that make Paris Brothers valuable to his company: "We chose Paris Brothers for the ideal temperature and humidity conditions in the storage areas and loading docks and because the inventory management is top-notch and the location makes shipping anywhere in the US quick and economical. Paris Brothers' decision to acquire organic certification is just more evidence of their commitment to being a first-class green coffee storage facility."

"There's a growing market for organic specialty coffee," Joe Paris adds, "but finding a path to get it to the customers in the Midwest who want it hasn't been easy for growers and importers. Paris Brothers has now made it much easier, and that will be a good thing, not just for coffee companies, but for customers who are increasingly looking toward organic specialty coffee."

About Paris Brothers, Inc.

For more than 30 years, Paris Brothers has built its family-owned foodservice business through creative thinking and commitment to the highest standards of quality and customer service. We provide solutions for profitable, growth-oriented results, including sales and marketing services, manufacturing support, inventory management, warehousing, IT, and shipping. Our Midwest location makes it fast, easy, and cost-effective to warehouse products. If you would like more information, please visit www.parisbrothers.com or call 816-455-4188.