Green Mountain Coffee to Open Coffee Roasting Facility in Tennessee

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters announced late last month that the company has chosen Knox County, Tennessee as the future home of its Green Mountain Coffee division. They’ve bought a 31 acre parcel of land complete with a 334,000 square foot building where they’re expected to focus on packaging and distribution of Green Mountain single-serve K-cups. It’s just the latest of moves the company has made recently to support the continuing growth of the single-serve coffee business.

Green Mountain Coffee, headquartered in Waterbury, Vermont, has grown hugely in the past several years, with their single-cup K-cup placing them at the top of the single-serve coffee market. In 2007, Green Mountain added a new production line to its Waterbury plant, and opened a second manufacturing site in Essex, Vermont to keep up with the demand. The new Tennessee plant is expected to focus on producing K-cups for the Keurig coffee brewing system, but will expand to other packaging formats if needed.

Scott McCreary, Chief Operating officer of Green Mountain Coffee, explained that Knox County was chosen as part of the company’s strategic plan to meet increasing demands for their coffee in a way that is as efficient and economically sound as possible. Knox County’s central location reduces distribution costs and delivery lead time, said McCready, but one of the major reasons for choosing Knox County was the county’s commitment to creating a sustainable future – a commitment that is shared by the growing coffee giant. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters has worked closely with the community and with local architects experienced in environmental design to make their new building as energy-efficient and worker-friendly as possible.

The community and the business sound like a newlywed couple when talking about each other. “We are extremely excited about joining the Knoxville community and feel that the region, the community and the people we have met are just what we have been looking for in a new location,” said Jon Wettstein, VP of Supply Chain Operations at Green Mountain Coffee.

“We’re thrilled that Green Mountain Coffee is coming to Knoxville,” said Mike Edwards, the Knoxville Chamber’s President and CEO. “It is a high-growth company with a strong passion for the environment and its employees and suppliers, and it is a leader in the arena of corporate social responsibility. Green Mountain Coffee is going to be a tremendous addition to the Innovation Valley.”