Coffee for a cause: Workforce Development & Training

The founders of a fledgling coffee company are dedicating a portion of the business’s proceeds to the future of manufacturing, while also making life a little better for java-craving workers currently in the field.

Based in Plymouth, Minnesota, the company, called ShopFloor Coffee, sells a variety of coffee products to manufacturing firms and donates 20% of the proceeds to workforce development initiatives focused on the manufacturing industry. The concept is the brainchild of the company’s founders, Amy Teal and Mike Franz, both of whom live just outside the Twin Cities area in Minnesota. Teal’s background includes a nearly nine-year stint with a major 3D printing firm. Franz has worked in the industrial field for almost 20 years, including jobs in small machine shops as well as experience in sales and distribution.

The ShopFloor Coffee model is to sell good coffee to manufacturers and donate a cut of the proceeds to workforce-development programs for the industry.

Last July, Teal and Franz were discussing workforce challenges in the manufacturing industry over a cup of coffee. “While we were chatting, Mike made a comment that on the shop floor, there are always complaints about two things, the coffee and the toilet paper,” Teal recalled. “We decided that we can’t do anything about the toilet paper, but we can try and help with the coffee situation. The vast majority of people drink coffee, so almost every shop has some form of coffee maker or supplies coffee to their employees. So we felt that coffee could be a way we could help support the community.”

A couple of months later, ShopFloor Coffee was born. In addition to Teal, who serves as CEO, and Franz, whose title is chief innovation officer, the company relies on a good deal of outside help. This includes organizations that handle activities such as roasting, distribution and marketing, as well as advisers with experience in the coffee industry.

“When we started the organization, we used a drop-shipping model, which kept our overhead costs extremely low,” Teal noted. “But as we started to grow, we quickly realized that that was not a sustainable model.” So with the help of their advisers, Teal and Franz have been able to identify roasteries that are closer to home, making it easier for them to monitor product quality and consistency. In addition, their new roastery partners will allow them to boost product volume to meet what they hope will eventually be much greater demand.

“Our goal is to be in every manufacturing facility across the country, and we’re preparing for that by making this change to the operation,” Franz said.