An Inside Look at Sovda's HQ in Portland

Nestled beneath the Fremont Bridge in Portland, OR and around the corner from the city’s bustling brewery scene, is what may appear to some as an unimaginative industrial park.

Rows of warehouses share the rumble of the nearby Union Pacific trains that amble along the railroad track. But within one of these warehouses in particular, is a group of coffee companies that have formed a symbiotic relationship to empower one another in their desire to deliver quality coffee.

At Sovda, we engineer cutting-edge coffee roasting production equipment, and we wanted a place in Portland to exhibit our machines. But why come to see a stagnant machine when you can see it in action? That’s where the Torch Coffee Company and Curate Coffee Collective come in.

At the new home of the Curate Coffee Collective in Portland, Oregon. All photos by Howard Bryman/Daily Coffee News.

Drew Dodson, General Manager of the Curate Coffee Collective and the Torch Coffee Company, speaks about how sharing a headquarters with Sovda and using Sovda equipment has added value to their coffee.

“As the commodity price of coffee goes up, it’s even more important that the final product is one that’s been proofed and reviewed at multiple points in the production.” Dodson said.

Torch, a roastery, and roasted coffee retailer, was born out of a desire to sell coffee that originates from long-term relationships with coffee farmers. The Curate Coffee Collective, sells that same coffee but as green coffee. Curate also provides toll-roasting memberships on Sovda equipment.

Katie Leach, resident roaster at Torch, said that the Sovda equipment makes her job easier and more fluid.

“The Sovda Precision Fill is fast and it’s accurate.” Leach said. “Without the Precision Fill, bagging coffee is a pain in the butt. With the Precision Fill, I know that I’m not going to waste time filling bags with coffee.

“And the Destoner is simple to use. There’s not much to learn about how it works, it just works. It’s fun to see after the fact that it does the job and you can pull out the stone collector and see your mini collection.”

Sovda receives an active showroom, an R&D space, and real-time feedback from Torch roasters and Curate members—and Curate and Torch receive innovative equipment that ensures their final coffee product is quality.

“The Sovda equipment helps toward the goal of automation,” Dodson said. “Anytime we can increase efficiency, especially in the coffee world which is changing as rapidly as the market is changing—it gives you automation, the ability to segment operations so you can have one person fulfilling multiple roles.”

The Sovda HQ’s roasting production line includes the Sovda Precision Fill, the Sovda Destoner Lift and the Sovda Pearl Mini.

To schedule a tour and showing of the Sovda equipment, reach out to us at info@sovdacoffee.com. Sovda’s HQ is located at 2336 N Randolph Ave. Portland, OR.

We would love to have you.

Not able to come to Portland? Talk to one of our experts and receive an inside look on all Sovda products.