SMC – Comercial e Exportadora de Café S/A

Founded in 2009, SMC was established to cater towards the ever growing demands of the speciality coffee market, by supplying fine, speciality and certified coffees of distinction. SMC is fully integrated to Cooxupe, the single largest coffee co operative in the world, with over 11,500 members that produce over 4 million bags of coffee annually.

Although integrated, SMC are also distinct. Based in Guaxupe, Maria Dirceia Mendes heads up the company and has done an excellent job growing the team of cuppers and office staff alike. They have their own warehouse with laser colour sorters, microlot tagging and cupping facilities. Bags of coffee are microchipped to ensure no mix-ups occur. The forklifts they use will physically not work if the code they read is not the code they should be picking up! They work closely with the 40 agronomists they employ to improve training, innovate and raise the profiles of the small holder farmers. Dr Flavio Borem has provided many insights as well as attending experiments on farms that are occurring with his guidance too. They have hosted the Cup of Excellence and off the back of this in 2019 they have finalised an internal program to reward excellence amongst their farmers and encourage them to grow higher quality coffees. Really, it is not a surprise to see their quality growing year on year, but with the volume too to keep up with the biggest demands