Coffee & Tea Manufacturing Industry Profile

The US coffee and tea manufacturing industry includes about 300 companies with combined annual revenue of about $9 billion. Major companies include Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Farmer Bros, as well as divisions of the JM Smucker Company (Folgers), and Kraft Foods (Maxwell House). The industry is highly concentrated: the top 50 companies generate more than 90 percent of revenue.

Globally, coffee and tea manufacturers generate about $70 billion in annual sales. The top green coffee producing countries are Brazil, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Leading tea producing countries include China, Kenya, India, and Sri Lanka. Major companies based outside the US include Nestlé (Switzerland), Tata Global Beverages (India), and Unilever (UK).

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Consumer taste and population growth drive demand in the consumer sector, while economic growth of businesses, like restaurants and hotels, drives demand in the commercial sector. The profitability of individual companies depends on effectively managing raw ingredient costs, efficient operations, and effective marketing. Large companies have scale advantages in purchasing, distribution, manufacturing, and marketing. Small companies can compete effectively by offering specialized products or serving a local market. The industry is capital-intensive: average annual revenue per worker is about $600,000.

Imports of roasted coffee and tea are 20 percent of the US market; exports are about 10 percent of US production. Part of the international export market is instant coffee. The US is the world’s largest importer of green coffee beans because, ...