A Plant Logistics Manager for Coffee Companies or How the Coffee Bean gets from the Coffee Tree into Your Daily Cup of Joe

Back in 1732, Johann Sebastian Bach wrote a cantata about coffee with the lyrics, ''Ah! How sweet coffee tastes! Lovelier than a thousand kisses, sweeter far than muscatel wine!'' Even though he wrote those lyrics over 270 years ago, Bach's words still ring true today. With a Starbucks on almost every corner, it has become virtually impossible to see adults or teenagers in public without the ubiquitous gourmet coffee cup in their hands, and it seems that the entire world has gone coffee crazy. In fact, according to the Heritage Coffee Company, Ltd. website, coffee is the second most traded physical commodity in the entire world, second only to petroleum. Over six million tons of coffee are produced each year worldwide. But how do those six million tons get from the coffee tree to your daily cup? With the help of someone called a plant logistics specialist. Read on to learn more.

A real estate agent recently told my parents that their home was worth more money simply because it is within walking distance of a Starbucks store. Last year, I served on a jury for the Los Angeles Superior Court, and directions to the nearest Starbucks were actually part of the jury instructions. It is the year 2008, and coffee is in demand! Americans spend an average of $1,500 each year on gourmet coffee drinks, and I’m not very different from that average. In fact, I am on the high end of that scale. I visit Starbucks at least twice a day and up to four times on a particularly bad day (or a particularly good day, depending on how you look at it). I don’t even want to think about the amount of my hard earned money that I spend each year at Starbucks, but I know it has to be an absolutely absurd amount. Erika Lim, director of career services at Seattle University Law School, has gone so far as to create a “coffee calculator” (http://www.hughchou.org/calc/coffee.cgi) for all of us coffee addicts to see exactly how much we spend each year on our gourmet coffee drinks. I could not bring myself to perform the calculation on my annual coffee expenditures, as I was a little frightened to see the total. But let’s face it, coffee is big business these days, and thankfully, it is not going anywhere.

All In a Day’s Work — What Plant Logistics Managers Do on a Daily Basis

Supervising and coordinating the logistics of a coffee plant is a pretty big job, especially when the four out of every five Americans who drink coffee on a daily basis are relying on you to coordinate their favorite store’s coffee deliveries and production schedules. So what is it, exactly, that a logistics coordinator job entails?

Logistics coordinators and managers spend their days managing their companies’ shipments, exports, imports, and inventories. They are often the point of contact for deliveries and shipments. They are responsible for negotiating economic shipping quotes and maintaining detailed invoices for each shipment and receivable. In short, they are responsible for making sure that their inventory gets to where it needs to go in a timely, cost-effective manner.

Requirements of the Job — What Will Make You a Good Logistics Coordinator

There are several qualities and skills that good logistics managers and coordinators should possess, such as attention to detail, punctuality, excellent written and oral communication skills, knowledge of importing and exporting and shipping methods, and multi-tasking proficiency. Excellent mathematical and problem-solving skills are also beneficial. Most coordinators and managers will also be required to have upper body strength, as there is usually lifting and hauling involved in their jobs. Computer literacy is also important to maintain inventory data.

Conclusion

The coffee industry is growing rapidly and shows no signs of slowing down. The large coffee companies are in constant need of skilled logistics coordinators and managers to get their products where they need to be, on time and in good condition, every single day. If working in a high energy, detail-oriented environment sounds like a dream job to you, look into becoming a logistics manager.

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A Plant Logistics Manager for Coffee Companies or How the Coffee Bean gets from the Coffee Tree into Your Daily Cup of Joe