American Coffee Corp.’s Pisano takes pleasure in the daily grind

In his job as vice president of Jersey City, N.J.-based American Coffee Corp., Don Pisano never tires of the daily grind. After 14 years with ED&F Man, a venerable London-based merchant of coffee and other agricultural commodities, Pisano is in his 15th year with Amcof, as his present company is known for short. Amcof was founded in 1992 in partnership with Germany-based Hamburg Coffee Co., or Hacofco. In a perky interview with the American Journal of Transportation, Pisano offers insights on the challenges of the coffee import business and his involvement in trade and fraternal organizations. First of all, thank you for my morning cup of coffee, as I couldn’t function without it. As your company website points out, providing that perfect cup of coffee can sometimes be a difficult task. What are some of the supply chain challenges, and how is American Coffee Corp. addressing them? There are many challenges, actually.

Coffee is a commodity traded or hedged on futures exchanges mainly in New York and London, so the greatest challenge is managing your risks, including price volatility, supplier performance, customer credit and forward freight rate movements. We also have to deal with changes in our clients’ production needs, which we try to accommodate as best we can. Also, we experience a significant number of examinations by [U.S.] Customs [and Border Protection], under their CET team programs – their Contraband Enforcement Team – because of the regions we’re bringing product in from. We deal with more than our fair share of examinations, ranging from VACIS [Vehicle and Cargo Inspection System X-ray] exams to full examinations at an off-terminal exam site. It does delay delivery and it’s quite expensive, ranging from several hundred dollars to $2,000 or more, which is a significant amount. It can kill a profit. How exactly does Amcof serve as a catalyst in the process between origin and roaster? We trade in green coffee beans, which is the raw product imported into the United States and Canada. We maintain a select list of suppliers and seek out others upon whom we can rely on for quality and performance. Every lot – or containerload – must meet the specific quality specifications of the contract, which includes a grading analysis and taste profile. So our job is to source the right coffee from the producing countries which will suit our customers’ quality requirements and ensure the coffee is available for when they need it. You’ve got nearly 30 years of experience in the green coffee business. Does it ever get to be boring, or should I say, uh, a grind? I can truly say that I don’t think I ever had a boring day. Frustrating days, I have had plenty of, but boring, no, not that I can recall. There are always challenges to deal with. I’d like to add that I’ve been fortunate to have worked in various companies all with great teams of people. I consider myself fortunate to have worked with great people over the years, not only in the companies I’ve worked with but also within the industry, including our clients and counterparties and even our friendly competitors. You’ve been heavily involved with such trade organizations as the National Industrial Transportation League, Green Coffee Association and National Coffee Association. How do you find that involvement to be important? Working within an association, you’re able to pool your resources and get a lot of fresh thoughts from others facing similar problems, and you’re able to deal more effectively with government agencies or other organizations with the strength of an association behind you as opposed to as an individual importer. Several years ago, I had influenced the Green Coffee Association to become members of the National Industrial Transportation League to allow the coffee industry to have a unified voice within the NIT League on issues that are common to the coffee trade and can be dealt with through a much larger organization in relation to policy matters or dealing with the legislative and regulatory branches of the government, including the [U.S.] Department of Transportation and the Federal Maritime Commission, as well as international organizations. I’ve got to ask: What is your personal favorite brew? I tend to favor East African arabica coffees from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia, which is the birthplace of coffee. But everyone has their own tastes and choices of origin and of roasting levels. But, if you are a supermarket shopper, I’d say that you can’t go wrong with 100 percent Colombian of most any brand. Could you tell us a bit about your involvement with the Knights of Columbus? The Knights of Columbus is a fraternal order of Catholic men. For over 100 years, it has supported local parishes and promoted charitable works within the community. But its reach is worldwide, and it has provided assistance to all peoples in times of disaster or immediate need, both financially and in manpower. Being a member, I think, has allowed me to be a better person, a better husband, a better father, and has given me an opportunity to contribute to society in an organized way. As the current Grand Knight of my local council, I try to ensure our members have that same opportunity to touch lives, to change lives for the better. What might your other nonwork interests include? Well, I am always busy doing something or other. I do some fishing off the Jersey Shore, and it is something I have been able to enjoy with my three daughters over the years, even now in their adulthood.