Volcafe Consolidates North American Operations as Volcafe USA Becomes Coastal Commodities

Volcafe, the Winterthur, Switzerland-based green coffee merchant whose origins trace to Volkart Brothers in 1851, has pulled its North American operations under direct corporate control, consolidating all U.S. and Canadian activity under a newly structured Volcafe North America. The move followed the conclusion of a long-standing licensing arrangement with Volcafe USA, the Red Bank, New Jersey trading company that has simultaneously rebranded as Coastal Commodities, LLC.

The two announcements landed on March 11, 2026, and while they read as parallel news, they tell distinct stories. For Volcafe, this is about control: Volcafe North America is now the sole authorized representative in the region for all five company brands, Volcafe, Volcafe Specialty, Volcafe Way, Volcafe Verified, and Volcafe Excellence. Managing Director Trishul Mandana framed it in terms of supply chain integrity and scale. "This transition allows us to expand our presence and offer integrated service to our roaster partners, backed by the scale of our origin network, our sustainability expertise, our world class supply chain infrastructure, and the strong financial capacity of Hartree Partners," Mandana said. Hartree, the energy and commodities trading firm that acquired ED&F Man's commodity units, including Volcafe, in 2024, figures prominently in Volcafe's pitch to roasters about financial stability.

Jason Cortellini, whom Volcafe named regional general manager for North America in May 2025 with an effective start date of June 3, is leading the consolidated operation. "With Volcafe's global research capabilities, financial strength, and deep origin expertise, we are positioned to help roasters navigate a volatile market, anticipate emerging trends, and secure the green-coffee solutions they will need in the years ahead," Cortellini said.

For the entity that was Volcafe USA, the rebranding to Coastal Commodities represents a return to independent identity rather than any operational disruption. The company was originally founded in 1990 as Madison Coffee Company, entered a commercial arrangement with Volcafe in 2000, and took on the Volcafe USA name from that point. It remains co-owned by Jonathan DeMuria, CEO John K. DeMuria, and CFO John Lorenz, and continues to operate as a privately held, family-owned company. Jonathan DeMuria, who serves as Partner, President and Head of Trading, put the volume in concrete terms: the company and its affiliates trade approximately 275 million to 280 million pounds of coffee annually through a range of commercial structures.

John K. DeMuria, the founder and CEO, addressed the continuity question directly. "We remain the same disciplined, relationship-driven organization our customers have trusted for decades. Operating in this new format allows us to align more effectively with ever changing customer needs, and allows us to maximize the value chain for all supply chain partners," he said. Jonathan DeMuria echoed that framing with a sharper edge: "Trading businesses perform best and deliver the greatest value to customers when the people making decisions have real skin in the game."

The scale of what both entities are now managing independently is significant. Volcafe claims to supply beans for more than 66 billion cups per year globally. The Coastal Commodities transition, meanwhile, preserves more than three decades of continuous presence in the North American green coffee trade under ownership that has not changed hands. What has changed is the corporate architecture around those relationships, and for roasters sourcing green coffee in a market that has been anything but stable, the clearer lines of accountability on both sides may matter more than the nameplate on the door.