Leelanau Espresso in Glen Arbor, Michigan. All photographs courtesy of Schuil Espresso.
Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Schuil Espresso Firm has acquired Northern Michigan roaster-retailer Leelanau Espresso Roasting Co., uniting two of the state’s longest-running specialty espresso manufacturers.
The acquisition contains Leelanau’s Glen Arbor cafe and the corporate’s roasting facility in Maple Metropolis.
Schuil Espresso Proprietor Tim Volkema advised Day by day Espresso Information that Schuil employed all 25 of Leelanau’s present staff, bringing the mixed firm — which incorporates the Sparrows Espresso and Joven Espresso manufacturers — to about 80 staff.
Monetary phrases of the acquisition weren’t disclosed.
The Schuil Espresso headquarters in Grand Rapids.
“It’s unusual to discover a firm that operates in an identical market section, that’s geographically shut and is open to creating an possession transition,” Volkema advised Day by day Espresso Information. “These elements lined up, so we went for it, regardless of the challenges our trade faces.”
Volkema mentioned discussions with Leelanau house owners Steve and John Arens have been ongoing for a number of years, turning into extra critical over the previous yr. Past the geographic and native market overlap, Volkema mentioned Schuil and Leelanau even have some pure overlap of their espresso sourcing by way of shared importer connections.
On the Schuil Espresso roastery.
“Each have been in specialty espresso for over three a long time, with robust heritage,” Volkema mentioned. “Each manufacturers meet espresso drinkers the place they’re and intention to supply scrumptious specialty espresso at a powerful worth.”
Leelanau Espresso Roasting Co. has been working in Glen Arbor since 1993, serving as a vacation spot for locals and vacationers close to the Sleeping Bear Dunes.
Practically 10 years in the past, the corporate expanded its roasting facility with two Sivetz-made fluid-bed roasting machines. Volkema mentioned the corporate plans to take care of well-liked Leelanau choices whereas exploring a packaging and web site refresh inside a yr.
In an announcement shared by Schuil, the Arens brothers described promoting a enterprise “you’ve spent 30 years constructing” as a “massive deal,” however mentioned Schuil felt like a “excellent match.”
“Tim and his crew share our values of product excellence and customer support,” mentioned Steve and John Arens. “We’re assured that Leelanau Espresso is in nice fingers and can proceed to be a staple of Northern Michigan for years to come back.”
A Sparrows Espresso location.
Schuil Espresso, which was based in 1981 and bought by Volkema in 2017, continues to roast in Grand Rapids, with two Diedrich manufacturing roasters supporting the Schuil, Sparrows and Joven manufacturers.
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Nick Brown
Nick Brown is the editor of Day by day Espresso Information by Roast Journal.
