GREENFIELD — Pierce Brothers Coffee Roasters is moving from their Hope Street location to the Greenfield Industrial Park
Pierce Brothers Coffee Roasters will be moving to the “industrial park on the other side of town” according to Marketing Director Marc Brown, but who didn’t want to identify the specific location at this time.
Brown said the company is “moving to an ideal location for our business,” giving the company additional space for storage and for more coffee bean roasting.
Greenfield Cooperative Bank provided the loan for the purchase.
Besides additional space for operating, the move will also take the business, which has been on Hope Street since 2004, away a residential street. In the past, some residents in the area have complained about odors.
“One reason we’re moving is some residents didn’t feel this was the right place for us and we agree,” Brown said. “This was a stepping stone. We never planned on staying.”
Brown said the company wanted to stay in the city, however, and continue to be a part of the community, so the industrial park location was chosen.
The company uses air roasting, a type of hot air convection, to roast their beans, instead of a conventional “drum” roaster, Brown said. The process can give off smoke and a burnt odor, however. The company has used an after-burner to mitigate the odors and reduce the smoke to mostly steam, but some of the smell still leaves the facility.
Brown said residents had complained previously about the smell. The complaints turned ugly, when one neighbor who objected to the odors had allegedly made anti-Semitic comments in 2016.
Brown said no other incidents happened after that, however, and added that Hope Street residents have been supportive of the company.
“We’re very grateful for the Hope Street residents who supported us and their patience with us,” he said.
A larger after-burner was purchased but due to issues with the company that made the device, the company will be waiting until they move to the new location to install it, Brown said.
The company was founded in 1994, and moved to the Hope Street location in 2004. Brown said the company currently roasts about 300,000 pounds of coffee a year.
Reach Dan Desrochers at:
ddesrochers@recorder.com
413-772-0261, ext. 257