For this month’s edition of ‘What’s In Your Cup’, we sat down with our Senior Vice President of Sustainability, Jim Smith. Jim’s dedication to sustainability and his passion for coffee and tea have made a significant impact on our company and the communities we serve.
We started our chat by asking, “Jim, what’s in your cup?”
Jim’s coffee preference is straightforward and classic: “hot and black” Jim said. “I enjoy Guatemalan single serve pods at home, but our European, Mayan and Signature blends are really good too,” Jim said. “I don’t add cream or sugar to my coffee, I just like it black; this was how I was introduced to coffee when I was 16 years old,” he recalls with a smile.
Jim has been with Royal Cup since January of 2003. Throughout his 21+ years working at The Cup, Jim has held diverse roles within the company and from them, he has gained invaluable experience that has shaped the career he has today.
“Both in my previous role as green coffee buyer and also in my current role, I have had the chance to travel to coffee origin countries many times. I enjoy seeing the coffee farms and interacting with the wonderful farming communities,” Jim said.
For the most part, coffee and tea are not grown here in the U.S., so we must rely on other countries around the world to provide us these important raw materials.
“Throughout the supply chain, coffee touches many human hands, from tree to bean to cup,” Jim explained. “So, it’s important that we treat those people fairly and support them. It’s also important that we understand that the hard work these farmers place in managing their farms is benefiting people every day. Whether it's a mug of coffee or a cup of tea, the great experience we have when enjoying these beverages is all thanks to the efforts of these farmers.”
Jim oversees Royal Cup’s sustainability and community outreach initiatives. His passion for preserving our resources and protecting the environment along with his deep admiration for the farming communities is evident through his efforts here at Royal Cup.
Jim has spearheaded various sustainability initiatives over the years and, so next we asked him about some of these projects.
Recently, Jim helped facilitate an energy audit funded by the U. S. Department of Energy. This audit examined Royal Cup’s manufacturing processes to identify areas for improvement in power consumption and efficiency. “This project was really beneficial. They saw some of the great things we are already doing like recirculating water for water-dependent manufacturing processes and having converted to LED lighting across our campus. In addition, they provided us with some great recommendations, and potential funding resources, many of which we have now implemented or scheduled to be implemented,” Jim explains.
Jim also oversees the company’s national waste and recycling program and monitors this usage for all Royal Cup facilities. After exploring options for a few years, he finally found a sustainable solution for much of our manufacturing waste in Birmingham. “All our burlap and coffee chaff, which is a by-product of the roasting facility, is now being repurposed at a nearby facility where it’s mixed in with other ingredients to be used in cement kilns,” he says proudly. Read more about this sustainable solution in our sustainability blog here: https://www.royalcupcoffee.com/blog/articles/royal-cup-coffee-and-tea-takes-another-step-along-their-sustainability-journey
Jim is also working on clarifying what sustainable coffee means for Royal Cup. “We are defining and documenting the details and requirements of our program so that when people ask about our sustainable coffee, we can clearly describe the different options they can choose from. Our program checks the boxes of do no harm to the environment, to the people, and to the local community but it also provides a means to support the farmer. Our focus is providing resources so that the farmer has a productive harvest both today and ‘tomorrow’, in light of a changing climate and other factors.”
Jim also leads the company’s efforts to support and give back to our local communities. “Royal Cup’s longstanding culture is to take care of our communities,” Jim said. “Community outreach and sustainability go hand in hand; Royal Cup helping communities be more sustainable.”
Jim has helped facilitate various community outreach projects and gives his fellow Cuppers an opportunity to get involved.
“Each month we support a nearby food drive where we pass out a box of food to very appreciative people in their cars. In addition, we partner with a local high school, providing them coffee, showing our appreciation of their investment in children’s education, and developing other ways to support each other. Also, Royal Cup is a proud long-time partner of United Way. Employees that give through our annual campaign know that 100% of their funds go directly to their local United Way and thus benefits their own community,” Jim said.
As our chat with Jim started to wrap up, we asked him about some of his hobbies outside of The Cup.
“I enjoy being outside, I guess that one is understood,” he said with a laugh. “I like exploring local green spaces, spending time at the lake, and bonding with my family through different activities. My family and I also enjoy participating in community outreach activities like helping United Way refresh a local playground and packing up food boxes for distribution,” Jim shared.
We ended our chat by asking what he thought separates Royal Cup from the competition. For Jim, the answer is clear: Quality.
“Quality products, quality processes, and quality people. No matter the many curveballs that may impact our business, we don’t deviate from quality,” Jim said. “Our Cuppers work hard every day but really enjoy their job, understand the role they each play, and provide sensational service to both internal team members and external customers and vendors.”
Jim’s dedication to sustainability and his passion for community outreach was truly inspiring to learn about. His efforts help ensure that Royal Cup continues to thrive while having a positive impact on the environment and in the communities we serve. We hope you enjoyed this edition of ‘What’s In Your Cup’. Cheers to a sustainable future!
