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           Experience with Coffee Processing Equipment      

K & A Industries

Fax: 603-648-2874

Ken Ross-Raymond

  I started my career in the coffee industry in 1987 when I was hired as maintenance supervisor by Elkin Coffee Company in Bow, New Hampshire. At that time Elkin Coffee Company had the only GL-20 Packaging Machine in the United States. A year later Elkin purchased a second GL machine, a GL-26. Elkin was one of the first in the industry to use the one-way valve in coffee packaging.

  In 1989 Elkin purchased a third GL machine, another GL-20. In preparation for installation of the new machine I traveled to the Goglio factory in Italy and observed the set up and testing of the new GL-20. Upon arrival of the new GL-20 I independently installed and adjusted the machine. All functions ran properly with no problems. I was directly responsible for the maintenance, including troubleshooting, adjustments and modifications, of the GL machinery during my eight years at Elkin Coffee.

  When Elkin merged with Brothers Coffee Company in 1994 the Elkin coffee plant was sold and the GL machinery was relocated to the Brothers Houston facility. At that time the Chief Financial Officer of Brothers asked me if I was interested in working as a subcontractor to manage the relocation of machinery from various locations to the main facility in Houston. I formed K & A Industries at that time and began to relocate and install the machinery in the Houston facility. I was also responsible for training operators and maintenance personnel on the GL machinery at the Houston facility.

  In 1995 at the request of Vice President of Operations at Comfort Foods, John Sullivan, I rebuilt and installed a complete roasting system. The roasting system included a green bean cleaning system, a green bean conveying system and a destoning system. In 2001 Comfort Foods relocated to a larger facility. I relocated the roasting system and installed a second roasting system. I have also done some design and fabrication work for Comfort Foods.

  In 1997, at the request of Marty Elkin, I designed and installed a small coffee roasting and packaging facility in Guatemala.

  In 2000 I engineered a plan layout for Hawaii Coffee Company and then supervised the installation. This was a result of a merger between the two largest coffee companies in Hawaii and I was responsible for combining the operations of both into a combined facility. This layout included the design of a storage and transport system.

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