The moment Ryan Brannon, Bent Tree Coffee Roasters’ managing partner, received a phone call to let him know that Bent Tree had received the grant, he was overjoyed.
“When I got the call, I was thrilled; our hard work paid off. There was a sense of pride for us in receiving this grant. The investment wasn’t just in equipment, it was in our staff,” Brannon said.
Bent Tree Coffee Roasters recently received a grant from JobsOhio and Team NEO, totaling $25,000, which funded the installation of a crane that has eliminated strenuous, heavy lifting for the company and its staff.
Bent Tree Coffee Roasters is a small-batch coffee roaster business in downtown Kent, founded in 2011.
The overhead motorized crane was installed by Partnership With Industry, a company that helps other companies install systems to improve manufacturing.
Bent Tree’s experience working with PWI was positive, and the company aided the project in running smoothly.
“I have worked with a lot of people in the last 15 years, and you can tell when someone cares about doing a job well, and they did,” Brannon said.
According to Brannon, PWI was excited to work with Bent Tree, and the company “made it feel like we could complete this project.”
Before the crane was installed, Bent Tree staff lifted 150-pound bags of green coffee by hand.
“It took two people nearly 30 minutes just to depalletize a shipment of coffee bags. Now, one person can do that job safely in a fraction of the time,” Brannon said.
The installation of the crane has helped Bent Tree with its production.
“That efficiency carries through the whole process as we can move beans into position faster, get them into the roaster quicker, and overall keep production flowing more smoothly,” Brannon said.
To operate the crane, the staff at Bent Tree simply attach the coffee bag and then use an automated system to guide the bags where they need to go.
“Our staff is the backbone; this crane is really about supporting them. They handle 150-pound bags of coffee, and this new crane takes the strain off of them,” Brannon said.
For the staff at Bent Tree Coffee, the insulation of the crane has made a substantial impact.
“The crane has been a game changer for our workflow. It allows us to safely move heavy bags of green coffee beans with ease, reducing strain on our team and creating a smoother, more efficient production process,” said Corrina Hamilton, the wholesale manager at Bent Tree Coffee.
Brannon learned about the possibility of this grant at a Manufacturing Breakfast on March 1 that he attended. Participants of the event suggested Bent Tree Coffee would be a good candidate for the grant.
“We met the qualifications for the grant because of where we are in business and where we are headed,” Brannon said, “We were already looking to get a crane device to help us, and this grant was a helpful way to get what we needed.”
The application process was “really straightforward,” Brannon said.
According to Brannon, the Bent Tree staff feels more appreciated because of the addition of this crane.
“This upgrade has truly improved both safety and productivity for everyone at the roastery,” Hamilton said. “I am proud to work for a company that not only supports its employees but also continues to grow and invest in the Kent community.”
The crane has also helped Bent Tree in other aspects of the business, such as their grocery store supply.
“Bent Tree is proud to be a part of Kent’s business, and this grant shows how Ohio supports smaller businesses,” Brannon said. We couldn’t have made this possible without the Ohio grants. It was nice to see how much attention they gave to a small business.”
Joi Sims is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].