Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/737343
50 STiR coffee and tea / Issue 5, 2016 (October/November) According to Holcomb, the chal- lenge for vertical integration is assigning a qualified person in each sector. With this, each detail of the coffee chain will be taken care of competently and in the end, the investment is justified. "When you start talking about lower quality coffees, I don't how to sell them, for example. For this reason, I have an experienced broker who helps me to get the best prices. It is important to have intellectual capital that helps you with it. And this… well, this is challenging," he explains. A language barrier, local bureaucracy, and managing more than 70 workers were challenges that Holcomb faced at the onset. But the biggest thing was accepting how difficult it is to do business in Brazil, he said. Simple procedures such as understanding the tax structure, paying bills, and hiring and firing workers according to established rules presented complications. "We did not expect some of those problems. What we expected to be really simple, such as opening a bank account, took weeks and weeks and weeks. Learning all these processes at once can be overwhelming," he recalls. Socialization and alignment with local staff at both farms and the warehouse took a while. The transition from Brazilian to American bosses wasn't a problem for Délia Gomes de Oliveira, 41, who works at the Monte Verde farm. "I noticed that Byron had difficulties communicating but we found a way to talk to each other. The most important thing is that he always respected me and my family since he took the advice of the farm's management," says Oliveira, who was born on the farm and lives there with her family. The centenary farm in Carmo de Minas is one of few properties that still pro- vides housing and infrastructure for workers. Called Colônia, these living areas provide workers a home with minimal infrastructure such as electrical access, and transporta- tion for school-age children. "These are mini cities and every detail demands spe- cial attention. The access between farm and the city with descent pavement is one of them," says Holcomb. In the past, the Monte Verde farm housed as many as 30 families. Délia and her sister Zélia Gomes de Oliveira, 43, saw their parents and sib- lings dedicating hard work in those lands for long years. They began working at 10 years of age. "In that time, there were no regulations or certification rules. So it was normal for children help the grown- ups picking the cherries," explains Zélia. They spent many years collecting coffee in the steep mountains, but shortly after Holcomb arrived they were promoted to the drying yard. Steep mountains of Minas Gerais make manual picking mandatory The Nobletree coffee shop in NYC features branded serving dishes The 3,700 square meter greenhouse has a 3% elevation and a combination of doors and curtains to enable free flow of air. Workers process an average 2,000 bags during the annual harvest Brazilian technology for Brazilian beans