The most appreciated aspect of rotary vane technology is the great reliability, which guarantees quality compressed air during very intensive work cycles and in harsh environmental conditions, such as high temperatures, typical of the coffee roasting process.
he name comes from the famous district of New York, in the south part of Manhattan (the “Triangle Below Canal Street”) but should not confuse the actual location of TriBeCa Coffee. In fact it is a South African company, whose core business is in the coffee production sector, flanked by other related activities in the catering sector, and has decided to make use of the rotary vane technology of Mattei compressors to keep the excellence of its products intact.
The history of this company started in 1996, when the American, Dale Mazon, opened the first TriBeCa coffee shop in Pretoria, with the idea of importing the New York coffee culture into South Africa, where it is possible to enjoy high quality products. His intuition proved successful and over time, the company expanded its business, also thanks to the entry of two very capable entrepreneurs, Martin Fitzgerald and Ernst Penzhorn, who were able to quickly grasp other opportunities. These included investments in Europe, with the opening of four cafes in Poland, and a partnership with the supermarket Woolworths, started back in the early 2000’s that has expanded over time, but most of all, the decision to become a coffee producer with the opening of the first small plant in Pretoria. “Thanks to continuous research into the best raw materials and an innovative industrial policy based on careful stock management, we guarantee our customers high quality blends and high freshness standards” comments Surine Viljoen, Chief Operating Officer of TriBeCa. “Today the company produces both conventional coffee and capsules, utilising raw materials from small South African producers, thus stimulating the economic development of local communities, of which it also supports different primary education projects. Since 2013, a few restaurants under the TriBeCa brand have also opened which focus on supplying natural products”.
Today the TriBeCa network employs around 2,000 employees and the brand is the leader in South Africa for retails sales of ground coffee and beans. “According to the latest data from June 2018, TriBeCa holds 33% market share and continues to deliver constant growth; we produce on average around 120-130 tons of roasted coffee per month and we are about to double our production capacity again with the opening of a new plant”, says Viljoen.
There’s also a touch of Made in Italy within TriBeCa coffee. “In the coffee industry, and the food industry in general, the role of compressors is fundamental. Mattei enjoys an excellent reputation in this sector and that is why we rely on the technology to guarantee the high quality standards of our product”, says Geoffrey Theart, Production Manager and TriBeCa.
To cope with large amounts of compressed air required, TriBeCa roasting plant installed two variable speed compressors from the Optima Plus series (with integrated dryer), with variable speeds and two ERC series compressors. “90% of our systems are equipped with pneumatic systems that need a steady supply of air. If this were not the case, production rates would be irreparably slowed down, there would be a considerable expenditure on other costs, and of course considerable impacts on the end-quality of the product. Of the Mattei compressors we appreciate their great reliability, with only periodic ordinary maintenance operations, managed by the local distributor, Rotorvane, they withstand the frenetic pace of work without failures, and always provide quality compressed air”, explains Theart. “Furthermore, these compressors can work optimally even in extreme conditions, such as in the presence of high temperatures which, during the roasting process of the coffee beans, can reach 230oC. It is also thanks to the performance stability of Mattei compressors that we can guarantee our customers the high standards of quality that are now associated with TriBeCa products”.
TriBeCa is a business continually on the up and will soon open another new plant for roasting, for which Mattei has already been contracted to supply the compressed air. “The new plant will receive one of the latest machines, a Blade 22i Plus”, explains Cindy van der Watt, Operations Manager of Rotorvane Compressor Sales, the official Mattei distributor for South Africa since 2011. “It will be equipped with an inverter and integrated dryer and this model has an excellent cost/performance ratio. Thanks to the direct-drive between the motor and the compressor, it ensures optimal operations even at low speeds, resulting in energy savings and quieter operations”.