Coffee Techs Launch Cooperative to Boost Standards for Equipment Maintenance

by

Editorial Policy

Published on

✉️ This story was featured in this week’s Coffee News Club
👋 Get the Coffee News Club newsletter in your inbox weekly—sign up.

Finding a good technician to service coffee equipment is a hugely important and often underappreciated aspect of running a coffee business.

To help with this, a group of U.S.-based techs have joined together to create the Service Layer Cooperative (SLC), a nationwide network of independent coffee equipment technicians. Nick Brown reports for Daily Coffee News that the goal is to connect coffee businesses with qualified local technicians—the co-op’s website has a map that shows the breadth of their coverage. 

The cooperative initially began as a Discord group for coffee equipment techs. The SLC wants to set standards and advocate for its members, as well as offer continuing education to improve the quality of coffee technicians nationwide through in-person and virtual training programs. “This is just to start. We’re hoping to flesh out more benefits and offerings as the organization matures,” board member Spencer Perez told Brown.

The group also took an ethical stance regarding venture capital and private equity in coffee. “As operational commitments go, SL members cannot work for or share ownership with VC/PE parties,” Perez said.

There has been a marked increase in private equity and venture capital groups buying into the industry over the past decade: we often report these acquisitions and purchases in the newsletter. Just last week, we shared a story on Fairwave Holdings purchasing the North Carolina-based Black & White Roasters

“These interests, more often than not, are a scourge against collective wellbeing for the people who work hard in local communities to make great coffee happen,” Perez said.

Read the full story from Daily Coffee News here.

Share This Article
Avatar photo

Fionn Pooler

Fionn Pooler is a coffee roaster and freelance writer currently based in the Scottish Highlands who has worked in the specialty coffee industry for over a decade. Since 2016 he has written the Pourover, a newsletter and blog that uses interviews and critical analysis to explore coffee’s place in the wider, changing world (and also yell at corporations).

Join 7,000+ coffee pros and get top stories, deals, and other industry goodies in your inbox each week.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.


Other Articles You May Like

In Uganda, Bayaaya Pays a Premium for Cherries from Women Farmers

A Ugandan entrepreneur founded a company that pays a premium for coffee cherries from women farmers.
by Fionn Pooler | May 20, 2025

Coffee News Club: Week of May 19th

At Starbucks, wrong shirt, wrong shoes, no service. Plus, new pricing models from the SCA and a report proves that regenerative agriculture is beneficial to farmers.
by Fionn Pooler | May 19, 2025

The SCA Introduces Country-Based Pricing for Coffee Education

The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) has announced a new pricing system for its education programs, with a varying price structure based on country.
by Fionn Pooler | May 19, 2025

In Venice, You Can Order an Espresso Made from Lagoon Water

At this year’s Architecture Biennale in Venice, Italy, visitors can enjoy espresso literally made with water from the city’s famous lagoon.
by Ashley Rodriguez | May 15, 2025