Marie Franklin,
National Sales Manager
marie@portlandroasting.com
From Philadelphia to Alaska and from Seattle to Portland, Marie has spent nearly two decades immersed in the specialty coffee industry. At Torrefazione Italia, she started out as a sales representative and worked her way up to Regional Manager and ultimately managed both Seattle Coffee Company’s brands for the Pacific NW. She also gained experience as a Master Roaster and Operations Manager for Heritage Coffee Company in Juneau, Alaska, as well as taking on General Manager duties for Old City Coffee Roasters in Philadelphia.
Her position as National Sales Manager provides Marie the opportunity to use her depth of knowledge and years of experience to bring PRC to the next level. Marie oversees all domestic, retail, foodservice and restaurant sales for the company. In the process, she nurtures local partnerships and alliances; develops pricing, programs and product mix; and leads a team of experienced coffee professionals.
From Philadelphia to Alaska and from Seattle to Portland, Marie has spent nearly two decades immersed in the specialty coffee industry. At Torrefazione Italia, she started out as a sales representative and worked her way up to Regional Manager and ultimately managed both Seattle Coffee Company’s brands for the Pacific NW. She also gained experience as a Master Roaster and Operations Manager for Heritage Coffee Company in Juneau, Alaska, as well as taking on General Manager duties for Old City Coffee Roasters in Philadelphia.
Her position as National Sales Manager provides Marie the opportunity to use her depth of knowledge and years of experience to bring PRC to the next level. Marie oversees all domestic, retail, foodservice and restaurant sales for the company. In the process, she nurtures local partnerships and alliances; develops pricing, programs and product mix; and leads a team of experienced coffee professionals.
Travis Mason, Sales
Professional kitchens have been home to Travis Mason for 15 years, but he has traded in his knives for coffee paraphernalia in his position as sales representative at Portland Roasting. His latest culinary adventure found him in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where he was chef and owner of The Tartan Café, an eatery specializing in Creative American Cuisine. Mason plans to parlay his considerable gastronomic background into expanding coffee sales in the restaurant arena.
Mason may have set aside professional cooking yet he still knows and enjoys his way around a kitchen experimenting with his favorite cuisines – Indian and Southern Soul. Listening to and playing music and spending time with his wife, Christy and son, Macrory, along with their two big dogs, fills the rest of his leisure time.
Todd Plummer, Sales
todd@portlandroasting.com
Todd knows exactly what he wants when it comes to coffee. Straight and pure -- think triple iced Americano with extra ice, no whipped cream, no added flavors. He also has been clear on his career goals. After graduating from Linfield College in 1992 with a BA in International Business, he looked for business opportunities that had a multicultural and globally focused bent. He found that when he began in the coffee industry in a local start-up roaster. He went on to co-found Portland Roasting with Mark Stell four years later.
Todd is charged with developing the company’s product mix and sales plan, as well as determining terms of sale. Todd, who speaks passable Spanish and Japanese, says his favorite part of the business-- besides satisfying his multicultural leanings -- is knowing that the work he does positively impacts the lives of the growers in coffee-producing countries.
Todd’s kids, Ashley and Riley, occupy most of his spare time. Family pursuits and getting out in the great outdoors where he can be found playing tennis, running, hiking and skiing or traveling to places such as Eagle Crest in Central Oregon keep him content.
Todd knows exactly what he wants when it comes to coffee. Straight and pure -- think triple iced Americano with extra ice, no whipped cream, no added flavors. He also has been clear on his career goals. After graduating from Linfield College in 1992 with a BA in International Business, he looked for business opportunities that had a multicultural and globally focused bent. He found that when he began in the coffee industry in a local start-up roaster. He went on to co-found Portland Roasting with Mark Stell four years later.
Todd is charged with developing the company’s product mix and sales plan, as well as determining terms of sale. Todd, who speaks passable Spanish and Japanese, says his favorite part of the business-- besides satisfying his multicultural leanings -- is knowing that the work he does positively impacts the lives of the growers in coffee-producing countries.
Todd’s kids, Ashley and Riley, occupy most of his spare time. Family pursuits and getting out in the great outdoors where he can be found playing tennis, running, hiking and skiing or traveling to places such as Eagle Crest in Central Oregon keep him content.
Vanessa Holstein, Sales
vanessa@portlandroasting.comGive Vanessa a cup of black coffee and she is happy. Better yet, serve it to her on her deck with the morning paper in easy reach, and she is even happier. Vanessa’s enthusiasm for coffee should serve her well in her role in the sales department. Here, she will be managing the coffeehouse accounts and ferreting out new customers drawing on skills from past positions in office management, human resources and customer service.
With a business administration degree from Washington State University tucked under her arm, Vanessa came straight to Portland, and hasn’t left. Portland Roasting drew her attention, and not just because she loves coffee. She admired the company’s work in extending economic assistance to coffee growing regions through its Farm Friendly Direct program. Vanessa has spent time traveling to Nicaragua and Romania to work on humanitarian projects, and closer to home spends time volunteering for non-profit organizations. The opportunity to work with a company that shares her values was a big plus.
When Vanessa clocks out at Portland Roasting, she and her husband can be found at the park with their two dogs, perusing Saturday Market, attending wine tastings or watching WSU football. And, travel always beckons on domestic and international fronts.
Justin Goergen,
Key Account Manager
justin@portlandroasting.com
Justin Goergen earned his coffee chops as a barista in Corvallis, Oregon, his hometown. College life at St. Olaf, in Minnesota afforded him more opportunity to not only drink lots of coffee but to brew it and serve it as well. While in the Midwest, he spent two years as manager of a Whole Foods in-store coffee bar, including their bulk/retail coffee area and air roaster.
When the siren song of Portland beckoned, Justin returned home and ended up at People’s Co-op, where as bulk-foods buyer he made coffee-buying decisions. Portland Roasting coffees became a favorite buy for him. His next employment search included knocking on Portland Roasting Company’s door. The rest is history. Justin secured work initially as a delivery driver then he moved into production and spent a short while as production supervisor, and then moving on to customer service supervisor. For Justin's present position, as Key Account Manager, he will ensure that Portland Roasting customers have all of their needs met.
During his 28-month tenure, Justin, ever the student, has gleaned much knowledge from the company’s cuppings and trainings. He has also been integral to the creation of the company’s EcoTeam and has set his sights on getting Portland Roasting certified as a RecycleWorks Business through the city’s Office of Sustainable Development. Justin’s personal eco-mission is to encourage the staff to reduce and reuse as much as possible – and choose recycling as the last resort of the waste cycle.
Justin Goergen earned his coffee chops as a barista in Corvallis, Oregon, his hometown. College life at St. Olaf, in Minnesota afforded him more opportunity to not only drink lots of coffee but to brew it and serve it as well. While in the Midwest, he spent two years as manager of a Whole Foods in-store coffee bar, including their bulk/retail coffee area and air roaster.
When the siren song of Portland beckoned, Justin returned home and ended up at People’s Co-op, where as bulk-foods buyer he made coffee-buying decisions. Portland Roasting coffees became a favorite buy for him. His next employment search included knocking on Portland Roasting Company’s door. The rest is history. Justin secured work initially as a delivery driver then he moved into production and spent a short while as production supervisor, and then moving on to customer service supervisor. For Justin's present position, as Key Account Manager, he will ensure that Portland Roasting customers have all of their needs met.
During his 28-month tenure, Justin, ever the student, has gleaned much knowledge from the company’s cuppings and trainings. He has also been integral to the creation of the company’s EcoTeam and has set his sights on getting Portland Roasting certified as a RecycleWorks Business through the city’s Office of Sustainable Development. Justin’s personal eco-mission is to encourage the staff to reduce and reuse as much as possible – and choose recycling as the last resort of the waste cycle.
