Mill Manager

What is a mill manager? They are the professionals responsible for the industrial-scale processing of coffee after it has been dried [5]. While a washing station manager focuses on the initial transformation of cherry to parchment, the mill manager oversees the final stages: hulling, grading, sorting, and packaging the green coffee for international shipment [5].

Their role involves managing complex machinery, including hullers, gravity tables, and optical sorters, to remove defects and ensure the coffee meets the specific screen size and quality requirements of international buyers [5]. The mill manager must also oversee the logistics of storage, ensuring that the coffee is kept in a climate-controlled environment to prevent moisture absorption or quality degradation before it is loaded into containers [5].

Quality control is the primary focus of the mill manager's work [5]. They are responsible for ensuring that the final product is free of physical defects and that the grading process is accurate [5]. This requires a deep understanding of international coffee standards, such as those set by the Specialty Coffee Association, and the ability to manage a team of workers who perform hand-sorting and quality checks [5, 6].

In practice, the mill manager is the final line of defense against quality issues before the coffee leaves the origin country [5]. Their efficiency and attention to detail ensure that the coffee arrives at the roastery in the condition expected by the buyer [5]. By maintaining the mill's equipment and processes, they play a crucial role in the value chain, ensuring that the hard work of the farmers and washing station managers is preserved until the coffee reaches the roaster [5].