Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Keurig Coffee Case Study

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Keurig Coffee - Case Study Example This research aims to evaluate and present Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Keurig that are operating in processed and packaged foods industry and their sector is coffee makers. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. (GMCR) was founded in year 1981 as a small cafà © and combined its operations with Keurig in 2006; it has its head office in Waterbury, Vermont. As the case says, currently it is considered as the market leader in specialty coffee industry because it is offering top quality coffees, implementing innovative technology for brewing and fulfilling various socially responsible business practices. GMCR and Keurig had to master various skills to acquire top position in the market. GMCR is operating in coffee maker business and specialty coffee sector; it obtains, manufactures and then sells various kinds of coffee, teas, cocoa and other form of beverages in K-cup portion packs and coffee in conventional packaging style. It is believed that it is offering more than two hundred v arieties of hot beverages. In addition to aforementioned products, GMCR is providing wide selection of whole beans, ground coffee in fractional packs and ground coffee selections in bags that can be easily used by customers of At-home (AH) and Away-from-Home (AFH) markets; AH and AFH has much more potential of growth as no coffee brand has been targeting these attractive markets. The main issues and challenges faced by GMCR presented in the research.... Blanford is Chief Executive officer of GMCR. The financial highlights of the company are shown in the following figure (ttm stands for trailing twelve months, yoy stands for year over year and mrq stands for most recent quarter). (â€Å"Key Ratios of GMCR†, 2012) SWOT Analysis Strengths Valuable strategic partnership with Keurig – As mentioned in the case, it is GMCR’s biggest strength as incorporation of Keurig that is the leading manufacturer of single-cup brewing systems allowed it to enter specialty coffee market conveniently. It acquired Keurig License and all its licensees in 2006. It elevated its position from small coffee company to pioneer in specialty coffee market with K-Cup single serve brewing system of Keurig. Focus on coffee consumers – GMCR focuses on its valuable customers by offering them high quality coffee that is easy to make and can select from wide range of choices. It provides specialty coffee in simplified brewing machine that allo ws customers to choose from twenty-seven brands and about two hundred beverage varieties. Collaborations with well-known brands in market – GMCR has entered into collaborative agreements with various multi-channel distributors so that sales and awareness of GMCR and Keurig products could be increased as mentioned in the case. It is trying to reach as many consumers as possible by using various marketing avenues especially partnerships with leading brands such as Starbucks, Aramark, JC Penny’s, Cusinrt, Starbucks and Costco. Well-organized expansion plan – It has expanded its operations in Southern California and Canada by acquisitions and is opening new manufacturing plants in Virginia and California to support its fast growing expansion plan. Weaknesses K-Cup pack patent expiration – In September