F. Gavina & Sons, Inc. Purchasing Manager and Resident Q Grader Michael Gavina to Speak at Southern California Food Industry Conference, Greening the Food Industry

LOS ANGELES, April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- F. Gavina & Sons, Inc., (Gavina) producers of California's own Don Francisco's Coffee, today announced that Michael Gavina will be speaking at this year's Southern California Food Industry Conference at Chapman University in Orange, CA on April 20, 2011.  This year's conference will focus on how to institute green practices in the food industry.  Mr. Gavina will be discussing the company's industry-leading green manufacturing practices and its long-standing commitment to minimizing its products' carbon footprint, reducing waste, and lowering energy usage.  

"At Gavina we believe that in order to continue to deliver a great-tasting cup of coffee we must contribute to coffee's sustainability at every level," explained Michael Gavina.  "We are constantly looking for additional ways to lower our carbon footprint and have undertaken several initiatives to better understand the environmental impact of our products, in order to improve our environmental responsibility programs.  Through our efforts we have been able to reduce the plant's greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent."

Mr. Gavina represents the fourth generation of Gavina's coffee roasting legacy and is spearheading Gavina's sustainability efforts.  He currently serves as purchasing manager for Gavina and is one of the company's seven licensed Q Graders, professionally accredited coffee cuppers who are exclusively certified by the Coffee Quality Institute® (CQI), who work alongside the Quality Control Department to ensure the quality of each bag of coffee and to create new coffee blends.

In 2010, Gavina was named the "2010 Food Processor of the Year" by the Food Industry Business Roundtable for its extraordinary work in developing, implementing and promoting the principles of sustainability. As further testament to its environmental vision in action, Gavina has reduced its waste output by more than 84 percent and plans to reach its goal of over 90 percent in the next few years.  In addition, Gavina is currently in the process of attaining The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Existing Building certification. LEED certification is the most sought-after designation awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), setting the benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.  

About F. Gavina & Sons, Inc.

Produced by F. Gavina & Sons, Inc. since 1967, Don Francisco's is a leading coffee retail brand in Southern California and ranks among the top 10 nationally.  Based in Vernon, California, F. Gavina & Sons, Inc., one of the largest family-owned coffee companies in America and the nation's largest privately held minority roaster, has been a leading producer of high-quality and great tasting coffee for more than four generations.  Spanning more than 130 years, dating back to the family's humble beginnings in the rich-coffee bearing soil of the Caribbean, the unmatched experience as coffee growers and roasters has paved the way for a strong presence in wholesale and retail accounts all across the country. To learn more about Don Francisco's Coffee and the Gavina family, please visit www.donfranciscos.com.

SOURCE F. Gavina & Sons, Inc.