The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) is proud to announce that Stronghold is the Official Production RoasterSponsor for the 2024-2027 World Coffee Roasting Championship (WCRC), with the Stronghold S9X provided for the 2024 WCRC. The production roaster is a vital piece of WCRC equipment, with national champions using it in their practice roasting, and production roasting for both single-origin coffees and blends.

The WCRC is the annual World Coffee Championship (WCC) event that recognizes excellence in coffee roasting, evaluating competitors on their coffee evaluation, preparation, blending, and overall skill across practice, sample, and production roasts. The competition has seen huge growth in recent years, with 130 competitors having participated in the eight editions since its inception in 2013.

The World Coffee Championships (WCC) are made possible thanks to the support and dedication of a wide array of organizations and individuals. Integral to that support are qualified sponsors, the manufacturers who provide the equipment and products that competitors use on stage. Along with supporting wider SCA programming, qualified sponsors sign multi-year agreements to support the strategic growth of the competitions and dedicate time and resources to ensure that every world championship competitor is using the same high-quality equipment.

“Stronghold is a fantastic partner, and we are delighted to welcome them as the official production roaster for the 2024-2027 World Coffee Roasting Championships, as we see this competition grow,” said Yannis Apostolopoulos, SCA Chief Executive Officer. “Stronghold has been an excellent partner in several other SCA initiatives and events of the past few years, and we couldn’t be more delighted to enter this long-term partnership with them.”

“At Stronghold, we are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of roasting technology, with our environmental and sustainability goals in mind,” said Jason Woo, Stronghold Chief Executive Officer. “As we usher in the era of all-electric commercial roasting, we are thrilled that our efforts have been acknowledged, being selected as the official production equipment for the prestigious World Coffee Roasting Championship. This marks a significant step forward for us, challenging the industry norm and bringing an economically and environmentally sustainable future to the global stage.”

Stronghold will be supporting the World Coffee Roasting Championship as the official production roaster sponsor, beginning with the 2024 event hosted at World of Coffee Copenhagen, Denmark, in June. We look forward to an exciting partnership over the coming years.