The Story
It all started in 2011 in the famous island Destination of Roatan, Honduras. After being a professional Scuba Diving Instructor for several years in the Caribbean, Ryan Saunders felt the need to start a new project. Thus, Stone Temple Holdings was born a multifunctional company with plans to house and grow other companies. With several options on the table, Ryan wanted to market a traditional Honduran native cashew wine. Although popular in Belize, the Roatan Market needed more originality and flair for the tourist market. He would soon meet Carlos Talavera, a Honduran Engineer who had a passion for making the unique wine but had troubles with marketing. The pair of them got together and dusted off Carlos’ shelved wine project for another go. They spent the next year redesigning the labels, and Carlos perfected his winemaking, upgrading his laboratory while Ryan set his sights on a new marketing campaign.
The Acaxu Cashew Wine trio was launched in Roatan, although off to a slow start, it would quickly gain traction in the Tourist marketplace. From here, Ryan began to shape the company and local fruit wines, soap, and coffee joined the portfolio. Stone Temple Holdings allowed local native Honduran residents have a new sales growth opportunity in the Tourism marketplace.
Looking to further his passion for the love of coffee, Stone Temple Coffees was created in early 2014 for Stone Temple Holdings to distribute throughout the Bay Islands market. In attempts to be the second Honduran company to link all six coffee-growing regions of Honduras together, one coffee line represents each region.
Ryan began working closely with local coffee farmers in organizing this enormous undertaking. As company matters were in progress, he noted a more severe issue with the local farmers. The Roya outbreaks were most notably devastating, and after some research on the matter, Ryan became aware that this was a severe global issue he had never known about.
Although, efforts were being put forth on all fronts to combat CLR, farmers were still struggling after years of being plagued by fungus due to its ability to mutate over time. Something needed to be done.
In the onset of The Bay Islands of Honduras only being a seasonal market for tourism, Stone Temple Holdings would come to a close as too many obstacles lay in the way to continue. Ryan moved back to his hometown, Prince Edward County, in Ontario, Canada, in 2016. He would marry his Honduran wife Saudy in January 2017. Together they would develop a new Canadian coffee company. Stone Temple Coffees was born in July of 2017.
Now armed with full knowledge of the 'from farm to table' process involved with coffee production and the heartaches that come with it, the decision was made to help make a difference.
It, therefore, became Stone Temple Coffee Company's mission to provide Central American coffee farmers with sustainable approaches for coffee production. The primary focus is on coffee plant devastation caused by Hemileia vastatrix, otherwise known as Coffee Leaf Rust, or CLR.
The goal is to educate the general public on this worldwide coffee plant epidemic. Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) has direct and indirect economic impacts on coffee production. Immediate effects include decreased quantity and yield quality produced by the diseased plant. Indirect impacts include increased costs to combat and control the disease. The methods of fighting and preventing the disease have included fungicide application, stumping diseased plants, and replacing them with resistant breeds.
Stone Temple Coffee Company is in the process of revolutionizing the future of the coffee industry by providing leading-edge eco-friendly biotechnology. The Coffee Company is currently working on an organic bio spray program that will make it possible for Central American coffee farmers to finally have an opportunity to increase their revenues through bio-friendly fertilizer applications.
Stone Temple Coffee Company's future goal is to work with the Central American governments to replace harmful fungicides that are now considered obsolete in today's eco-farming practices. We are here to provide a product that combats CLR and cures several other deficiencies, such as drought, that plants suffer from during harsh weather conditions.
To achieve this goal, a portion of Stone Temple Coffee sales assists with research and development on actual existing coffee farms in Honduras and El Salvador.
With Expansion into the American market in 2020 and sights set to reach the United Kingdom in 2025, Stone Temple Coffees is gaining popularity with coffee drinkers from all walks of life. Ryan and Saudy have further plans to develop a unique franchise set up for the company in 2024.
