our story
about the founder
My name is Alton Pettit. I am the founder of Volcano Imports LLC.
Before I became an entrepreneur I was an EMT and a wildland firefighter. I have always been interested in exploring the great outdoors as well as helping others. I started visiting Mexico in 2018 and I return regularly. After the experiences I had during my first trip, I desired to bring back some of the amazing flavors that we seem to lack north of the border.
I started the company in 2022 after a visit to the jungles of Chiapas in pursuit of these products. After I had found the coffee farms, and what I thought was the “perfect product,” the mission objective quickly shifted as I developed relationships with the people that I would come to work with. That is when the focus changed from being about the product to being about the people.
The inspiration
I was inspired to act to benefit the Mam indigenous people. I was moved by their good nature. I was welcomed warmly and treated as one of their own. Although they didn’t have much, they were happy and wanted to share everything they had. I noticed these people took greater care of the land during the growing process than any other coffee producers around.
I could sense that these people truly cared about where they lived and their product is a reflection of that. I noticed the taste of their coffee was much stronger and far better than any I had tried during that trip.
Continuing the story
I saw an opportunity to provide coffee to the United States in a way which can promote indigenous culture and give back to these amazing people. While their coffee is already being sold in Mexico and other parts of the world, I believe the process is not beneficial to the people and I would like to do things differently.
The friendships that I have made throughout this process have impacted my life and I would like to share what I have learned. My goal is to educate consumers about the indigenous people who make their coffee, a people who have been doing so the same way for hundreds of years.
Our Iniatives
At Volcano Imports LLC, we plan to enact several initiatives to support the lives of the Mam indigenous peoples who produce the coffee. These initiatives include charitable donations and profit allocation which aims to improve quality of life for producers who are in need.
3% of all profits will go to reputable charities & nonprofit organizations which provide services to help the indigenous peoples of Chiapas.
The donations to be made include beds, so that they don’t have to sleep on the floor; medical supplies and necessities such as vitamins and over-the-counter medications, which are needed due to not having finances to purchase as well as a lack of nearby hospitals; and finally, books for the children to encourage learning.
Expected Donations
-Beds
-Medical Supplies
-Vitamins
-Children’s Books
About Riley the Bird
Riley is a yellow-naped parrot in Chiapas, Mexico. He is a free bird who chooses to spend his days on a wire on the side of a home belonging to a family of coffee producers. He will come and go as he pleases, but always seems to make it home around dinner time. He is very friendly and tolerant towards humans.
Riley was chosen to be the face of this coffee brand because he is a symbol of the harmonious relationship that exists between the coffee producers and their ecosystem.
