May 13, 2024 – SANTA ROSA, CA – Loring Smart Roast, Inc. proudly welcomes Robert (Bob) Austin back to the role of President. Austin formerly served as President from December 2013 through December 2017 and was critical in Loring’s product development and early success. Austin returned to Loring in March 2023 as Chief Technology Officer/Director of Engineering.
“[Bob] is an industry veteran and is back to lead us into a new chapter,” says Ed Barr, Loring’s CEO. “We are thrilled to welcome him back as President as we continue to ensure the Loring Smart Roast team and products remain industry leading and innovative.”
Austin is a familiar staple from the early days of Loring, frequently traveling globally to industry trade events with the sales team to promote the innovative Loring technology and answer pertinent questions for early adopters. His leadership and oversight led to many of the cutting-edge developments that made Loring a known entity in specialty coffee roasting, both for its efficiency and its unique convection-style roasting and innate smoke incineration technology.
Innovation is the modern key to success in the highly competitive industry of specialty coffee. Under Austin’s guidance as Chief Technology Officer, the Northern California company has already released roastery automation between multiple roasters and a new product scale for use alongside its destoner equipment. Exciting new initiatives and engineering projects are on the horizon for Loring, including many long-awaited products the specialty coffee industry has been eagerly anticipating.
Loring Smart Roast, Inc. is headquartered in Santa Rosa, CA. The innovative coffee roasting technology is manufactured locally using American-made stainless steel at the production plant located on Dutton Ave. Loring customers have come to expect unmatched quality, unheard-of efficiency, and unparalleled control from their machinery, in addition to integrated emissions reduction and fuel efficiency.