Depends on the quality of coffee you want and who your customers are. There is a lot to avoid.
Equal Exchange is a marketer, not a roaster, but they make some decent coffee, all Fair Trade. I like the names of some of their coffees. If your core market isn't pierced, tatooed, hemp-wearing activists, maybe take a pass. They've been going mainstream religious to sell coffee, partnering with catholic charities, lutherans and Methodists, I think. Well, if there are methodists, there is madness to their methodists.
New England Coffee toll roasts for Dunkin and uses rejects and floor sweepings for their own hot brown swill. Cinnamon Sticky Bun Coffee. Yum. Not. I tried their Blueberry and had to spit it out and then shave my tongue. Their French Roast tastes like the Paris Metro smells. That said, they do give a way a ton of signs, racks & airports to new customers. Looks great, but the coffee doesn't deliver.
Paul DeLima. New England Coffee looks at them as a bottom feeder. Run away, run away. Don't look back.
Dean Cycon of Dean's Beans is a bleeding heart with delusional aspirations of being Ben & Jerry. (B&J attacked the Pillbury Doughboy in their famous Rolling Stone ad). Big difference between taking a swipe at an animated corporate carbohydrate and Paul Newman. Too bad Dean's coffee doesn't taste better (82 of CoffeeReview.com) otherwise I might take him seriously as a roaster.
Downeast in Maine is middle of the pack. Some brand awareness, decent merchandising options.
Autocrat in Rhode Island does a lot of private label - not a brand that would mean anything to most customers. Port City is one of the daughters of family that owns Autocrat - sold in supermarkets, but no cup program as far as I can tell.
Omar - I haven't seen them around for a while. probably also a brand with no pull.
Cool Beans is not dead, but doesn't seem really alive.
Katahdin was sold by Chris Whatshisname. Sort of a Pillsbury Doughboy himself. I remember their packaging in supermarket had stains on the outside of the bag. Good sign of oxygen contamination. The new owners might have upgraded their packaging.
Vermont Artisan Coffee. They are fabulous. Small. Very high end. Not a lot of POP, but the coffee is absolutely top shelf.
Another super high end roaster is Terrior Coffee Company. George Howell was the founder of Coffee Connection that later sold out to S'ucks as their market entry into Boston. He's back in the coffee business and will set your coffee compass pointed true north. That said, he is so exclusive nobody will have heard of him except investment bankers and competitors on American Iron Chef.
