LANSING, MI – In an era where consumer conscience is as vital as caffeine content, Paramount Coffee, a venerable name in the American roasting industry, has announced a significant leap into the premium ready-to-drink (RTD) market. Debuting at the 2026 NACS Show in Las Vegas, the company’s latest innovation, "One Good Can of Coffee," represents a strategic fusion of convenience, craft quality, and radical supply-chain transparency.

The new product line is not merely a response to the burgeoning cold brew trend; it is a meticulously designed initiative aimed at bridging the gap between high-volume retail and farm-level ethics. By partnering with the certification body OBIIS (One Big Island In Space), Paramount Coffee is positioning itself at the forefront of the "farm-direct" movement, ensuring that every 11-ounce can serves a purpose beyond simple hydration.

Main Facts: The Launch of a Mission-Driven Cold Brew

"One Good Can of Coffee" makes its official entry into the marketplace this week, showcased prominently in the "Cool New Products Preview Room" and at the Paramount Coffee exhibit booth (#C4617) during the NACS Show—the premier event for the convenience and fuel retailing industry.

The product line features three distinct varieties, all crafted from 100% Arabica beans:

1. OBIIS Original Cold Brew: A pure, unadulterated expression of the bean, designed for purists who value the smooth, low-acid profile of a long-steeped cold brew.
2. Mocha Cold Brew: A balanced blend of rich cocoa notes and robust coffee.
3. Caramel Cold Brew: A sweet, buttery iteration catering to the dessert-forward coffee consumer.

The "farm-direct" designation is the product’s primary differentiator. Unlike traditional "direct trade" models, which can sometimes lack standardized oversight, the OBIIS certification ensures a rigorous evaluation of the labor, environmental, and community practices at the origin farms. For the convenience store (c-store) operator, this provides a "plug-and-play" premium coffee solution that requires no additional brewing equipment, specialized labor, or complex maintenance, all while appealing to the modern, socially conscious shopper.

Chronology: From 1935 Roastery to 2026 RTD Innovator

To understand the significance of this launch, one must look at the nearly century-long trajectory of Paramount Coffee.

• 1935: The Foundation: Paramount Coffee was founded in Lansing, Michigan. For decades, it built a reputation as a reliable roaster, serving the Midwest and eventually expanding its reach through retail and foodservice partnerships.
• The Transition to Employee Ownership: A pivotal moment in the company’s history was its transition to a 100% employee-owned model. This shift fundamentally altered the company’s corporate culture, fostering a long-term view of sustainability and community impact that would eventually lead to the "One Good Can" philosophy.
• Early 2026: Entry into RTD: Earlier this year, Paramount dipped its toes into the ready-to-drink category with the launch of "Joe Knows Coffee® Cold Brew." This initial foray allowed the company to test the logistics of canned distribution and gauge consumer appetite for portable cold brew.
• October 2026: The NACS Debut: Building on the lessons learned from Joe Knows Coffee, Paramount developed "One Good Can of Coffee" as a more premium, ethically focused sibling. The NACS Show launch serves as the national introduction to the wholesale market.
• Late October 2026: Following the trade show, the product will be made available for direct-to-consumer purchase via ParamountCoffee.com, marking its full entry into the retail landscape.

Supporting Data: The Economics of Sustainability and Cold Brew

The launch of "One Good Can of Coffee" is backed by compelling market data that suggests Paramount is hitting the market at a critical inflection point.

The Sustainability Premium

Research conducted by the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business in collaboration with Circana reveals a seismic shift in American purchasing habits. According to their findings, 85% of U.S. consumers express a higher likelihood of purchasing a product if the brand is actively engaged in sustainable practices.

More importantly for retailers, sustainability-marketed consumer packaged goods (CPG) have been the engine of growth for the industry. Over the past 13 years, these products have accounted for nearly 45% of all U.S. CPG market growth, despite often carrying a premium price tag. For Paramount, the OBIIS certification is not just an ethical badge; it is a calculated business move to capture this high-growth segment.

The Cold Brew Boom

The cold brew category has outperformed traditional hot coffee metrics for several consecutive years. Gen Z and Millennial consumers, in particular, show a marked preference for cold coffee formats, which now account for a significant portion of total coffee sales in both specialized cafes and convenience stores. The 11-ounce can format is specifically tailored to the "grab-and-go" culture of c-stores, which have seen a resurgence as consumers seek quick, high-quality alternatives to traditional fast-food coffee.

The Farm-Direct Advantage

By utilizing farm-direct sourcing through OBIIS, Paramount is shortening the supply chain. In a traditional coffee supply chain, a bean may pass through six to ten hands before reaching the roaster. By reducing these intermediaries, Paramount can ensure that a larger percentage of the retail price returns to the producers. This transparency is increasingly demanded by "Type A" consumers who utilize QR codes and brand websites to track the journey of their food and drink.

Official Responses: A Vision for Shared Value

Rich Schaafsma, President of Paramount Coffee, emphasizes that the product is the culmination of a broader corporate mission. In his address regarding the launch, Schaafsma highlighted that the beverage is a vehicle for social change.

“One Good Can of Coffee is about more than what’s inside the can – it’s about where the coffee comes from and the people behind it,” Schaafsma stated. “Through our partnership with OBIIS, we’re building direct relationships with coffee producers around the globe. We believe great coffee should taste good, do good and create lasting value for the people and communities that make it possible.”

This sentiment is echoed by the company’s internal structure. As a 100% employee-owned entity, Paramount’s staff has a literal stake in the success of these ethical initiatives. This "shared value" model extends from the Michigan roasting facility to the coffee-growing regions in the Global South, creating a narrative of empowerment that resonates with modern branding requirements.

Implications: Reshaping the C-Store and Retail Landscape

The introduction of "One Good Can of Coffee" has several far-reaching implications for the industry:

1. The "Premiumization" of Convenience

Historically, convenience store coffee was viewed as a commodity—functional, but rarely artisanal. Paramount’s entry into this space with farm-direct, 100% Arabica cold brew signals a continued "premiumization" of the c-store. Operators can now offer a product that competes with high-end coffee shops without the capital expenditure of expensive nitro-keg systems or the labor costs of trained baristas.

2. Radical Transparency as the New Standard

As Paramount and OBIIS demonstrate the viability of farm-direct RTD products, other mid-sized roasters may be forced to follow suit. The days of "vague sourcing" are coming to an end. Consumers are beginning to expect specific details about farm conditions and community reinvestment. Paramount’s proactive stance puts pressure on larger competitors to provide similar levels of transparency.

3. Solving the Labor Puzzle

For retail operators, the "One Good Can" format solves a significant logistical hurdle. With labor shortages affecting the service industry, a ready-to-drink product that offers the same quality as a hand-poured cold brew allows stores to maintain high margins with zero prep time.

4. Environmental and Social Governance (ESG)

For corporate buyers and large-scale distributors, adding Paramount’s OBIIS-certified products to their inventory helps fulfill their own ESG goals. As corporations are increasingly held accountable for the ethics of their secondary suppliers, Paramount’s certified chain of custody becomes a valuable asset in the B2B marketplace.

Conclusion

As Paramount Coffee showcases "One Good Can of Coffee" under the bright lights of Las Vegas this week, the company is betting that the future of coffee lies at the intersection of convenience and conscience. By leveraging their 90-year history and their unique employee-owned culture, they are offering a blueprint for how legacy brands can pivot to meet the demands of a new generation.

Whether it is the Original, Mocha, or Caramel variety, the message remains the same: a single can of coffee can, and should, do more than just provide a caffeine kick. It should provide a path toward a more equitable global coffee economy.

About Paramount Coffee:
Founded in 1935 and headquartered in Lansing, Michigan, Paramount Coffee is a 100% employee-owned company. It specializes in expertly crafted roasts, innovative blends, and customized coffee solutions for retail, foodservice, and online channels.

Media Contact:
Karen Haggerty
[email protected]
770-579-9897