At TBLO we are passionate about our clients and what they do. We are honored to feature our past and present clients, and kick off our Meet Our Global Clients Series.
This month we are featuring a lovely couple, Eric Hermeling, who founded Belmont and Stephany Hermeling, who founded Coffee Farmer’s Alliance (CFA). Both Stephany and Eric are passionate about coffee, and met a few years ago at a coffee business meeting. Stephany is originally from Santa Rosa, Guatemala and moved to the United States to be with Eric and start their life together as a family, while building their respective brands. Today we are featuring Belmont, but please keep an eye out for a feature on CFA.
Q: What is Belmont?
A: Belmont is all about building connections between employers and employees through food and drinks. We offer breakroom solutions for both: at-the-office and work-from-home teams. We provide them with everything from coffee, kombucha, vegan jerky, and various other local goodies.
Q: How did COVID-19 affect Belmont?
A: Our business before the pandemic was mostly about the at-the-office breakroom solution. However, with the pandemic, most of our customers closed their offices, and we saw the opportunity to pivot. The first product we made was called Breakroom in a Bag, where our local customers could have a breakroom delivered to their employees working from home. Then, came Breakroom in a Box that can be shipped nationally. The boxes are completely customizable by each employee, and we offer gluten-free, vegan, and premium box options.
Q: What has it been like going through the immigration process in Oregon?
A: Even though the immigration process has not been easy, Portland has been very welcoming to us. We hope that our companies’ can help close the cultural gap between what people believe is true about Central America versus what it is really like. Overall, we are hopeful for the future and are excited to see Belmont continue to grow.