Long Beach, CA. U.S.A. (August 4 2008) -- The Probat Group, a leader in coffee roaster manufacturing and technology for over 130 years, will once again be the official host for the Specialty Coffee Association of America's (SCAA) Annual Roasters Guild Retreat. The 8th Annual Roasters Guild Retreat will be held at the Sugar Lake Lodge in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, August 14-17, 2008.

Ric Rhinehart, Executive Director for SCAA, said, "We're happy to have Probat Burns, a company so closely associated with the ideals of the specialty coffee industry, playing a key role at the Roasters Guild Retreat as the official host. They have supported the retreat from the beginning, not just because it is valuable to them as a manufacturer serving the roasting sector, but because they understand the value of the Roasters Guild to the entire coffee industry."

This is the second consecutive year that Probat Burns has been the official Roasters Guild Retreat host. In addition to hosting the retreat, The Probat Group will donate two Probatino roasters, one for the annual silent auction and one to be delivered to a coffee producing community chosen by the winning team at this year'' retreat competition, The Roastmaster Challenge Cup, "Sugar Lake Smackdown." Proceeds from the silent auction, which last year amounted to $15,000 for Coffee Kids, will be donated this year to Libras de Amor in El Salvador. Libras de Amor addressed the issue of malnutrition in many areas of El Salvador and is supported locally by many coffee producing organizations (visit: www.librasdeamor@fusal.org).

Karl Schmidt, the President of Probat Burns, Inc., said, "When it comes to the modern history of the coffee industry, the  Probat Group has seen it all. But we recognized that the Roasters Guild offers something truly unique and special. It was not a difficult decision to support the Guild and their annual retreat in every way possible. The fact that some of this support involves coffee related charities and growing communities is natural for us, as these efforts are consistent with the values of our company. "Schmidt will be presenting a class at this year's retreat entitled, "Exploring Heat Transfer in the Roaster, Thermodynamics." The class will include in-depth instruction on the laws of thermodynamics and the various types of heat exchange and their effects on coffee.

SCAA will announce the results of the silent auction and the winning team's designated recipient of the Probatino roaster immediately following the retreat.

About Probat
Probat Burns is part of The Probat Group, headquartered in Emmerich, Germany, on the Rhine River, where its first coffee roasting innovations originated. Today, the Probat Group comprises eight manufacturing and technology companies who continue to advance the world’s finest coffee roasting and cocoa processing technologies. Probat exports 80 percent of its products through a network of more than 60 global distributors. Probat’s knowledgeable engineers, specialists and salespeople offer you the expertise gained from more than 250 years of combined industry experience.

For more information, please visit, www.probatburns.com.

About the SCAA
Celebrating 26 years of success, SCAA is the world's largest coffee trade association. SCAA members are located in more than 40 countries and represent every segment of the specialty coffee industry, from coffee growers to coffee roasters and retailers. The SCAA's mission is to be the recognized authority on specialty coffee, providing a common forum for the development and promotion of coffee excellence and sustainability. The SCAA's dedication to excellence in coffee is realized through the setting of quality standards for the industry; conducting research on coffee, equipment and perfection of craft; and providing education, training, resources and business services for members. The SCAA's annual Symposium and Exposition is held in a different U.S. city each year and is the coffee industry's largest gathering and exhibition.

For more information, please visit www.scaa.org


Mike Ferguson
Fresh Ground Consulting
2271 Malvern Ave. #414
Fullerton, CA 92833
Ph (562) 308-0495
Fx (562) 265-1221
www.freshgroundconsulting.com