CEPros Project: Art's Coffee Roasters
The Challenge
Art’s Coffee Roasters found a rare, never-used Diedrich IR-12 on our CEPros website—but their new facility wasn’t ready. They needed a way to secure the machine and manage the logistics without losing the opportunity.
How CEPros Delivered
Coffee Equipment Pros stored and prepped the roaster, including a propane conversion, while supporting Art’s with additional equipment and a custom loader solution. When the time came, we coordinated a smooth pickup and provided guidance to ensure a seamless installation.
There’s an old saying in the coffee equipment world—though you won’t find it printed on any burlap sack—that sometimes the right machine finds its roaster.
This is one of those stories.
It began, as these things often do, with a phone call. A seller in California had a situation: a Diedrich IR-12 was sitting inside their gelato shop and needed to be moved—and soon. Now, if you know anything about coffee roasters, you know they’re not exactly the sort of thing you tuck under your arm and carry out the front door. They’re heavy. They’re particular. And more than that, they carry stories of their own.
So Coffee Equipment Pros stepped in.
In a rare move, we purchased the machine and, as fate would have it, one of our top technicians was already in the seller's area. The timing couldn’t have been better if we’d planned it ourselves. He carefully freight-prepped the roaster, making sure every detail was just right, and from there it made its way across the country to our warehouse in Spicewood, Texas, just outside of Austin.
A Rare Find: Candy-Apple-Red and Barely Broken In
Once the IR-12 arrived, we gave it a thorough check. What we found was something you don’t see every day—truth be told, something you might only see once in a long while. This was a 2010 Diedrich IR-12… in near never-used condition. Fifteen years old, and yet it had barely done the work it was built to do. It was, in every sense, a hidden gem.
We listed it.
And it didn’t sit long.
On the other end of the line was a roaster from Louisiana—Art’s Coffee Roasters out of Arnaudville, just outside Lafayette. They called in, not so much with a question as with a kind of disbelief. Was it real? Could it really be a candy-apple-red IR-12, in that condition, available now?
You see, Art’s Coffee Roasters had built its business on a smaller sibling—a candy-apple-red IR-3. Same lineage. Same look. Same spirit. This IR-12 wasn’t just a piece of equipment—it was, in a way, a natural next chapter.
They didn’t hesitate long. After what one might call a moment of “pinching themselves,” they bought it on the spot.
The Waiting Season—and a Relationship Forms
Now, here’s the part most folks don’t think about: buying the right roaster and being ready for it are sometimes two different things. Art’s was in the process of preparing a new facility, and, as with so many construction timelines, it stretched a bit longer than expected. But they knew what they had found, and they weren’t about to let it go.
So we did what partners do.
We held onto it for them.
And in that waiting, something else began to brew—something just as meaningful as a perfectly developed roast: a relationship.
During that time, Art’s Coffee Roasters continued building out their operation, and we were glad to walk alongside them. They sourced additional equipment through us—a weigh-fill machine, two loaders, a digital scale hopper—pieces that would help bring their vision fully to life.
Innovation in Motion: The Loader That Didn’t Exist Yet
And speaking of loaders, this particular IR-12 had another story to tell.
In fact, it became the inspiration for something entirely new.
Before this machine, there wasn’t a loader solution designed specifically for the Diedrich IR-12. The original aluminum-spun hopper simply couldn’t support the weight of a loader system above it. But challenges like that have a way of sparking innovation. Working alongside Don Rainville at AAE, we developed a custom coupler—something that could connect directly to the roaster’s original bean entry bolts and adapt seamlessly to an AAE vacuum loader system.
It worked.
More than that, it opened a door. Since then, dozens of these IR-12 loader systems have found their way into roasteries across the country—all tracing back, in one way or another, to this very machine.
The Road Trip to Texas
Eventually, the day came when Art’s Coffee Roasters was ready.
Art Soileau, his son Matthew, and their technician made the journey themselves—eight and a half hours from Louisiana to Spicewood, Texas. A one-way U-Haul rental. A plan in place. And a sense, no doubt, that something important was waiting at the other end.
We met them at our showroom.
Together, we wrapped the roaster—this beautiful, candy-apple-red IR-12—preparing it for the next leg of its journey. With a forklift and careful touch, we loaded it into the truck, secured it, and took a moment to step back and appreciate what was happening.
Then we did something that doesn’t always show up on an invoice.
We went out to dinner.
Art was there, along with his son and their technician. Stories were shared. Laughter, too. Because by then, this wasn’t just a transaction—it was a connection.
And when the evening came to a close, we extended an invitation. A place to stay for the night. They accepted.
Installation Wisdom and a Final Conversion
The next morning, they were back on the road.
There’s one more detail worth mentioning—one of those small, practical bits of wisdom that makes all the difference. When it came time to install the roaster, we shared a technique passed down from Jim Gustafson of Pro Roaster Services: using one-inch dowels beneath the machine to gently roll it into place. It’s how the roaster had been moved out of that gelato shop in California, gliding carefully across ceramic tile. And now, that same method would carry it into its new home.
During its time in our warehouse, we also made a key modification—converting the machine over to propane at Art’s request. We handled the work, tested it thoroughly, and achieved a successful first firing.
Home at Last in Arnaudville
And that moment did come.
At 3 pm on April 16th, the Diedrich IR-12 arrived safely in Arnaudville, Louisiana.
A machine that started its journey in a gelato shop in California… found its way through Texas… and landed exactly where it was meant to be.
Now, it sits ready to do what it was built to do all along: roast coffee, build flavor, and become part of a story still being written at Art’s Coffee Roasters.
Because sometimes, the right machine doesn’t just meet a need.
Sometimes, it finds its people—including a little sibling to boot!
A Word From Art’s Coffee Roasters
After the dust settled and the roaster found its place in Arnaudville, Art and Matthew shared their reflections on the experience—and their words speak for themselves.
Art wrote:
“Absolutely can't say enough good things about doing business and working with Rick Davis and Coffee Equipment Pros. Integrity, honesty, forthrightness, genuineness, knowledge, experience, engagement, and more. HIGHLY recommend him and his business without reservation!”
Matthew added:
“Not enough great things to say about Rick at Coffee Equipment Pros! Our experience working with Rick was amazing to say the least. He not only goes above and beyond, but he also genuinely exceeds expectations to make sure his clients know he is focused on providing sincere service and support.”
It’s one thing to move equipment across the country. It’s another to build trust along the way. For us, that’s the part that lingers longest.
When the Dream is Just Beginning
If you’ve ever found yourself dreaming of launching your own roastery, you know that the path from that first spark of an idea to a fully operational facility can feel a bit overwhelming. There are so many moving parts—choosing the right equipment, navigating the installation, and mastering the craft through training. But much like our work with Art’s Coffee, we’re here to walk alongside you, helping to build those roastery dreams from the ground up until they are fully realized.
Learn more about Art’s Coffee Roasters:
