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B o y d C o f f e e C o m p a n y
Percival Boyd
Percival and Rutherford Boyd cupping coffee.
Percival Dewe Boyd who founded Boyd Coffee Company was born
in New Zealand in 1879 and came to the United States with his family in
1882. Landing in the great Northwest, Percival D. Boyd worked in grocery and
sales until he decided to go off on his own and start his own business
around 1900.
Located in downtown Portland, Boyd peddled his wares from a red, horse-drawn
wagon he had purchased for $5 and thus, founding the "Boyd Importing Tea
Company." By 1910, the horse-drawn wagons were replaced with trucks. With
the spread of the automobile, the business took a new direction, and by
1920, home delivery was terminated. As his business grew, and Boyd gained in
popularity, his reputation as a perfectionist followed. His greatest passion
was for quality coffee. He also proved to be an ingenious businessman. Boyd
was the first US coffee distributor to loan coffee brewing equipment to
restaurants and the food-service industry, a tradition that spread
throughout the industry. By 1939, P.D. Boyd had a branch office in Yakima,
Washington and soon other distribution points were established. The "Boyd
Blend" of coffee was in demand.
On right: Andrew Gray Boyd
One of Boyds employees was achieving a fair amount of
celebrity. Veda Younger's job - after tasting various coffees from around
the world - was to purchase the green (unroasted) beans. For some time, Mrs.
Younger was the only woman in America to hold such a position. She retired
from the company in 1978 , having served more than two decades.
In 1957, a customer survey in the Oregon Journal found Boyds among the top
three brands in grocery sales. Even so, it was soon withdrawn. Rather than
lowering the quality of its coffee—in order to compete, price-wise, with the
national brands—the company chose to stay almost exclusively in the food
service market segment.
The history of Boyds Coffee includes other innovations. Boyds was the first
company to use paper filters in its restaurant coffee-makers; and the
success of the restaurant machines led to the invention of the Flav-R-Flo®
system for home use. Today a version of the cone-and-paper filter process,
taken so much for granted by coffee-lovers today. In 1964, the Flav-R-Flo®
Brewer became the first home-brewer to be approved by the Coffee Brewing
Institute.
Today, BOYD’S roasters are computerized. Both the original Red Wagon Store
and the roasting plant are gone from downtown Portland. The company moved in
1972, to a 30-acre site just east of the city. A recently constructed
addition to our distribution center has doubled the size of our current
operations. With 3 retail locations in the Portland area and an online
ordering site, BOYDS is available to customers everywhere.
History, to a large extent, is written on newspaper; and it seems worth
mentioning that Boyd Coffee Company has outlasted not only its rival
roasters, but also numerous Portland newspapers. Perhaps this longevity says
more than anything about the lasting popularity of the "Boyd blend."
Boyd Coffee Company has survived the test of time in its long and
prestigious history. This speaks well of its Credo: corporate integrity;
quality products; best customer service; respect for and pride in its fellow
employees; and, a contribution to a better community.
We've been able to trace our family back to a William Boyd, 1801-1878 who
married Francis Inglis. My great grandfather, Andrew Gray Boyd (1837-1915)
was from Greenock, Scotland. He was a Presbyterian Minister who came to the
USA via New Zealand in 1882. Percival Dewe Boyd was born in New Zealand
(1879-1960). Dad, Rutherford Percival Boyd was born in 1911 in Portland,
Oregon. His children are Bonnie Boyd Shannon (member #1111 of CBSI), David
Boyd, and Carol Boyd Juckeland. There are 15 grand-children and 15 great
grand- children. Richard D. Boyd, 703 N.W. Wallula Ave., Gresham, Oregon
97030
Boyd Coffee Company
http://www.boyds.com/
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