The Challenge
Alta Coffee, a Colombian coffee exporter serving international buyers, had clear growth ambitions. The company aimed to strengthen its position among Colombia’s leading independent coffee exporters, but like many exporters, it faced a common challenge: limited access to working capital.
The company operated with an asset-light business model, relying primarily on its receivables rather than hard assets. While this approach provided flexibility, it made securing traditional bank financing difficult, as lenders often prefer companies with substantial collateral.
As demand increased Alta Coffee needed faster access to capital to purchase inventory, fulfill larger orders, and support new opportunities without being limited by long payment cycles. Waiting 30, 60, or even 90 days for buyers to pay created pressure on cash flow at the exact moment the company needed liquidity to grow.
The Solution
The company was introduced to Summar Financial through a referral from another client.
Rather than focusing solely on collateral requirements, Summar took the time to understand the business, its operating model, export cycle, customer base, and its long-term objectives. This approach led to a tailored factoring solution that provided Alta Coffee access to the working capital needed to support larger purchasing cycles and growing export demand.
By leveraging its accounts receivable, the company improved cash flow, increased purchasing capacity, and gained the financial flexibility needed to pursue new growth opportunities.
The Results
With access to receivables-based financing, Alta Coffee was able to support its growth strategy with stronger liquidity and improved working capital flexibility.
Key outcomes included:
- Greater working capital flexibility
- Faster inventory purchases and order fulfillment
- Increased capacity to support higher export volumes
- Improved overall financial position
The impact was reflected in the company’s growth:
- 42.5% sales growth from 2023 to 2024.
- 113.4% sales growth from 2024 to 2025.
Today, Alta Coffee ranks among the Top 10 coffee exporters in Colombia, demonstrating how the right financing solution can help exporters unlock their full growth potential.
Looking Ahead
For Alta Coffee, factoring was not simply a short-term cash flow tool. It became part of a broader working capital strategy that helped the company respond to demand, support larger export operations, and strengthen its position in a highly competitive market.
In industries like coffee, where purchasing windows, harvest cycles, buyer terms, and shipment timelines can place pressure on cash flow, access to capital can determine how quickly an exporter is able to act.
With the right financing partner, Alta Coffee was able to use its receivables as a growth asset and continue building its role as one of Colombia’s most important independent coffee exporters.
Why Exporters Choose Summar Financial
For more than two decades, Summar Financial has helped exporters access the working capital they need to grow.
Our team understands the unique challenges international businesses face, including long payment cycles, inventory financing requierements, customer concentration, and limited access to traditional bank financing.
Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach, Summar works closely with each client to understand their business model and structure solutions that support sustainable growth. By helping companies unlock the value of their receivables, we provide the liquidity needed to operate smoothly.
For growing exporters, access to capital can be the difference between turning down opportunities and capturing them. At Summar, our goal is to help businesses continue moving forward. Get started.
