SUPPORTING SPECIALTY COFFEE IN IOWA & BEYOND
At face value we roast coffee, pretty simple. Step inside our warehouse in Ames, IA though and you’ll find sample roasting, cupping, production roasting, brewing, green storage, espresso tech, training, consulting, packaging, design, eating lunch, listening to podcasts, watching tiny desk concerts…you get the idea. We are built on learning about our industry, listening to the people around us, and seeking out new ways to serve our community. Whether it is drinking exciting new coffees, spending time with our people, or working hard to serve our partners, we want to put specialty coffee in the hands of our community.
Owner
Andrew Burgason
Generally curious about all things. Andrew is passionate about building sustainable relationships around coffee. Starting Windmill in 2017, his goal of growing specialty coffee in Iowa by connecting coffee people everywhere. Roasting, sales, machine repair, product acquisition, logistics. He does it all.
An Iowa State alum and Ames resident, outside of Windmill you can probably find him at the new Burgie’s location in the Somerset neighborhood of Ames. Andrew has done just about every job in the world of coffee service. If you need answers, he’s the source.
Director
Robb Pearson
Robb is our defacto old coffee guy - sourcing our green coffee, roasting, and maintaining our standards. He also helps with our partners by providing training, maintenance, and consultation. Leaning on over 20 years of industry experience, he has worn many hats and is always happy to help. You’ll find him answering emails and running our social media too.
Robb lives in Des Moines with his wife and two kids. After years in California, Iowa is beginning to feel like home again. He’s a Hawkeye….
Roaster
Jenna Fagen
Roasting, bagging, making syrups. Welcome Jenna. Just a dynamo around the warehouse. You wish you had her work ethic.
Catch this central Iowa native going to concerts, auto races, camping, or at the gym. Jenna joined our crew via her time behind bar at Burgie’s. She has pretty much killed it from day 1.
We are excited to learn with her. Explore coffee roasting and tasting again. She is angling to take over warehouse DJ duties. We shall see.
LOGISTICS
Corey Stephens
Hailing from Plano, Texas - he joins the team with nearly a decade of experience within the coffee industry. After attending Texas A&M he bounced around a bit, making stops in Illinois and Montana.
Recently married and living in Polk City, we are excited about his experience, outside perspective, and willingness to take on a new role. Super friendly and thorough, we think he’s gonna be a great addition to the crew.
Board games, Cowboys football, and spending time with his family is how he relaxes. He joins Atlas in our growing Violin section too.
Service Technician
Brandon Thomas
Brandon brings years of experience to the table. Calm, cool, and collected. Having lived in Ames for years, we know him well.
Having worked on just about everything, he is moving quickly through training in various machines and brands. Offer him some tasty coffee when he is on site.
Brandon enjoys coaching youth basketball, The Jayhawks, and spending time with his son.
