Not every coffee goes with every water, so finding a good cup of coffee takes some trial and error.
Debra Rozyckie, sales representative for Mountainside Coffee and Water Services, 750 Point Township Road, Northumberland, brews several types of coffee for the different offices and restaurants she visits to promote the business.
"I don't just go in and say 'Here's your coffee and here's your equipment,'" Rozyckie said. "I want to find them a good cup of coffee."
Mountainside is a division of Tulpehocken Mountain Spring Water, which is one of the oldest privately owned bottled water distributors in Pennsylvania, Tulpehocken President Joe Malloy said.
Rozyckie wanted to create a collaboration so offices could receive both coffee and water services through the same place.
"Coffee and water need each other," she said. "They go hand-in-hand like a good marriage."
For Rozyckie, contacting Malloy made sense because of his experience.
"(Malloy) has been in the water business forever," Rozyckie said. "I called him up and he brought me in. We're a good mix."
The collaboration worked because they were similarly driven, Malloy said.
"She's goal-oriented," he said. "She's also very persistent."
The opportunity is a rewarding one for Rozyckie.
"It's so exciting for me because it's almost like I own my own company and he takes care of all of the responsibilities," she said. "All I have to do is sell."
The coffee service offers a variety of regular coffees, decaf coffees, gourmet coffees, creamers, hot chocolate, teas, flavored teas, spring water and soups. Cups, lids, stirrers, plates, cutlery and paper products are also available.
The type of equipment depends on the usage for the business.
One popular coffee unit is the Airpot Coffee Unit, which does not use a hot burner plate and keeps the coffee fresh and hot after four hours.
Another coffee unit uses a Tulpehocken water container that sits upside down on top of the machine.
"You can't get any better water than spring water," Rozyckie said. "You put the jug on top and it goes right into the coffee maker."
For places that do not have good drinking water, that is the type of unit she recommends.
Rozyckie said that as a businesswoman, she is very conservative with spending money, so she tries to cut costs for her customers.
"I can give a great cup of coffee at a reasonable price," she said. "I can teach them that the (Airpot Coffee Unit) will keep it warm for 4 1/2 hours with the same consistency. Coffee that sits on a burner starts to break down in half an hour."
Rozyckie said her passion for coffee began in her 20s when she went to coffee seminars. Now she can go to different offices and restaurants in the area to provide different samples for them, which also allows her to sample it.
"Now I'm into what I was great at doing," she said. "It's why I'm hyper. I drink (coffee) every day."
Part of the passion that Rozyckie has for her business comes from loving what she does.
"My job is so much fun," she said. "Sales is so natural for me."
