Ironforge Brands

One family. Four fires.

Ironforge Brands is owned and operated by two brothers and the man who became family through marriage. Neil and Chip Bertrand co-founded the company's first brand, Black Collar Coffee, in memory of their brother — a tradesman and combat veteran the family lost to suicide.

Ben Long, a lifelong tradesman and veteran himself, joined as a founding partner not long after. His son is married to Neil's daughter, which makes Ironforge a company built on family in more ways than one.

Every brand under the Ironforge name carries a piece of that same principle forward: a real story behind the roast, a specific community it's built for, and a portion of every dollar going back to the people and causes that community cares about.

Leadership built on operating experience

Ironforge is run by people who have already built and operated real businesses at real scale — not first-time founders learning on investor capital.

Neil Bertrand

Founder & CEO

Holds an MBA and spent his career in commercial real estate, most recently running a $500 million multifamily investment portfolio. He brings that same underwriting discipline — and a founder's stake in the outcome — to building Ironforge.

Outside the boardroom, Neil is a touring musician who has shared stages with Stephen Archer, George Lynch, When Angels Die, and Millennial Reign at festivals across the US, Mexico, and Europe — the instinct for audience and identity behind Darkfire Coffee.

Ben Long

Partner

A lifelong tradesman and veteran, Ben owns and operates Hands and Hammers, a restoration company built over decades in the trades. His hands-on experience running a trade business grounds Ironforge's operating decisions on the ground, not just on paper.

Chip Bertrand

Partner

Chip never meets a stranger — he can walk into a room cold and leave with three new friends, two good stories, and a sales lead. A natural salesman, marketer, and relationship builder, he keeps things light, keeps people talking, and knows how to connect with just about anyone.

At Ironforge Brands, Chip handles sales outreach and helps get the coffee in front of the people it was made for. Off the clock, he's usually outside camping, fishing, hiking, or chasing the next stretch of open air.

Four brands. One principle.

Each Ironforge brand is built for a specific community, founded or led by someone who belongs to it, and tied to a cause that community already cares about.

Black Collar Coffee

Earned Every Morning

Tradespeople · First Responders · Veterans

Ironforge's founding brand, built to honor the memory of Neil and Chip's brother — a combat veteran and tradesman — and made real by Ben Long, a tradesman and veteran in his own right.

Gives back: $1 from every purchase to Stop Soldier Suicide

Darkfire Coffee

For People Who Work After Dark

Musicians · Tattoo Artists · Gamers · Sound Engineers · Photographers · Bartenders

Neil's brainchild, drawn from his own life as a touring musician. Darkfire is built for the people whose best work happens after the sun goes down — and for the toll that schedule can take.

Currently in discussions to partner with Amplified Minds, which provides mental health counseling and resources to the creative community.

Offgrid Roasters

Coffee for the Way Out

Overlanders · Van Life · Camping · Hiking · Fishing

The brainchild of Chip and Ben, both avid outdoorsmen. Offgrid is roasted for anyone who takes every chance they can get to disconnect from civilization and get back into the woods, the water, or the trail.

Gives back: $1 from every purchase to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation

Acadiana Coffee

Rooted in the Bayou

Honoring Cajun French Heritage

A tribute to Neil and Chip's Cajun French heritage, tracing back to the first eleven French families to settle Nova Scotia and their forced removal during Le Grand Dérangement.

Roasts are named for Cajun folklore and daily life — Rougarou Roast, Cypress Mornings, Feu Follet Blend, Voodoo Ember.

Gives back: Supports La Assemblée de la Louisiane, preserving the Cajun language and culture

IRONFORGE
BRANDS