Westrock Coffee opens roast to RTD manufacturing facility
From left: Will Ford, group president of operations; Joe T. Ford, co-founder and chairman; Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Scott Ford, co-founder and CEO of Westrock Coffee. Image: Westrock Coffee
Westrock Coffee Company, which specialises in innovative beverage solutions, has launched the largest roast to ready-to-drink manufacturing facility in North America. Located in Conway, Arkansas, US, the 570,000-square-foot facility represents a US $315 million investment in manufacturing capability and includes a comprehensive beverage development laboratory.
Scott Ford, co-founder and CEO of Westrock Coffee, raised an RTD can produced by Westrock Coffee to officially toast the grand opening of the company’s ready-to-drink facility in Conway, Arkansas. From left, he is pictured with Will Ford, group president of operations; Joe T Ford, co-founder and chairman; and Arkansas Gov Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
“The opening of the Conway facility marks a critical milestone for Westrock Coffee,” said Scott Ford. “In line with our commitment as a world leader in beverage innovation, today we launch the largest integrated beverage facility of its kind. This uniquely positions us as a leading force in beverage production across any channel and beverage format. Moreover, this facility extends our commitment to sustainability and responsible sourcing for our customers, farmer partners, and the communities we serve.”
Westrock Coffee’s Conway facility is built on the latest production capabilities, robotics and end-to-end automation for seamless manufacturing from green coffee receiving through roast and grind, extraction, and all the way through to bottling and packaging. This comprehensive approach, coupled with a unique future-ready fully integrated design, allows Westrock Coffee to quickly scale to meet growing industry demands while upholding the high quality standards.
Additionally, a new 530,000-square-foot warehousing and distribution center, located just two miles away, ensures efficient product distribution, reduces transportation times, and maintains a smooth and transparent flow of materials and finished goods.
“The Ford family’s commitment to Arkansas is legendary, and today’s opening is just the latest in the long string of investments and jobs they’ve created for our state,” said Governor Sanders. “Westrock Coffee is quickly becoming one of Arkansas’ fastest-growing companies – a testament to the business savvy and hard work of the people behind it.”
Westrock Coffee offers a comprehensive range of services, from coffee bean sourcing to final product distribution, demonstrating its commitment to quality and providing customers with a complete set of solutions. An onsite Research and Development lab models full-scale operations, ensuring a seamless transition from concept to commercial production.
