Westrock Coffee opens roast to ready-to-drink manufacturing facility in Conway, Arkansas
Westrock Coffee Co. opened what it calls “the largest roast to ready-to-drink manufacturing facility in North America,” Located in Conway, Arkansas, the 570,000-square-foot facility includes a beverage development laboratory. Westrock is investing $315 million to expand its manufacturing capabilities.
“The opening of the Conway facility marks a critical milestone for Westrock Coffee,” said Scott Ford, CEO and co-founder of Westrock Coffee. “Today we launch the largest integrated beverage facility of its kind, [which] uniquely positions us as a leading force in beverage production across any channel and beverage format.”
The latest production capabilities, robotics and end-to-end automation were incorporated into the facility to help ensure seamless manufacturing from green coffee receiving, roast and grind, extraction, bottling and packaging. Additionally, a new 530,000-square-foot warehousing and distribution center located two miles away helps ensure efficient product distribution. The upgraded distribution center is expected to reduce transportation times and optimize the 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.”