Westrock Coffee hosted a groundbreaking yesterday for its new state-of-the-art, roasting to ready-to-drink [RTD] facility at 480 Exchange Ave. in Conway. Once fully operational, the 524,000 square foot production facility will be Westrock’s largest, and according to the press release, the largest roasting ready-to-drink operation of its kind.
Company executives including Westrock Coffee CEO and Co-founder, Scott Ford attended the event as well as Charles Nabholz, Chairman Emeritus of Nabholz Construction, a multi-service contractor leading the refurbishments. Nabholz Construction is headquartered in Conway.
“It is particularly meaningful to me to have the nation’s largest roasting to ready-to-drink packaging facility in Conway, my hometown,” Joe T. Ford, Co-founder and Chairman of Westrock Coffee, said. “Starting these upgrades marks a significant milestone in our company’s history to further accomplish our mission.”
The Conway facility will be one of eight global Westrock sites providing coffee, tea, flavors, extracts and ingredients sourced from 35 origins around the world, the release said. The new Conway site will offer ample space for development, production and distribution of its coffee, tea, RTD products that include cans, glass bottles, multi-serve plastic bottles and bag in box beverages.
“Nabholz is proud to partner with Westrock Coffee on this important project that will bring new employment opportunities to the region,” said Charles Nabholz, Chairman Emeritus of Nabholz. “We look forward to the road ahead and bringing this new facility to life.”
Westrock is headquartered in Little Rock. The first roasting facility opened here in 2010. The total investment for the new Conway facility will be $100 million and employ approximately 300 people. It is expected to open at the end of 2023.