Coffee supplier and service provider Westrock Coffee Co. announced Wednesday the expansion of its North Little Rock roasting and packaging plant.
The company said the project is part of a $50 million financing package that will meet growing customer demand and emerging customer needs. The package will also fund product manufacturing for Walmart Inc. of Bentonville under the retailer’s Great Value and Sam’s Club Member’s Mark brands.
“This is an exciting time for Westrock Coffee and marks a huge milestone for the company, our employees, community, and customers who will all benefit from the opportunities this expansion presents,” Scott Ford, co-founder and CEO, said in a news release. “We are experiencing unprecedented customer growth that requires our physical plant expansion and increased production capacity. This expansion will add more than 60 full-time employees, bringing our total Arkansas-based employees to more than 130 and our global employees to approximately 400.”
At the North Little Rock facility, Westrock roasts, grinds, packages and delivers branded and private-label coffee in bags, fractional packs and single serve cups to customers in retail, hospitality and other distribution channels in the U.S., Europe and Asia.
The expansion will add 36,000 SF to the 52,000-SF plant. Work on the project began in December and scheduled to wrap up next month, a company spokesman told Arkansas Business.
The company said the expansion was helped by support from the governor’s office, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, Pulaski County, North Little Rock Mayor Joe Smith and First Security Bank of Searcy.
Westrock qualified for two AEDC incentives: “Create Rebate,” an annual cash rebate based on the number of jobs; and “Tax Back,” which reimburses the company for sales taxes it pays on building materials, machinery and equipment associated with the project.
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