Westrock Coffee Co. of Little Rock said Tuesday that it has acquired Bixby Roasting Co. of Los Angeles, a specialty-grade roaster that Westrock called a leader in the “emerging influencer-led brand space.”
The terms of the deal, which includes Bixby’s roasting facility in Los Angeles, were not disclosed.
Westrock said Bixby co-founders Miles Fisher and Remington Hotchkiss will join the Westrock’s senior management team as senior vice president of sales and vice president of sales, respectively. Fisher is also a singer and actor known for his impersonations of Tom Cruise.
“We are delighted to welcome Miles and Remington to the Westrock Coffee team, their collective insight in sales, product development, and operational execution will be invaluable to our expanding list of premium customers,” Scott Ford, CEO and co-founder of Westrock Coffee, said in a news release.
The publicly traded coffee, tea and extracts company (Nasdaq: WEST) said the acquisition will continue to expand its omnichannel product marketing and development resources “as it capitalizes on shifting consumer consumption trends.”
“The emergence of influencer-led brands has created a new sales channel in the beverage business, and Bixby is at the forefront of its development,” Westrock Executive Vice President of Sales Elizabeth McLaughlin said. “Miles and Remington bring a depth of knowledge on these emerging channels that we are adding to the Westrock Coffee portfolio, including the co-creation of new influencer brands that are particularly appealing to young consumers.”
Westrock, which went public last year through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company, touts itself as a leading North American private brand provider of custom coffee, tea, flavors, extracts and ingredients to retailers and those in the food service and hospitality industries. The company says it is the No. 1 private-label coffee and tea provider to U.S. restaurants by volume, and the No. 2 extract provider in ready-to-drink coffee.
In January, it announced plans to build a $70 million, 530,000-SF distribution center in Conway, a little more than 2 miles away from its new manufacturing facility there.
Founded in 2017, Bixby offers same-day coffee roasting and shipping direct to consumers.
“Scott and his team continue to grow with their impressive customer base and look to serve their customers not only through traditional private brand offerings but also through the creation of products for specific customer segments and influencer-based brands,” Fisher said in a news release. “With the resources and momentum that Westrock Coffee brings, we are ready to get to work and fuel the product development and e-commerce offerings of the Company.”
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