Arkansas Receives Deal of the Year Impact Award for Westrock Coffee Project
January 22, 2024Little Rock, Ark. (Jan. 22, 2024) – Arkansas has been spotlighted for one of its 2023 projects by a leading economic development publication.
Industry publication Business Facilities has awarded Arkansas with a 2023 Deal of the Year Impact Award in the Social Impact category in recognition of its Westrock Coffee announcement. The Deal of the Year Impact Awards are meant to “recognize project investments that will have significant impact in their new or expanded locations, focusing on a specific aspect of the project,” according to Business Facilities.
“Thank you to Business Facilities for recognizing the Westrock Coffee announcement as one of its 2023 Deal of the Year Impact Award winners,” said Clint O’Neal, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. “This project truly impacts lives for the better, and we are proud to see a great Arkansas company like Westrock Coffee and a great Arkansas community like Conway be recognized nationally for this economic development announcement.”
Westrock Coffee announced its plans to increase its investment in Arkansas in June 2023. The company announced that it would be expanding its development, production, packaging, and distribution facility in Conway, Arkansas. As part of this expansion, the company will be investing more than $300 million and creating 600 new jobs in Central Arkansas.
Westrock Coffee co-founder and CEO Scott T. Ford stated that the investment signaled the company’s commitment to the local community.
“We could not be more excited to headquarter our state-of-the-art extracts and ready-to-drink facility in Conway and Central Arkansas,” said Scott T. Ford, CEO and Co-founder of Westrock Coffee. “This decision represents our unwavering commitment to our employees, the community, and our customers. By expanding our jobs and packaging facility, we are strengthening our foundation for growth and reinforcing our dedication to delivering quality beverage solutions. We are grateful for the support of the Governor’s office, Arkansas Economic Development Commission, and the community of Conway for its continued support.”
This was the second announcement that Westrock Coffee has made in recent years.
In December 2021, the company announced the acquisition of its facility in Conway, which it stated would be the nation’s largest roasting to ready-to-drink packaging facility. This facility is intended to handle the development, production, and distribution of Westrock Coffee’s coffee, tea, and ready-to-drink (RTD) products.
The Deal of the Year Impact Award will be highlighted in the January/February 2024 edition of Business Facilities magazine.
