Westrock Coffee Opens Massive Pod Factory in Arkansas

Westrock Coffee Company press release photo.

Central Arkansas-based Westrock Coffee Company just expanded its manufacturing footprint with the opening of a 525,000-square-foot facility in Conway devoted to coffee pod production. 

With 130,000 square feet dedicated to manufacturing and the remainder dedicated to fulfillment and distribution, the new plant is designed to meet growing demand in the pod category, including existing clients who are “some of the largest retail and coffee brands in North America,” according to the company. 

“The single-serve category is evolving rapidly, and we are scaling our operations to meet our customers’ needs,” Westrock Coffee COO Will Ford said in an announcement of the opening. “This expansive new facility significantly enhances our capabilities in the U.S. market, and we are excited about the opportunities it will create for our existing and potential customers, employees, and the local community here in central Arkansas.”

Citing data previously published by market research firm Global Market Insights, Westrock said the global coffee pod market was valued at $35.3 billion in 2024, and is estimated to reach $71.2 billion by 2034, primarily driven by consumer demand for convenience. 

Although some research has shown that single-serve coffee pods can reduce coffee waste through precise portioning, coffee pods have also been a target among environmental groups for their single-use, disposable nature with a reliance on plastics and bulky packaging.

In its announcement today, Westrock did not make any claims regarding the sustainability or environmental implications of the new factory or its products. 

The publicly traded company said the factory has the capacity to produce “millions of pods” on a daily basis. 

The opening follows last year’s opening of Westrock’s coffee roasting and ready-to-drink (RTD) beverage factory, which spans 570,000 square feet on Westrock’s industrial campus in Conway, north of Little Rock. 

Founded by Scott Ford and his father Joe Ford in 2009, Westrock Coffee first started roasting in Little Rock in 2010. The company acquired North Carolina’s S&D Coffee & Tea for $405 million just prior to the pandemic shutdowns in 2020. The company went public in August 2022, and is currently listed on the NASDAQ exchange.

Comments? Questions? News to share? Contact DCN’s editors here. For all the latest coffee industry news, subscribe to the DCN newsletter.