LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The coffee business in central Arkansas continues to grow.

Westrock Coffee, the Little Rock-headquartered distributor of coffee, tea, flavors, extracts and ready-to-drink products with an international footprint, announced expansion plans on Tuesday.

A Westrock spokesperson said the company was acquiring Bixby Roasting Company of Los Angeles, referring to the company as “a specialty-grade roaster that is a leader in the emerging influencer-led brand space.”

The acquisition includes Bixby’s Los Angeles roasting facilities. Its co-founders Miles Fisher and Remington Hotchkiss will join Westrock’s senior management team as senior vice president of sales and vice president of sales, respectively.

Fisher and Hotchkiss founded Bixby in 2017.

Scott Ford, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Westrock Coffee indicated the acquisition was part of the company’s growth strategy.

“We are delighted to welcome Miles and Remington to the Westrock Coffee team,” Ford said. “Their collective insight in sales, product development, and operational execution will be invaluable to our expanding list of premium customers.”

Terms of the acquisition were not released.

Westrock announced on Jan. 31 a 530,000-square-foot expansion in Conway for a distribution center. In 2021 it purchased a 524,000-square-foot facility in that city for production.