CONWAY, Ark. – The coffee business is getting bigger in Conway.

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.

The company has reached an agreement with Tempus Realty Partners of Little Rock to build a 530,000-square-foot distribution center on a 30-acre Conway site just south of Interstate 40.

Construction is planned to be completed by the end of 2023. The center will be fully occupied by Westrock, which has its manufacturing facility roughly 2.2 miles from the distribution center’s planned location.

“We are thrilled to announce the construction of our state-of-the-art distribution center, which will allow us to more efficiently and effectively serve our customers with our innovative beverage solutions,” Joe T. Ford, co-founder and chairman of Westrock Coffee, said.

The manufacturing plant was announced in December 2021, with plans for 250 jobs. Representatives for the company said they did not have any word on jobs for the new distribution facility.

Westrock group president – operations Will Ford said the center marks a commitment to Conway and its business.

“Westrock Coffee continues to invest in our operations, and the announcement of this new distribution center is further proof of our commitment to expand our business,” he said. “With this distribution center, we are truly excited to further cement Westrock Coffee’s connection to the Conway community.”

Conway Development Corporation had owned the site where the Westrock expansion is taking place.

“We were happy to work with Westrock and Tempus on this project. We also appreciate the investment from the City of Conway on new transportation improvements that helped make the project a reality,” Conway Development Corporation president & CEO Brad Lacy said.

A Westrock spokesperson said the company is the number-one supplier of private-label tea and coffee to United States restaurants and the number-two extract supplier of ready-to-drink coffee. The company began by partnering with independent coffee farmers in East Africa.