Westrock Coffee Co. of North Little Rock and the P. Allen Smith Cos. of Little Rock announced Monday a partnership to promote their farm-focused brands.
In a news release, the companies said they will promote the people behind crops at Smith's Moss Mountain Farm in Roland and in the countries where Westrock Coffee is grown such as Rwanda and Tanzania.
The goal of the partnership is for the brands to encourage a movement toward sustainably and organically raised products, the companies said.
"P. Allen Smith's whole focus is on community and quality and that's something we think is really important," said Tori Gay, marketing manager for Westrock Coffee. "P. Allen Smith will include us on some of his shows and he'll be pretty much acting as an advocate [for Westrock]."
Smith's company produces three television shows, has a website featuring cooking, garden and lifestyle articles, and runs an online store. According to Mike Mueller, chief marketing officer for Hortus Ltd./P. Allen Smith Cos., some of Westrock's products will soon be for sale in that store.
Mueller said he believes there has been a large movement toward organic and locally-sourced products, led by the millennial age group.
"I think the younger generation in particular, millennials, are very much about local products, organic products and things that are sustainably sourced," Mueller said. "That’s something we’ve noticed on our end so we’re all hoping to really tap into that market."
Westrock Coffee is owned by Joe Ford and Scott Ford, the father-and-son team that built Alltel Corp. of Little Rock. The coffee roasting and packaging company aims to improve the lives of the farmers they partner with by paying them a fair price for their coffee and offering training and support to increase yields.
"Our partnership with Westrock Coffee will raise the awareness of the high quality coffee they produce, as well their important social mission," Smith said in a news release. "Every day Westrock is changing lives in meaningful ways for people in coffee-producing regions. They're improving the living conditions for farmers and workers and bringing their exceptional coffee standards to local communities, allowing us to enjoy a great cup of coffee and help others at the same time."
Gay said the partnership has been in the works since February. The brands previously worked together at some of Smith's events and Mueller said there is a "synergy" between the two companies.
"When it comes to our partnership with P. Allen Smith, we've been so excited because we love is how he interacts and speaks with his fans," Gay said. "The authenticity of his brand and team matches with ours. We’re focused on being transparent and having an authentic mission about why we do what we do."
Also Monday, Westrock Coffee announced a deal to become the official coffee of the Arkansas Razorbacks beginning with the 2016 football season.
As part of the deal, Westrock Coffee will be promoted during games and events for all Razorbacks sports. The promotion includes stadium signage, advertising, sampling and digital marketing.
"The Arkansas Razorbacks are proud to have Westrock Coffee as the official coffee of the Razorbacks," said Chris Freet, the UA's senior associate athletic director. "We felt the company's mission would resonate with our fans, and we appreciate that Westrock as a strong Arkansas-based company."