Italian coffee roaster illycaffè has entered a multi-year production agreement with U.S.-based Westrock Coffee Company, a move that will significantly expand its locally packaged ready-to-drink products for North America while keeping all roasting in Trieste, Italy, according to reports from Daily Coffee News, ANSA and Comunicaffe.
The deal will allow illycaffè to double the proportion of products destined for the U.S. market that are packaged on-site, primarily in the ready-to-drink (RTD) category, those outlets reported between June 30 and July 3, 2026. While exact product types and manufacturing roles were not disclosed by Westrock, Daily Coffee News noted that the agreement focuses on development and packaging for North America rather than green coffee supply or roasting.
Illycaffè’s coffee roasting will remain entirely at its main production facility in Trieste, Italy, according to Daily Coffee News, ANSA and Comunicaffe. Those outlets also reported that Trieste is undergoing expansion, including increased production of the company’s 250‑gram aluminum tin and the commissioning of a new roasting plant, after the recruitment of approximately 100 new staff in 2025, as cited by ANSA.
The North American RTD coffee segment is experiencing strong growth, particularly among younger consumers, according to Italian outlet Tilancio. In parallel, Daily Coffee News described a broader global trend in which international coffee brands use localized contract manufacturing to reduce shipping costs, environmental footprints and supply chain delays. The illycaffè–Westrock agreement was cited by ANSA and Daily Coffee News as part of a strategy in which illycaffè maintains central quality control through roasting in Trieste while relying on local packaging to respond more quickly to regional demand.
Illycaffè Chief Executive Officer Cristina Scocchia said the United States has delivered double-digit growth for the brand over the past four years. “The United States is a priority market for us, where we have achieved double-digit growth over the last four years,” Scocchia stated, calling the launch of the partnership with Westrock “a key milestone in our growth plan” that will support new products tailored to the local market and improve service levels in North America, according to Daily Coffee News, ANSA, Comunicaffe and Quotidiano.net.
On the U.S. side, Westrock has invested heavily in production infrastructure. Its Conway, Arkansas facility, opened in 2024, spans 570,000 square feet, cost US$315 million and includes two automated 360‑kilogram‑per‑batch Scolari roasters, beverage tanks, packaging lines and a development lab, according to Daily Coffee News. In 2025, an adjacent 525,000‑square‑foot facility dedicated to single‑serve coffee pod production came online at the same site, the outlet reported.
A Westrock spokesperson told Daily Coffee News that the company is “proud to be a trusted partner to many of the world’s most iconic brands” and “excited to continue growing our roster of global partners on our platform, including as a ready-to-drink (RTD) partner, as we expand our footprint across Europe and Asia,” adding that Westrock is “excited to welcome Illycaffè as the newest member of our platform.”
Daily Coffee News reported that Westrock declined to publicly disclose the precise product formats or its specific manufacturing roles under the agreement. At the same time, the outlet linked the partnership to what it described as a growing pattern of international brands centralizing roasting while shifting more packaging and product development to regional hubs in key markets such as North America.
