Westrock Coffee says it has entered a new phase where its massive ready-to-drink and single-serve investment is now throwing off cash, after reporting record quarterly adjusted EBITDA of US$21.3 million and positive free cash flow in the second quarter of 2026. The results cap a three-year build-out of what the company describes as the world’s largest roast-to-RTD manufacturing facility in Conway, Arkansas.
According to Westrock Coffee Company, Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA rose 38.9% from US$15.3 million in the prior-year quarter to US$21.3 million in Q2 2026, marking the fifth consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth. Net sales for the period increased 8.8% to US$305.7 million, while Global Coffee Report noted that net loss narrowed to US$13.7 million from US$21.6 million a year earlier.
In a summary of the earnings call, Transcript Daily reported that Q2 2026 represented a record quarterly adjusted EBITDA for the group and its fifth straight quarter of sequential deleveraging. The same coverage highlighted that the first half of 2026 ended nearly 10% ahead of Westrock’s internal EBITDA plan, with management attributing the outperformance in part to customers moving product ahead of schedule and newer projects scaling beyond initial expectations.
Global Coffee Report linked the inflection point to the completion of Westrock’s commercial facility in Conway, Arkansas, where all five production lines are now operating. The publication reported that capital expenditure dropped to US$6.5 million in Q2 2026 from US$20.5 million a year earlier, more than an 80% decline, after the company spent about US$160 million in 2024 ramping up the new site.
World Coffee Portal reported that Westrock has invested approximately US$360 million in new RTD and single-serve facilities, including the 524,000-square-foot Conway complex. The same report stated that this new capacity is supporting revenue growth, narrowing losses, and a stronger pipeline of brand partners, and that the company generated US$20.2 million of free cash flow in the second quarter, turning free-cash-flow positive for the first half of 2026 one quarter ahead of its original schedule.
Commenting on the Q2 results, CEO and co-founder Scott T. Ford said in the company’s official release that “the second quarter was another strong quarter for Westrock Coffee,” noting it was the fifth consecutive quarter of year-over-year Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA growth and that the business had “turned free cash flow positive ahead of our anticipated schedule.” Speaking separately to World Coffee Portal, Ford added: “The platform we spent the last three years building no longer requires capital. Rather, it is a generator of cash.”
Global Coffee Report stated that Westrock’s Beverage Solutions segment, which includes its RTD and single-serve activities, increased net sales 16.8% to US$243.9 million in Q2 2026. The same article said the company is now focused on eliminating remaining Conway project costs, improving fixed-cost absorption through higher production volumes, and extending the maturities of its debt.
World Coffee Portal reported that Chief Financial Officer Chris Pledger has set priorities of selling the remaining available capacity, managing customer mix, and improving operations across Westrock’s plants. Transcript Daily noted that Ford told analysts the company does not plan to rush into building another major facility, and instead intends to prioritise margin improvement and shareholder value creation while selectively considering additional format lines that leverage its existing infrastructure.
In its August 6 statement, Westrock, which trades on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the ticker WEST, reaffirmed its 2026 Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA guidance of US$90.0 million to US$100.0 million, originally issued on 10 March 2026. The company also reiterated risk factors including tariffs or trade restrictions, conflicts in Europe, the Middle East and Latin America, and potential disruption to supplies of key raw materials such as green coffee and tea.
