Not Your Average Joe: Farmer Brothers Iced Coffees Deliver Cold Refreshment and Cool Profits All Day Long

TORRANCE, Calif., April 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Farmer Bros. Co. (NASDAQ: FARM) has introduced a new line of consumer tested (Quick Test/Heakin, 2013), ready-to-drink (RTD) iced coffees to help operators exceed patrons' expectations, encourage repeat purchases, and maximize profits. Foodservice and retail establishments are now able to add consistent, easy to serve, flavorful iced coffee to their menus, crafted to the same standards as Farmer Brothers hot beverages, without the challenges of any significant additional equipment or training.

In foodservice establishments, iced coffee consumption is growing faster than hot coffee and espresso-based beverage consumption (Technomic, 2013) while in retail, iced coffee sales are up almost triple digits in the past year (Nielsen, 2013) as consumers seek out alternatives to other cold beverages like soda. Farmer Brothers' new RTD iced coffee line makes it easier than ever before for operators to take advantage of the profitability and additional traffic that iced coffee can deliver, offering the sweet and refreshing pick me up that customers are looking for, particularly younger demographics and female consumers who are prone to drinking coffee particularly in afternoon day parts. (Datassential, 2013)

"Our new ready-to-drink iced coffees are designed to deliver the higher quality, great tasting cold beverage option that consumers are demanding," says David Pohl, Director of Research & Development at Farmer Brothers. "We use premium Arabica beans, real sugar, and real dairy and that's why we believe our iced coffees have performed so well in taste tests against other leading brands."

As with all Farmer Brothers products, quality is the number one concern, so the Farmer Brothers Research & Development team has invested significant time into ensuring that the new RTD iced coffees – available in Mocha, French Vanilla and Caramel – offer the same rich flavor customers have come to expect from Farmer Brothers coffee.

As consumer demand for iced coffee is expected to continue to trend upward, Farmer Brothers is positioned to support operators and help them take part in the growth of the iced coffee category. With over 100 years of experience providing outstanding coffee and tea products, Farmer Brothers continues to develop new and innovative offerings like the new RTD iced coffee to help its customers succeed. For more information, visit www.FarmerBros.com.

About Farmer Bros. Co.
Farmer Bros. Co., or "Farmer Brothers," is a leading national roaster, manufacturer, wholesaler and distributor of high-quality branded and private label coffees, teas, spices and culinary products to foodservice, convenience stores and grocery retailers. The company operates one of the country's largest, most complete direct-store-delivery (DSD) distribution networks serving national, regional and local accounts. More than 110 branches throughout the contiguous United States help ensure on-time delivery of premium-quality products, equipment support, personal customer service and shared expertise.

Since 1912, Farmer Brothers has consistently demonstrated strong leadership, expertise and innovation in the industry, and company executives hold key positions in such industry organizations as World Coffee Research, Pacific Coast Coffee Association, Coffee Quality Institute, Alliance for Coffee Excellence, the Roasters Guild and International Women's Coffee Alliance, as well as the presidency of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA).

In addition to operating three roasting facilities (including one of the first in the Northwest to achieve LEED^® Silver Certification), six major distribution centers, and branches in every major American market, Farmer Brothers was among the first coffee roasters in the nation to receive SCAA-certification of a state-of-the-art coffee lab.  It also operates Public Domain^®, a nationally recognized specialty coffeehouse in Portland, Ore. Plus, Farmer Brothers is committed to social, economic and environmental sustainability.

Headquartered in Torrance, Calif., Farmer Brothers generated net sales of over $500 million in fiscal 2013 and has approximately 1,800 employees nationwide. The company's primary brands include Farmer Brothers^™, Artisan Collection by Farmer Brothers^™, Superior^®, Metropolitan^™, Cain's^™ and McGarvey^™. For more information, please visit www.FarmerBros.com.

Forward-looking Statements 
Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements." When used in this press release, the words "will," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates" and "believes," and similar expressions and statements that are made in the future tense or refer to future events or developments, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Farmer Bros. Co.