It’s official. Kerry has opened its state-of-the-art coffee extraction facility in Bethlehem. It’s the company’s first manufacturing site in the state.
Kerry marked the opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that brought together customers, industry partners, government representatives, and community leaders for guided facility tours and product tastings.
The site is dedicated to developing natural coffee taste and flavor profiles using advanced extraction and concentration technologies to create premium coffee solutions.
Products will include ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee beverages. alcoholic drinks, ice cream and sauces.
The facility increases Kerry’s overall coffee extraction capabilities significantly, with independent hot and cold brew extraction lines designed to scale as demand grows.
“The opening of our Bethlehem facility is an important milestone for our coffee business in North America,” said John Cahalane, president & CEO of Kerry North America. “It brings additional capacity and advanced processing capabilities closer to customers on the East Coast, helping them respond quickly to changing consumer preferences across hot and cold coffee. Just as importantly, it gives us greater flexibility to develop high-quality coffee experiences while identifying opportunities to reduce supply chain complexity and environmental impact.”
The Bethlehem facility opens as U.S. demand for premium coffee continues to grow, the company said in a release.
According to new data from the National Coffee Association, 48% of American adults drank specialty coffee in the past day, outpacing traditional coffee (39%), and setting a record high.
The Bethlehem facility will use natural, sustainably sourced ingredients aligned with USDA Organic, Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance and Café Femenino standards that support producer communities and environmental stewardship.