Farmer Brothers Director of Sustainability Joins International Society of Sustainability Professionals Board

TORRANCE, Calif., Aug. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Sarah Beaubien, Director of Sustainability for Farmer Bros Co. ("Farmer Brothers") FARM, has joined the Board of Directors of the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP), furthering Farmer Brothers' ongoing commitment to sustainability, leadership and collaboration. The ISSP is a member-driven association committed to moving the profession of sustainability forward through building strong networks and communities of practice and is the world's leading association for sustainability professionals.

"The talent and expertise that our newest Board Members bring to the group is simply tremendous," said Maureen Hart, ISSP's Executive Director. "Combined with the energy and enthusiasm that our newly elected officers bring to our leadership team, I'm very excited about our prospects for taking ISSP to the next level, as we all work together to make sustainability standard practice worldwide."

"Farmer Brothers is continually working towards making an impact on the health of our communities and our planet, so that we can continue to enjoy outstanding coffee for generations to come," said Beaubien. "The ISSP is yet another great resource that will help our Farmer Brothers team make these advances and reach our goals in the years to come."   

During Beaubien's tenure as Director of Sustainability, Farmer Brothers has made significant progress on a number of key sustainability initiatives, such as generating zero landfill-bound waste by 2015 and expanding its involvement in numerous community and environmental initiatives around the globe, including World Coffee Research and the Coffeelands Food Security Coalition. In 2014, Farmer Brothers was recognized as one of McDonald's "2014 Best of Sustainable Supply" winners for suppliers who have achieved significant sustainability results by identifying opportunities and applying sustainable solutions in diverse places across the world, and the company also received membership into the Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Leadership Club for the second year in a row.

"The first principle of business at Farmer Brothers is to 'cherish the act of service.' For over 100 years, we've built our company by living this value," said Mike Keown, Farmer Brothers' President and CEO. "As we look toward the future, we know that the individuals who make up our company are what will bring this philosophy to every person in our supply chain and every community that we touch. We are both proud of Sarah Beaubien's participation in the ISSP and excited to see how her work with the organization will inform and expand our own sustainability work."

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, Oregon. Farmer Brothers is committed to social, economic and environmental sustainability.

Headquartered in Torrance, California, 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.