Direct delivery has helped to boost Farmer Bros quarterly sales | Photo credit: Farmer Bros

Farmer Bros has signalled a recovery following 18 months of Covid-19 disruption. Full year net sales for the company’s fiscal 2021 decreased by more than a fifth to $397.8m (£287m) compared to the same period last year, the company said.  
 

However, the US coffee and foodservice supplier reported fourth-quarter sales growth of 26.9% to $102.9m (£74.3m) compared to the same period in 2020. 
 

Farmer Bros credited key strategic initiatives which include doubling production and packaging capacity at its Northlake, Texas site, opening a new distribution facility in California, and deploying handheld technology on DSD routes. 
 

“We’re very pleased with the continued progress we made during our fourth fiscal quarter, which builds on the work we achieved throughout the year and positions us well heading into the new fiscal year,” said Deverl Maserang, CEO, Farmer Bros. 
 

“Our optimisation strategies have led to solid efficiencies that we’re seeing increasingly materialise as volumes have steadily improved throughout the quarter. As a result, we posted our strongest quarterly gross margin since the onset of the pandemic, and we expect these efficiencies to strengthen as volumes continue to recover,” added Maserang. 
 

US-based Farmer Brothers is a national coffee roaster, wholesaler and distributor of coffee, tea and culinary products. The company delivers beverage planning services to coffee and food service operators, including restaurants, hotels, offices, convenience stores, healthcare facilities, as well as private brand retailers.