In 2004, Alltel’s former CEO, Scott Ford, (pictured below) visited Rwanda with his family. He met with President Paul Kagame and the two connected over a shared belief that profit-driven business is a vital part of a country’s social and economic growth. Scott knew that he could use his experience as an American business leader to contribute to Rwanda’s ongoing recovery from the 1994 genocide.
In 2009, Scott formed Rwanda Trading Company as a for-profit, Rwandan coffee exporter. Coffee affects more Rwandans’ lives than any other export. More than 500,000 farmers produce the country’s coffee crop, and many others help process and prepare the commodity for export. By creating a thriving, competitive coffee business, Rwanda Trading Company is changing the lives of the families that rely on coffee as a source of income.
Also in 2009, Scott purchased a Central Arkansas coffee roaster called Coffee Legends. He renamed the business Westrock Coffee and purchased and renovated a 56,000 square foot roasting facility in North Little Rock, Arkansas.
