Integrated Robotic Box Assembly and Packing System Expands Single Serve Production
Miami, FL, April 10, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CLR Roasters, a wholly owned subsidiary of Youngevity International, Inc. (NASDAQ: YGYI) and makers of Café La Rica Espresso, "The Official Cafecito of the Miami Marlins," today announced it has completed plant automation on its single serve production line by adding a fully automatic and versatile robotic box assembly and packaging system. This new modern technology greatly expands CLR Roasters’ production capacity and is expected to provide significant efficiency gains and cost benefits for the company’s single serve production line. The Italian designed and manufactured, fully automatic robotic system allows CLR Roasters to automatically produce cartons and pack out single serve cups in multiple configurations including 8, 10, 12,18 and 24 count boxes and additionally is able to pack up to 80 count bulk pack configurations.
"We are excited about adding robotic automation to our plant,” said Ernesto Aguila, President of CLR Roasters. “The efficiency gains that we expect to capture within our single serve cup production combined with our field to cup capabilities should greatly improve our operating margins and provide us the opportunity to compete for single serve cup business with any roaster in our space.”
CLR Roasters supports Youngevity’s business strategy of offering brands and products encompassing the six top-selling retail categories - in this case, the food and beverage category, which includes coffee. In an industry where many coffee companies buy coffee beans or finished coffee from brokers, CLR Roasters is unique in that it enables Youngevity to grow, produce, package and sell its own organic, fair trade and sustainable certified coffee. CLR Roasters operates its plantation in Nicaragua and maintains strict quality control standards throughout the life of each coffee bean until it becomes that cup of coffee on the table - the commitment is from “field to cup."
Acquired in 2011, CLR is a mid-sized coffee roaster division that operates a 50,000 sq. ft roasting plant and distribution facility. CLR Roasters produces gourmet coffees under its own boutique brands, private label brands, and for Youngevity under JavaFit® and Be the Change Coffee. One hundred percent of the profits from Youngevity Be the Change Coffee support operations for the Youngevity Be The Change Foundation. CLR Roasters maintains the following certifications: USDA Organic, Direct Trade, Fair Trade, Café de Colombia (sustainability focused), Rain Forest Certified and OU Kosher. The division has obtained its Safe Quality Food (SQF level) two Certification.
About CLR Roasters
Youngevity’s coffee manufacturing division, CLR Roasters, was established in 2003 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary. CLR Roasters is a mid-sized coffee roaster that produces gourmet coffees under its own boutique brands - Café La Rica®, Josie's Java House®, and Javalution®; manufactures a variety of private labels for major national chains; and for the direct selling channel under Youngevity International. The company remains one of the largest suppliers in North America to the cruise line industry. CLR was the first entrant into the fortified coffee niche with its Youngevity JavaFit® brand. In May 2014, CLR acquired a coffee plantation and processing facility in Nicaragua, allowing the entity to control coffee production and quality – from field to cup.
About Youngevity International, Inc.
Youngevity International, Inc. (NASDAQ: YGYI), is a leading omni-direct lifestyle company - offering a hybrid of the direct selling business model, that also offers e-commerce and the power of social selling. Assembling a virtual Main Street of products and services under one corporate entity, Youngevity offers proven products from the six top-selling retail categories: health/nutrition, home/family, food/beverage (including coffee), spa/beauty, apparel/jewelry, as well as innovative services. The Company was formed during the summer 2011 merger of Youngevity Essential Life Sciences with Javalution® Coffee Company (now part of the company's food and beverage division). The resulting company became Youngevity International, Inc. in July 2013. For investor information, please visit YGYI.com. For general information on products and services, please visit us at youngevity.com. Keep up with our activities by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter.
Safe Harbor Statement
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "should," "potential," "continue," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," and similar expressions, and includes statements regarding the expected significant efficiency gains and cost benefits for CLR Roaster’s single serve production line to be derived from its plant automation and the expected improvement to operating margins and the opportunity to compete for single serve cup business with any roaster in CLR Roaster’s space. These forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations and assumptions from those set forth or implied by any forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include among others, our ability to derive the benefits anticipated from the plant automation, our ability to continue our international growth, our ability to continue to maintain compliance with the NASDAQ requirements, the acceptance of the omni-direct approach by our customers, our ability to expand our distribution, our ability to add additional products (whether developed internally or through acquisitions), our ability to continue our financial performance, and the other factors discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 and our subsequent filings with the SEC, including subsequent periodic reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K. The information in this release is provided only as of the date of this release, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release on account of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.