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Press Release Source: Farmer Bros. Co.

Farmer Bros. Board Names Interim CEO after Roy E. Farmer Unexpectedly Passes Away
Sunday January 9, 11:57 pm ET

TORRANCE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 9, 2005--Farmer Bros. Co. (Nasdaq:FARM) said its Board of Directors elected Guenter W. Berger, the Company's Vice President of Production, as Interim Chief Executive Officer. The Board acted Sunday during a special meeting after Chairman, CEO and President Roy E. Farmer, 52, died unexpectedly on Friday.

Mr. Berger, 67, a 44-year veteran of Farmer Bros., joined the Company soon after he emigrated from Germany. He has held his current title since 1980 and his responsibilities include the Torrance inventory, production, coffee roasting and distribution operations.

Roy E. Farmer in June became the Company's third Board Chairman in 93 years, succeeding his father, Roy F. Farmer, who passed away March 16, 2004. He had been employed by Farmer Bros. Co. for his entire adult life.

"Guenter knows every aspect of our operations better than anyone, has earned loyalty and support from employees and suppliers alike, and has shown himself to be a capable and effective leader during his 24 years as our head of production," said John Merrell, who is among the Board's majority of independent Directors. "We are confident Guenter will maintain our focus on creating shareholder value as well as a stable workplace for the long term."

The Company said it would release additional information as it becomes available.

Farmer Bros. Co. is an institutional coffee roaster that sells a variety of coffee and allied products to the food service industry. The Company's signature trucks and vans bearing the "Consistently Good" logo are seen throughout Farmer Brothers' 28-state service area. Farmer Brothers has paid a dividend for 51 consecutive years, increased the dividend in each of the last seven consecutive years, and its stock price has grown on a split-adjusted basis from $1.80 a share in 1980.
 
 
Contact:
Abernathy MacGregor Group
Jim Lucas / Whitney Hays, 213-630-6550
 

Source: Farmer Bros. Co.

 

The Forum is open to all Farmer Bros. shareholders, whether institutional or individual, and to professionals concerned with their investment decisions.  Its purpose is to provide shareholders with access to information and a free exchange of views on issues relating to their evaluations of alternatives.  As stated in the Forum's Conditions of Participation, participants are expected to make independent use of information obtained through the Forum, subject to the privacy rights of other participants.  It is a Forum rule that participants will not be identified or quoted without their explicit permission.

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