WEST Form 4: William Ford RSU Tax Withholding Leaves 438,683 Shares
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
William A. Ford, Chief Operating Officer of Westrock Coffee Co. (WEST), reported a Form 4 disclosing routine equity activity tied to vested restricted stock units. On 08/29/2025, 13,192 shares of Common Stock were disposed of (withheld) at an effective price of $5.41 to satisfy tax obligations when his RSUs vested. After the withholding, Mr. Ford beneficially owned 438,683 shares directly. The filing also reports 5,000 and 7,200 shares held by immediate family members and 4,200 shares held in a family trust for his children, over which he disclaims beneficial ownership where he lacks pecuniary interest. The Form 4 was signed by an attorney-in-fact on 09/03/2025.
Positive
- Transaction is routine: the 13,192-share disposal was a withholding to satisfy taxes on vested RSUs rather than an open-market sale
- Substantial remaining ownership: Mr. Ford retains 438,683 shares directly after the withholding, indicating continued equity stake
- Clear disclosures: the Form 4 reports indirect holdings by immediate family and a family trust with explicit disclaimers of beneficial ownership
Negative
- None.
Insights
TL;DR: Routine RSU vesting with tax-withholding; not a governance red flag.
The reported disposal of 13,192 shares reflects shares withheld by the issuer to satisfy tax obligations upon vesting of restricted stock units. This is a common administrative step and does not indicate a voluntary sale by the officer. Mr. Ford retains substantial direct ownership (438,683 shares) and related holdings through family members and a trust, with disclaimers of beneficial ownership where appropriate. No unusual timing, related-party transactions, or governance concerns are disclosed in this filing.
TL;DR: Transaction is operational (tax withholding) and has neutral impact on share supply or insider conviction.
The withheld 13,192 shares were surrendered to cover tax liabilities from RSU vesting at an indicated price of $5.41; this reduces Mr. Ford's gross share count but leaves him with 438,683 shares directly beneficially owned. The filing provides clear breakdowns of indirect holdings (5,000; 7,200; 4,200) and includes standard disclaimers. There is no indication of a market-sale intent or material change to insider ownership percentage from this single administrative transaction.
Insider Trade Summary
| Type | Security | Shares | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tax Withholding | COMMON STOCK | 13,192 | $5.41 | $71K |
| holding | COMMON STOCK | -- | -- | -- |
| holding | COMMON STOCK | -- | -- | -- |
| holding | COMMON STOCK | -- | -- | -- |
Footnotes (1)
- These shares were withheld by the Issuer to satisfy the reporting person's tax obligations that arose on August 29, 2025, when restricted stock units belonging to the reporting person vested. Represents shares of the Issuer's common stock, par value $0.01 per share ("Common Stock"), held of record by an immediate family member sharing the same household as Mr. Ford. Mr. Ford disclaims beneficial ownership over all shares of Common Stock held by such person over which he does not have any pecuniary interest, and this report shall not be deemed an admission that Mr. Ford is the beneficial owner of the disclaimed securities for purposes of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or for any other purpose. Represents shares of Common Stock, held of record by a family trust for the benefit of Mr. Ford's children, of which Mr. Ford is the trustee. Mr. Ford disclaims beneficial ownership over all shares of Common Stock held by the trust over which he does not have any pecuniary interest, and this report shall not be deemed an admission that Mr. Ford is the beneficial owner of the disclaimed securities for purposes of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or for any other purpose.
