INDUSTRY: Food and Beverage + Consumer Goods
Services: Site Selection
Location: Shelby County, Kentucky
Capital Investment
New Jobs
Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B and Buchanan’s whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness. With over 200 brands and sales in more than 180 countries, Diageo is driven to be the world’s best brand builder, leading the way in premium drinks. Diageo was established in 1997 and is headquartered in London, United Kingdom.
Global Location Strategies was commissioned by Diageo, an English alcoholic beverage company, to select a location for its new Bulleit Bourbon whiskey distillery in the United States. At the time of the project, Bulleit, founded in 1987, was one of the fastest-growing whiskeys in America. The project required a location along Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail to capitalize on the area’s robust tourism, distilling heritage, rural charm, and inviting scenic drives.
Diageo supplied the GLS team with three candidate sites near Lawrenceburg, Kentucky to conduct due diligence activities on. To complete the due diligence, GLS utilized a three-phased approach that spanned nine weeks. The project kicked off with the identification of the primary site requirements necessary for the final location. During the site evaluations, the team worked to identify and fill any gaps in the available site information through the issuance of RFIs and completion of virtual site tours. After presenting their preliminary report, GLS took Diageo’s team on in-person site visits. GLS then used the detailed information gathered to refine their findings and prepare recommendations in their final due diligence report.
In 2014, Diageo announced the selection of Shelby County, Kentucky for its $115 million new Bulleit Bourbon distillery. The distillery will churn out up to 750,000 9-liter cases per year.
In 2017, Diageo celebrated Bulleit’s 30th anniversary with the opening of its new, state-of-the-art distillery. The facility was constructed with a focus on sustainable practices including natural habitat protection, water conservation and local ingredient sourcing.
In 2020, Bulleit received the highly commended award for Sustainable Distillery of the Year at the Icons of Whisky Awards from Whisky Magazine.
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