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Buffalo Trace opens next-gen distribution centre
Buffalo Trace Distillery has opened a new distribution centre, said to be one of the most technically advanced in the business.
Buffalo Trace has opened a new high tech distribution centre at its Kentucky distillery
The new distribution facility is the result of a $20 million investment in the Kentucky site.
The 83,000 sq ft space uses satellite technology to store and retrieve pallets of finished goods. Buffalo Trace is believed to be the first spirits supplier to use the system, known as automated storage and retrieval (AS/RS).
The AS/RS occupies 46,574 sq ft within the distribution centre and comprises three cranes, three aisles, and a storage system six pallets high. The new facility connects to the existing distribution centre, with the total space now covering 134,840 sq ft.
“We’re pleased our business has grown enough to support the need for this new highly advanced distribution centre,” said Mark Brown, president and chief executive officer, Buffalo Trace Distillery.
“We look forward to being able to serve our customers in a more efficient manner and having the capacity for even further growth in the future.”
This is the third construction project Buffalo Trace has completed this month. The distillery has also opened a 5,500 sq ft expansion of its visitor centre, featuring four tasting bars, and the refurbished Old Taylor House, which dates back to the late 1700s.
The recent developments are part of a wider $71 million investment strategy by Buffalo Trace’s parent company, Sazerac.
The Barton 1792 distillery in Bardstown has added new equipment to improve production capacity, andf another new distribution centre at The Glenmore distillery in Owensboro is due for completion at the end of the year or early 2016.
In addition to Sazerac’s investment, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) has granted tax incentives of around $7.4 million to be split between the company’s three sites.