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Brown-Forman axes more than 600 jobs and closes cooperage
By Lauren BowesJack Daniel’s owner Brown-Forman has reduced its 5,400-strong global workforce by approximately 12% and will close its Louisville-based barrel-making operation by April.

The announcements came as part of a ‘series of strategic initiatives to position the company for continued growth in the dynamic global spirits market’.
The firm stated it would support departing employees with ‘comprehensive transition agreements that include severance, outplacement services, and other benefits’.
Brown-Forman said the reduction would ‘simplify and streamline’ the company’s structure, allowing it to become a ‘more agile and efficient’ organisation. Furthermore, the moves will permit the spirits producer to reinvest in the ‘capabilities, technologies, brands, and people that will drive future growth’.
The Brown-Forman Cooperage, which will close by 25 April, employs around 210 hourly and salaried employees, who will form part of the overall 12% reduction.
The firm said it will source barrels from an external supplier ‘to ensure a steady supply of the same high-quality barrels at a competitive price’.
It expects these actions will deliver US$70 million to US$80m in annualised cost savings, ‘a portion of which is expected to be reinvested to accelerate growth’.
The company will receive more than US$30m in proceeds from the sale of the cooperage’s assets, although aggregate charges for severance and related costs associated with the workforce reduction and cooperage closure will total US$60m-US$70m.
Leadership changes
Brown-Forman has also shaken up its executive leadership team, and consolidated and streamlined its commercial structure.
Jeremy Shepherd is now chief marketing officer, having previously led the company’s USA and Canada commercial division.
Michael Masick has been named president of the Americas, adding the USA and Canada to his remit, which previously covered Mexico, South and Central America. Current Europe president Yiannis Pafilis will add Africa and Asia Pacific to his responsibilities.
Chris Graven has joined the executive leadership team as chief strategy officer, having previously held roles in the firm’s HR, finance, marketing, and commercial organisations in her 20-year tenure.
Lawson Whiting, president and chief executive officer, commented: “In 2025, Brown-Forman celebrates 155 years of delivering ‘Nothing Better in the Market’. We have achieved this impressive milestone in part because of our relentless focus on evolving our strategy, our portfolio, and our organisation to grow and thrive.
“Today’s announcement will ensure we have the structure and teams in place to continue on this path, while also making investments that we believe will facilitate growth for generations to come.
“I want to express my sincere gratitude to our employees, particularly those impacted by these changes, for their dedication and contributions to Brown-Forman.
“We are committed to supporting them through this transition and are confident that these strategic initiatives will ensure the company endures for generations to come.”
The moves come after a disappointing series of financial results for Brown-Forman, which reported flat organic sales for the first six months of fiscal 2025 after the group’s Tequila and Scotch portfolios struggled.
The firm faced controversy last year when it abandoned its corporate diversity, equity and inclusion programmes.
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