Diageo to expand largest bottling plant in US
Diageo plans to expand its largest US manufacturing site after acquiring a plot of land in Illinois for US$10 million.
Diageo is set to expand its largest US manufacturing plantThe UK drinks group purchased the 37-acre area adjacent to its plant in Plainfield, Illinois, to increase production of Smirnoff Vodka.
The land currently houses a 246,000 square foot warehouse, which Diageo will use to store finished case goods from its bottling operations across the street, as well as goods produced at other locations.
“Plainfield is our largest manufacturing site in North America, and this investment gives us the opportunity and flexibility to expand our footprint there,” said Paul Gallagher, president of Diageo Americas Supply.
“We are always looking for ways to optimise our supply chain and when this land became available it made strategic sense to acquire it.”
In 2013, Diageo spent US$120m on enhancing the Plainfield site, which currently employs approximately 600 people.
The news of an additional expansion of the plant follows Diageo’s decision to shut down all bottling operations at its factory in Maryland, which it described as “significantly under-utilised”.
