Diageo opens $415m Alabama site
Smirnoff owner Diageo has opened its new US$415 million manufacturing and warehousing facility in Alabama, US, creating approximately 100 jobs.
In February 2025, the UK-based drinks giant revealed plans to open the Diageo Montgomery site with the aim of being operational in the second half of that year.
Fourteen months later, Diageo has officially opened the 360,000-square-foot facility, which has been strategically located in Montgomery to serve the company’s southern US region.
With a multi-million-case capacity, the site will support Diageo’s supply chain footprint in North America.
“The opening of Diageo Montgomery marks an important step forward in building the agile, future‑ready supply network that our business demands. By placing this facility at the heart of the southern region, we’re not only strengthening our connection to customers, but also setting a new standard for efficient, sustainable manufacturing,” said Marsha McIntosh, president of North America supply at Diageo.
“This site reflects our long‑term commitment to accelerating innovation, ensuring our iconic brands reach consumers with greater speed and significantly lower environmental impact, and investing in local communities.”
The plant has also been built with sustainability and efficiency in mind. New features include five on-site automated guided vehicles, advanced high-speed bottling lines, electric boilers for sanitation and bottle-filling operations, and water and energy metering technology with real-time data.
In addition, the Montgomery site is located within easy access to local transport, including road and rail.
The construction phase of the site has supported approximately 750 jobs.
The company’s portfolio includes Bulleit Bourbon, Johnnie Walker whisky, Smirnoff Vodka, Tequila brands Don Julio and Casamigos, and Captain Morgan rum.
Diageo recently reported a sales drop of 6.8% in its biggest market, North America, for the last six months of 2025.
The group’s US spirits sales decreased by 9.3% after facing ‘competitive pressure and further category softness’, mainly in Tequila.
In February, new Diageo CEO Sir Dave Lewis highlighted an opportunity to tap into the lower end of the market, where the company is “significantly underrepresented”.
The opening of the US site comes two months after Diageo shut its Crown Royal bottling facility in Amherstburg, Ontario.
Diageo agreed to pay nearly CA$23m (US$16.8m) to keep Crown Royal in Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) stores, after months of threats from premier Doug Ford who vowed to ban the Canadian whisky over the plant closure.
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