Home Business Wild Turkey Opens $43 Million Packaging Facility
Wild Turkey Opens $43 Million Packaging Facility
The New Wild Turkey Distillery Building opened in 2011, seen in a picture from 2012.
Lexington, KY – Wild Turkey Distillery opened its new 145,000-square-foot packaging facility on the company's Lawrenceburg site Tuesday morning.
The packaging facility is part of a more than $100 million overall investment the company has made in facility upgrades during a three-year time span. First announced in 2012, the new packaging site will allow Wild Turkey to have full control of its entire production, from distilling to aging and bottling, all in Lawrenceburg, where the brand began in the 1800s. The expansion creates up to 62 new jobs and results in a $43 million investment.
Since purchasing the Wild Turkey brand in 2009, Gruppo Campari has made significant financial commitments to the distillery's operations, surpassing more than $100 million in investments. In 2011, the company unveiled a $50 million expansion at the distillery, more than doubling the plant's production capabilities. This was coupled with the opening of multiple new barrel warehouses over the past several years. In 2014, Wild Turkey will open a new visitors center.
"After a seven-year absence, we are pleased to bring packaging capabilities back to the Wild Turkey Distillery for two of Gruppo Campari's biggest and fastest growing brands," said Bob Kunze-Concewitz, CEO of Gruppo Campari. "By owning the full production process for all of our Wild Turkey brands, we can be more nimble in meeting the growing worldwide demand for not only Wild Turkey, but also SKYY Vodka."
The Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority preliminarily approved the packaging facility project for tax incentives up to $2 million through the Kentucky Business Investment program and up to $350,000 in Kentucky sales tax refunds through the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act.
"Today's announcement is further proof that the Bourbon revolution is real and ready for a spirited future," said Eric Gregory, president of the Kentucky Distillers' Association. "Our legendary distilleries are posting landmark production levels, investing millions in new facilities and experiencing double-digit growth in sales. Kentucky is the one, true and authentic home for Bourbon, and we're proud of the growing global success of our iconic distilleries and time-honored craft."
Demand for Wild Turkey at its highest level in history, according to the company. The Wild Turkey brand currently sells more than one million nine-liter cases worldwide, with growth in the U.S., Australia, Canada, and Japan. Wild Turkey is the sixth largest global Bourbon brand.
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