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Brown-Forman To Invest $100 Million in Jack Daniel’s Expansion
August 22, 2013 – Jack Daniel’s and Lynchburg, Tennessee have become synonymous over the years, but the latest plans to expand the Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg could likely cover the cost of buying the entire town. Brown-Forman announced plans today to invest more than $100 million over the next two years to expand production at the distillery. Construction will start this fall, and will include new stills and production equipment, along with additional maturation warehouses and infrastructure to support the operation. The new stills will use the same cave spring water source as the existing still house’s four stills.
In a news release, Master Distiller Jeff Arnett said the project’s goal will be to make the spirit from those new stills identical to the whiskey produced in Lynchburg since Jack Daniel started making whiskey there in 1866.
“The expansion will help Jack Daniel’s continue to bring our distinctive, charcoal-mellowed whiskey to the world and to follow Mr. Jack’s belief when he said, ‘Every day we make it, we’ll make it the best we can.”
The project is expected to create at least 90 new jobs over the next five years.The distillery currently employs around 430 workers in Lynchburg.
State officials praised the expansion move, and The Tennesseean reports work is underway on an economic development incentive package to help support the expansion. Brown-Forman is considering several sites in the Lynchburg area for the new maturation warehouses and stills, and General Manager John Hayes told The Tennesseean that the facilities could be spread out all over Moore County. Brown-Forman already has 78 warehouses in the area, and has been adding three a year to keep up with the demand. Jack Daniel’s sales worldwide rose 9% last year, the 21st consecutive year of gains for the brand.
In June, Brown-Forman announced a similar expansion project for its Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles, Kentucky. The $35 million project will also see additional distilling and maturation capacity added in Versailles.
Links: Jack Daniel’s
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