FRANKFORT, Ky. — Louisville-based Sazerac, the distilling company known for its Buffalo Trace and Fireball brands, is investing $600 million in a Laurel County expansion, Gov. Andy Beshear announced Wednesday.
It's set to create 50 jobs and marks the largest distilled spirits-related investment in Kentucky's history, Beshear said.
What You Need To Know
- Louisville-based Sazerac Co. expanding in Laurel County with a historic $600 million investment
- The distilling company is known for its popular Buffalo Trace and Fireball brands
- Sazerac will build around 20 barrel warehouses and expand two cooperages in London
- Work on the project is expected to begin in the coming weeks
Specifically, Sazerac will build around 20 barrel warehouses and expand two cooperages in London. Beshear noted the significance of the investment as a sign of Kentucky's signature industry continuing to boom.
“I am so glad to see this job creation in Southeastern Kentucky, as well as the growth of a company that has invested so much in the commonwealth over the past 25 years," Beshear said in a news release. "Thank you to the leaders at Sazerac for further deepening their roots in the Bluegrass State.”
The 72,000-square-foot expansion of Robinson Stave and Cumberland Cooperage, which Sazerac acquired in 2014, aims to increase production capacity for barrels used to store the company’s aging whiskies.
Work on the project is expected to begin in the coming weeks, with the first seven barrel warehouses expected to be completed in the spring of 2025.
To date, Sazerac’s investment in Kentucky has included approximately $1.2 billion invested at Buffalo Trace Distillery, the company’s primary distillery, located in Frankfort. The company’s Kentucky presence also includes Barton 1792 Distillery in Bardstown, The Glenmore Distillery in Owensboro and its headquarters in Jefferson County.
"We are delighted to expand further in Laurel County and appreciate the warm welcome given to us by the local government and the economic development authority,” said Mark Brown, Sazerac president and CEO, said. “We’ve invested in London-Laurel County because we know the residents are hardworking Kentuckians who take pride in their craft."
The commonwealth’s bourbon sector is a nearly $9 billion signature industry in Kentucky, generating more than 22,500 jobs with an annual payroll exceeding $1.23 billion.