The $80m investment will allow the site to produce more than 25 million cases of alcohol ready-to-drink beverages per year: including Smirnoff seltzers and newly launches spirits-based RTD cocktails from Crown Royal and Ketel one Botanicals.
Sitting on a 225,000 square-foot property in Plainfield, Illinois, the new facility will include a 500 cans per minute (CPM) line and a 1,200 CPM line, both of which are expected to be up and running by this summer.
“As the RTD category continues to grow rapidly in the US, this expansion is very exciting as it will support our plans to meet increased consumer demand in line with emerging trends for convenient formats that are ideal for casual and at-home occasions,” said Debra Crew, President, Diageo North America. “The new operation will supplement our existing RTD production across North America and strengthen our path to continue building our RTD offering.”
Diageo already has bottling and warehouse operations in Plainfield, and the new site will add around 50 full-time jobs to Diageo’s existing 600 employees there.
“The strategic location of the new site, near our warehouse and Plainfield bottling operation, will allow Diageo to create synergies and the flexibility to expand and carry other market-leading brands in the future,” said Perry Jones, President, North America Supply for Diageo.
Diageo saw RTDs grow 13% worldwide in its 2021 interim results: with strongest growth in North America and Australia.