Diageo North America’s New RTD Production Facility, Illinois, US

Diageo North America, a global leader in alcoholic beverages, is developing a new ready-to-drink (RTD) production facility in Plainfield, Illinois, which will expand the company’s production capacity of RTD products.

Estimated at $80m, the new facility will expand Diageo’s manufacturing footprint in Illinois and allow the company to meet increasing consumer demand for the RTD beverage category, which is growing rapidly in the US.

The RTD production facility was announced in February 2021 and is expected to create 50 full-time jobs upon completion in the third quarter of 2021.

Diageo North America’s new RTD production facility location

The project site is located in the Village of Plainfield, Illinois, US. Strategically placed near Diageo’s warehouse and the Plainfield bottling site, it will enable Diageo North America to expand and include other market-leading brands in the future.

The Plainfield bottling operation was opened in 1966. The warehouse and bottling site collectively employ more than 600 people. 

Diageo North America’s New RTD production facility details

The new production facility will occupy an area of 225,000ft² and will be equipped with two canning lines. The first line will have the capacity of 550 cans per minute while the second can produce 1,200 cans per minute. Both lines are expected to be available for commercial production by the middle of 2021.

The facility will produce Smirnoff seltzers and newly launched spirits-based RTD cocktails from Crown Royal and Ketel One Botanicals.

Capable of producing more than 25 million cases of RTDs a year, the new facility will supplement the company’s existing RTD production across North America and expand its offering of these products. 

Sustainability features implemented by Diageo

Diageo North America launched its American whiskey Seagram’s 7 Crown bottles, made from 100% recyclable plastic (rPET) in June 2020. 

In July 2020, Diageo started a new partnership with venture management company Pilot Lite to create the world’s first 100% plastic-free paper-based spirits bottle. The company planned to debut the new bottle with its Johnnie Walker brand in early 2021. 

As part of its sustainability initiative, the company is continuously investing in circular economy opportunities and other sustainable packaging practices. In November 2020, Diageo was recognised in Dow Jones World Sustainability Index 2020.

The company supports more than 150,000 smallholder farmers with farming techniques for the regeneration of land and build biodiversity. It aims to make 100% of its packaging widely recyclable by 2030 and achieve 40% average recycled content in all plastic bottles by 2025. 

Product portfolio

The product portfolio offered by Diageo includes Scotch whisky, vodka, rum, liqueur, tequila, gin, local spirits, beer and other whiskey products.

Diageo offers an exclusive collection of brands such as Crown Royal, Buchanan’s, and Windsor whiskies, Ketel One vodkas, Bulleit, Captain Morgan, Don Julio, Guinness, J&B, Baileys, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Tanqueray.

The Chase Original Potato Vodka and seven premium plus gins such as Chase GB Gin, Pink Grapefruit & Pomelo Gin and Rhubarb & Bramley Apple Gin were added to the Diageo portfolio in March 2021.

Marketing commentary on Diageo North America

Diageo was formed by a merger of Grand Metropolitan and Guinness in 1997. The company sells its products in more than 180 countries globally.

In December 2018, Diageo North America was awarded a 2018 Supply & Demand Chain Executive Green Supply Chain Award. Diageo Scotch brands were awarded Top Honours for Exceptional Quality at the 19th Annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition in June 2019.

Diageo is Scotland’s largest exporter of Scotch whisky and other spirits. It acquired Aviation Gin and Davos Brands in August 2020, as well as Far West Spirits, the owner of the Lone River Ranch Water hard seltzer brand, and the British Chase Distillery in March 2021.