Wine and spirits giant E. & J. Gallo, which makes popular ready-to-drink vodka soda cocktail High Noon Sun Sips, has announced it is building a new production and distribution facility in Chester County, South Carolina.
The $423 million facility is expected to generate 496 jobs over the next eight years, according to a press release.
Construction is scheduled to begin “almost immediately” and the project’s first phase is expected to be completed in October 2022.
“Gallo’s investment will transform Chester County and contribute greatly to South Carolina’s economic prosperity,” South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said in the release. “Creating a business environment in which world-class brands can grow and thrive is critical to South Carolina’s long-term economic success, especially in our rural communities.”
The Chester County facility, which will include bottling and canning lines for the company’s wine and spirits products, will allow Gallo “to better meet customer demand on the East Coast, while reducing its overall carbon footprint,” the release said. Chester County is 60 miles south of Charlotte, North Carolina, and about 110 miles north of Columbia, South Carolina.
“Given Chester County’s proximity to the Port of Charleston, this new location will also serve as a hub for Gallo’s import and export business,” the release said.
The project has received financial assistance from several state government funds. Chester County received a $16 million from the state’s Rural Infrastructure Fund to assist with project costs, and the state Department of Commerce was authorized for $8 million in bonds “to offset costs of off-site mitigation under the Economic Development Bond Act” from the Joint Bond Review Committee and the state Fiscal Accountability Authority.
“We could not be more appreciative of the collaboration and support shown by the state of South Carolina, the South Carolina Department of Commerce, and those in Chester County along with all of the public and private entities who have embraced this project throughout the planning process and have welcomed us to the community,” Gallo CEO Ernest J. Gallo said in the release.
Gallo’s portfolio includes High Noon, Barefoot Wine, Black Box, La Marca Prosecco, New Amsterdam Vodka and RumChata. Thanks to its vodka base, High Noon belongs to the fast-growing, spirits-based RTD segment, which is projected to reach $1.63 billion by 2027, according to Grand View Research. High Noon was the top-selling RTD offering on e-commerce on-demand alcohol delivery platform Drizly during Memorial Day weekend.
Gallo isn’t the only beverage alcohol producer laying down roots in the Palmetto State. Last fall, White Claw maker Mark Anthony Brands announced plans to build a $400 million production facility in Columbia, South Carolina.
A request for comment from Gallo was not immediately returned.