Ball Corporation, energy drink giant Red Bull, and canner Rauch North America have broken ground on a USD1.5 billion manufacturing and distribution facility in North Carolina.
The project, first announced in 2021, includes the construction of a 2.4 million sqft facility with the capacity to yearly produce up to 3bn cans for filling with Red Bull drinks, primarily for the US market.
Operations are expected to begin in 2028, with full filling capacity expected by 2031.
The site will offer 170,000 pallet spaces and includes internal conveyor bridges for intralogistics, connecting can manufacturing to co-packing and warehousing, and finally direct-to-customer deliveries to minimise carbon emissions.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by the North Carolina Secretary of Commerce Lee Lilley, Concord Mayor Bill Dusch, State Senator Chris Measmer, State Representative Brian Echevarria, Chairman Jeff Jones, Advantage Austria Trade Commissioner Peter Hasslacher and Commissioners Laura Lindsey and Kenneth Wortman of the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners, and the Concord City Council.
The project is expected to create more than 600 jobs for Cabarrus County.
