M.A. Silva, the leading manufacturer of cork, glass and packaging, started construction on a newly designed $7.5 million manufacturing facility across from its existing building in the Westwind Business Park, adjacent to the Sonoma County Regional Airport in Santa Rosa, California. The expansion project is scheduled to be completed in late spring 2015.

Once completed, the new 70,000-square-foot structure will accommodate storage room for wine bottles, sensory and working laboratories along with a multimedia training room, office space and a gym for employees. The expansion will bring M.A. Silva to over 100,000-square-feet of operational space in Santa Rosa.

According to company officials the new facility was planned to meet the growing demand for their cork and glass products. "This expansion is ultimately the result of the substantial growth we've seen in the cork and bottle business over the last years," explained Neil Foster, President of M.A. Silva. "It will allow us to increase our cork production and expand our glass storage capacity. With our new state-of-the-art laboratories we will be able to offer more services to customers and further our R & D capabilities."

The new facility incorporates latest technologies that increase energy efficiencies using an advanced insulation and a night-air cooling system. A solar panel upgrade is planned in a few years. "Being good stewards of our resources has always been a priority at M.A. Silva," said Foster. "Whether that means green building standards, recycling and reducing waste in our production area, or giving back to the communities we live and work in."