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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Scotland-Based Speyside Bourbon Cooperage Plans Clarion Township, Pennsylvania, Stave Mill

09/08/2022
Speyside Bourbon Cooperage, a manufacturer of world-class bourbon barrels, will establish its stave mill in Clarion, Pennsylvania. The $14.6 million project is expected to create 51 jobs within the next three years.

The company will purchase 20 acres and build a four-line, state-of-the-art stave mill for the purpose of producing staves (narrow pieces of wood) and heading to be used in the production of high-quality bourbon barrels.

“We are so pleased to be joining the Clarion Township community. This location makes such good sense for our company,” said Speyside General Manager and Vice-President, Darren Whitmer. “Clarion Township allows us to extend our footprint into an area rich in the natural resource we need to make our barrels – American White Oak. We have already experienced how great the community is, and we recognize that we have a ready workforce experienced in the wood industry we hope will join our team when the time comes."

Speyside received a funding proposal from the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development for a $139,653 Pennsylvania First grant and a $63,000 workforce development grant to train its new workers.

“Manufacturing has always been part of the heritage and lifeblood of this region and our commonwealth,” added Governor Tom Wolf. “Having a global company like Speyside open a new, state-of-the-art facility in Pennsylvania speaks volumes about our competitive economy and skilled manufacturing workforce. I know the company will have a bright future here.”

The company is a subsidiary of Speyside Cooperage Ltd., founded in Scotland in 1947. The U.S. division of the company has six current stave mills in the U.S. It is also the U.S. subsidiary of the parent company TFF Group, a global cooperage company based in St. Romain, France.

“The CCEDC is thrilled to welcome Speyside to Clarion County,” said Jarred Heuer, Executive Director of the Clarion County Economic Development Corporation. “Our wood products industry here in northwestern Pennsylvania is highly desirable, and we are elated to see Speyside choose Clarion County as their first Pennsylvania home.”

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