Heaven Hill Takes Measures to Reduce Workforce Amid Bourbon Industry ‘Experiencing Softness’
In this April 8, 2009, file photo, bottles of bourbon are shown in a display case at the Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center in Bardstown, Kentucky. (Photo: AP/Ed Reinke, File)
On Friday, WDRB reported that the bourbon giant Heaven Hill is exploring avenues to reduce its workforce as it finds itself with more staff than it needs to meet demand at its Bardstown, Kentucky plant.
The company has offered about 14 retirement buyouts to long-tenured employees and is reducing its staffing through “attrition and consolidating job functions” at the plant, per WDRB. Employees will be tasked with performing a greater variety of jobs as the staff slims.
Heaven Hill, the producer of popular brands like Elijah Craig, Evan Williams, Bernheim, Larceny, Old Fitzgerald, Rittenhouse, Pikesville and Henry McKenna, is dealing with lightened demand after a major boost during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, according to WDRB.
“While the industry is experiencing softness, Heaven Hill is outperforming its competitors as a whole,” Heaven Hill spokeswoman Lauren Newcomb said, according to WDRB.
According to WDRB, Heaven Hill hosted meetings Thursday and showed its employees a slideshow stating that the company will be “returning closer to pre-pandemic staffing to support current business volumes.”
The Bardstown plant employed 246 workers before a surge in demand that began in 2020, at which point it increased to 361.
“In response to the pandemic, and the unique workforce challenges and restrictions associated with it, Heaven Hill increased its staffing levels to address the situation as needed,” Heaven Hill said, per WDRB. “Today, the company is realigning staffing to be more consistent with pre-pandemic standards, carefully considering its operational structure and changing demand while focusing on their people.”
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