When Anheuser-Busch, the world’s largest beer producer, broke ground on a $175 million expansion to their Metal Container Corporation plant in Jacksonville, Florida, in March 2016, it promised to provide 75 new jobs and a completed facility by January 2017. 

To keep up with the growing popularity of their 16 oz. aluminum bottles, previously manufactured only in their plant in St. Louis, Missouri, Anheuser-Busch required a production facility capable of turning out 1.5 million bottles a day for their nearby Jacksonville brewery as well as storing the bottles for distribution. 

As soon as the shovels hit the dirt, the clock started ticking on North America’s largest capital expenditure (capex) project for 2016. Construction not only had to be completed on a tight timeline, but also without disrupting the existing production at Metal Container Corporation, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

Haskell Tapped for the Task

 Anheuser-Busch tapped the duo of Haskell and Benham to design, engineer, and construct the new one-story, 192,405-square-foot plant. The success of this project is directly attributed to the large integrated team of construction and design professionals that executed the project.   

Though it was the first collaborative project for Haskell and Benham, acquired by Haskell in 2016, the teams worked together seamlessly. Haskell, led by project manager Chip Oldham, designed and constructed the facility, while Benham provided the engineering plans, process equipment, and associated systems for the production line. 

“We sequenced the work so that Benham could get into the facility and start working while we were still finishing our part,” said Oldham, who brings decades of experience with large and fast-paced projects to the Haskell team. 

Steel Built for Success

Haskell was able to keep its construction crews moving with steel that came from the company’s own steel fabrication complex, located just a few miles from the Metal Container Corporation. Because Haskell was able to fabricate and deliver steel and concrete materials directly to the construction site, budgets and deadlines were met or exceeded along the project timeline. 

Haskell Crosses the Goal Line

After pouring 450,000 man hours into the project in just under ten months, teams from Haskell and Benham celebrated as the first pallets of Budweiser and Bud Light aluminum bottles rolled off the line in January 2017 -- just in time for thirsty fans gearing up for Super Bowl 50. 

“The goal was to help our client expand their production and market share,” said Oldham. “We were able to provide a turnkey solution that met those needs.” 

For more information, contact Haskell’s Beer, Wine & Spirits division leader, Anthony White.