PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. (Romero Report) — Speyside Bourbon Cooperage, Inc. will invest $16.85 million to build a new stave mill in Pittsylvania County’s Brosville Industrial Park.

This will be the company’s fourth facility in Virginia and is expected to create 40 new jobs while sourcing 40 percent of its timber needs from the commonwealth’s forest landowners.

The new operation will supply the company’s bourbon barrel cooperage in Smyth County.

The announcement was made by Governor Glenn Youngkin on July 17.

“We’re proud to make Virginia the best home for business, and Speyside Bourbon Cooperage is an excellent example of how government can partner with companies to drive economic growth and success for the commonwealth,” said Governor Youngkin. “The fact that Speyside Bourbon Cooperage is choosing Virginia for the fourth time shows that we have the business environment, economic opportunity, talented workforce, and natural resources that are key to commercial success and serve as a testament to our top state for business ranking.”

The company operates stave mills and bourbon cooperages in Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Virginia locations include stave mills in Bath and Washington counties and a bourbon barrel cooperage in Smyth County.

“Virginia has been home to three of our sites for multiple years now and beyond that, an excellent partner for us and our business,” said Speyside Bourbon Cooperage, Inc. President and General Manager Darren Whitmer. “We have grown in Virginia beyond our dreams and the partnership that we have with both state and local government has been nothing short of remarkable. Virginia has allowed us to grow and meet our goals, we never thought we would have four sites in the state but once we started working here it became clear that Virginia is the perfect partner for us.”

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services worked with the county, the Pittsylvania County Industrial Development Authority, and the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance to secure this project.

Youngkin approved a $250,000 grant from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund, which the county will match with local funds.

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