Diageo has announced that it will close a production facility where Guinness Blonde has been produced for the past three years. The production facility in Halethorpe, Maryland, will shut down just three years after its opening — although it has been reported that the tap room and restaurant on the property will remain open.
Diageo is shuttering the plant because it is underutilized, brewing Guinness Blonde and dozens of experimental beers, according to reports. Closure of the $50 million facility will lead to approximately 100 workers being laid off.
The manufacturing facility is expected to close by this June.
Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.
