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2mo ago

Diageo to Close Amherstburg Bottling Plant in February as Bottling Shifts Toward U.S.

The company frames the decision as a supply-chain overhaul to place bottling closer to U.S. customers.

A bottle of Crown Royal Canadian whisky is seen in Burlington, Ont., on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Vokey
Bottles of Canadian-made Crown Royal whisky on a shelf at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) Queen's Quay store in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Windsor Police Service is investigating after the theft of a truckload full of $100,000 worth of liquor, after a break-in at a commercial facility earlier this month.
A man walks by the Diageo bottling plant in Amherstburg on Thursday, August 28, 2025, shortly after the company announced the facility will close by February 2026.
AMHERSTBURG, ONT: AUGUST 28, 2025. A security guard is shown at the Diageo bottling plant in Amherstburg on Thursday, August 28, 2025.

Overview

  • About 160 Unifor Local 200 members at the Amherstburg facility were told Thursday the site will wind down by February.
  • Diageo says it is reallocating some bottling closer to U.S. Crown Royal customers to streamline its North American supply chain.
  • The company told local media the move is not a reaction to current trade conditions.
  • Mashing, distillation, aging and blending of Crown Royal will continue in Canada, with Diageo retaining its Canadian HQ and GTA warehouse operations.
  • Some Amherstburg volume will shift to Quebec and U.S. sites as the union vows to fight the closure and local leaders brace for economic ripple effects, with Ontario offering re-employment support.