Whether you want to build your distillery from the ground up, expand what you already have, or modify an existing building, the first step is always the same. In fact, the first step and every step after that should always be the same. It doesn’t matter if this is your first build or your 100th, a process-focused structure is key to reaching the finish line.
If you decide to engage any professionals to support and manage your build, it’s critical that they follow a process, and this should be a key question you ask when selecting partners to engineer and build your distillery. If you decide to do it alone, there are some great tools you can use to get you there. Project Management Institute’s project execution by phase model is a great guide, and there is a lot of information out there on how to apply it.
Haskell’s Project Delivery Model shares many similarities to PMI and other models out there, but it was custom built for the unique complexities of engineering and building a manufacturing facility with production throughput requirements.
Step 1: Define the Opportunity
Before you can build anything, you must clearly identify what you want to make and how much you want to make of it. In spirits, this is the type of product: be it barrel-aged whiskey, flavored vodka, or a spiced rum. Whatever you choose, each product requires a different production process, which can mean different equipment, different energy needs, and different facility requirements. In this early stage, creating block diagrams can help you visualize each step of the process and enable you to make important choices about raw materials; equipment needs; distilling, blending and bottling strategies, and storage needs. Once developed, your block diagram will become the foundation for all planningfrom budgeting, feasible production schedules, equipment layout, and space needs.
What to Consider at this Stage
Rough Order of Magnitude Budget: First efforts at pricing will generate a range of what the project will cost, but this will provide you direction moving forward as you zero in towards a definitive cost in more specific areas.
Forecasting Your Production: Knowing your ultimate production goals will be necessary to sizing your process and facility.
Production Scheduling: How many shifts are you running? With a typical schedule of one shift five days per week, you have approximately 240 working days per year when you take out time for holidays and maintenance.
Try to Avoid …
Most Common Mistake We See: Purchasing the land or buying a building before defining your process. The code and zoning requirements of each location are unique. Understanding these and what the cost implications are to manage them are critical to maintaining your budget.
Next, we will discuss the second step in How to Build a Distillery: Building the (Right) Team.
For more information, contact Haskell’s Beer, Wine & Spirits division leader, Anthony White.
