Brown-Forman Corporation, one of America’s biggest names in spirits, announced on Tuesday that it will cut 12 percent of its global workforce and close its Louisville cooperage as a part of a strategic growth initiative. News of the restructuring arrives in the midst of an unstable time in the global spirits market, with whiskey sales slumping in the U.S. over the past two years.
“In 2025, Brown‑Forman celebrates 155 years of delivering Nothing Better in the Market. We have achieved this impressive milestone in part because of our relentless focus on evolving our strategy, our portfolio, and our organization to grow and thrive,” company president and CEO Lawson Whiting said in a statement. “Today’s announcement will ensure we have the structure and teams in place to continue on this path, while also making investments that we believe will facilitate growth for generations to come.”
Brown-Forman employs 5,400 people around the world across its portfolio, including well-known brands like Jack Daniel’s, Woodford Reserve, and Fords Gin, meaning the 12 percent cut equates to about 648 layoffs globally. Roughly one third of the job cuts come as a result of the company’s plans to close its Louisville cooperage by April 25.
The cooperage closure marks an end of an era in the American whiskey industry. After Brown-Forman sold its Alabama cooperage to Independent Stave Company in 2024, the Louisville cooperage stood as the last American cooperage independently owned by a major spirits company. Moving forward, Brown-Forman will have to source its barrels from external suppliers, like all other American distilleries. For all of the employees impacted by the closure, the company states that it will offer severance pay, outplacement services, and “benefits consistent with their terms of employment.”
“I want to express my sincere gratitude to our employees, particularly those impacted by these changes, for their dedication and contributions to Brown‑Forman,” Whiting said in a statement. “We are committed to supporting them through this transition and are confident that these strategic initiatives will ensure the company endures for generations to come.”
Brown-Forman claims that it will receive over $30 million in proceeds resulting from the sale of the cooperage’s assets, which will offset the $60 to $70 million the company expects to incur in aggregate charges for severance and costs related to the cooperage’s closing and staff layoffs. Brown-Forman expects that the restructure will save it between $70 and $80 million in annualized cost savings, a portion of which it plans to reinvest in company growth.
The global spirits company also made several changes to its executive leadership team as part of the initiative. Jeremy Shepherd, former head of Brown-Forman’s U.S. and Canada commercial division, is taking on the role of chief marketing officer. The new chief strategy officer will be Chris Graven, who has held roles in the company’s HR, finance, marketing, and commercial organizations over the past 20 years. Yiannis Pafilis, president of Brown-Forman’s European division, will expand his role to include the company’s Africa and Asia Pacific branches. Lastly, Michael Masick has been named the new president of Brown-Forman’s Americas division (the U.S. and Canada), though he will also remain active in his previously-appointed role as the head of commercial leadership for Mexico, South and Central America, and the Caribbean.
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