Commercial Projects

Red Bull Now Kicks Off $1.7bn US Factory After Delay

The plant will produce 3 billion drinks annually for the US market.

Updated on

September 21, 2025

Red Bull Racing factory in Milton Keynes, UK. (Photo: Courtesy)

Red Bull, in partnership with packaging supplier Ball Corp. and Austrian beverage company Rauch Fruchtsäfte, has officially broken ground on a new $1.7 billion manufacturing and distribution facility in Concord, North Carolina, following a four-year delay.

The site, located on the former Philip Morris cigarette plant property at The Grounds at Concord, is expected to create up to 700 jobs.

The 2.36 million-square-foot campus will integrate beverage production, can filling, warehousing, and logistics, with Ball constructing an 800,000-square-foot aluminium can plant to supply Red Bull and other beverage clients.

Initial operations are scheduled for 2028, with full capacity—capable of producing three billion cans annually—anticipated by 2031.

“This will primarily serve the U.S. market, but can manufacture for other regions should that be required,” a Red Bull spokesperson said, highlighting the site’s strategic flexibility.

The new facility complements the trio’s first U.S. plant in Glendale, Arizona, which began production in 2021.

The project, originally announced in 2021 with a $740 million investment and 400 jobs, has since expanded. Ball and Rauch increased their contributions, bringing the total investment to $1.5–$1.7 billion. Red Bull will receive more than $24 million in local grants, while Rauch will benefit from $37.2 million.

A 50% aluminium tariff imposed by the Trump administration in 2025 has encouraged beverage companies to expand domestic packaging. The Concord facility will help meet rising U.S. demand while reducing reliance on imported materials.

Founded in the 1980s, Red Bull sold over 12 billion cans in 2024, with net sales of $11.7 billion. The global energy drink market is expected to reach $125 billion by 2030, amid growing competition from Monster, Keurig Dr Pepper, and PepsiCo.

The Concord plant will feature 170,000 pallet spaces, automated conveyor bridges linking production and warehousing, and logistics designed to lower carbon emissions, reflecting Red Bull’s focus on operational efficiency and sustainability.