CONCORD, N.C. — Four years after first unveiling its plans, Red Bull is officially moving ahead with construction of a long-awaited beverage manufacturing hub in Concord.
The $1.5 billion project — a partnership between Red Bull, Rauch North America, and Ball Corp. — will transform the former Philip Morris cigarette manufacturing site into a state-of-the-art beverage complex. The development is expected to generate up to 700 jobs for Cabarrus County. Groundbreaking is scheduled for Tuesday, September 9, according to local officials.
“This is a project that brings great jobs and good investment to the county,” said Brian Hiatt, interim executive director of the Cabarrus County Economic Development Corp.
Facility Details
Red Bull and Rauch plan to construct a 2 million-square-foot facility for beverage manufacturing, filling, and distribution. The plant is projected to begin operations in 2028, with maximum output by 2031. At full scale, the site will be capable of producing 3 billion cans annually, according to the companies.
Ball Corp. will also build an 800,000-square-foot aluminum can plant at the industrial park, producing packaging for Red Bull and other beverage clients.
Incentives and Investment
Originally announced in July 2021, the plan began as a $740 million project with more than 400 jobs. Ball later joined with an additional $383.8 million investment. Since then, Red Bull and Rauch have expanded their commitments, raising the combined total to $1.5 billion.
Cabarrus County commissioners approved enhanced incentives in 2022. Red Bull is set to receive more than $24 million in grant funding, while Rauch will receive $37.2 million. Details on Ball Corp.’s incentives were not disclosed.
Industry Context
Red Bull, founded in Austria in the mid-1980s, has grown into the global leader in energy drinks, selling more than 12 billion cans last year and reporting $11.7 billion in sales. Rauch, also based in Austria, is one of Europe’s largest fruit juice producers and co-packs beverages for Red Bull in the U.S. Ball Corp., headquartered in Colorado, is a leading producer of recyclable aluminum beverage packaging and is well-known for its historic “Ball” mason jars.
