Green River Distilling Co. is laying off an undisclosed number of employees at its Owensboro facility as part of a larger restructuring effort under its newly renamed parent company, Lofted Spirits.
The layoffs come after the company united the consumer brands and contract distillation services under the Lofted Spirits name.
Company officials said the decision to reduce staff was part of a long-term strategy to address changing market conditions.
“As part of a strategic effort to position our organization for long-term health, we have made the difficult decision to right-size our production at Green River in Owensboro,” Holly Weyler, public relations director for Lofted Spirits, said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.
Weyler did not confirm the exact number of layoffs but said, “We made every effort to limit the number of affected employees. In addition, several open roles will not be filled at this time. Less than 30 percent of the local staff was impacted.”
Weyler added that the company is working to assist those affected by the layoffs.
“We are committed to supporting affected employees during this transition and remain committed to our team, partners, customers, and community as we move forward,” she said.
Weyler said the company is shifting to a single shift of production “as a direct response to contract distilling consumer demands and anticipated production needs now and in the future.”
“The decision was not made lightly, and we are confident that these steps will help us navigate current industry challenges while building a stronger foundation for the future,” she said.
She also clarified that the restructuring involved branding and organizational alignment, not changes in ownership or leadership structure.
“Lofted Spirits is the newly renamed parent company that unites our brands and contract distillation business under one house of brands,” Weyler said. “The material structure of our business did not change, nor did it impact the difficult decision to reduce our workforce.”
The announcement comes shortly after Green River launched its first national advertising campaign in more than a century. The “Ghost of Green River” campaign, introduced in February, features a ghostly ambassador inspired by the distillery’s 19th-century founder and aims to raise national awareness of the brand.
Green River resumed distilling in 2016 after decades of dormancy. The brand has become a key part of the city’s bourbon tourism economy and has steadily expanded its reach in recent years.
Bardstown Bourbon Company was acquired by Pritzker Private Capital in March 2022, and Green River Distilling Co. was acquired by Bardstown in August 2022. As Lofted Spirits, the company will continue to be owned by Pritzker Private Capital.
