Production Manager
About the job
- At least 6 years of experience in the field or a similar manufacturing environment.
- At least 6 years of experience in the position.
- At least 4 years of experience managing people or projects.
- Understanding of production processes and controls.
- A bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business Administration, or related vocational studies; equivalent combinations of work experience and education may be considered.
- Manage and direct production department activities to ensure products meet safety, quality, and throughput standards.
- Collaborate with the planning department to create production schedules that meet internal and external needs; establish and adjust work procedures and schedules to meet the production plan.
- Maintain effective working relationships with team members through communication, visibility, and involvement to support safety, engagement, productivity, and throughput.
- Direct supervisors on team member coaching, development, employment decisions, and conflict resolution; hire, train, coach, and review team member performance; partner with Human Resources on recruitment, corrective actions, and terminations.
- Collaborate with Maintenance Department leadership to plan preventive maintenance on production lines.
- Analyze and submit reports on production numbers, downtime, attendance, overtime, and quality checks to the Plant Director.
- Collaborate with the Plant Director and Planning Department to develop the Production Department budget and forecast.
- Develop, recommend, and implement measures to improve production methods, equipment performance, and product quality.
- Develop capital equipment justifications for machine upgrades and process technology to improve quality, cost, and cycle times.
- Suggest changes in working conditions and equipment use to increase department personnel efficiency.
- Coordinate with multiple departments to ensure customer deadlines are met.
- Collaborate with plant leadership to champion a strong safety culture and comply with company and plant safety programs, guidelines, rules, and regulations.
- Follow Niagara's Good Manufacturing Practices and Food Safety Standards.
- Collaborate with raw material planners to ensure inventories align with production schedules; escalate supplier quality issues to prevent customer shortages.
- Partner with the Quality Department to prevent and resolve non-conforming finished goods and raw materials.
- Maintain regular and predictable attendance.
- At least 10 years of experience in the field or a similar manufacturing environment.
- At least 10 years of experience working in the position.
- At least 6 years of experience managing people or projects.
- A master's degree in Engineering, Business Administration, or related vocational studies.
At Niagara, we’re looking for Team Members who want to be part of achieving our mission to provide our customers the highest quality most affordable bottled water.
Consider applying here, if you want to:
- Work in an entrepreneurial and dynamic environment with a chance to make an impact.
- Develop lasting relationships with great people.
- Have the opportunity to build a satisfying career.
We offer competitive compensation and benefits packages for our Team Members.
Production ManagerThis position is responsible for managing daily operations of the Production Department; ensuring the plant meets established safety, quality, and production goals in compliance with all applicable legal and food safety requirements.Essential Functions
- Manages and directs activities of the production department, ensuring product adheres to Niagara’s standard of safety, quality, and throughput.
- Collaborates with the planning department to create production schedules that meet both internal and external needs. Establishes and adjusts work procedures and schedules to meet production plan.
- Maintains effective working relationships with team members through open communication, visibility, and involvement to promote a positive working environment that maximizes safety, employee engagement, productivity, and throughput.
- Provides direction to supervisors on team member coaching and development, employment decisions, and resolving issues through conflict resolution. Hires, trains, coaches and reviews performance of team members. Partners with Human Resources for recruitment, corrective actions, and terminations.
- Collaborates with Maintenance Department leadership to plan preventative maintenance on the production lines.
- Analyzes and submits reports for production numbers, downtime, attendance, overtime and quality checks to the Plant Director.
- Collaborates with the Plant Director and Planning Department to develop the Production Department budget and forecast.
- Develops, recommends, and implements measures to improve production methods, equipment performance, and quality of product.
- Develops capital equipment justification for machine upgrades and process technology to improve quality, cost, and cycle times.
- Suggests changes in working conditions and use of equipment to increase efficiency of department personnel.
- Interfaces with multiple departments within in the organization to ensure customer deadlines are met.
- Collaborates with plant leadership to champion a world-class safety culture.
- Adheres to the highest standards of company and plant safety programs, guidelines, rules, and regulations.
- Abides by Niagara’s Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP’s) and Food Safety Standards at all times.
- Collaborates with raw material planners to ensure correct inventories based on production schedules. Escalates supplier quality issues to prevent customer shortages.
- Partners with the Quality Department to prevent and resolve Non-Conforming Finished Goods and Non-Conforming Raw Materials.
- Regular and predictable attendance is an essential function of the job.
- Please note this job description is not designed to contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without prior notice.
Qualifications
- Minimum Qualifications:
- 6 Years – Experience in Field or similar manufacturing environment
- 6 Years – Experience in Position
- 4 Years – Experience managing people/projects
- Understanding of production processes and controls
*experience may include a combination of work experience and education
- Preferred Qualifications:
- 10+ Years– Experience in Field or similar manufacturing environment
- 10+ Years – Experience working in Position
- 6 Years – Experience managing people/projects
*experience may include a combination of work experience and education
Competencies
This position embodies the values of Niagara’s LIFE competency model, focusing on the following key drivers of success:
- Lead Like an Owner
- Manages a safe working environment, accurately documents safety related training, and effectively communicates safety incidents
- Provides strategic input and oversight to departmental projects
- Makes data driven decisions and develops sustainable solutions
- Skilled in reducing costs and managing timelines while prioritizing long run impact over short term wins
- Makes decisions by putting overall company success first before department/individual success
- Leads/facilitates discussions to get positive outcomes for the customer
- Makes strategic decisions which prioritize the needs of the customer over departmental/individual goals
- InnovACT
- Continuously evaluates existing programs and processes, and develops new initiatives to increase efficiency and reduce waste
- Creates, monitors, and responds to departmental performance metrics to drive continuous improvement
- Communicates a clear vision, organizes resources effectively, and adjusts the strategy as needed when managing change
- Find a Way
- Demonstrates ability to think analytically and synthesize complex information
- Effectively delegates technical tasks to subordinates
- Works effectively with departments, vendors, and customers to achieve organizational success
- Identifies opportunities for collaboration in strategic ways
- Empowered to be Great
- Makes hiring decisions primarily based on culture fit and attitude, and secondarily based on technical expertise
- Engages in long term talent planning
- Provides opportunities for the development of all direct reports
- Understands, identifies, and addresses conflict within own team and between teams
Education
- Minimum Required:
- Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Business Administration, or related vocational studies
- Preferred:
- Master's Degree in Engineering, Business Administration, or related vocational studies
Certification/License:
- Required: N/A
- Preferred: N/A
Foreign Language
- Required: None Required
- Preferred: None Required
Typical Compensation Range
Pay Rate Type: Salary$121,907.35 - $173,718.00 / YearlyBonus Target: 15% AnnualBenefits
Our Total Rewards package is thoughtfully designed to support both you and your family:
Regular full-time team members are offered a comprehensive benefits package, while part-time, intern, and seasonal team members are offered a limited benefits package.
- Paid Time Off for holidays, sick time, and vacation time
- Paid parental and caregiver leaves
- Medical, including virtual care options
- Dental
- Vision
- 401(k) with company match
- Health Savings Account with company match
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Expanded mental wellbeing benefits including free counseling sessions for all team members and household family members
- Family Building Benefits including enhanced fertility benefits for IVF and fertility preservation plus adoption, surrogacy, and Doula reimbursements
- Income protection including Life and AD&D, short and long-term disability, critical illness and an accident plan
- Special discount programs including pet plans, pre-paid legal services, identity theft, car rental, airport parking, etc.
- Tuition reimbursement, college savings plan and scholarship opportunities
- And more!
https://careers.niagarawater.com/us/en/benefits
* *Los Angeles County applicants only** Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, the California Fair Chance Act, and any other applicable local and state laws.
Any employment agency, person or entity that submits a résumé into this career site or to a hiring manager does so with the understanding that the applicant's résumé will become the property of Niagara Bottling, LLC. Niagara Bottling, LLC will have the right to hire that applicant at its discretion without any fee owed to the submitting employment agency, person or entity.
Employment agencies that have fee agreements with Niagara Bottling, LLC and have been engaged on a search shall submit résumé to the designated Niagara Bottling, LLC recruiter or, upon authorization, submit résumé into this career site to be eligible for placement fees.
About the company
Niagara Bottling is a U.S. beverage manufacturer that produces bottled water, sparkling water, teas, sports drinks, non-dairy milks, and other beverages, including private-label products for grocery, club, convenience, and wholesale customers. It bottles and packs beverages for brands and retailers, handling production from sourcing to packaging. The company remains family-owned, emphasizing direct customer service, competitive pricing, and a broad product lineup. Its goal is to be a dependable partner by delivering high-quality beverages efficiently while reducing environmental impact.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Diamond Bar, California
Founded
N/A
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- June 2026 promised hundreds of millions for Midwest, Northeast, West Coast, and Southwest plants.
- Elsmere, Kentucky's $129.8 million plant adds 60 jobs and fresh capacity in 2026.
- Vernon reopening targets 45 million pounds of rPET and 60 jobs this year.
What critics are saying
- July 2026 Woodridge WARN cuts 57 jobs, signaling more plant rationalization ahead.
- rPlanet Earth closed in 2025 from cheap virgin PET and imported resin competition.
- If California rPET pricing stays broken through 2027, Niagara's circularity thesis destroys margin.
What makes Niagara Bottling unique
- June 2026 rPlanet Earth buy gives Niagara bottle-to-bottle PET recycling in California.
- June 2026 Absopure acquisition adds a retail brand portfolio and regional shelf presence.
- More than 50 plants across four countries let Niagara serve national retailers fast.
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Benefits
- Health Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account
- Unlimited Paid Time Off
- Flexible Work Hours
- Hybrid Work Options
- Stock Options
- 401(k) Retirement Plan
- 401(k) Company Match
- Wellness Program
- Mental Health Support
Company News
$1.6B in U.S. Factory projects requires a freight ramp before production starts. Listen to article Logistics Industry Analysis Five manufacturers are putting more than $1.6 billion into U.S. production. That sounds like a future freight bonanza - and it may be - but announced capital does not immediately become recurring truckload demand. Between a press release and commercial output lie construction deliveries, equipment installation, supplier qualification, trial production, inventory buildup, and a launch that rarely follows a perfectly smooth curve. Logistics teams should therefore treat every factory announcement as a phased freight ramp, not a single capacity event. The right question is not simply how many loads the plant will ship. It is which freight appears at each milestone, when carrier commitments become necessary, and what evidence proves the site is ready to move from project cargo to reliable production. Five projects, five different freight profiles. FreightWaves reports that disclosed investment across five facilities exceeds $1.641 billion, excluding Primo Brands' undisclosed multimillion-dollar project. Hyundai Translead, Carrier, and Blue Bird alone account for more than $1.5 billion and 5,625 planned jobs. The projects are operationally diverse: * Hyundai Translead raised its commitment for two Illinois facilities to $600 million, adding a third shift and increasing planned employment from 2,500 to 3,750 jobs. * Carrier plans to invest more than $600 million over three years in a 1-million-square-foot Fort Worth manufacturing and engineering center. Operations are expected to begin in 2027. * Blue Bird plans an approximately $300 million, 1-million-square-foot Georgia factory for diesel, gasoline, propane, and electric school buses, with construction scheduled to begin in early 2027. * Niagara Bottling opened a $141 million, 436,000-square-foot Kentucky production and distribution facility on a 52-acre site. * Primo Brands opened a 200,000-square-foot Arkansas plant with a high-speed retail line, two large-format lines, and dedicated warehouse and logistics space. These are not interchangeable capacity additions. A trailer or school-bus plant needs bulky metal, assemblies, tires, batteries, and specialized outbound moves. A chiller facility may receive compressors, coils, electronics, and engineered components from different supplier tiers. Beverage plants combine packaging materials and high-volume inbound ingredients with heavy, repetitive outbound loads. The carrier mix, dock design, storage policy, and launch inventory must reflect the actual production system. Separate capital, capacity, qualification, and output. An investment announcement establishes intent, not available production. Logistics forecasts should keep four dates separate. Committed capital identifies the project size and financing horizon. It does not establish when machinery will arrive or when suppliers must ship. Installed capacity begins only when the building, utilities, lines, docks, and material-handling equipment are in place. Qualified production follows testing, quality approval, workforce training, and customer acceptance. Shippable output starts when finished goods can be released at commercial volume with packaging, documents, inventory locations, and transportation capacity ready. Conflating those milestones creates predictable mistakes. Carriers may reserve capacity months too early, or sourcing may wait until qualification is nearly complete and then discover that the launch lane has no committed equipment. Inventory may arrive before locations and scanning rules exist. Production can technically run while finished goods remain trapped by missing labels, routing instructions, or customer-specific packaging. The gap is visible in current projects. Carrier's Fort Worth site is expected to open in 2027, while Blue Bird has not yet begun its scheduled 2027 construction. Niagara and Primo, by contrast, have opened facilities, so their immediate challenge is stabilizing production and distribution. One portfolio therefore contains construction logistics, commissioning freight, and live commercial flows at the same time. Build the freight plan around commissioning gates. Each site needs a milestone-based logistics calendar. During construction, the dominant flows may include steel, concrete, oversized machinery, electrical equipment, racking, and temporary storage. Equipment installation introduces appointment-sensitive flatbed, heavy-haul, and high-value shipments. Trial production brings smaller, less predictable component orders and scrap or return flows. Launch replaces that irregular pattern with scheduled inbound replenishment and outbound customer demand. A practical sequence is: * Map suppliers and load characteristics. Record origin, commodity, dimensions, handling constraints, expected frequency, lead time, and alternate source for every production-critical item. * Approve packaging and storage. Confirm pack quantities, returnable assets, labeling, warehouse locations, line-side buffers, and empty-container recovery before trial materials arrive. * Model launch inventory. Set buffers from supplier reliability and commissioning risk rather than applying one days-of-supply target to every component. * Bid transportation in waves. Source project and machinery moves first, trial-production lanes second, and steady-state contracts only when volume and timing have credible ranges. * Test the data flow. Validate purchase orders, ASNs, appointments, receipt transactions, production consumption, finished-goods release, tenders, and proof of delivery end to end. Supplier localization does not eliminate orchestration. Supply Chain Dive notes that Apple works with suppliers in all 50 states, supports more than 450,000 jobs, and sources nearly 100 components domestically for two current iPhone models. A domestic network can still span dozens of origins, specialized processes, and tightly sequenced handoffs. Geography shortens some lanes; it does not automatically simplify the operating model. Use a ramp scorecard before commercial launch. The launch team needs one scorecard linking plant milestones with freight readiness. At minimum, track the percentage of production suppliers mapped, packaging approved, carrier lanes awarded, routing guides acknowledged, dock calendars configured, master data validated, and test shipments completed. Add open exceptions for oversized equipment, hazmat, temperature control, returnable packaging, customs exposure, and single-source components. Capacity should be expressed as a range. Record expected, downside, and surge loads by week, plus the carriers and equipment committed to each scenario. A line rated for theoretical maximum output should not drive transportation procurement until yield, uptime, labor, and customer releases support that volume. Primo's new plant illustrates why warehouse and freight design belong inside the production ramp. Supply Chain Dive reports that the facility incorporates logistics space alongside three production lines. The company generated about $1.8 billion in second-quarter sales, up 3.8% year over year, which makes distribution readiness central to capturing demand rather than an afterthought once bottles leave the line. Management should hold the launch when critical gaps remain: an unqualified source without a fallback, no carrier acceptance on a launch lane, missing item or location master data, insufficient packaging, or failed receipt-and-tender tests. A short controlled delay is cheaper than premium freight, production stoppages, and customer failures cascading simultaneously. Turn a factory announcement into an executable network. CXTMS gives project, procurement, warehouse, and transportation teams a shared operating record for the ramp. Teams can connect supplier milestones to inbound orders, compare forecast and tendered capacity, manage appointments, expose exceptions, and track whether trial moves succeed before volume rises. The result is a freight plan that matures with the factory instead of chasing it. The $1.6 billion headline signals opportunity. Capturing it requires disciplined gates between capital commitment and shippable output - and a transportation plan that is ready before the first commercial unit reaches the dock. Planning freight for a new or expanded factory? Request a CXTMS demo to coordinate supplier readiness, capacity, appointments, and launch execution in one system.
Niagara Bottling opens $141M production facility in Elsmere. Niagara Bottling, a private-label and branded beverage manufacturer, is celebrating the grand opening of its new $141 million production facility in Elsmere. A ribbon-cutting event was held on Oct. 22 for the new facility. The project brings 60 new full-time jobs to the area. "Kentucky's leading manufacturing industry and companies like Niagara Bottling are investing in our people and helping fuel our record-breaking success," said Gov. Beshear. "I want to congratulate the company's leaders on this wonderful milestone and look forward to seeing their success here in the commonwealth." Niagara Bottling began construction of its Elsmere facility in early 2025 at the C5 Airport East Logistics Center. The 52-acre site was developed by CORE5 Industrial Partners and supported by state and local officials. The new facility includes over 436,000 square feet of advanced manufacturing space, including beverage production and distribution operations. In 2022, the general assembly and Gov. Beshear approved a $13 million site development and acquisition fund in Kenton County, $669,000 of which supported the project with the installation of power transmission lines. "At Niagara, we invest with the long-term in mind, and this new facility reflects our confidence in Northern Kentucky and its future," said Brian Hess, executive vice president of Niagara Bottling. "This investment builds on our pride in American manufacturing and our commitment to creating meaningful career opportunities. We appreciate the partnership of state and local leaders who helped make this possible, and we look forward to being a part of Elsmere for years to come." Niagara Bottling, headquartered in Diamond Bar, Calif., is a family-owned and operated company that was founded in 1963, when Andrew Peykoff Sr. started bottling high-quality, low-cost water in 5-gallon glass containers for home and office delivery. The company produces a variety of beverages, including bottled water, sparkling, vitamin and flavored water, sports drinks, ready-to-drink tea and coffee and protein drinks. "Niagara Bottling is a strong member of Elsmere's business community, and we're proud to officially celebrate the company's investment in our city," said Elsmere Mayor Marty Lenhof. "Niagara's decision to establish its first Kentucky facility here brings quality jobs, significant investment and new opportunities to Elsmere. We look forward to a strong partnership for many years to come."
5 US manufacturing projects bring more than $1.6B in investments. Hyundai Translead, Carrier and Blue Bird lead a wave of factory investments, while beverage producers expand production and distribution capacity. · Friday, October 23, 2026 Five manufacturers have announced new or expanded U.S. production facilities representing more than $1.6 billion in investments. The investments highlighted continued spending on domestic manufacturing, transportation equipment and consumer goods. The projects, located in Texas, Illinois, Georgia, Kentucky and Arkansas, include new manufacturing operations for commercial trailers, school buses, commercial cooling systems and bottled beverages. Hyundai Translead, Carrier Global Corp. and Blue Bird Corp. account for more than $1.5 billion in announced investments and a combined 5,625 planned jobs. For trucking companies and logistics providers, the projects could eventually generate additional inbound shipments of raw materials and components, as well as outbound movements of finished goods. The announcements include both projects still in development and recently opened factories. Hyundai Translead boosts Illinois investment to $600 million. Commercial trailer manufacturer Hyundai Translead announced Thursday that it is increasing its planned investment in two manufacturing facilities in Will County, Illinois, to $600 million, up from the more than $450 million announced in March. The company also raised its job creation commitment from 2,500 to 3,750 full-time positions. The additional $150 million investment will support a third production shift and create 1,250 more jobs than originally planned. Hyundai Translead said the expansion reflects growing customer interest in its Illinois operations and will provide additional manufacturing capacity as the transportation industry recovers. Hyundai Translead manufactures commercial transportation equipment, including dry van and refrigerated trailers, truck bodies and flatbeds. The company did not specify which product lines would be manufactured at the Illinois facilities. Carrier plans $600 million manufacturing center in Fort Worth. Carrier Global Corp. announced Thursday that it will invest more than $600 million over the next three years to establish an advanced manufacturing and engineering center in Fort Worth, Texas. The project will create 1,500 jobs and occupy more than 1 million square feet at AllianceTexas, a major industrial and logistics development in the Dallas-Fort Worth region. Carrier (NYSE: CARR) expects the facility to begin operations in 2027. The plant will manufacture advanced thermal management systems, including air-cooled and water-cooled commercial chillers used in data centers, hospitals, schools and industrial facilities. Carrier said the investment responds to strong demand for energy-efficient cooling systems and a record backlog in its commercial heating, ventilation and air conditioning business. The new facility will also include engineering laboratories and workforce development programs. Blue Bird announces $300 million Georgia school bus factory. School bus manufacturer Blue Bird Corp. (Nasdaq: BLBD) plans to invest approximately $300 million in a new manufacturing facility in Fort Valley, Georgia, creating 375 jobs over the next three years. The company will convert a former diesel-powered motorhome manufacturing site at 401 Wanderlodge Way into a 1-million-square-foot school bus production facility. Construction is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2027. The plant will manufacture Type C school buses powered by diesel, gasoline, propane and electricity. Blue Bird, which was founded in 1927, currently employs more than 1,900 people in Georgia. Niagara Bottling opens $141 million Kentucky beverage plant. Niagara Bottling celebrated the grand opening Thursday of its new $141 million beverage manufacturing facility in Elsmere, Kentucky. The 436,000-square-foot facility is located at the C5 Airport East Logistics Center in Kenton County and includes beverage production and distribution operations. The project will create 60 full-time jobs. Initially announced in September 2024, the investment has grown by more than $11 million from its original estimate. Construction began in early 2025 on the 52-acre property developed by CORE5 Industrial Partners. Niagara Bottling produces bottled water and other beverages for retailers and consumer brands, including sparkling water, flavored water, sports drinks and ready-to-drink beverages. Primo Brands opens new Arkansas bottled water factory. Primo Brands (NYSE: PRMB) opened a new manufacturing facility Oct. 14 in Hot Springs, Arkansas, aiming to increase production of its Mountain Valley premium spring water brand. The 200,000-square-foot factory is the company's first new manufacturing facility since Primo Brands was formed through a merger in 2024. The company described the project as a multimillion-dollar investment but did not disclose an exact amount. The facility includes a high-speed retail production line, two large-format production lines and dedicated logistics and warehouse space. The plant will produce Mountain Valley spring and sparkling water. Primo Brands said the expansion responds to increasing demand for premium bottled water. The facility's additional warehouse and logistics capacity will support distribution of the brand's products to retailers, restaurants and consumers nationwide. The company did not disclose the number of jobs created by the project. New and expanding US manufacturing facilities. Why it matters: Five new U.S. manufacturing projects could generate additional freight demand for trucking companies, equipment suppliers and distribution networks as manufacturers expand domestic production. Upcoming FreightWaves Events Compliance Brokerage Compliance Symposium The day before F3. Every compliance issue you face - fraud exposure, carrier liability, FMCSA rules, cargo theft, insurance gaps - navigated by attorneys and operators defining best practices in a changing industry. October 26, 2026 The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo - Chattanooga, TN F3 Awards Dinner The night before F3. FreightTech100 companies honored. FreightTech 25 and Shipper of Choice winners revealed live. Cocktail reception into dinner and live music - 300 industry leaders in one purpose-built room. October 26, 2026 The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo - Chattanooga, TN FreightTech F3: Future of Freight Festival Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals. October 27, 2026 - October 28, 2026 The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo - Chattanooga, TN
Niagara Bottling opens $141 million Northern Kentucky facility, creating 60 jobs. October 23, 2026 3,157 Views ELSMERE, Ky. - Niagara Bottling has officially opened its new $141 million beverage manufacturing facility in Kenton County, bringing 60 full-time jobs to Northern Kentucky and expanding the region's growing food and beverage manufacturing industry. The company celebrated the grand opening Oct. 22 of its 436,000-square-foot production and distribution facility at the C5 Airport East Logistics Center in Elsmere. The completed project represents an investment more than $11 million above the amount originally announced in September 2024. The facility is Niagara Bottling's first manufacturing operation in Kentucky and represents a significant addition to the state's advanced manufacturing sector. Construction began in early 2025 on the 52-acre site developed by CORE5 Industrial Partners. The facility incorporates advanced beverage production technology and distribution operations designed to support Niagara's expanding national customer base. "Kentucky's leading manufacturing industry and companies like Niagara Bottling are investing in our people and helping fuel our record-breaking success," said Gov. Andy Beshear. "I want to congratulate the company's leaders on this wonderful milestone and look forward to seeing their success here in the commonwealth." Niagara Bottling, headquartered in Diamond Bar, California, is a family-owned beverage manufacturer founded in 1963. The company supplies private-label and branded beverages to major retailers, grocery chains, club stores and convenience stores throughout the United States. Its product portfolio includes bottled water, sparkling water, vitamin-enhanced and flavored water, sports drinks, ready-to-drink teas and coffees, and protein beverages. The Northern Kentucky facility provides additional production capacity while positioning the company within a major logistics and distribution corridor serving markets throughout the Midwest and Eastern United States. "At Niagara, we invest with the long-term in mind, and this new facility reflects our confidence in Northern Kentucky and its future," said Brian Hess, executive vice president of Niagara Bottling. "This investment builds on our pride in American manufacturing and our commitment to creating meaningful career opportunities." The project received support through Kentucky's site development initiatives. In 2022, the General Assembly and Beshear approved a $13 million site development and acquisition fund for Kenton County. Of that funding, $669,000 was used to support the Niagara project through the installation of power transmission lines needed for the development. Local officials said the investment demonstrates the value of preparing industrial sites to attract large-scale manufacturing operations. "When the General Assembly allocated Kenton County's $13 million Site Development Fund, they charged us with supporting projects that would have a lasting, positive impact on our community," said Kenton County Judge/Executive Kris Knochelmann. "Niagara Bottling is exactly the kind of investment we envisioned, bringing quality jobs and a long-term commitment to Kenton County." The opening also marks a milestone for Elsmere, where the facility adds a major manufacturing employer and expands the city's industrial tax base. Elsmere Mayor Marty Lenhof said Niagara's decision to establish its first Kentucky facility in the city creates new employment opportunities and strengthens the local business community. "Niagara Bottling is a strong member of Elsmere's business community, and we're proud to officially celebrate the company's investment in our city," Lenhof said. "Niagara's decision to establish its first Kentucky facility here brings quality jobs, significant investment and new opportunities to Elsmere." Northern Kentucky economic development officials pointed to the region's infrastructure, workforce and access to water resources as factors supporting the expansion of beverage manufacturing. Lee Crume, president and CEO of BE NKY Growth Partnership, said the project reinforces the region's competitiveness in attracting advanced manufacturing investment. "Our high-quality water resources, skilled workforce and central location give food and beverage manufacturers a compelling platform for growth," Crume said. He noted that the facility has already operated through a busy production season, making the grand opening a celebration of an operational manufacturing investment rather than simply the completion of construction. The project adds to Northern Kentucky's established manufacturing and logistics industries, which benefit from proximity to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, interstate highways and major population centers. Niagara's investment also reflects continued private-sector spending on manufacturing capacity in Kentucky, particularly in industries that rely on modern production technology and extensive distribution networks. The company has not announced additional employment projections beyond the 60 full-time positions associated with the project. With the Elsmere facility now operating, Niagara Bottling joins the growing number of national manufacturers establishing production operations in Kentucky to serve customers across the country. A detailed community profile for Kenton County can be viewed here.
Niagara Bottling to test enzymatic PET recycling at scale. Get Recycling Bins Rhea's Factory and Niagara Bottling will test RheaCycle enzymatic PET recycling under industrial conditions at Niagara's Vernon, California facility, with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory independently evaluating the system's performance. Discover more Scrap buying service Metal price charts Niagara Bottling to test enzymatic PET recycling at industrial scale. Rhea's Factory and Niagara Bottling will validate an enzymatic PET recycling system under industrial operating conditions at Niagara's Vernon, California facility, with performance independently assessed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Published October 16, 2026 Key points. * Rhea's Factory and Niagara Bottling were selected for the U.S. Department of Energy's Industrial Technology Validation program. * RheaCycle will be tested under industrial conditions at Niagara's PET recycling facility in Vernon, California. * The DOE program selected nine projects nationwide for a combined $3 million in funding. * The process uses AI-designed enzymes to break PET into purified terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol. * Installation and commissioning are expected to take up to six months before the validation period begins. SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Rhea's Factory and Niagara Bottling LLC are preparing to test an enzyme-based PET recycling technology under industrial operating conditions at Niagara's recycling facility in Vernon, California. Rhea's Factory, a biotechnology company developing enzymatic PET recycling, and Niagara Bottling, a family-owned U.S. water and beverage manufacturer, were selected for the U.S. Department of Energy's Industrial Technology Validation (ITV) program, administered by DOE's Industrial Technologies Office. The project will validate RheaCycle, Rhea's Factory's enzymatic depolymerization platform, with performance independently measured and verified by experts from DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Nine projects selected for DOE validation program. DOE's ITV program selected nine projects nationwide for a combined $3 million in funding. Each project pairs a technology developer with an industrial host site where the technology is installed and operated under real production conditions. "A major barrier hindering industrial adoption of many promising technologies is that end users lack reliable and unbiased information about their performance," said Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson. "ITV is the cornerstone program that addresses this barrier head on." At the Vernon facility, RheaCycle combines AI-designed enzymes with a proprietary downstream separation process to break PET into its two primary building blocks: purified terephthalic acid, or TPA, and ethylene glycol, or EG. Because the enzymes act selectively on PET, the process is designed to accept a range of post-consumer feedstocks, including thermoforms, contaminated PET, residual streams from existing recycling lines and polyester textiles. The recovered monomers are designed to be repolymerized into new PET, creating a potential pathway for difficult-to-recycle material to return to food-grade packaging. Industrial test will measure energy and water use. The project will validate the integrated RheaCycle system using PET streams handled at Niagara's Vernon facility, including recycling residuals, off-spec material and thermoforms. Energy efficiency is a core design metric for the system. The enzymatic depolymerization process operates at low temperature and atmospheric pressure, while the validation will independently measure energy and water consumption per kilogram of recovered monomer. "Bringing a technology like this to commercial scale takes more than good science," said Dr. Arzu Sandikci, CEO and co-founder of Rhea's Factory. "It takes a federal program willing to fund independent validation, a national laboratory willing to measure it, an industry partner like Niagara willing to host it, and a startup that has already proven the science and built the process to run at industrial scale. This project brings all four together, and that's how a new industry gets built." RheaCycle to operate alongside mechanical recycling. Niagara's involvement follows its May 2026 acquisition of the Vernon recycling and packaging facility and the rPlanet Earth brand. The facility reprocesses PET into recycled PET flakes and pellets for Niagara packaging. Get Recycling Bins The ITV project will install RheaCycle as a parallel line at the Vernon site, extending the range of PET the facility can return to food grade without modifying Niagara's existing operations. According to Rhea's Factory, the two recycling approaches are intended to complement each other. Mechanical recycling remains the preferred route for clean bottle streams, while enzymatic depolymerization provides an additional pathway for PET streams that fall outside mechanical-recycling specifications. The company said cost competitiveness has been a design requirement for RheaCycle alongside material quality and environmental performance. Site preparation underway in California. Site preparation is underway at Niagara's Vernon facility. Installation and commissioning are expected to take up to six months before the formal validation period begins. The results are expected to support Rhea's Factory's commercial development plans and future industry partnerships. Rhea's Factory, founded in 2024 and based in Berkeley, California, develops enzymatic recycling technologies for plastics and synthetic fibers, beginning with PET. Its RheaCycle platform uses artificial intelligence to design enzymes and associated processes that break plastics into their original building blocks. Niagara Bottling, founded in 1963 and headquartered in Diamond Bar, California, operates more than 50 plant locations with over 9,000 employees across the United States, Mexico, Australia and the United Kingdom. DOE's Industrial Technology Validation program is designed to assess emerging technologies under operating industrial conditions and provide independent performance data that can support future deployment decisions. 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