The Bardstown Bourbon Company set to open in 2016
BARDSTOWN, Ky. (July 21, 2015) — In an effort to increase safety during the construction of a new distillery project in Bardstown, Buzick Construction has entered for the first time into the Construction Partnership Program with the Kentucky Labor Cabinet. The formal site-based agreement allows the Labor Cabinet to conduct numerous jobsite audits during the construction of The Bardstown Bourbon Company’s $25 million, 37,000-s.f. facility in the Nelson County Industrial Park.
“This facility is an exciting addition to one of Kentucky’s signature industries, and we all want to see zero accidents during its construction,” said Labor Cabinet Secretary Larry L. Roberts. “Construction is the deadliest job in Kentucky, and that’s why it’s crucial to have as many experts as possible working to identify any hazards on a project.”
The Labor Cabinet’s data on worker fatalities shows that construction workers have more work-related deaths than any other job in Kentucky.
“We greatly value the opportunity to partner with the Labor Cabinet to both ensure the safety of our hard working men and women and to use this as a learning experience to make our future jobsites even safer,” said Donald Blincoe, vice president of Buzick Construction.
Based in Bardstown since 1937, Buzick has built hundreds of whiskey warehouses and other industrial structures for distilleries throughout Kentucky and Tennessee. The company is a full design-build firm that can handle projects of any size or complexity.
Set on 100 acres of active farmland and adjacent to the Bluegrass Parkway, The Bardstown Bourbon Company forms the gateway to Bardstown, Kentucky, the “Bourbon Capital of the World.” This first-of-its-kind Napa Valley style campus will feature a unique and transparent educational experience, high-end tours and tastings, an integrated visitors center, event space, and eventually a restaurant and boutique hotel. This will be the fifth bourbon distillery in Nelson County. The facility is set to open in summer of 2016.
Kentucky produces 95 percent of the world’s bourbon. The Kentucky Distiller’s Association estimates that the industry includes more than 15,000 jobs with an annual payroll of more than $700 million in the Commonwealth.
As part of the Construction Partnership Program, workplace safety experts with the Labor Cabinet’s Office of Occupational Safety and Health will make frequent visits to the site. Visits begin with an on-site conference of employees and subcontractors followed by a walk-through inspection to identify hazards.
All findings are discussed in a closing conference, followed within days by a detailed presentation of any hazards. In addition, abatement dates are set for deficiencies that have not already been corrected, and written reports will be prepared for Buzick.
Including this latest project, the Labor Cabinet is involved with 14 ongoing Construction Partnership Programs across the commonwealth. This number fluctuates frequently as projects are added or completed.
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