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April 19, 2007
Bronco Wine Co. Plans Glass Production Facility
At an elegant luncheon celebrating the fifth anniversary of Charles Shaw Wines, Bronco Wine Company president Fred Franzia announced the company's intentions to build a glass production facility alongside Highway 29 in Napa. The luncheon was held at the company's production facility adjacent to the Napa airport, less than half a mile from the proposed glass plant.
"We think for the California wine industry to remain the major force in the wine marketplace, we foresee a special need for increased availability of glass bottles," said Franzia. "I was concerned that we are starting to see imported wine bottles from China and Mexico. We're also getting the message from glass companies that there is a shortage of supplies, and with that comes the inevitable [price rise]. Well, we think there's an alternative. I am here to announce that we're exploring the possibility of building a glass container plant on the 80-acre property we have on Devlin Road and Highway 29."
Though final plans (and regulatory approval) are not yet in place, the facility has been in the development for several years. Bronco Wine Company initially purchased the property in 1998 and a glass production facility has been planned for at least the last six years.
Franzia also pledged that the facility, which includes an 8-acre public park and arboretum, would be an eco-sensitive addition to the area. Using research conducted by the company, Franzia focused on the reduction in diesel-fueled emissions. Over 62,000 truckloads of glass per year would be eliminated, a savings of 375,000 diesel driving hours and eliminating over 32,000 tons of carbons released into the air.
Environmental groups are likely to be concerned about, among other things, possible air and water pollution generated by the glass making process. The delivery of raw glassmaking materials (primarily sand, soda ash, limestone and feldspar) however, would occur via rail.
Franzia said he was confident that environmental groups would eventually support the project. "I think the environmental community's knee-jerk reaction will be no, but when they really think about it and weigh all the alternatives, I think they should be supporters of it. We look forward to their support. This will help the entire Bay Area air basin," he said.
Throughout the presentation, Franzia noted that area wineries would gain a competitive advantage by using local glass rather than the relatively recent trend of importing glass from Mexico or China. "We don't want to be putting our wine in bottles with glass made in China when we have the opportunity to build it here," he said. "We need every advantage to succeed in the global marketplace with bottles built right here."
A longtime proponent of selling quality wines at accessible prices, Bronco Wine Company is the fourth-largest U.S. wine company in the WBM Top 30. Though the company has a portfolio of nearly 50 brands, it is best known for the super-value Charles Shaw label. Nicknamed "Two-Buck Chuck" for its $1.99 price point (though prices rise slightly for eastern U.S. markets), the brand is sold exclusively in Trader Joe's grocery stores. Franzia announced that the brand has sold over 300 million bottles in its five-year history.
Source: “Bronco Wine Company Announces Plans to Build Glass Production Facility,” Mary-Colleen Tinney, Daily News, April 19, 2007
Posted by fortna at April 19, 2007 07:55 AM
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