A Top 50 U.S. brewer was presented with a significant growth opportunity to supply ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages to a major national grocery retailer. While the commercial opportunity was compelling, the brewery’s facilities and operating model had been designed primarily for beer production. Leadership needed to quickly determine whether existing infrastructure, utilities, equipment, and processes could support commercial-scale RTD production while meeting an aggressive launch timeline.
First Key partnered with the Client’s leadership, engineering, operations, and vendor teams to develop a practical roadmap for RTD commercialization. The team evaluated utility capacity, production infrastructure, facility layout, equipment requirements, and operational processes to identify the changes necessary to support reliable RTD manufacturing at scale. First Key also coordinated with equipment suppliers and project stakeholders to help prioritize upgrades, align implementation activities, and reduce execution risk during the scale-up process.
The resulting roadmap provided a clear path from concept to production, enabling the Client to capitalize on a strategic growth opportunity while building the operational foundation for long-term participation in the rapidly growing RTD category.
• Successfully completed the first commercial RTD production run within the Client’s accelerated launch timeframe.
• Developed a prioritized infrastructure and equipment upgrade roadmap to support scalable RTD manufacturing.
• Improved operational readiness through utility assessments, facility planning, vendor coordination, and process design.
• Reduced implementation risk by aligning engineering, operations, suppliers, and project stakeholders around a common execution plan.
• Established a production platform capable of supporting future growth in the RTD and ready-to-serve beverage categories.
• Enabled entry into a major retail channel opportunity while maintaining operational focus and execution discipline.
