Keepin’ it Sweet: Dublin Bottling Works to build new bottling facility in Erath County

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By JESSIE HORTON

TheFlashToday.com NEWS & SPORTS – FREE & LOCAL

It’s only been a couple of years, but for those whom it affected the most – Dubliners – 2012 was a year of great loss. Production of Dublin Dr Pepper was halted by a lawsuit filed by the Dr Pepper Snapple Group.

But like a phoenix from the ashes, Dublin Bottling Works is making a big time come back.

Less than two full years after the lawsuit became final, the company has announced an expansion project. That’s right, Dublin Bottling Works, who had to downsize in 2012 but not close, continues to produce 12 flavors of soda that are distributed nationwide, and will be building a new bottling facility right here in Erath County.

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“We are actually planning on using some of the buildings already located on our property here in Dublin to house the new equipment and facility,” said Kenny Horton, public relations representative for Dublin Bottling Works. “While we looked into building a new building on our property, we found it far more cost effective to move the old equipment out of our current bottling facility and replace it with new, modernized equipment.”

While Horton said the equipment Dublin Bottling Works is purchasing and installing into their building on the corner of S. Patrick and E. Elm Streets in Dublin isn’t brand new, it will be a big upgrade for the company. Those who enjoy watching the bottling equipment work on Dublin Bottling’s tours, fear not. Horton said the tours will still allow people to see how everything happens, but from behind protective glass as the equipment is far more powerful than previously.

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“There are lots of changes and upgrades to our equipment planned, like a new filler, rinser, labeler and so much more. But to give you an idea of how major those changes really are – we’re changing from a three-head filler that fills about 25 bottles a minute, to a 40-head filler that can do about 300 bottles per minute,” he said. “Right now, to keep up with demand, we contract out a lot of our bottling to other facilities, while every other aspect of creating Dublin Bottling Works soda happens right here on site. With these upgrades, Dublin Bottling Works will cut down on cost and keep all the production of soda right here in Dublin and Erath County.”

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Horton said the changes, which are estimated to cost between $2.5 and $3.5 million, will not only allow for stepped-up production, but will also allow the company to take on bottling contracts for other craft sodas. He even said the company is considering installing separate bottling equipment for bottling craft beer, which is so popular in Texas. However, that’s not part of this upgrade, Horton confirmed.

“We’ve gone over all the options and what works best for everyone, and we truly believe this is what makes sense for us at Dublin Bottling Works,” Horton said. “As we continue to grow, these changes will allow Dublin Bottling Works to continue to produce top-quality products and distribute them across the state and the country.”

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He said the company is still in the purchasing equipment phase and that the general manager was headed to Georgia in the next few weeks to look at some of the main components they still need to complete the upgrades. The complete upgrade will be done by the beginning of 2016, said Horton, and installation of the new equipment will not halt current production of Dublin Bottling Works sodas.

“We’re really excited about the possibilities this opens up for us,” Horton  concluded. “Not only will Dublin Bottling Works be able to keep production on site, but we will be able to hire new employees (something Horton said the company is most excited about) and step up production. It’s an expensive venture, but we know this will allow us to ensure we endure and we are able to continue to help the people of our community.”


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