Gov. Beshear: Niagara Bottling Celebrates Grand Opening of New $141 Million Production Facility in Kenton County, Creating 60 Quality Jobs

Project initially announced in September 2024 has exceeded original investment by more than $11 million

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Oct. 22, 2026) - Today, Gov. Andy Beshear announced exciting momentum within the state's manufacturing industry as Niagara Bottling, a leading private-label and branded beverage manufacturer, celebrated the grand opening of its new $141 million production facility in Kenton County, a project creating 60 new full-time jobs. The project, which was initially announced in September 2024, has exceeded the original investment amount by over $11 million.

"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, California, 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. Niagara has since grown into a leading beverage manufacturer that works closely with some of the largest beverage brands, retailers, grocers, club and convenience stores throughout the country. 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.

Kenton County Judge/Executive Kris Knochelmann spoke on the kind of investments the county is seeking: "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. Niagara Bottling is exactly the kind of investment we envisioned, bringing quality jobs and a long-term commitment to Kenton County."

Elsmere Mayor Marty Lenhof showed his appreciation for the company's investment: "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. 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."

Lee Crume, president and CEO of BE NKY Growth Partnership, mentioned Northern Kentucky's manufacturing presence: "Niagara Bottling's investment highlights the combination of assets that makes Northern Kentucky a strong location for advanced manufacturing. Our high-quality water resources, skilled workforce and central location give food and beverage manufacturers a compelling platform for growth. After seeing Niagara successfully operate through its busy season, we're proud to celebrate the company's investment and its long-term commitment to Northern Kentucky."

Niagara Bottling's investment and job creation furthers what has been the best six-year period for economic growth in state history.

Since the beginning of his administration, Gov. Beshear has announced nearly 1,400 private-sector new-location and expansion projects totaling over $54 billion in announced investments, creating more than 71,000 jobs. This is the highest investment figure secured during the tenure of any governor in the commonwealth's history and $33 billion more than the next highest total.

Gov. Beshear has announced some of the largest economic development projects in state history, which have solidified Kentucky's position as a national leader in automotive and energy storage system battery production: Ford Motor Co.'s nearly $3 billion, 2,200-job commitments in Louisville, as well as its $2 billion, 2,100-job project at the Kentucky 1 plant in Hardin County; Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing's $712 million investment, creating 1,572 jobs in Shelby County; and Toyota's $1.3 billion investment in Scott County, among others.

In February, the Governor announced Kentucky once again set an all-time record for products shipped globally, with $51.6 billion in exports in 2025, representing a 7.65% increase over 2024.

Unemployment rates fell in all 120 counties between December 2024 and December 2025.

The Governor's administration also secured the largest General Fund budget surplus and Rainy Day Fund. In 2023, Kentucky recorded over 2 million jobs filled for the first time ever and has stayed above that number ever since.

In addition, Kentucky has secured rating increases from major credit rating agencies Fitch Ratings, S&P Global Ratings and Moody's Investors Service.

Earlier this year, Site Selection magazine ranked Kentucky in the top five nationally and second in the South Central region for economic development projects per capita in its 2025 Governor's Cup rankings. In June, Area Development magazine awarded the commonwealth a Silver Shovel designation in its 2025 Shovel Awards, which highlight states for attracting high-value investment projects that will create a significant number of new jobs in their communities.

Gov. Beshear also announced a new initiative, called New Kentucky Home, to increase economic investment, attain and attract talent, and increase tourism across the state.

To encourage investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) in June 2024 preliminarily approved an incentive agreement with the company under the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based agreement can provide tax incentives based on the company's investment and annual job targets.

Additionally, KEDFA approved Niagara Bottling for tax incentives through the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act (KEIA). KEIA allows approved companies to recoup Kentucky sales and use tax on construction costs, building fixtures, equipment used in research and development and electronic processing.

By meeting its annual targets over the agreement term, the company can be eligible to keep a portion of the new tax revenue it generates. The company may claim eligible incentives against its income tax liability and/or wage assessments.

In addition, Niagara Bottling can receive resources from Kentucky's workforce service providers. Those include no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job-training incentives.

For more information on Niagara Bottling, visit NiagaraWater.com.

A detailed community profile for Kenton County can be viewed here.

Information on Kentucky's economic development efforts and programs is available at NewKentuckyHome.ky.gov. Fans of the Cabinet for Economic Development can also join the discussion at facebook.com/CEDkygov, on Twitter @CEDkygov, Instagram @CEDkygov and LinkedIn.

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