Blending tradition with technology: how Maker’s Mark modernized palletizing with Premier Tech

Maker's Mark

4 000 lb

elevator capacity

65+ years

of proven technology

1 000s

of this model in use worldwide

Maker’s Mark® is renowned for its smooth, full-flavored bourbon, crafted with care and tradition since 1953. From its signature red wax seal to the use of soft red winter wheat, everything about Maker’s Mark celebrates originality and quality. As production demands grew and old palletizing equipment became a daily headache, Maker’s Mark turned to Premier Tech for a modern, ergonomic, and reliable palletizing solution, ensuring the spirit of craftsmanship lives on, with safety and efficiency for the team.

Logo Maker's Mark

Challenges

  • Heavy lifting required stacking up to six layers high
  • Manual placement of layer sheets
  • Old palletizer caused team member strain and required constant maintenance

Solutions

Story

Maker’s Mark has always been about dedication to craft, using soft red winter wheat for a signature smoothness, and even hand-dipping every bottle in red wax. But while the craft in the bottle never changed, production needs in the warehouse did. The old hydraulic palletizer was noisy, unreliable, and put constant physical strain on the team, with layer sheets placed by hand and breakdowns becoming routine.

After seeing Premier Tech palletizers performing flawlessly at another distillery, the Maker’s Mark team decided to upgrade, installing two APH-5360 (formerly SPLX MKII) conventional palletizers. The transformation was immediate: the new machines are far quieter and run smoothly with minimal oversight—team members only need to keep an eye on the process, rather than handling repetitive heavy lifting.

Automatic placement of layer sheets has made the operation safer and more ergonomic, while flexibility is now built directly in: switching between bottle sizes is as simple as using the touchscreen menu. Team members can smoothly rotate between roles, including the signature bottle dipping, thanks to the intuitive and user-friendly setup. For Maker’s Mark, blending tradition with technology means preserving their legacy, while taking care of the people who bring it to life.
 

“One of the main selling points of this equipment is how simple it is to switch from one bottle size to another. You just go onto the screen, press the menu button, and as long as the recipes are pre-programmed, it’s as easy as flipping a page to run a different size.”

Brian MattinglyOperations Director

“Our trainer was awesome, really good at listening. If we didn’t understand something, he would go step by step, explaining what the problem was and why it happened. He helped us understand the process so we could teach it to the next person.”

Terry GabhartBottling Team Member

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