Clark Beverage Group

SITUATION: Clark Beverage Group is a 100+ year distribution company with more than 2,800 brands and 1,200 employees serving five states. The company was seeking a location for a new automated warehouse and distribution facility to support a growing customer base and expand its operations. Clark Beverage Group engaged VisionFirst and Bulter Snow as its strategic partners for location advisory services. VisionFirst served as the lead for site selection and incentive negotiations. Bulter Snow provided legal services for the company’s expansion.

SOLUTION: With options to expand its operations in four states, VisionFirst worked with state and local economic development partners to identify potential locations and incentives for the company’s expansion. In conjunction with Butler Snow, VisionFirst conducted a risk matrix of the communities being considered based on business climate issues, incentives and the community’s support of economic development projects. As a result of these evaluations and negotiations, Clark Beverage Group selected Madison County, Mississippi, as the location for its expansion.

SUCCESS: VisionFirst and Butler Snow successfully negotiated incentives with the Mississippi Development Authority and Madison County Economic Development Authority for this project, such as infrastructure grants and property tax exemptions, sales and use tax exemptions, and workforce training. These incentives are based on Clark Beverage Group’s commitment of $100 million in capital investment and the creation of 30 full-time jobs. In June 2023, Clark Beverage Group broke ground on the new facility in Madison County, Mississippi and it is expected to be complete in early 2025.