Diageo Plans Another Expansion, 50 New Jobs for its Plainfield Headquarters

's ready to expand again, now that plans for a $22 million addition to the distillery's North American headquarters have been OK'd by .

The 63,000-square-foot extension will be built at the northwest corner of Van Dyke Road and 143rd Street. It's the second facility expansion since 2008, and one of many since the company purchased the operation in 1997.

Diageo is one of the largest distillers in the world, and in Plainfield the company manufactures traditional and flavored Smirnoff vodka products, Gordon's and Booths gins, and flavored beers, such as Smirnoff Ice and Smirnoff Ice Triple Black.

The village board gave its approval to a site plan that calls for the demolition of the original gin distillery to make way for an expanded bottling hall. The remaining space will be used for a new processing addition, semi-works addition and additional warehouse space.

Construction will be begin this year and is scheduled to be completed in 2013.

The company's most recent $18 million expansion was completed last year, when the Logoplaste bottling facility was constructed to accommodate the packaging of Diageo products on site.

The company also invested $7 million in the plant in 2006 and 2007, a company press release said.

"(Diageo) has been good business partners, really good neighbors," Trustee Jim Racich said. "They want to achieve a lot for our community. I'm glad we have an opportunity to help them."

In addition to approving the site plan and granting a variance in the landscaping ordinance, the village, Plainfield School District 202 and Will County also previously signed off on a five-year, 50 percent tax abatement for the project.

The new addition is expected to add another 50 jobs to the facility. That's on top of the 40 created with the Logoplaste plant.