Stoelzle’s key strength is its own multi-plant manufacturing network, which is designed to absorb shocks and ensure customer supply is maintained, reducing the need to qualify additional manufacturing footprints.
That capability was demonstrated in July 2025, when a significant fire at Stoelzle Flaconnage, their UK production site in Knottingley, West Yorkshire, resulted in substantial damage to the furnace and critical equipment. All employees were safely evacuated and there were no serious injuries. The UK site then faced months of full production downtime, exactly the kind of disruption that typically threatens availability, launches and on-shelf presence.
In response, the Stoelzle team activated its Business Continuity Plan with immediate effect. Production volumes were transferred to their backup facilities in Poland, Austria and France, ensuring uninterrupted customer supply while the UK site was out of action. UK specialists were instrumental in facilitating start-up and on-the-job training at the backup sites, ensuring the maintenance of consistent specifications, decoration interfaces and quality standards. Customers received weekly updates on lead times and allocations, providing the transparency required for effective brand planning.
Collectively, these measures, in addition to the proven ability to protect supply throughout the UK site’s downtime earned Stoelzle the renowned Diageo’s Global Supplier Award 2025. Diageo’s award recognition links the honour to the glass manufacturer’s performance under disruption, highlighting service continuity, close coordination, and accelerated tooling and mould management to protect supply for key brands. For premium spirits manufacturers, this recognition is a clear signal that security of supply is not a promise, but a performance. Stoelzle earned that trust when it mattered most.
In parallel, Stoelzle Flaconnage successfully completed an accelerated rebuild and resumed operations on December 22, 2025, equipped with cutting-edge furnace technology and new, high-performance forming lines. Since the restart, ramp-up in the UK has been seamless, maintaining continuous supply and reliable delivery performance for valued customers. The investment will strengthen process stability and efficiency, supporting higher throughput and creating additional resilience for customers in the premium spirits segment.