Vendome Copper & Brass Works in Louisville, Kentucky has been making equipment for the distilling industry in the same two block area for more than 120 years. The Sherman family has been at the helm of the operation the entire time and now the 4th generation owners have embarked on a major expansion to make sure the business is set up for success for the next 100 years.
Vendome Copper & Brass has announced the addition of a new 50,000 square foot facility located about three miles from its existing production and engineering facility. The new facility will be used to produce large-scale stainless-steel vessels, including fermenters, cookers, beer wells, storage tanks, reactors, and ASME code stamped pressure vessels. Vendome also manufactures equipment for brewing, food, dairy, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries.
In addition to the new facility across town Vendome also acquired additional land and offices next to its existing location on Franklin Street in Louisville. Most of this new space will be used for design and engineering, general office space and parking. Altogether they have just north of 150,000 square feet for the entire operation.
A Game Changer in Keeping Up with Demand, Efficiency and Delivery Times
“Our expansion into the Ormsby location has given us the much-needed space to increase our production capacity and efficiency at both locations,” said Neil McElroy, Director of Operations at Vendome Copper & Brass Works.
“This new facility not only allows us to fabricate more tanks simultaneously but also enables us to maintain the highest standards of quality and safety. The added space and advanced equipment ensure that we can meet our customers’ needs more effectively, with shorter lead times and a lower price while maintaining the craftsmanship and quality that have defined our company for over a century.”
“Last year we were two shifts seven days a week, round the clock,” said 4th Generation Owner Rob Sherman. “This year we are one shift, eight hours a day, five days a week. Now that we have space, you can bring all the night shift people to day shift. It gives us better supervision to all be on day shift. And it gives us more people that can do field work and more people that can respond to do emergency work. Everything we’ve done is a win, win. More space, more parking and more people.
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“New state of the art equipment allows us to build more tanks a lot more efficiently now, less handling, faster. We were 18 to 24 months out and we were limited by space. Now, with the brand-new plant we are 5-7 months out. As far as tanks, we can get tanks out almost immediately.”
“Most tanks are in the shop for about three weeks. They go through fairly fast. The biggest difference is when we used to build the bigger tanks they needed to ship once they were finished. If they got held up a day or two, they would hold up everything behind them. Now, with the new building, we can build them and store them. So shipping is no longer holding us up. We no longer have to finish them and ship them before we can start the next tank. That has helped a lot. Now we can have 40 tanks go out at once.”
Custom Built Machinery Builds Tanks from Coils Rather than Sheets
Vendome acquired the new space on December 1, 2023, and after extensive cleaning, leveling and installation of new equipment, they built their first tank on March 1, 2024. The new location had two cranes on site when they took over the building. Since then, they’ve added many new cranes. Across all locations they have cranes that can lift about 265 tons of materials.
The additional square footage allows Vendome to build tanks in a new more efficient method. In the past, most tanks were built beginning with flat sheets of stainless steel. With the additional space, they had a custom-built machine manufactured that can handle 25,000 lb. coils of stainless steel that was simply not possible previously. The coil processing minimizes weld seams and enhances the structural integrity of the tanks. The result is greater consistency, improved quality, and a safer work environment for Vendome’s skilled craftsmen, further solidifying Vendome’s reputation for excellence in fabrication.
The new location allows them to build tanks more efficiently with lots of extra space for storage of completed tanks.
“We’ve always built tanks, but now we can build lots of tanks more efficiently and faster.”
~ Vendome Copper & Brass Works, 4th Generation Owner, Rob Sherman
“We had this machine custom built. It can lift 25,000 lb. coils of stainless steel. A single role can make about seven 30,000-gallon fermenters. Instead of pallets of sheets, it’s all done from coils. The coil sits on the machine, the spindle flips up the coil and then feeds it through for fabrication, and you have one weld joint per panel vs. four joints using panels. On a big fermenter we eliminated 15-16 weld joints. It saves a lot of time and makes for a better finished product.”
The new location is about 19’ taller than their existing building and allows them to build a 50,000-gallon tank onsite that can be shipped via flatbed to its destination. Larger tanks, they can build up to 200,000-gallon tanks, will continue to be field built on or near the site of their final destination.
This addition has also made the Franklin Street location much more efficient by allowing for a better flow for the distillation equipment, shell and tube heat exchangers, and smaller vessels.
For over a century, Vendome Copper & Brass Works mission has been to lead in quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction. Vendome has played a pivotal role in supporting the distillation industry and beyond, specializing in custom-fabricated copper and stainless-steel equipment. Known for its unparalleled craftsmanship and dedication to quality and customer service, Vendome continues to innovate by offering comprehensive solutions from concept to installation. In addition to its fabrication capabilities, Vendome provides a full spectrum of field services, including on-site fabrication, installation, repair, refurbishment, and maintenance.
Learn more about Vendome Copper & Brass Works.
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