Dant Crossing Project Spotlight: Buzick Construction, Inc.
On March 18, we received our final inspection and the green light to open the Log Still Distillery Tasting Room, the first new building completed at Dant Crossing. Much credit for this achievement goes to the team at Bardstown-based Buzick Construction, Inc., our general contractor.
Buzick’s lead project manager Summer Talbott and site superintendent Jerry Wayne Rogers have headed up this work and will continue to play an important role in helping us ensure that we not only create a beautiful campus, but also create opportunities and jobs for our neighbors here in Nelson County.
“Completing The Tasting Room was our first real construction milestone,” Summer said. “We started work in September and had a tight timeline, as we knew the Dant family wanted to be open in early spring. Our team is very proud that we’ve brought this project in on time.”
This will be the third distillery campus project that Buzick has constructed from the ground up, and Summer was impressed by the quality of design and a couple of special features in The Tasting Room: the overhead bifold door that opens in good weather and allows visitors to do their tasting while sitting outside and enjoying the breathtaking views, and also The Tasting Room’s mini-still. “It is very cool to see all of the elements of an honest-to-goodness operating still, in miniature form,” she said.
To complete the project on schedule, Buzick hired 17 different subcontractors. “We probably had 100 different people working on this project at one time or another. That’s a lot of folks and a lot of good jobs created for local contractors in the area.”
“This project was also a lot of fun, which is not the word you always associate with construction projects,” she said. “What made it fun was working with a family that wanted to create a place where they can do business, for sure, but more importantly were focused on providing an atmosphere where families could visit, bring the kids, and enjoy the beautiful setting.”
She added, “When we started this project, it was all work and no play. There was a lot to do and a whole lot of people around the table. The Dant Crossing folks have a great pair of owner’s reps, Jim Lemieux and Richard Banta, with decades of knowledge in the construction industry. They have been very valuable to have on our team.”
Ultimately Buzick will work on every structure on this campus: The Tasting Room, distillery, water treatment facility, 47 & Poplar (restaurant), amphitheater, and Legacy (event venue). “We are also responsible for all of the utility infrastructure on-site, which is a huge job in itself and is being overseen by Nick Filiatreau, my co-manager at Buzick,” she said.
“It is so unique to work on a family project, especially when they make you feel like part of the family,” she said. “I’m excited for the community to experience Dant Crossing, hear a concert, walk the lake trail, maybe go out on one of the docks and do some fishing. My family loves to fish, so we’re really excited about that,” she said.