Middle Tech Spotlight Series: Brandon Corace

Bourbon meets Biotechnology: Inside Meridian Biotech's $40 million partnership with Buffalo Trace

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Middle Tech
October 27, 2025

October 27th, 2025

In the Spotlight: Brandon Corace

Morning, friends - Logan here. If you’re a UK fan, I trust you’re looking forward to basketball season as much as I am after that exhibition game

This week, I sat down with Brandon Corace, president and co-founder of Meridian Biotech, a company bringing new value to one of Kentucky’s leading industries - bourbon. Meridian’s team is working to address a growing challenge for distilleries: What to do with the byproducts left behind after production.

Using a process refined at their pilot facility here in Lexington, Meridian transforms bourbon byproducts (aka “stillage”) into sustainable ingredients used for aquaculture feed, pet food and fertilizer. Their technology separates and reuses nutrients within the material, creating high-protein and high-phosphorus products to replace existing ingredients often imported from overseas. Meridian’s research-based approach works to align both environmental and economic interests into a source of value.

Each drop of bourbon produced creates a substantial amount byproduct, known as stillage. For decades, a majority has been used for cattle feed, though as the industry continues to grow, there simply has not been enough local demand to absorb the excess stillage. Meridian saw this as an opportunity to apply their tech to repurpose those materials into valuable products for different markets.

They recently announced their partnership with Buffalo Trace in Frankfort, where they’ll build an on-site facility to process stillage directly. It’s an efficient setup which eliminates the need for long-distance transport, reduces costs, and gives distilleries the ability to focus on production, while Meridian manages the stillage conversion process. The partnership will bring new high paying jobs to the region and strengthen the ties between Kentucky’s biotech, manufacturing, and spirits industries.

As a new chapter unfolds for Kentucky’s bourbon industry, Meridian and Buffalo Trace are leading the way with a shared vision rooted in sustainability and innovation.

What We Discussed:

Solving the byproduct issue

How Meridian is helping distilleries like Buffalo Trace turn stillage into usable materials instead of waste.

A new kind of biotech company

Why Meridian’s technology matters - and how they’re using scientific research and local partnerships to create products that reach global markets like aquaculture and pet food.

Bringing innovation home to Kentucky

What drove Meridian to relocate from Austin to Lexington, and how Kentucky’s business environment and industry ties have supported their growth.

Inside the Buffalo Trace partnership

How a state-led reverse pitch competition sparked collaboration between Meridian and Buffalo Trace - leading to plans for new facility construction in Frankfort.

The future of sustainable manufacturing in Kentucky

How projects like Meridian’s represent a broader shift in how the state approaches innovation, sustainability, and its connection to legacy industries.

This Week’s Events:

Entrepreneurship, competition, and community collide as 5 local startups will pitch for $500 and a trip to the 5 Across Finals in December. We’ll be there - get your free ticket here by using the code MIDDLETECH2025.

Join us for lunch and hear from the newest, high-caliber additions to Awesome Inc’s startup accelerator, the Fellowship. We will also be at this event (you even get a free lunch!). Don’t miss it!

We hope you enjoy this episode! If you have any thoughts after listening, feel free to shoot me a message at [email protected]

Have a great week, friends!

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