The Bourbon Industry Is in Turmoil. Could Tech Provide the Shot It Needs? The software-driven approach pioneered by a new Kentucky distillery runs counter to the low-tech methods of whiskey's old guard. Its mix of data and automation might help pave a way forward. Kendra Skeeters, a warehouse operator at Whiskey House, works the barrel-filling stations at the company's facility in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.Photograph: LEANDRO LOZADA Save this storyIn case you missed it, the American whiskey industry is seemingly in free fall. The once untouchable bourbon business has seen many big brands abruptly retreating, with sales of Bulleit down 7 percent and Wild Turkey down 8 percent in the first half of this year.

When Abound Credit Union first opened its doors in 1950 in Radcliff, Kentucky, its member base could fit in the confines of a small conference room. Back then, the credit union's main goal was to deliver deeply personalized service to its members in-branch. Fast forward 72 years and Abound is now Kentucky's largest credit union with nearly $2 billion in assets, 18 locations and over 100,000 members across central and southern Kentucky. Though its mission to deliver outstanding member service remains, much has changed about its members' preferences -- namely, for simpler and more efficient online banking services.