Packaging firm looks to whisky for growth

Published on Thursday 11 November 2010 14:29

A SMALL family-owned packaging business in Port Glasgow expects to see turnover climb 15 per cent to £9.5 million this year after investing in a new facility to make whisky tubes for clients including William Grant & Sons.

McLaren Packaging has poured 1.5m into a new manufacturing plant to improve its production of decorative tubes for whisky bottles.

The firm, which set up in the Port Glasgow area in 1979, has been benefiting from the boom in the luxury goods market, fuelled by whisky drinkers in countries such as China.

It took a decision several years ago to diversify its business, which previously relied on producing corrugated cases and packaging for the electronics industry, which suffered a steep decline in Scotland.

"We looked long and hard at what industries are going to be in Scotland in the long term, particularly after what happened with electronics," said Donald McLaren, operations director and son of the firm's founder Jim McLaren. "During the recession volumes of whisky have stood up well. The ultra premium market always stays there - good times or bad."

Although the company's core business still revolves around corrugated cases, McLaren said investment in its whisky tubes operation has paid off. Over the past year it has taken on a further ten staff.

"We have been investing during the downturn which has involved making brave decisions," McLaren said.