Jobs at risk as Glenmorangie moves HQ to Edinburgh

Published on Tuesday 1 July 2008 13:38

GLENMORANGIE whisky today announced plans to move its headquarters to Edinburgh and upgrade two distilleries as part of a £45 million investment programme.

The company says the two-year plan, which could put jobs at risk, will allow it to focus on its two single malt Scotch whisky brands, Glenmorangie and Ardbeg, and move away from blended whisky.

It will sell its Glen Moray Distillery at Elgin, whose whisky is mainly used for blended Scotch, as a going concern.

The Glenmorangie Company said that a number of jobs may be affected by the plans, but it is hoped that any job losses would be through retirement and voluntary redundancy.

It will begin a consultation with its 420 employees and trade union representatives.

The head office will be relocated to Edinburgh and the existing headquarters in Broxburn, West Lothian sold, most likely to drinks company Diageo.

A new bottling facility will be built in the Lothians area to meet the increased demand for single malt in markets such as Asia, Europe and the United States.

Glenmorangie's distillery in Tain, Ross-shire will be developed, with distilling capacity boosted and new whisky cask warehouses built.

At Ardbeg Distillery on Islay, the distillery and visitor centre, will be upgraded and new cask warehousing also built.

The company said it plans a phased withdrawal from the bottling and sale of blended Scotch whisky.