Whisky group Edrington unveils new global headquarters

Edrington, the distiller behind The Famous Grouse brand, has found a new home, revealing it will relocate to a new HQ at 100 Queen Street in Glasgow next March.

Edrington said 100 Queen Street in Glasgow was the 'perfect' location for its new HQ. Picture: Contributed

In April, Edrington announced that it was closing its site in West Kinfauns, Perth, which shared head office functions with the group’s site in Glasgow’s Great Western Road, where bottling and blending is also done.

The distiller, which also makes whiskies including The Macallan and Cutty Sark, as well as Brugal rum, said yesterday the new office, near Glasgow’s Royal Exchange Square, would unite its board and business units in a single location.

Edrington said it expects about 130 people to be based at the new HQ, including its executive board, finance, legal, and corporate affairs teams, as well as senior members of the company’s global operations, human resources and business technology divisions. It employs some 2,300 worldwide, with more than 60 per cent overseas.

The company expects 13 of Perth’s 103 staff to be made redundant due to the move, with 90 of those roles transferring to the new premises. About 40 staff currently at Great Western Road are also expected to make the switch.

The building is owned by Esson Properties and is undergoing a £8.25 million renovation, including the addition of two new floors.

Edrington said it will become the building’s leading tenant, occupying the top four floors. Ian Curle, Edrington’s chief executive, hailed the new location as “perfect”.

He said: “We looked at a number of properties in Glasgow for this strategically important move, and Queen Street combines high quality accommodation with a compelling location at the heart of Glasgow’s professional and cultural centre.”

Curle said the move would “help ensure that the business is in the best possible shape to deliver long term growth. It will improve international connections and bring us close to the creative and digital skills necessary to grow our business”.

Hunter Esson, chief executive of Esson Properties, said he was “thrilled” to have attracted such a high profile international company to the building.

Meanwhile, Edrington has appointed Zenith Optimedia as global media agency for its “regional power brands”, which include The Famous Grouse and Cutty Sark, across eight main markets including the UK, Spain and France.

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