FDBusiness.com

William Grant & Sons, the owner of Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey brand, plans to invest in a new, state-of-the-art pot still whiskey and malt whiskey distillery in Tullamore, bringing whiskey production back to the Irish town for the first time since the original distillery closed in 1954. The €35 million investment will meet the long-term production demands for Tullamore Dew, the world’s second largest Irish whiskey brand, which is currently growing by over 15% annually and is central to the growth plans of William Grant & Sons which bought the brand in July 2010.

William Grant & Sons has agreed principal terms and is in the final stages of negotiating the purchase of a 58 acre site at Clonminch on the outskirts of Tullamore from Offaly County Council. The location offers a plentiful supply of natural, quality spring water from the nearby Slieve Bloom mountains, ideal for the triple distillation process used in Tullamore Dew.

Work on the new distillery, which will utilise the latest in green technology is scheduled to begin later this year, subject to planning permission, and will support in the region of 100 construction jobs during the two-year building phase. When combined with the new Tullamore Dew Visitor Centre, scheduled to open in September 2012, the total number employed by the firm in the town will rise to around 25. Tullamore Dew will continue to be bottled at its current facility in Clonmel, where it employs over 60 people.

“This investment by William Grant & Sons underpins our long-term commitment to Tullamore Dew, the town of Tullamore and Ireland. It represents an important next step in the long-term growth and development of the Tullamore Dew brand,” says Stella David, chief executive of William Grant & Sons. “We’re excited about bringing whiskey distilling back to Tullamore Dew’s roots for the first time in almost 60 years.”

William Grant & Sons’ group marketing director, Maurice Doyle, comments: “The new distillery will not only cement William Grant & Sons’ presence in Ireland, but reinforces the fact that the brand is now firmly rooted back in its original home of Tullamore. Our distillery will combine traditional distillation practices with the very latest in modern and green technologies to prepare the brand for future growth, while making sure the exact same taste and quality which has made Tullamore Dew famous around the world continues to be delivered. Irish whiskey is a major growth story internationally and with this investment we’re looking forward to putting Tullamore Dew and the Midlands region back on the map as one ofIreland’s premier whiskey producing regions.”