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Irish Distillers announces €150 million investment in sites in Cork and Dublin

More than €150 million is to be invested into Irish Distillers’ Midleton Distillery, maturation site in Dungourney, Co. Cork, and bottling plant Fox and Geese, Dublin over the next two years

•   Nearly €130 million to be spent expanding and upgrading Irish Distillers’ distillery in Midleton, and maturation site in Dungourney, Co. Cork
•   Over €20 million investment in upgrades to Irish Distillers’ Fox and Geese bottling site in Dublin, including extensions to the main operating bottling hall and storage warehouses
•  Eight new maturation warehouses, holding 16,800 casks each, to be built at Dungourney maturation site
•  Additional equipment installed in Midleton Distillery to expand capacity

Sunday, 14th of October 2018: Irish Distillers, the makers of the world’s most enjoyed whiskeys and one of Ireland’s leading suppliers of spirits and wines, has announced the investment of over €150 million in its sites in Cork and Dublin to meet demand for its products as the Irish whiskey renaissance continues apace. This is accelerated by the continued growth of Jameson which is now in double or triple-digit growth in more than 80 markets across the world. Nearly €130 million is to be spent expanding and upgrading the distillery in Midleton, and maturation site in Dungourney, Co. Cork, with over €20 million being invested in development of its bottling plant in Fox and Geese, Co. Dublin. 

The investment will see the construction of eight new maturation warehouses, each holding 16,800 casks, with further land to be purchased to support the next phase of development, in Dungourney, Co. Cork.

Present maturation site at Dungourney

The company has also added an additional mechanical vapour recompression evaporator, made by GEA Wiegand in Germany, to its Midleton Distillery in East Cork. The addition allows the distillery to further expand its capacity. A third mash filter and new fermenters are also to be installed in the distillery to meet the increasing demand for its portfolio of whiskeys. The distillery will also complete construction of a new office building in July 2019.

Investment in Irish Distillers’ bottling site in Fox and Geese will see extensions to the main operating bottling hall, storage warehouses, laboratory, and office spaces and additional upgrades to bottling and packing equipment.

Commenting on the investment, Conor McQuaid, Chairman and CEO said: “This €150 million investment in Midleton, Dungourney and Fox and Geese reflects the growing international success of Irish Distillers’ whiskey portfolio. With a tradition dating back to 1780, we have been distilling in the Midleton Distillery since 1975 and we are delighted to confirm our commitment to this tradition, and at the same time continue to embrace progress, delivering new and innovative expressions of Irish whiskey. We look forward to building upon our success story by continuing to bring innovative Irish whiskeys to the market.

“Irish whiskey is the fastest growing premium spirit in the world, with sales now accounting for more than one third of all Irish beverage exports. This investment will help to allow this growth to continue for years to come. The company is proud to play its role in the Irish drinks industry, which is a hugely important part of the Irish economy.”

Arising from the press release, That’s Dram Good raised the question “Will the investment be for the current distillery site?” in an effort to curb any rumours that have arose in recent time. We have received this reply from Irish Distillers;

“We can confirm that all of today’s investment announcement is earmarked towards activity in Midleton, Dungourney and Fox & Geese. At Irish Distillers, our objective is to drive the growth of our portfolio of premium Irish whiskey brands supported by the strength of the Pernod Ricard global distribution network. We take a long-term view and naturally, as we grow, there are implications for our business. We are currently examining all options to increase our production capacity to meet projected demand but can confirm that for the immediate future all our production will be done in Midleton. These are exciting times for Irish “whiskey and we are proud to be leading the way.

Source: Thatsdramgood.com