Bruichladdich Growth Continues

 

 

Progressive Hebridean distiller Bruichladdich has announced an increase in profits of 29% for the year to 31^st December 2006 on a turnover of £5.3m.

 

Sir John Mactaggart, Chairman, commented: “This performance continues the improvement in both profitability and turnover achieved over the last 3 years.”

 

The maverick distiller fights well above its weight as Industry analysis by Plimsoll of 86 whisky companies puts the company at number 15 in pre-tax profit ranking. And 4^th in Gross Profit as a percentage of sales.

 

The company is in 3^rd place within the industry for companies returning the best added value as a percentage of sales.

 

Along with the mighty Diageo, the minnow Hebridean distiller is alone amongst its competitors in the industry in averaging 15% sales growth over the last three years.

 

 “This year has seen some major investments in the infrastructure of the distillery with the installation of a new boiler and bottling line, increasing the capacity to handle larger volumes as we grow.”

 

Energy saving concepts produced a 33% reduction in electricity since 2004 while production doubled to 650,000 litres of alcohol in the same period and a 21% reduction in oil per litre of alcohol produced.

 

“From barley to bottle we distil, mature and bottle our whisky on Islay – a sort of Gaelic “mis en bouteilles au chateau” says Mark Reynier, managing director.

 

 “Like wine, we believe in provenance so are increasingly distilling organically grown barley from individual ‘terroirs’ around Islay and Scotland; even our bank manager could tell the difference.”

 

In March 2007 the company announced plans for the construction of a new uber-green single malt distillery in neighbouring village of Port Charlotte on the Island of Islay. The Scottish Executive has awarded the company a £400,000 grant towards a boiler that is non-reliant on oil.

 

 “With the current hysteria on global warming we want to see if it is realistically practical to build and run an entirely carbon neutral, sustainable and self-contained distillery.

 

“We like challenges. Using organic barley, water turbines, windmills, ram pumps and bottling our whisky naturally. There’s nothing new about it.  We are only reinventing the Victorian wheel”