Allied Glass has welcomed plans by Diageo to invest £1bn in Scotch whisky production over the next five years to meet demand in emerging markets.
Diageo, which produces Scotch brands Bells, J&B and Johnnie Walker among others, wants to build a major new distillery and expand a number of its existing 28 distilleries.
The group said the proposals would create 100 Diageo jobs, around 250 construction roles and up to 500 positions from the ‘knock-on effect’ on the Scottish economy.
The move is also expected to benefit Allied Glass, which makes bottles for Diageo and employs nearly 700 people in Yorkshire.
Managing director Alan Henderson told the Yorkshire Post newspaper: “For the glass industry it’s fantastic news. It just gives us better visibility of Diageo’s aspirations for the future and the continuing growth of the Scotch whisky market.”
Allied Glass has invested heavily over recent years to match the requirements for Diageo going forward. The company’s £3m investment, which went live last month, was designed to support the growth of the Johnnie Walker and Buchanan’s brands.
Allied Glass is owned by private equity firm Equistone and its management team.
