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Willie Phillips joins Ardgowan as chairman
The Macallan’s former managing director, Willie Phillips, has been appointed chairman of new Lowland distillery Ardgowan.
Willie Phillips was managing director of The Macallan from 1978-1996
In October last year, The Ardgowan Distillery Company submitted a planning application to build a whisky distillery and visitor centre on the historic Ardgowan Estate in Inverclyde, near the port of Inverkip.
Inverclyde Council is now considering the proposals and is expected to provide a decision by the spring. If approved, the distillery will be operational by 2019.
The proposal will resurrect the name of the Ardgowan Distillery, which was founded in 1896 and located in Baker Street, Greenock. After a few years of whisky production, the distillery was used to make grain spirit and industrial alcohol until it was destroyed in The Blitz of 1941.
Phillips, who was managing director of The Macallan Scotch whisky from 1978 until Highland Distillers bought the company in 1996, has joined the firm as its chairman.
“I’m really interested in the idea of creating a new Lowland malt whisky in this part of Scotland, which is close to Irvine, where I spent much of my youth,” he said.
“The Ardgowan team is looking to bring on board one of the most experienced ‘noses’ in the businesses – someone who will help them craft a new spirit of great quality – and I am sure we will together create a really outstanding new Lowland single malt whisky.”
In addition to his role with The Macallan, Phillips was managing director of Armagnac producer Janneau from 1997 to 2003. He has also been a non-executive director of a number of companies associated with the Scotch whisky industry, and was chairman of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) for 10 years.
“Willie Phillips has a real passion for whisky and decades of experience in making superlative spirits and marketing them around the world,” said Martin McAdam, chief executive of Ardgowan Distillery.
“We have a fantastic plan to build a globally-recognised new Lowland malt whisky distillery of which Inverclyde and Scotland will be proud, and we look forward to working with Willie in bringing our ambitious vision to life.”
Ardgowan Distillery will be a new edition to the Scottish Lowlands