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Ardgowan welcomes distillery manager
Distil-backed Ardgowan has appointed ex-Penderyn general manager Laura Davies to lead the Scotch distillery ahead of its opening next year.
The newly constructed Ardgowan Distillery in the Inverclyde region is aiming to start whisky production and open the facility next spring. Distil has invested millions of pounds into building Ardgowan.
Davies joins Ardgowan as distillery manager after spending more than a decade at The Welsh Whisky Company (Penderyn), where she was pivotal in growing the business’s turnover from £10 million (US$12.6m) to £23m (US$29m) over seven years while overseeing operations across three production sites and visitor centres in Wales.
Martin McAdam, CEO of Ardgowan Distillery, commented: “It is a pleasure to welcome Laura to the Ardgowan family. Her deep industry knowledge, from distillation to business development, aligns perfectly with our mission to establish Ardgowan as both a community cornerstone and a respected name in the global whisky market.”
Davies was mentored by the late Dr Jim Swan, whose mentorship equipped her with invaluable expertise in whisky production and maturation techniques.
Beyond her role in distillation, Davies’ extensive experience spans compliance, continuous improvement strategies, and new product development. She has commissioned three major production sites and scaled operations from 90,000 litres of pure alcohol (LPA) annually to more than one million LPA per year. Her career highlights also include the development of three flavoured gins.
Davies also holds a BSc (Hons) in Forensic Science with Criminology from the University of South Wales and an MSc in International Innovation Management.
Commenting on her appointment, Davies said: “Ardgowan is at such an exciting point in its journey. Joining at a moment when we are building the distillery and operational team from the ground up is something special. I look forward to applying all that I have learned to help Ardgowan craft an exceptional single malt that will resonate with whisky lovers worldwide.”
The appointment follows the recent delivery of Ardgowan’s state-of-the-art copper stills, crafted by McMillan Coppersmiths from Prestonpans.
Known as the home of Clydebuilt blended malt whisky, the Ardgowan site also houses the Blackwoods Gin distillery.
At the 2024 Scotch Whisky Masters, Clydebuilt’s Draughtsman was awarded a Master medal, and Anchorsmith received a Gold medal.
Earlier this month, Distil reported a 38% decline in the six months to 30 September 2024 as inflation hit consumers’ drinking habits.
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