Inver House Distillers eyes growth after £45m lending deal

Inver House owns the Speyburn distillery in Rothes

Scotch whisky producer Inver House Distillers has secured a £45m bank lending deal to support growth plans.

The Bank of Scotland facility has been secured against the company's inventory of whisky stocks.

Thai-owned Inver House said the new facility would help the business improve its margins over the next five years.

It will also provide "increased headroom" to support overseas expansion in India, Kazakhstan and Poland.

Inver House's brand portfolio includes Old Pulteney, Balblair, anCnoc and Speyburn single malts.

A year ago, the Airdrie-based distiller announced it had completed a £10m investment programme which included boosting production capacity at its Speyburn distillery in Moray.

'Better value'

Inver House financial director Roger Hall said: "The new facility is significantly better value for us. It gives us access to the most cost-effective borrowing, which is crucial to our business.

"It also helps us to continue investment in our whisky stocks, which will see our brands grow over the next 12 years and beyond."

Inver House, which is owned by ThaiBev, currently employs 210 people across its six sites in Scotland.

In October, it reported a sharp fall in revenue and profits for 2015. The firm largely attributed the results to a reduction in sales of bulk whiskies and other "value-for-money" products.

It also cited a major reorganisation of distribution arrangements in its key US market.