A roundup of today's other business news in brief
William Grant to set up global marketing office in Dublin
Scottish drinks group William Grant Sons has announced plans to establish a global marketing office in Dublin to manage the brand development of its non-Scotch spirits. It will employ 17 staff at a base in Parkwest in southwest Dublin.
Six of these posts are transferring from Irish-listed cider group CC, which sold its spirits and liqueur brands to William Grant in July for €300 million. The Dublin office will manage the global marketing operations for a number of William Grant brands including Sailor Jerry, Hendrick’s Gin and Tullamore Dew, an Irish whiskey acquired from CC. It will work alongside William Grant’s existing global marketing office in Richmond, London. Both will be overseen by group marketing director Maurice Doyle, from Bray, Co Wicklow.
A key focus will be the development of the Tullamore Dew brand.
Barry Group opens €1.5m extension
Wholesale and distribution company Barry Group has opened a €1.5 million extension to its central distribution base in Co Cork.
The new 145,000sq ft facility in Mallow is part of the group's growth plans over the next three years, including opening more Buy Lo store and doubling the number of Carry Out specialist off-licence stores by 2012.
Barry Group supplies products to more than 700 stores in the Republic. It employs 240 staff.
Minister for Enterprise Batt O'Keeffe said the move was an indicator that confidence was growing in the retail sector and Ireland's economic recovery was under way.
Receiver for Irish business of Calyx
Tom Kavanagh of insolvency specialists KavanaghFennell has been appointed receiver to the Irish businesses of ICT services group Calyx. The company will continue to trade as a going concern while a buyer is sought.
The British and Northern Ireland businesses of Calyx, which employ more than 500 people, were placed in administration last Friday. In recent weeks, Calyx has been in negotiations with Anglo Irish Bank, to which it owes more than €90 million.
Better Capital acquired the debts of Calyx's British operations last Friday and has expressed an interest in buying the business.
Eight-fold pretax profits increase for Lisheen
A company involved in the sale of lead and zinc from the Lisheen mine in Co Tipperary recorded an eight-fold increase in pretax profits to $22.9 million (€17.9 million) last year.
According to accounts just filed by Lisheen Milling, the company recorded the 721 per cent increase in pretax profits after the firm increased turnover by 6 per cent, from $196 million to $208 million, to the end of December last.
Earlier this year, Indian company Vedanta Resources bought the Tipperary mine, and other bigger mines in South Africa and Namibia, from Anglo American Zinc.
