Distillery equipment manufacturer move to Kells raises spirits

JOBS BOOST 2

There was good news on the jobs front for Kells this week with the news that copper still-making firm Forsyths has opened in the business park to meet “buoyant” demand from the distilling industry here.

The Scottish-based group is setting up the facility in response to the recent growth in the industry.

The company manufactures and supplies copper stills and distillation equipment for distillers around the world,

“This is great news for Kells and County Meath– it will bring a lot of jobs as the facility grows over time,” says local auctioneer Hugh Morris.

“There are many new distilleries opening across the country. It is a growth industry and the company has picked Kells as a base because it is a heritage town and fits in with what they are doing.

“The fact that there are two national road corridors serving the town was also an attraction,” he said,

Forsyths is involved in a number of projects in Ireland, including the construction of a new distillery, Monasterevin, in which U2 rock star Bono is a shareholder.

Richard Forsyth, managing director of the family-run business, said business has been very buoyant in Ireland.

“The famous Bushmills Distillery has just been doubled in production.

“If you go back 20 years, Ireland only had three distilleries and now it has more than 30 and they need servicing and maintaining.”

The firm has its roots in Rothes in Scotland and dates back to the 1890s when Alexander Forsyth served his time as a coppersmith. The owner of the brass and copperworks at the time was Robert Willison.

After finishing his apprenticeship Alexander remained with Willison as a tradesman and then foreman until 1933, when he bought the business from the retiring Willison and A Forsyth and Son was born.

Meanwhile, in a seperate development, The Kells Distillery Company is planning to set up a distillery in the town and has been involved in preplanning negotiations.