Edrington makes some of the world’s best and best-loved Scotch whiskies,
including The Macallan, The Famous Grouse, Cutty Sark and Highland Park.
The portfolio is complemented by Brugal, the leading golden rum in the Caribbean.
William A. Robertson starts up in Glasgow in the mid 19th century. In 1861 Robertson & Baxter is founded and establishes itself as a successful broker in the whisky market.
The Clyde Bonding Company Ltd is set up as a major bonder and bottler for trade.
The Clyde Cooperage Company Ltd. is founded to support the distilleries.
The North British Distillery Company Ltd. is founded.
The Highland Distilleries Company plc is founded, emerging as a significant force in the Scottish whisky industry over the coming years. William Robertson serves as its first chairman.
In 1936 Robertson & Baxter supplies the first Cutty Sark blend, taking over the blending from Berry Bros & Rudd and bottling the product through the Clyde Bonding Company.
The Robertson sisters, (Miss Agnes, Miss Ethel and Miss Elspeth) secured the ongoing independence of the Group in 1961. Their various business interests, inherited from their grandfather William A. Robertson, were to be brought under one holding company, known as Edrington. They stipulated that the dividends from Edrington should pass to a new charitable trust to be known as The Robertson Trust.
In 1970 Highland Distilleries acquires Matthew Gloag & Son and with it The Famous Grouse.
Edrington becomes the first Scotch whisky company to establish an office in Shanghai, China and launches The Macallan in Asia. The brand quickly becomes the last word in luxury for Asian consumers.
Edrington is named "best private company of the year" at the Scottish plc Awards., recognised for its quality of marketing and for creating wealth in its home country.
Highland Park 18-year old single malt named the "best spirit in world" by F. Paul Pacult, Spirits Journal.
Edrington acquires a majority stake in Brugal Company, Dominican Republic., expanding its portfolio beyond Scotch whisky for the first time.
Edrington and Beam Global create a combined sales and distribution alliance in key international growth markets, including six wholly owned companies.
Edrington buys the Cutty Sark brand and sells The Glenrothes to Berry Bros & Rudd
Edrington is named the ‘Outstanding Private Company’ at the Scotland plc Awards, and again in 2012.
Edrington extends its number of wholly owned distribution companies from six to eight, with the inclusion of Hong Kong and China.
Edrington opens a regional office in New York, expanding its reach across large scale markets in Latin and North America.
Edrington Africa opens in Johannesburg, bringing Edrington’s brands to scores of developing markets in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Edrington Achievement Award recognises and rewards people who have made a significant contribution to the business. Recent winners of the International Award were Chris Thomson, logistics development manager - Scotland, and Helen Lee, supply chain manager - Korea.
Edrington is a business headquartered in Scotland but international in its composition. With over 60% of staff based overseas it has its focus firmly on the opportunities for international development of its premium spirits brands.
The company’s business model has always had social responsibility at its core. When the Robertson sisters transferred their shareholding, and therefore their ownership, in Edrington to the newly formed Robertson Trust in 1961, their ingenuity ensured that Edrington would remain independent and its history of philanthropy would continue.
Their legacy is alive and well in Edrington’s international community, where the company donates a portion of profits to good causes chosen by staff in its overseas offices.
The company believes this model sets Edrington apart from its competition. The strong values of the organisation are complemented by its highly rated premium brands. Edrington is a brand-building company with a strong track record of investing in both consumer marketing and the operational assets to bring those brands closer to consumers. The Macallan, Brugal, The Famous Grouse, Cutty Sark, and Highland Park have all benefited from long-term investment to drive growth ahead of their categories.
People are the final ingredient in the business model. Edrington people are enterprising people. They enjoy a flexibility afforded by a short decision tree. Private ownership allows Edrington to be quick in its decision-making but long range in its planning.
With its unique ownership, envied brands, and enterprising workforce, Edrington continues to be a distinctive, independent force in international premium spirits.
Edrington’s brands continue to perform strongly in a fast-moving and competitive market environment. As a growing force in the international premium spirits market, the company will continue to seek opportunities to grow our brands.
View highlights from our past Annual Reports
Annual Report 2011
Annual Report 2010
Annual Report 2009
Annual Report 2008
(All documents and extracts have been formatted as PDF documents. To view them you will need Adobe Acrobat)
Edrington is proud to have achieved global recognition for the quality of its brands and for its innovation.
Here are a few of our recent awards from the International Wine and Spirits Competition and the International Spirits Challenge.
Highland Park Thor
Highland Park 50 years old
Cutty Sark Tam O’Shanter
Highland Park Drakkar
The Snow Grouse
Cutty Sark 18 years old
Cutty Sark 12 years old
Highland Park 18 years old
Highland Park 12 years old
Cutty Sark Blended Scotch Whisky
Highland Park Thor
Highland Park 50 years old
Cutty Sark Tam O’Shanter
Highland Park Drakkar
The Snow Grouse
Cutty Sark 18 years old
Cutty Sark 12 years old
Highland Park 18 years old
Highland Park 12 years old
Cutty Sark 25 years old - Best in Class
Highland Park 18 years old - Best in Class
Highland Park 12 years old
Highland Park Leif Eriksson Release
Highland Park 21 years old
The Black Grouse
Cutty Sark 12 years old
The Macallan 1824 Collection Oscuro
The Black Grouse
The Naked Grouse
Highland Park aged 18
Highland Park Leif Erikkson
Cutty Sark aged 25
The Snow Grouse
Edrington’s board of directors sets the company’s vision and strategic priorities. Combining depth of experience and breadth of skills, the board oversees management of the company’s interests with a commitment to the highest standards of governance and corporate citizenship, in line with Edrington’s unique ownership structure
Ian Good joined Edrington in 1969, has been a member of the Board since 1979 and chairman since 1994. He is life president of The Robertson Trust.
Ian Curle was appointed as chief executive of Edrington in 2004, having joined in 1986. He is chairman of the North British Distillery, chairman of The Scotch Whisky Association.
Richard Hunter has been group finance director since 1994, having joined Edrington in 1981. He is currently president of Brugal.
Richard is chairman of the management committee of The Keepers of the Quaich. He is a member of the Court of The University of Strathclyde and a governor of The High School of Glasgow.
Bill Farrar joined Edrington in 1989 and was appointed to the Board in 2003. He is chairman of Highland Distillers and a member of the board of the Edrington/Beam Global alliance. He is a Fellow of the Marketing Society of Scotland and school governor of Craigclowan School, Perth.
Graham Hutcheon joined Edrington in 2000 as director of distillation. He was appointed group operations director in 2003. He is a member of the operations committee of The Scotch Whisky Association, chairing the environment committee, and is director of both The Scotch Whisky Research Institute and The North British Distillery. Graham also serves on the Council of CBI Scotland.
Martin Cooke joined Edrington in 1988 and was appointed group company secretary in 1997. He is a trustee of Edrington’s pension schemes and chairs the company’s risk management committee. Martin also serves as a member of the corporate social responsibility team.
Ronnie Bell was appointed as non-executive director of Edrington in 2005. He is a former group vice president with Kraft Foods Inc. and spent his 30-year executive career at Kraft, retiring in 2004 after five years as president of Kraft Foods Europe. He is also a former director of Gallaher Group Plc.
Ronnie was appointed chairman of Premier Foods in 2010. He is also chairman of Milk Link, a large farmer-owned dairy business, and a director of Ansell, an international healthcare group.
Callum Barton, former president and CEO of Richemont North America, was appointed as non-executive director of Edrington in 2007. Callum has over 30 years’ experience of the luxury goods business with the Richemont Group and during his career he was chief executive of Alfred Dunhill in London.
Prior to that he held a number of senior management positions with Cartier in Paris and Piaget, Baume & Mercier in Geneva.
Norman Murray was appointed as non-executive director of Edrington in 2012.
With a successful forty year career in business, Norman is currently the chairman of Petrofac Limited, a FTSE 100 international oil services company. He is a former president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, and has held a senior independent director position at Greene King PLC.
