Huntly based Duncan Taylor & Co Ltd Raise a Dram in Celebration of Grampian Award for Business Enterprise Nomination

Duncan Taylor & Co Ltd, a single malt whisky specialist with ownership of one of the largest privately-held collections of rare Scotch whisky casks has reached the finals of the eighth annual Grampian Awards for Business Enterprise.

The Huntly based business, which was established in 1938, has been nominated in the Business Growth category for businesses that began trading before 1st June 2004 which have shown significant development in one or more of the areas of training, marketing, people development, e-commerce and international trade. Duncan Taylor & Co Ltd will find out if they have won the coveted Enterprise award at a gala evening dinner on 7^th June at Ardoe House Hotel.

The Awards, which commend business achievement in companies of all sizes and enterprising individuals, are organised by Enterprise North East Trust (ENET), which delivers Business Gateway services in the north-east on behalf of Scottish Enterprise Grampian, sponsors of the event along with The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).

Euan Shand, Managing Director at Duncan Taylor & Co Ltd says, "We are delighted to have been chosen as a finalist in the Business Growth Category. This is an exciting time for Duncan Taylor, with expanding developments into new sections of the alcohol market, resulting in significant growth in profits. This year we are well on our way to reaching our expected turnover of over £4 million.

"Duncan Taylor & Co has several ranges of whisky, boasting among them an exclusive collection of 'The Rarest of the Rare', an historic range of single cask whiskies from distilleries that are no longer in existence, the Rare Auld range and the NC2 Range, which is bottled in natural form promoting non-chill filtered and non-coloured whiskies. All casks are meticulously hand selected before bottling to maintain quality and continuity of our award winning whiskies.

"The company has faced many challenges since the decision was made to start bottling our own range of cask strength single malt and single grain scotch whiskies. The rapid growth from dealing only in the UK market to exporting to 27 countries worldwide had to be handled carefully. We have also expanded our workforce in order to meet growing demand for our developing customer base. Our staff numbers have subsequently doubled in the past two years."

Euan continues, "The long term plan for the company is to develop an environmentally friendly boutique distillery with the ability to produce a selection of spirits unique to the facility including vodka and gin, as well as single malt & blended scotch whisky. A visitor centre will be included and will be a welcome addition to the distillery adding Huntly to the famous whisky trail and encouraging tourist trade in the community, which will benefit the local economy in broadening the appeal of the area to whisky enthusiasts from around the globe.

"Overcoming the fact that Duncan Taylor has entered a market where the product has been available commercially for over 200 years was a challenge. We established our outstanding product quality to differentiate from both competitor distillery brands and other independent bottlers.

"Our ultimate goal as a company is to produce our own products from scratch, which is one that will be achieved in the near future. Throughout this year we will also be sourcing suitable, quality importers that will aid the development and expansion of Duncan Taylor products in new markets overseas, particularly in emerging markets such as China."

Stuart Heslop, Director of Commercial Banking for RBS in Aberdeen says, "The three finalists in the Business Growth category of the Grampian Awards for Business Enterprise have demonstrated significant development in a variety of areas. Duncan Taylor & Co has enjoyed a successful year in terms of market expansion, which has been reflected in the substantial profit increase. The company has clear strategic goals for the future which is vital for ensuring the continued growth and development of the business."

Winners will be announced at a black tie awards ceremony on Thursday 7 June 2007 at Ardoe House Hotel by Aberdeen. Simon Woodroffe, founder of YO! Sushi and one of Britain's highest profile entrepreneurs, will be the keynote speaker at the event. All finalists will receive a certificate with category winners picking up a coveted enterprise award and a cheque for up to £5,000.

The awards ceremony will take place on 7^th June at Ardoe House Hotel, by Aberdeen. Tickets cost £80 per guest (plus VAT) or £800 (plus VAT) for a table of ten. The event begins with a champagne reception at 7pm, with carriages at 12.30am. Tickets for the event can be booked by calling 01467 672535, emailing Karen.clark@enetrust.com or completing a booking form online at www.grampianawards.com.

The Business Gateway service in Grampian is delivered on behalf of Scottish Enterprise Grampian by Enterprise North East Trust. For more information telephone 01224 289725 or visit www.bgateway.com.

Ends

Picture caption: Euan Shand, Managing Director of Duncan Taylor & Co Ltd. The Huntly based business has been named as a finalist in the Business Growth category at this year's Grampian Awards for Business Enterprise.

Laura Cox

Tricker PR

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