22 September 2016

Councillors rubber stamp Brewdog expansion plans

Councillors have given their approval for the relocation of a council facility, which could lead to the expansion of a local business whose success is putting Aberdeenshire on the global map.

The Policy and Resources Committee recently noted and approved the completion of contracts which could allow BrewDog to expand their developments at the Balmacassie Industial Estate in Ellon.

Legal contracts have now been completed which will see the Household Waste and Recycling Centre (HWRC) in Ellon relocate. As a result BrewDog will acquire the site, and have been given an option to acquire an adjacent Council “waste bulking facility”, in order to further increase the site of their craft beer brewing operation.

The Council facilities will move to a nearby location, described as being within walking distance, and planning and building warrant approvals for the replacement HWRC have already been secured with work due to get underway this month. 

The authority’s HWRC at Balmacassie Industrial Estate was built in 2011 to meet the needs of the expanding town. BrewDog’s new brewing and bottling facility was built next to it soon afterwards, providing local employment opportunities and making an excellent contribution to the area’s economy. The success of the business has seen a number of phased extensions to the original brewery in recent years in order to increase capacity and the latest site acquisitions will enable BrewDog to consolidate further expansion on a single site. 

Construction of the new HWRC is scheduled to take around 8 months. 

Chair of the Policy and Resources committee, Councillor Richard Thomson said: “It is very encouraging to watch as the BrewDog success story continues to unfold across the globe from its base here in Aberdeenshire. I am pleased that councillors have today been able to support the company's ambitions to further expand the scope of their operations at Balmacassie, while at the same time ensuring that people in the Ellon area will retain access to high quality recycling facilities within the town.
 "This represents a good deal for BrewDog, for Ellon, for the Council and for Aberdeenshire as a whole. We wish the company every success for the future in what we hope will be a long and productive association with Ellon."

BrewDog has a business plan for 2019 to produce 100 million litres of beer from its Ellon plant.

It plans to open 100 UK bars and a further 100 overseas, with an aspiration for a £400m turnover.