Scottish drinks industry under pressure
Despite the fact that the Scottish drinks industry is still reeling from Diageo's plans to close their plant in Kilmarnock, with a loss of 700 local jobs and up to 900 jobs countrywide, there appears worse to come. It has been announced that AB InBev the owner of the Tennents Lager brand, one of Scotland's more prominent drinks, may well be about to put the business and brand up for sale.
Despite attempts by the Scottish government to obtain further information on the company's plans for the Tennents brand and the Tennents business in Scotland the parent company has been unwilling to quash rumours of a potential sale. While at this moment in time there is no suggestion of any significant job cuts if a sale did go through, there is no doubt that a new owner could well look to streamline the business and make significant changes. The drinks industry plays a major role in the Scottish economy and supports thousands of jobs across the country.
So far the Scottish government has a very patchy track record on saving potential job losses in Scotland although this is something which is being worked upon as we speak. The closure or scaling down of the Tennents operation in Scotland would be a body blow to the industry.
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