Gordon & MacPhail Recieves Queens Award for Enterprise

[John]

Well done to Gordon & MacPhail who has received royal recognition for its work to promote Scotland's national drink abroad.

Elgin-based Gordon and MacPhail was one of nine Scottish businesses to pick up a Queen's Award for Enterprise out of more than 1,000 companies from across the UK which applied.

Yesterday the firm's joint managing director, Michael Urquhart, said it was a great honour, and he paid tribute to the hard work of all his staff.

He said the firm won the award in the international trade category after almost doubling its export figures.

"Over the past six years we have increased our export sales by 94%.

"It's a great achievement and a great honour."?

Mr Urquhart and his team spend about three months a year visiting clients in countries as far afield as Russia, Japan and the US.

He said: "We spend a lot of time going round customers doing whisky tastings across the world.

"We export to about 35 to 40 countries on an annual basis.

"But it's not just about the export department.

"We've got to make the whisky and mature it and, in the case of Benromach, distil it as well. It's a whole team effort."?

Gordon and MacPhail is a family-owned company which has been involved in the whisky industry for more than a century.

As I said well done G & M, this recognition is well deserved.

John