Guinnesses in doubt

Jay D

What will become of oul James' Gate

Future of St James's Gate brewery in doubt

Diageo says it will make an announcement tomorrow on the future of its brewing operations in Ireland including the historic Guinness brewery at St James's Gate.

It has been anticipated for some time that the company plans to consolidate its operations in Ireland into a new green-field site.

Diageo Chief Executive Paul Walsh is to fly to Dublin for a news conference at St James's Gate tomorrow morning.

He will give the results of a review of its brewing operations.

A company spokesman said there will be a significant announcement at the news conference.

It is widely anticipated that a new site in Clondalkin will be used for brewing operations, with a possible closure of plants in Dublin, Waterford, Kilkenny and Dundalk.

2,500 people are employed in total with 800 employed in Diageo's brewing operation, which also manufacturers Smithwicks, Kilkenny and Harp.

A SIPTU spokesman said they expected to be briefed tomorrow.


http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0508/guinness.html

kaizersoze1980

disgraceful

Dord

kaizersoze1980 wrote: »

disgraceful

I agree. It won't be the same.

judas101

times are a changin folks.

theyre going to relocate but some important guinness stuff will stay there.

did anyone else hear of the mini-city that was planned for the site? sounded really good, hopefully they'll do something interesting with the place and not ram it with crappy apartments.

humberklog

This story's been brewing (ahem)for a long time now. This really is a get up off your arse and protest job. Jesus they'd have us all drinking budweiser.

kaizersoze1980

judas101 wrote: »

times are a changin folks.

theyre going to relocate but some important guinness stuff will stay there.

did anyone else hear of the mini-city that was planned for the site? sounded really good, hopefully they'll do something interesting with the place and not ram it with crappy apartments.

If theres money to be made from selling it for apartments, thats what theyll do

Clink

Yeah Guiness is synominous with St.James gate, talk about the end of an era, that's awful.

leninbenjamin

kaizersoze1980 wrote: »

disgraceful

no it isn't, it's capitalism. can't blame those at a company for wanting to make the books look healthier, that's their job.

Nolanger

They're supposed to be redeveloping the whole area around Guinness and renaming it Soho :eek:.

humberklog

Wiil the lease of the land stay with Guinness? Or go back to the church of Ireland?
I think it'd be awful to see it go. To see some industry at work in a city is healthy.

latenia

I'll miss the smell. On a sunny Sunday morning with a hangover there's no beating it for getting your lungs and brain working.

humberklog

leninbenjamin wrote: »

no it isn't, it's capitalism. can't blame those at a company for wanting to make the books look healthier, that's their job.

I don't think capitalism should always win over fabric of society, cultural identity. We'd be renting our souls to sinners if that was the case. Capitalism is more successful when it runs in unison.

Tipsy Mac

humberklog wrote: »

Jesus they'd have us all drinking budweiser.

Either or, Diageo are responsible for both in Ireland. Fact is Diageo is a plc, they pretty much do and should do anything in order to make more cash for their shareholders.

humberklog

Tipsy Mac wrote: »

Either or, Diageo are responsible for both in Ireland. Fact is Diageo is a plc, they pretty much do and should do anything in order to make more cash for their shareholders.

Gotta disagree there too. I think that's seeing things from a purely capitalist view point. There's more than that to life and business. This is purely a personal point of view of course. I don't believe faceless business should always be bowed to. I'm no communist,nor even socialist but I don't like being a pawn in a profit margin.

judas101

kaizersoze1980 wrote: »

If theres money to be made from selling it for apartments, thats what theyll do

there defo will be apartments built, its whether they'll be tasteful, well designed ones or ugly blocks.

the supposed plans are to have loads of high quality apartments as well as retail, recreation and a new night life hub.

as sad as i'll be to see guinness' go, hopefully they can pull it off and it'll become a real plus point for the city.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Bleed'n Brits at it again.

tampopo

D'oh, too late to buy shares in diageo today before the big announcement tomorrow. Flog it off for the shareholders is what they'll do. Reckless trading otherwise

BendiBus

Mairt wrote: »

Bleed'n Brits at it again.

Guinness has ALWAYS been British (or at least West British).

The site is massively underutilised and hideously ugly. It's in the city centre and adjacent to a major transport hub. There's no argument for it to stay in place other than nostalgia. And even then the more interesting & historic parts of the Guinness site are south of Thomas St.

Jay D

International drinks group Diageo is to inform its 2,500 staff this morning about the future of its breweries here.

It is believed the announcement may involve consolidation of the companies operations.

Workers at Diageo's plants in Dublin, Waterford, Kilkenny and Dundalk are to be briefed by management at around 9am.

At the same time Diageo will make a stock exchange announcement detailing the results of its review of its Irish brewing activities.

The company's chief executive, Paul Walsh, is also expected to give a news conference at St James's Gate this morning where it is anticipated that he will make a significant announcement.

It is widely anticipated that Diageo will announce that a new site in Clondalkin will be used for brewing operations, with a possible closure of plants in Dublin, Waterford, Kilkenny and Dundalk.

Eight hundred people are employed in Diageo's brewing operation, which also manufacturers Smithwicks, Kilkenny and Harp.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0509/guinness.html

Hagar

A moments silence please...

arybvtcw0eolkf

Hagar wrote: »

A moments silence please...

I sense a Guinness fart is on the way.

Shield

A good high-density social housing scheme is on the horizon methinks...

Jay D

psni wrote: »

A good high-density social housing scheme is on the horizon methinks...

yeah they should plan a 100 floor super city like the one they're oding in Japan, bring us right up to modernisationalisationed status :pac:

judas101

psni wrote: »

A good high-density social housing scheme is on the horizon methinks...

i'd be shocked and appauled at this.

it's going to be high quality houses and retail. it'll be a whole new fancy area of dublin.

The_B_Man

i think its movin to Clondalkin somewhere anyway. I heard that the site was originally planned to be converted to a museum or something, but obviously not now by the sounds of things.

tSubh Dearg

There is a Masterplan for the whole area which is known as the Digital Hub. The plan was chosen after a competition by Dublin City Council. It's a joint project between O'Mahony Pike Architects and McCullough Mulvin Architects.

http://www.omp.ie/projects/competitions/digitalhub/index.html

There are more drawings etc at: http://www.mcculloughmulvin.com if you view all projects and then click masterplanning.

There are also masterplans for the nearby Newmarket area and the Cathedral Quarter.

WindSock

What about their 900 year lease? They should at least ride it out and not become quitters.

loyatemu

James' Gate not to close (not in the near future anyway):

Diageo to shut breweries in Kilkenny, Dundalk

David Labanyi

The brewing of Guinness is to continue at the iconic St James's Gate plant in Dublin, but breweries in Kilkenny and Dundalk are to close under a plan unveiled by owner Diageo this morning.

The company said it has decided to invest €650 million (£520 million) between 2009 and 2013 to renovate the facilities at St James's Gate and to construct a new brewery close to Dublin. The company has not yet confirmed where this new plant will be situated.

It said the renovated St James's Gate brewery will brew Guinness for the Irish and British markets while the new brewery will produce Guinness for export and ales and lagers for the Irish market.

Diageo said when the two Dublin breweries were fully operational in five years time, it planned to transfer the brewing from the Kilkenny and Dundalk breweries and close these plants. This move will result in “a net reduction in staff of around 250”, the company said.

Diageo said these two plants "do not have the scale necessary for sustained success in increasingly competitive market conditions".

The company said it would offer those employees relocation opportunities where possible. Those for whom relocation is not possible will be offered "a severance package alongside career counselling".

It said operations at its Waterford brewery will be "streamlined" as part of the re-organisation leading to "some reduction in output". It said the Belfast packaging facility will be unaffected by these developments.

Paul Walsh, chief executive of Diageo said: “Over the last twelve months we have conducted a rigorous review of our brewing operations in Ireland. It examined many options and I believe it has identified the right formula for the long-term success of our business in Ireland and for the continued global success of the Guinness brand.”

“Our ambition is to combine the most modern brewing standards with almost 300 years of brewing tradition, craft and heritage."

The company has estimated it will incur one-off costs during the restructuring of €152 million and said this would be treated as an exceptional cost in the fiscal year ending in June 2008.

The company also plans to sell-off parts of the St James's Gate site and the Kilkenny and Dundalk breweries, which it says have an estimated value of €510 million.

The company employs 800 people in its brewing operation and a total of 2,500 in the Republic and Northern Ireland.

The Guinness Storehouse, which receives around 900,000 visitors a year, will continue to be based at St. James's Gate.

Guinness has been brewed at St. James's Gate for almost 250 years and it exports Guinness extract to more than 45 countries. The site covers 64-acres and also houses the seven-storey visitor center and bar.

Sales of Guinness in Ireland fell 7 per cent in the last fiscal year, and Nigeria has overtaken Ireland as the beverage's second-biggest market, after the UK.

Last August Mr Walsh admitted that markets outside of Ireland and Britan are the future of the product.
© 2008 ireland.com

Thomas_S_Hunterson

I didn't think they would close it tbh, but it's great news all the same.

BJC

judas101 wrote: »

i'd be shocked and appauled at this.

it's going to be high quality houses and retail. it'll be a whole new fancy area of dublin.

Thank God they gate St. James's gate open.

But I assure you that if it was sold off there would be no high quaility housing, after the atrocious urban sprawl from the 60's to the 90's of low density houses we are still trying to provide houses for the extra 250,000(est.) population boom in the greater Dublin region by 2015. Low density housing is really not an option at the moment in a location so centralised and with such good access to public transport.

kaizersoze1980

Sean_K wrote: »

but it's great news all the same.

Tell that to the people employed in the kilkenny and dundalk breweries.