A toast to entrepreneurial spirit

The Great Southern Distilling Company has continued to expand in the region after buying a 9ha property in the Porongorups last week that will likely become its production hub.

GSDC began operation in 2005 in Albany and opened a new distillery in Margaret River last year that includes a cellar door and a tavern.

The distillery has won a swag of awards along the way to becoming one of the top distillers in the country.

The new property features a 1000-tonne commercial winery which will be adapted to suit a distillery.

GSDC director Cameron Syme said it would take about six months before production at the new premises would begin.

“I reckon it will take us six months before we’re fully up and running here,” he said

“We’ve already got equipment ready to go and we’ve brought about 250,000 litres of stainless steel here.”

Mr Syme said the new property would be capable of a four or fivefold increase in production and eventually employ about 40 people in the region.

“This is likely to become the hub — this is 3000sqm of facility and Albany is about 300sqm, so this just gives us a lot more expansion capacity,” he said

“This is perfect for what we need to really see growth from here forward.

“This is well-placed to provide more employment in the Porongorups as well as further economic activity.”

Mr Syme said it was pleasing to continue development in the Great Southern.

“Our heart is in the Great Southern — that’s where our passion is, it’s where our key production staff are,” he said.

“We all live down here and we’re all from here so really this is where we wanted to be. It really places us well to be invested in this region and then the South West, and then to take it internationally.”