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Mackmyra Cuts Jobs, Exports On Sluggish Sales

February 22, 2014 – Mackmyra started the boom in Swedish whisky distilling when eight whisky lovers decided to build their own distillery during a hot tub party in 1998, and distilled their first spirit a year later. Since then, more than a dozen Swedish distilleries are either in production or in the planning stages, while Mackmyra’s single malts were being exported to North America, Europe, and other Scandinavian countries.

However, lagging sales have caught up with the Swedish pioneer and forced the layoffs of 15 employees. The Local reports the layoffs represent about a third of Mackmyra’s staff, and a company spokeswoman told WhiskyCast via email that 30 employees will keep their jobs in the wake of budget cuts. The Local’s report put Mackmyra’s losses for 2013 at 25 million kronor ($3.83 million USD), up from 5 million in 2012, and cited managing director Magnus Dandanell’s plans to refocus the company’s sales on Sweden and Germany. More details on the company’s plans for Europe and North America are expected this coming week, but look for exports to be wound down in North America as existing stocks are depleted.

Mackmyra is currently working on new releases, with a finished single malt using casks from an undisclosed European wine expected to be released this spring.

This story will be updated as more details are available.

Links: Mackmyra