Kilmarnock - Economy

Economy

Kilmarnock's traditional industries were based around textiles and heavy engineering: e.g. locomotives (Andrew Barclay and Sons) from 1837, and valves (Glenfield and Kennedy), which are still in production. Now trading as Glenfield Valves.; and carpets (manufactured by Blackwood & Morton, Kilmarnock) from the early 20th century. The carpets manufactured in Kilmarnock were internationally known for their quality and intricacy since the late 19th century. Many locations around the world chose to install BMK carpets. The RMS Titanic was carpeted using carpets manufactured by Stoddard Carpets, the parent company and successor to BMK. Carpet-making finally ceased in Kilmarnock in early 2005.

Archibald Finnie and his family lived at Springhill House (now a nursing home) near the Grange Academy. They owned many coal mines, pits and other companies in Springside and other places. John Finnie Street is named after one of the family. Shoes were also a major product for some time, with Saxone having a factory in the town on the site of where the Galleon Leisure Centre now stands. Kilmarnock had one of the earliest tram railways in the world, running to Troon over the (recently restored) Laigh Milton viaduct. The Glasgow and South Western Railway also set up their works here, producing nearly 400 locomotives by the time it was absorbed by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923. Some work continued, but heavy repairs were sent to St. Rollox. Locomotive repairs finished in 1952, and the works closed in 1959. Nevertheless locomotives are still made by Hunslett-Barclay, as well as the maintenance of existing diesel and electric multiple units.

From 1946 tractors were also built in Kilmarnock, with a large Massey-Harris factory present on the outskirts of the town. It later became Massey-Ferguson, before closing in 1978. Glenfield and Kennedy still survives albeit with a fraction of its former workforce, which at its height numbered in the thousands.

Kilmarnock is home to the Johnnie Walker brand of Scotch whisky. However the owner of Johnnie Walker, Diageo, has announced that they will be closing the bottling plant in the town by the end of 2011, thus ending a 189 year link with the whisky brand and the town. In September 2009, owner Diageo confirmed the plant in Kilmarnock would close, despite local protests. Originally known as Walker's Kilmarnock Whisky, the Johnnie Walker brand is a legacy left by John ‘Johnnie’ Walker after he started to sell whisky in his grocer’s shop in Ayrshire, Scotland. The brand became popular, but after Walker's death in 1857 it was his son Alexander Walker and grandson Alexander Walker II who were largely responsible for establishing the scotch as a popular brand. Under John Walker, whisky sales represented eight percent of the firm’s income; by the time Alexander was ready to pass on the company to his own sons, that figure had increased to between 90 and 95 percent. Prior to 1860 it was illegal to sell blended whisky. During that time John Walker sold a number of whiskies – notably his own Walker’s Kilmarnock. In 1865 John’s son Alexander produced their first blend, Walker’s Old Highland.

Alexander Walker first introduced the iconic square bottle in 1870. This meant fewer broken bottles and more bottles fitting the same space. The other identifying characteristic of the bottle is the label, which is applied at an angle of 24 degrees. The angled label means the text on the label could be made larger and more visible. From 1906–1909 John’s grandsons George and Alexander II expanded the line and introduced the colour names. In 1908, when James Stevenson was the managing director, there was a re-branding of sorts. The whisky was renamed from Walker's Kilmarnock Whiskies to Johnnie Walker Whisky. In addition, the slogan, "Born 1820 – Still going Strong!" was created, along with the Striding Man, a figure used in their advertisements to this day.

Over the years, Kilmarnock has been the home to many well-known companies, Andrew Barclay Sons & Co., Johnnie Walker and Saxone Shoes. Saxone Shoes has became defunct. Andrew Barclay, Son's & Co is now owned by Wabtec (Wabtec Rail Scotland) and Johnnie Walker still survives and it currently owned by Diageo, who however decided to announce plans to pull the whisky out of Kilmarnock after 192 years and has been its home sine the 19th century. Modern examples to Kilmarnock's economy consist of Brownings The Bakers who are makers of the Killie pie, a type of pie that is sold at Rugby Park at Kilmarnock F.C.'s football matces, and has been voted Britain's Tattiest Pie more than once.