SCOTCH whisky distiller Chivas Brothers is leaving its headquarters site at Paisley, and investing £40 million in an enlarged bottling plant and offices in Dumbarton.

Laurent Lacassagne, chairman and chief executive of Chivas Brothers, said that all permanent employees at the Paisley site would be offered continuing employment with the company at Kilmalid at Dumbarton.

There are 587 staff at Paisley. The Dumbarton site became part of the Chivas Brothers operation about a decade ago when the Scotch distiller's parent company, Pernod Ricard, bought Allied Domecq in partnership with Fortune Brands.

Mr Lacassagne said: “Our proposal is the next step towards achieving our leadership ambition and is a clear signal that we see a strong future ahead for both the industry and our business. This £40m investment will enhance and improve our operations and support the development of our global and iconic brands."

Chivas Brothers said it intended to start the transfer of operations and activities from Paisley to Kilmalid from 2018, creating an integrated operation by the end of 2019.

Mr Lacassagne said: “This is a project of significant size and scale for Chivas Brothers which is why which we are announcing our proposal three years in advance. We want to provide ample opportunity to manage the transition of our business effectively and for our employees to adjust and adapt to working from a new site.”