Mount Gay Distilleries Ltd. has re-entered the sugar production industry with a major investment in a mill at its St Lucy location.At the same time, officials have announced the addition of a fifth ageing bond that will see the capacity going from roughly 50,000 barrels of rum to about 75,000.Making the announcement on Wednesday during a tour of the refinery, Managing Director Raphaël Grisoni explained that while the focus of the sugar mill will be on the production of “high-value” molasses and less so on sugar, the investment, which forms part of a more than $40 million project over the past four years, was a signal of the company’s commitment to the rum industry and the island.Mount Gay, which is now owned by the French company Rémy Countreau, exited the sugar-producing industry well over a century ago.“Mount Gay, after decades and probably centuries, is back into the sugar industry and this is a big milestone for Mount Gay, but also for Barbados,” Grisoni told the gathering that included several government ministers, other rum producers, stakeholders and other especially invited guests.
