Business
Final Results - "An exception
Final Results - "An exception.
About this update from Nichols Plc
[{"type":"text","content":"\n RNS Number : 0621J Nichols PLC 24 March 2010 \n \n\n \n \n\n\n\n\nDate:\n\n\nEmbargoed until 07.00am, Wednesday 24 March 2010\n \n\n\n\n\nContacts:\n\n\nJohn Nichols, Non-Executive Chairman\n\n\n\n\nBrendan Hynes, Group Chief Executive\nTim Croston, Group Finance Director\n\n\n\n\nNichols plc\n\n\n\n\nTelephone: 01925 222222\n\n\n\n\nWebsite: www.nicholsplc.co.uk\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAlistair Mackinnon-Musson\n\n\nMark Brady \n\n\n\n\nNathan Field\n\n\nBrewin Dolphin Ltd\n\n\n\n\nHudson Sandler\n\n\n(NOMAD)\n\n\n\n\nTelephone:020 7796 4133\n\n\nTelephone: 0845 213 4748\n\n\n\n\nEmail: [email protected]\n\n\nWebsite: www.brewinib.co.uk\n\n\n\n\n \n \nNichols plc\n \nPRELIMINARY RESULTS\n \n\"An exceptional performance\"\n \nNichols plc is a highly focused soft drinks and soft drinks on dispense business, comprising two operations: \n \n\n\n\n\n1.\n\n\nSoft Drinks (sales and marketing of the Vimto brand throughout the world, where it is now available in over 65 countries, and of the Panda & Sunkist brands in the UK).\n\n\n\n\n2.\n\n\nDispense (namely the Cabana, Beacon, Ben Shaws (dispense), Cariel and Dayla soft drinks on draught 'dispense' businesses).\n\n\n\n\n \nHighlights:\n· Group sales up 29%\n· Operating profits up 27%\n· Profit before tax and exceptional items up 22%\n· Vimto brand sales up 28% in the UK\n· International sales up 33%\n· Dispense sales up 36% \n· Dividend up 9%\n· Positive cash of £11.2 million at year-end\n \n \nJohn Nichols, Non-Executive Chairman, commented:\n \n\"2009 was an exceptional year for us. Not only did we produce outstanding financial results across all of our operations, we also continued to out-perform our competitors and increased market share\".\n \n\"Although the general economic outlook remains uncertain and the consumer market is still highly competitive, we are confident of delivering further growth this year\".\n\nChairman's Statement\n \nI have great pleasure reporting an exceptional performance for 2009. Building on the momentum from the half ye...