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News Release from: Smithers Rapra
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 21 October 2005
Rapra reports increased technical
service sales
Rapra reports Rapra Pharmaceutical had doubled sales, while sales of testing and other services are up by 21% and rubber based consultancy work increased by 20%.
Rapra Technology, Europe's leading polymer research and test house, turned in a healthy performance at Interplas 05, the UK's plastics exhibition, held during October, 2005 "Interplas 05 was a good busy show for us with a high level of demand for technical services and enquiries - and also for book sales, training and conferences"
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 6 Feb 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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"We also have a good number of excellent leads in product design, testing and analysis to follow through," says Richard Walton, marketing manager, Rapra Technology.
The Interplas 05 exhibition coincides with figures from Rapra's forthcoming 2005 Annual Review which reveal that the Shawbury and Billingham-based companies like-for-like trading profit - year-to-date - is over three times higher than that achieved last year.
Company-wide sales for the same period have also improved by 32.9% on last year's figures.
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Managing director Andrew Ward says that: "Our investment in new activities and new markets is clearly paying off: These indicator figures from the first half of this year show us exceeding our targets".
"We are pursuing an ambitious strategy but one that we feel is entirely possible, given the skills of our people and the demand for their services.- Ward adds that: "Our policy of investment in niche services and technologies across the spectrum of plastics and rubber markets is paying off.
Our intention to increase turnover by 50% within the next four years is well on track and it is particularly pleasing to note this year that double-digit sales growth is a common feature of our portfolio - all across the board." Sales volumes for large collaborative projects at Rapra Technology, for example, already exceed GBP 1.1 million with at least another GBP 1.4 million expected in the next two months".
"Rapra's day-to-day single-client consultancy and technical-services sales are ahead by over GBP 350,000 (19%), year-on-year so far." Ward adds that: "The relatively new brand of Rapra Pharmaceutical has been a star performer with sales more than doubled at 138% year-on-year." Other growth areas include sales of testing and other services at its North East site, Rapra Billingham, up by 21%.
The company's rubber based consultancy work is also increased by 20%.
Rapra's Information Division sales have grown by 25%, thanks largely to the contributions made by project work such as the energy-saving RECIPE scheme.
Headed by Dr Sally Humphreys, Rapra Conferences have also seen a renewal in business performance with sales increased by 84%.
Rapra's forward single client order take-up is also currently increased 21%, year-on-year.
The company's total forward order book now stands in excess of EUR 3.6 million.
These figures confirm and validate Rapra's intentions and policy at the beginning of the year; at that time the company announced its plan to increase its headcount by over 40%, involving over fifty new jobs, through new business growth over the next five years.
This year's investments in new people and new areas of work across Rapra's Shawbury and Billingham sites have followed a detailed business review by the company's MBO (Management Buyout) team.
Following the MBO restructuring of the company before the last Interplas in July 2002 the company established a firmer financial platform from which the growth strategy is now being developed.
Rapra's recent recruitment of business development managers to lead the development of its niche businesses is key to the growth process and is now nearly complete.
These niche areas of work are: Environmental and Recycling services Medical and Pharmaceutical services Large Research Projects (UK-based, European and International) Regional Support Programmes in the UK and across Europe Product Design services Ad-hoc Product Testing services Information Group - Non-Research Funded/Dissemination Projects These new Rapra growth areas are additional to, but will link with, Rapra's main traditional areas of business in materials consultancy, testing, polymer analysis and processing services - as well as database, publishing, conference and training services.
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