The British textile maintenance company Berendsen has reported a profit of £29.1m for the first six months ended 30 June 2012, compared to £22.1m for the same period last year.
Revenue declined by 2 per cent to £488.2m (2011: £495.9m). Gross profit and operating profit were £239.2m and £53.1m, respectively (2011: £239.8m and £43.6m).
During the period, revenue for the group's workwear segment was flat at £143m, while its facility segment revenue rose 2 per cent on the year to £106.1m. Adjusted operating profit climbed 11 per cent (at actual exchange rates) to £25.7m (2011: £23.1m).
The group’s UK flat linen segment generated revenue of £95m (2011: £96.4m). The clinical solutions and decontamination division revenue was largely unchanged at £34.6m (2011: £35.3m), with adjusted operating profit of £0.9m (2011: £1.9m).
Iain Ferguson, chairman of Berendsen, said:
We are pleased to report a good set of results for the period with the new business line structure operating fully from the start of the year and continued momentum towards achieving our strategic objectives. The board expects first-half trading trends to continue for the balance of 2012, resulting in good year on year progress in line with our expectations.
With offices in Basingstoke and in Copenhagen, Berendsen has more than 16,000 employees across 15 countries throughout Europe.