Bioquell trebles yearly profit

Bioquell has more than tripled its yearly pre-tax profit for the year ending December 31st 2007.

The bio-decontamination technology specialist’s profit rose to £4.2 million in 2007 from £1.2 million in the previous 12 months.

Turnover was up 35 per cent to £34.1 million – all from organic growth.

A spokesperson for the form attributed the substantial increase in profitability to "significantly higher group revenues with improved gross margins and only moderately increased overheads".

On December 31st 2007, the company had net cash of £2.7 million – a notable improvement on the £0.6 million debt it had on December 2006.

Meanwhile, Bioquell has also appointed a new chairman – Nigel Keen.

Mr Keen, who is currently chairman of Laird, Axis-Shield, Oxford Instruments and Deltex Medical, will replace John Salkend in 2009.

Bioquell produces specialist hydrogen peroxide vapour bio-decontamination kits for pharmaceutical, life sciences and healthcare sectors and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear filtration products for the defence sector.

It was nominated in the Best Technology category at the recent PLC Awards.