AVOCA Handweavers, the Wicklow-based food and clothing retailer, increased its profits by 42% last year.
Accounts just filed at the Companies Registration Office show pre-tax profits of €2.4 million in the year to end January 2007, up from €1.7m in the previous 12 months.
The improvement in profits came as sales rose and from the opening of another shop in Rathcoole in Dublin. This brought the total number of outlets operated by the company to 11, including one shop in the US.
Avoca, which is owned by the Pratt family, designs and manufactures its own clothing, food and home furnishings from its Wicklow base.
Turnover for the year rose to €39.5m from €33.6m.
The company did not pay out a dividend from its profits. Retained profits rose to €12.3m from €10.3m.
The directors said in a note to with the accounts: "Since the year end the group has purchased the business of Mount Usher Gardens on a 25-year lease. This includes entrance receipts to the gardens together with the income from the café."
According to the accounts, the company employed 424 people at the end of its last financial year, an increase of 45. The cost of the extra employees pushed up the annual staff bill from €10.2m to €12.4m.
Directors’ remuneration rose to €1.58m from €1.41m. The directors are listed as Donald and Hilary Pratt and their four children Amanda, Simon, Ivan and Vanessa.
Accounts just filed at the Companies Registration Office show pre-tax profits of €2.4 million in the year to end January 2007, up from €1.7m in the previous 12 months.
The improvement in profits came as sales rose and from the opening of another shop in Rathcoole in Dublin. This brought the total number of outlets operated by the company to 11, including one shop in the US.
Avoca, which is owned by the Pratt family, designs and manufactures its own clothing, food and home furnishings from its Wicklow base.
Turnover for the year rose to €39.5m from €33.6m.
The company did not pay out a dividend from its profits. Retained profits rose to €12.3m from €10.3m.
The directors said in a note to with the accounts: "Since the year end the group has purchased the business of Mount Usher Gardens on a 25-year lease. This includes entrance receipts to the gardens together with the income from the café."
According to the accounts, the company employed 424 people at the end of its last financial year, an increase of 45. The cost of the extra employees pushed up the annual staff bill from €10.2m to €12.4m.
Directors’ remuneration rose to €1.58m from €1.41m. The directors are listed as Donald and Hilary Pratt and their four children Amanda, Simon, Ivan and Vanessa.
