BPB enjoys "strong growth in demand"

BPB, the world leader in plasterboard and gypsum plasters, has enjoyed a “strong growth in demand” in the UK market over the past 12 months.

UK sales volumes of plasterboard products were driven by a good housing market, further public sector investment in schools and hospitals as well as an active renovation sector.

BPB results (12 months to 31 March 2005), published today (Thursday), show group turnover 7% higher at £2.3bn with pre-tax profit jumping ahead to £260m, a rise of £80m.

The latest profit figure was influenced by various exceptional charges. BPB paid out £24m to cover redundancies when a paperboard mill in Aberdeen was shut. However, it enjoyed a £15m pension refund in Canada following a deal with pension scheme members to share in the distribution of part of a substantial pension fund surplus.

The UK is one of 10 countries operating within BPB’s North & Western Europe division where turnover was broadly unchanged at £600m and operating profit of £108m was 3% higher than the previous year.