Final Results

Stanelco PLC 24 February 2003 STANELCO PLC ('Stanelco' or 'the Company' or 'the Group') PRELIMINARY RESULTS FOR YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2002 CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT Results As with many companies, and especially those operating in the telecommunications and engineering sectors, Stanelco has experienced the most dramatic changes in market conditions in its history. We have seen both our customers and rivals making significant reductions to their capacities and workforces. Stanelco has also faced those conditions and our results reflect them. Year to 31 Year to 31 October October 2002 2001 £'000 £'000 Turnover 3,570 6,013 Trading Profit - before exceptional items 528 1,809 Exceptional items 155 (664) Holding company costs (117) (121) Net interest receivable 48 31 Profit on ordinary activities before taxation 614 1,055 Taxation (177) (299) Profit after taxation 437 756 Dividends (69) (69) Retained profit for the year 368 687 Future prospects Because we have anticipated a continued downturn in optical fibre manufacture we have focused on new and emerging markets. I am pleased to report that during this year Stanelco has made significant progress towards this objective. In our traditional Radio Frequency (RF) furnace market, we have launched a new MCVD (Modified Chemical Vapour Deposition) furnace product which helps to make the specialist quartz pre-forms from which optical fibre is drawn. We believe that this unit will help our customers significantly to reduce their unit cost of production and we have already made the first sales of this new product. Alongside this we have taken action during the year to reduce our cost base on this side of the business. We have also entered a new market, welding high-end waste containers made of plastic. Our first product was launched during the year and is set to achieve annual sales in excess of £1m in the UK. A larger version of this machine is currently being developed for sealing drums within industrial grade plastic bags. We are assessing overseas markets and other applications. In conjunction with R.P. Scherer Corporation (a subsidiary of Cardinal Health Inc.) we continue to develop commercial-scale technology for the manufacture of soft gelatine-free capsules primarily for pharmaceutical applications. This work is being carried out by our jointly owned subsidiary InGel Technologies Ltd (InGel) and is currently our most significant development project. We expect to make further announcements about its progress during the year. The Board is monitoring closely the situation in both the telecoms' market and the developments within InGel. We are endeavouring to make the Company less dependent on the telecoms' market and take it from being purely a manufacturer of capital equipment to a company that derives a substantial portion of its revenue from royalties based upon the value added to a variety of applications by our RF technology. Our success in developing new products and remaining profitable at this time is due to our business partners, our customer relationships and our staff. The Board is grateful to them all. Elizabeth Filkin Chairman 24 February 2003 CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S STATEMENT Our aim is simple: to create a valuable technology business based upon Radio Frequency ('RF') applications. Trading conditions during the year have been tough for the Company. We continue to expect difficult conditions in the telecommunications market. I am pleased to report, though, that the significant developments we are making to enter new markets, based upon adaptations of our RF technology, are now bearing fruit. RESULTS I am pleased to report that as a Company heavily dependent upon the telecommunications market, and in particular the manufacturers of optical fibre, we have remained profitable and cash generative through a period of significantly reduced demand. We have seen turnover decline to approximately £3.6m (2001: £6.0m) and after deducting holding company costs of £117k (2001: £121k) we achieved a Group profit of £614k (2001: £1,055k). We are recommending that the dividend payment is maintained at £69k (0.01p per share), the second time that the Company has made a dividend payment. After taxation and dividend charges there is a retained profit for the Group of £368k (2001: £687k). During the year we exited from our interest in the internet venture known as 'LogistiGo', which has resulted in a payment to the Company of £250k less costs of £45k. £85k was received during the financial year and £165k has been received subsequently. The Company has no ongoing interest in LogistiGo. Prospects As an illustration of the sheer rate of change in market conditions, almost our entire current turnover is being derived from products that we have developed during the past 2 years. These were the products that I was hoping would provide growth for the Company; instead they have become our insurance policy. This has made us more determined to introduce new products where we can see a premium return and a low risk route to market. The main focus of the Company now is to complete the capsule developments being made by InGel Technologies Ltd (InGel) whilst maintaining positive cash flow from operations in furnaces for optical fibre production and high-end waste packaging equipment. At the date of this report, the Company's order book stands at £561k. InGel Technologies As reported previously, during December 2001 we entered into agreements with R.P.Scherer Corporation (a subsidiary of Cardinal Health Inc.) concerning our RF technology for sealing soft pharmaceutical capsules, which should make production much faster and more economical whilst enabling the use of materials other than gelatine. Since that time there has been very significant progress towards commercialising this capsule making technology. I am pleased to report: • Patents have been granted in several territories and are pending in others covering the formation, using RF, of capsules from soluble materials. We believe that this invention, which covers a process, is a platform technology with many applications and is likely to be valuable irrespective of the success of InGel. The Group retains ownership of this patent, which is currently licensed to InGel for its applications. • InGel has made further patentable new inventions in the course of its development work. • The pilot scale machine capable of producing large batch sizes for stability and clinical trials will be complete within the next few months. We are currently using it as the basis to select production scale technologies. • R.P.Scherer Corporation (which in December 2001 acquired 3 per cent of Stanelco plc and 5 per cent of InGel, with a deferred payment to acquire an additional 5 per cent of InGel) has committed a full-time team of people in support of InGel, working as part of a team with our own staff and others. • We have installed the first R&D machine in premises designed for pharmaceutical capsule manufacture. • Our best estimates are that we expect InGel to start generating revenues within the next 12 to 14 months. Optical Fibre We are not anticipating a recovery in the global telecommunications market in the year ahead. We continue to develop new and improved RF furnace equipment to enable our customers both to improve the quality of fibre they manufacture and lower its unit cost. We have significantly increased our share of the available market and have signed key supply agreements. We have introduced a new product used for making the specialist quartz pre-form ('ingot') from which optical fibre is drawn. The technology known as Modified Chemical Vapour Deposition (MCVD) is used to dope the quartz with rare earth metals in order to modify its optical properties. The first orders for this technology have been received from Japan. We have continued to keep a sharp eye on our cost base. This has unfortunately meant that we have made 15 jobs redundant, at a cost of £59k to the Company, producing annualised savings of some £345k. Further savings have been made to the unit cost of production. Since the start of the new calendar year we have seen a considerable increase in the level of enquiries for furnace and MCVD technology. These, although a positive sign, have yet to translate into a corresponding recovery in order levels. Waste Packaging During the year we launched our first product for sealing high-end waste containers, made of plastic, using RF. We currently anticipate annualised sales of some £1m from this product and related services. The equipment was successfully demonstrated at six exhibitions in the UK and at the date of this report we have received orders for in excess of £500k and have enquiries for a further circa £4 million of equipment in the UK. We anticipate that the equipment has significant potential in overseas markets and we are currently looking for suitable partners. A larger version of this machine is currently being developed for sealing drums within industrial grade plastic bags. We are assessing overseas markets and other applications. R&D Work In 2002 we invested the equivalent of more than 23 percent of our turnover into research and development activities. When it makes sense we seek to protect our intellectual property through patenting and we work closely with intellectual property specialists in this regard. We continue to anticipate significant R&D expenditure as we develop new products for the future. Start-ups and Acquisitions We are actively considering a range of start-up businesses based upon new and improved applications of RF technology. InGel Industrial Independently of InGel, Stanelco has developed a process for making capsules from Polyvinyl Alcohol based plastics. These plastics are environmentally friendly and biodegrade safely. The main applications for these capsules, currently, are laundry detergents and agrochemicals. We have produced a range of concept capsules to demonstrate the versatility of our RF process. The concept capsules have been produced in a range of sizes and shapes, containing both liquids and powders and capsules within capsules. Our process (which is also covered by the same base patent licensed to InGel) seems to offer many potential advantages over the heat-sealing method of forming these capsules, one notable feature is that our capsules do not need to contain an air bubble - unlike those currently available. As with InGel, we are uncertain at present as to the commercial potential of this technology. We are seeking to work with commercial partners to bring it to market. Currently we are not considering any acquisition. Thank you Thank you again to the team of hard working people at Stanelco who in partnership with our customers and suppliers continue to improve our business. I am particularly pleased that we are introducing a new share scheme, which gives the opportunity for all staff to become shareholders in Stanelco. Ian Balchin CHIEF EXECUTIVE 24 February 2003 CONSOLIDATED PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT 2002 2001 £'000 £'000 Turnover 3,570 6,013 Cost of sales (1,931) (3,149) Gross profit 1,639 2,864 Distribution costs (35) (69) Administrative expenses : Exceptional items 155 (664) Other (1,193) (1,107) (1,038) (1,771) Operating profit 566 1,024 Interest receivable and similar income 49 32 Interest payable and similar charges (1) (1) Profit on ordinary activities before taxation 614 1,055 Taxation (177) (299) Profit on ordinary activities after taxation 437 756 Dividends (69) (69) Retained profit for the year 368 687 Basic earnings per share - pence 0.064 0.113 Diluted earnings per share - pence 0.063 0.113 All transactions arise from continuing operations. All recognised gains and losses are included in the profit and loss account. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET At 31 October 2002 At 31 October 2001 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Fixed assets Intangible assets 831 - Tangible assets 307 322 1,138 322 Current assets Stock 637 816 Debtors 775 798 Cash at bank and in hand 1,151 777 2,563 2,391 Creditors: amounts falling due within one (812) (1,482) year Net current assets 1,751 909 Total assets less current liabilities 2,889 1,231 Provisions for liabilities and charges (210) (50) 2,679 1,181 Capital and reserves Called up share capital 687 666 Share Premium account 1,081 - Profit and loss account 883 515 Shareholders' funds 2,651 1,181 Minority interest 28 - 2,679 1,181 CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT 2002 2001 £'000 £'000 NET CASH INFLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES 444 444 RETURNS ON INVESTMENTS AND SERVICING OF FINANCE Interest received 49 32 Interest paid (1) - Dividends paid (64) - Finance lease interest paid - (1) NET CASH (OUTFLOW)/INFLOW FROM RETURNS ON INVESTMENTS AND SERVICING OF (16) 31 FINANCE TAXATION Corporation tax paid (252) (68) CAPITAL EXPENDITURE AND FINANCIAL INVESTMENT Investment in intangible fixed assets (844) - Sale of tangible fixed assets 1 3 Purchase of tangible fixed assets (86) (177) NET CASH (OUTFLOW) FROM CAPITAL EXPENDITURE AND FINANCIAL INVESTMENT (929) (174) FINANCING Issue of ordinary share capital 1,130 - Capital element of finance lease rentals (3) (7) NET CASH INFLOW / (OUTFLOW) FROM FINANCING 1,127 (7) INCREASE IN CASH 374 226 NOTES Earnings per share The calculation of earnings per share is based on the profit after tax for the year of £437,000 (2001 - profit £756,000) and 686,829,750 (2001 - 666,224,850) ordinary shares in issue Dividend Subject to shareholder approval, the dividend of 0.01p per ordinary share is payable on 1 July 2003 to shareholders on the register on 30 May 2003. Report and Financial Statement The information relating to the year ended 31 October 2002 is unaudited and has been extracted from draft accounts on which the auditors expect to issue an unqualified opinion. The information relating to the year ended 31 October 2001 is extracted from the audited accounts that have been filed at Companies House and on which the auditors issued an unqualified opinion. The above financial information does not constitute statutory accounts within the meaning of Section 240 of the Companies Act 1985. Enquiries: Stanelco PLC 01489 570991 Ian Balchin (Chief Executive) Barrie Hozier (Finance Director) This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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