Company News in Brief

Hillsdown Holdings, the food products, furniture and property group, has sold its bedding operations, which include Sleepeezee in the UK and Compagnie Continentale Simmons in France to Cauval Industrie, a French company, for pounds 17m in cash.

Torday & Carlisle, supplier of engine and industrial components, has sold the trade and assets of Oldham Lighting, its architectural lighting business based in Wembley, for pounds 500,000 in a management buyout, as part of the process of restructuring Oldham Signs.

Croda International, the speciality chemicals group, said it had bought Mebon Limited from BP Chemicals for an undisclosed amount and the industrial paint business of Manders Holdings for pounds 2m.

Carr's Milling Industries, the flour, bread and animal foods merchant, achieved pre-tax profits of pounds 277,000 (loss pounds 228,000) for the year to 31 August. Final dividend is 2.9p, making 3.9p (same).

Parkland Textile, the yarn spinner, dyer and cloth maker, incurred pounds 309,000 pre-tax loss (profit pounds 1.4m) in the six months to 31 August. It held the interim dividend at 1p.

Six months to 30 September

Unit Group, the timber pallets and precision components maker, fell to pounds 14,000 ( pounds 122,000) pre-tax profit. There is no dividend.

AH Ball Group, which lays pipelines mainly for the water industry, reported lower pre-tax profits of pounds 407,000 ( pounds 524,000). It held the interim dividend at 2.2p.

Cheam Group, the water supplier, improved pre-tax profits to pounds 1.4m ( pounds 1.2m). Interim dividend is 4p.

Year to 30 September

Albion, the tailored menswear manufacturer and supplier, reported higher pre-tax profits of pounds 774,000 ( pounds 620,000) in the year to 30 September. Final dividend is 1.8p, making 3p (2.5p).

Southern Radio, the independent radio broadcaster, turned around from a pounds 363,000 pre-tax loss to pre-tax profits of pounds 774,000 for the year to 30 September. Final dividend is 0.794p.