Company News in Brief

Porter Chadburn has agreed to sell its Leeda fishing tackle group for about pounds 4m to trim debts. It said the deal was the last in a line of disposals that marked the group's exit from consumer products.

British & American Film Holdings, the film producer and distributor, more than doubled pre- tax profits from pounds 380,000 to pounds 1.2m for the year ended 31 December. Final dividend is 9.3p(8.25p).

Six months to 31 March

Concentric, the engineering products maker and distributor, lifted pre-tax profits to pounds 4.8m ( pounds 4.35m) on turnover up from pounds 60.7m to pounds 64.7m. Earnings per share improved to 5.89p (5.63p). Interim dividend is 1.86p (1.77p).

Baggeridge Brick, the brick maker, which also supplies materials to the building industry, reported a massive jump in pre-tax profits from pounds 383,000 to pounds 1.6m. The result was achieved on the back of higher waste disposal profits from the Landsource Division and lower interest charges. Sales of housing bricks were particularly strong as national housebuilders increased their building activity. Turnover increased from pounds 13.1m to pounds 16.8m. Earnings per share rose to pounds 2.62p (0.65p). Interim dividend stays at 0.75p.

Crabtree Group, the printing machine maker, achieved higher pre- tax profits of pounds 1.3m ( pounds 768,000). Turnover grew to pounds 11.3m ( pounds 8.9m). Earnings per share are 5.8p (2.9p). Interim dividend is 3p.