Building materials group Grafton declared strong results today with a 38 % rise in pre-tax profits to 52.8 million euros.
Earnings per share grew 36% to 280.6 cents while turnover was 51% higher at 520 million euros.
Acquisitions in the UK have aided this performance with nearly half of operating profits, and two thirds of turnover, now generated there. The group has 160 trading outlets in the UK and 40 in Ireland. Margins in the UK, however, at under 6%, are only half those in Ireland.
