PROFITS have soared for a manufacturer of toiletries and washing powder which employs around 140 people at its Barrow factory.

McBride Plc has released its half year results leading up to December 2015. The report reveals operating profit increased by 57 per cent from the same period of the previous year - up to £17m from £11m. 

The company's results are split based on McBride's two main product areas - household goods, including washing powder which is manufactured in Barrow, and personal care aerosols. 

Sales in household were 0.9 per cent higher overall with growth across most regions except in the UK, where an 8.2 per cent fall was driven by lower private label sales and the end of some contract manufacturing business. 

Personal care aerosols saw a 1.5 per cent sales decline, with a weak UK offset by good gains in Eastern Europe and strong growth in Asia.

The report also refers to the ongoing restructuring of McBride's UK business, which has included a reduction in the workforce at the factory in Park Road, Barrow. 

In 2014 the firm launched a redundancy process at its Barrow factory to cut the workforce from 240 to around 140. Around 300 jobs were due to be cut at sites in Bradford, Hull and Manchester.

However, company bosses said the reduction in costs and increase in profits was not directly attributable to the redundancies and was instead as a result of cutting customer numbers by 75 per cent. 

Nick Hasell, from business advisory firm FTI Consulting, said that those 75 per cent of customers had only accounted for three per cent of the company's revenue. 

In a statement, the company's chief executive officer, Rik De Vos, said: “We are pleased with our progress in the first half and the improved profitability following the launch of our strategic transformation plan. 

"The commitment and focus of the McBride team on the execution and delivery of our objectives is very encouraging and a critical aspect for future success. The ongoing actions of our 'Repair' phase, which in part will result in lower second half revenues, are nevertheless expected to provide further progress in profitability. 

"As a consequence, the Board is now expecting full year results to be modestly ahead of its previous expectations.”