Laird still primed for growth

By PATRICK HOSKING
Updated: 00:00 BST, 9 August 2002

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WINDOW locks and computer 保護物，者s 製造者 Laird Group 低迷d to a £60m first-half loss and halved the 暫定的な （株主への）配当 today, but the company it was 井戸／弁護士席 placed to 偉業／利用する any market 上昇傾向.

New broom Peter Hill, who arrived from Invensys last November, said he was happy with the three-pronged 形態／調整 of the 商売／仕事 going 今後 in the wake of Thursday's £30m sale of its computer 議会 offshoot Fullarton. Laird had made good progr ess on rationalising its 商売／仕事s, he said, 追加するing: 'But the 貿易（する）ing 環境 continues to be challenging and is likely to remain so for the 残り／休憩（する） of this year.'

利益（をあげる）s from continuing 操作／手術s before exceptionals, 好意／親善 amortisation and 処分 losses grew from £14.1m to £15.6m. Operating 業績／成果 was better than in the previous six months, the company said. However, a string of 令状-offs and 再編成 costs led to a loss at the pre-税金 level of £60m, compared with a £6.1m 利益（をあげる） last time.

Laird 科学（工学）技術s, which makes 保護物，者s to 保護する computer 器具／備品 from electromagnetic waves, 地位，任命するd a 5% 改良 in orders, though actual sales were 負かす／撃墜する. The 見通し here was uncertain.

The locks 分割, Laird 安全 Systems, '成し遂げるd 堅固に' with operating 利益（をあげる）s before exceptionals up 9% to £11.1m. Laird Plastics, a US 配当 商売／仕事, 上げるd operating 利益（をあげる）s almost fourfold to £1.5m.The 暫定的な （株主への）配当 was 削除するd from 5.7p to 2.9p - as signalled in March. The 株 slipped 5p to 136p. 逮捕する borrowings 増加するd from £67m to £81m by the end of June but the 利益／興味 法案 was covered 6.2 times before exceptionals.