GLENCAIRN Crystal has said it plans to hit the acquisition trail and to create more jobs in Scotland as the company looks to maintain its strong growth rates.
The East-Kilbride based glassware firm said it is eyeing a number of acquisition targets in areas that might complement the core business of producing highend bottles and glasses for the spirits trade.
The company aims to capitalise on the trend among a range of drinks producers to follow whisky makers onto the path of "premiumisation". This can involve selling aged products in special bottles.
Privately-owned Glencairn Crystal has for some time been supplying products such as silver-topped engraved decanters that whisky firms use for their premium single malts.
However, director Scott Davidson noted: "Cognac, port, vodka, rum; it's all of them now."
He said Glencairn has been engaged to design decanters in which Graham's will sell a £4,500-a-bottle port.
Glencairn Crystal supplies special whisky glasses that have been selling among a new breed of American craft bourbon distillers, who use them in their marketing.
The company said sales in the first four months of the current financial year have been running 30 per cent ahead of the same time in the preceding period. In the year to April 30 it increased sales by 8 per cent annually, to £6 million, from around £5.5m.
Mr Davidson said: "Profitability was in line with the sales increase and our focus is still strongly on building our balance sheet and cash position for the future which looks very bright."
He noted Glencairn Crystal completed a restructuring during 2013, bought a new factory in East Kilbride and developed a five-year strategy.
Glencairn Crystal, he added, intends to build its senior management team to develop the company and its international activities.
The company plans to hire another 19 staff over the next three years in East Kilbride. The company designs products there and completes engraving and related work such as attaching silverwork. It currently has 46 employees.
In the year to April 30, 2013, the company recorded a retained profit of £337,880.
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