MELKSHAM, England—Avon Rubber has posted a 6 percent rise in operating profit to about $13 million up from $12.3 million in the first half of 2015.
The earnings gains were made alongside a 5 percent revenue increase to $95.6 million, the England-based company said on May 4.
Avon, whose two core businesses are in dairy and defense masks, reported that the results reflected cyclically low milk prices, but said that its Milkrite brand was gaining market share.
Expecting second-half weighted trading in the protection and defense business, Avon reported small gains in revenue, up to $65.9 million from $65.3 million in 2015—and operating profit—to $9.52 million, up from $9.23 million.
The division, however, has a strong forward order book for the U.S. Department of Defense M50s and a growing pipeline of non-DOD opportunities, Avon added.
M50 respirator sales to the DOD were 107,000 mask systems, up from last year's 112,000.
During the period under study, Avon also received a further order for 167,000 mask systems which it said would take mask order coverage well into 2017.