Lucas Industries Plc, the aerospace and automative components manufacture that recently bought Hayes, Middlesex-based project management software specialist Metier Management Systems Ltd (CI No 1,398), has turned in pre-tax profits of UKP191m for the year to July 31, up just 2% on 1989, on turnover up 7% at UKP2,334m. While Lucas does not give breakdowns of the results for its individual subsidiaries, Bernard Carey, manager of corporate communications, said that the newly-named Lucas Applied Technology sector – into which Metier falls along with Lucas’ other recent acquisitions: Lucas NovaSensor (silicon micro-machining), and Lucas Deeco (touch screen controllers) did fairly well in the year, with increased sales and profits, and that Metier, although only very recently acquired, contributed to both increases. Carey is pleased with Metier’s performance so far and says he expects good things from it in the next year. A couple of months ago, Metier gained some business in the US with its Artemis planning and control software – Metier has been chosen to co-ordinate the NASA Space Station Freedom project. In about nine years, a permanently manned, earth-orbiting space laboratory and logistical station – Freedom – is to be launched. Boeing, the contractor for the Technical Management and Information System which serves as a repository for Freedom’s information and data about Freedom at NASA’s facility in Reston, Virginia – has selected Artemis for use by the space station Freedom programme, to support its scheduling, budgeting and cost control activities.
