The figures from Cambridge-based ink-jet printing systems specialist Domino Printing Sciences Plc make it look as if the company had a pretty dull year – but fiscal 1989 was far from dull for Domino, what with selling its former principal building and moving into a new one – now valued at UKP11.25m, UKP3m more than it paid for it, and a rush to develop the new products on which the future depends, which caused a 30% leap in research and development costs, and sale of the Mailcrafters business to management in June for UKP405,000, it won’t have seemed a dull year from the inside looking out. Despite the climate elsewhere, the second half proved stronger than the first for Domino, and strikingly, the company does twice as much business in the rest of Europe as it does in the UK – and 30% more in North America. UK business grew 22% to UKP7.7m; rest of Europe 14% to UKP14.8m; North Amrica 14% to UKP10.9m; and the rest of the world 43% to UKP3.7m. Within those figures, there was a 33% increase in Japan and 53% in Holland. The immediate outlook for the company is sturdy rather than sparkling, but there is a nice defensive element – 46% of 1989 business was accounted for by on-going consumables business, which creates a good cushion.
