Northfield, Birmingham-based company Kalamazoo Plc has reported pre-tax profits of UKP611,000 for the eight months to March 31, compared with UKP3.8m for the twelve-month period to March 31 last year. Comparisons are not particularly meaningful since the company has recently changed its year end from July to March and therefore is comparing two dissimilar financial periods. For better comparison, Kalamazoo has provided additional figures for the equivalent eight months of 1991. These show pre-tax profit down 74% to UKP611,000 from UKP2m, with turnover down 2% to UKP38m. The company has suffered from mixed fortunes in fact. Kalamazoo Computer Group Plc, representing two thirds of the over all group, increased revenue 7% to UKP24m and profits 35% to just over UKP2m. Disappointing by comparison was the performance of Kalamazoo Business Systems plc, which reported a drop in pre-tax profits to UKP300,000. Needless to say the company has begun implementing changes in strategy, aiming to streamline its printing subsidiary and targetting its Computer Group for expansion and in-vestment – a process that has already begun with the acquisition of two motor trade computer service companies, Datawork Computer Services Ltd, and VISI systems Ltd. Subsidiary companies in the US and New Zealand were shed, contributing UKP91,000 worth of extraordinary items to the net profit figure quoted.
