Radius Plc has consolidated its return to profit at the interim stage with full-year pre-tax profits of ú1.5m, compared with losses of ú1.2m this time last year. The Hull-based systems integrator was taken aback by the scale of its losses last year, incurred as it attempted to broaden its open systems base to offset the shrinking proprietary market. After 10 years on the Unlisted Securities Market, Radius has applied for a full London Stock Exchange listing, and expects to start trading there next month. The retail division has done well with its Retail Systems Architecture product, both at home and abroad. Radius has signed trading agreements in the US, Asia-Pacific and continental Europe. Radius Solutions Ltd, which markets the PECAS open systems printing product, had its best year to date, according to chairman Mike Roberts. The product was already available in Dutch, and a Spanish version was introduced this year. The first sale was made to Pechiney Celograph SA in Madrid. The next target is the US, and it will be configured for that market this year. Roberts claims that the division now commands 40% of the UK printing management systems market. The commercial systems market was very competitive last year, according to Roberts, and while business was not spectacular, prior investment had protected it from the pitfalls that many competitors encountered. It also won two international contracts for its fuel distribution system. Like most companies dealing with the UK public sector, Radius was affected by uncertainty regarding the future of local government, but with clarification on the horizon, the company expects its finance products to begin selling well towards the end of this year. It acquired some of the assets of software company Cinteract Systems Ltd last October (CI No 2,528) and three of its products, in the sports centre leisure management and cash receipt management businesses, have been added to the Radius public sector portfolio. The engineering services division proved disappointing to the group. It has made significant investment in maintenance and network services and expects this to pay off this year. The professional accounting division also had another very difficult year. Roberts looks for the improvement in local government business, and better prospects abroad for the retail and printing divisions leading to steady growth in 1995. The board recommends an final dividend of 0.7 pence, making a total of 1.1 pence for the year, up 133% on last year.
