NEWRY-based haulage group Motis has seen its revenues rise by another 7 per cent in the year to June 30.
The company, founded in 2002 by David McComb and Patrick Hutley, achieved a turnover of £41.6 million against £38.9 million a year earlier.
Its gross profit came in at £6.1m against £4.9m previously, while its operating profit rose from £382,212 to £486,964.
On a bottom-line basis, its retained profit fell slightly to £260,283.
Motis, which operates across 500 freight ferry routes and serves more than 2,000 customers across Europe, said its gross profit margin for the year jumped from 12 per cent to 15 per cent.
The accounts filed to Companies House also show that an exceptional expenditure of £716,454 in 2021, relating to VAT the company had originally deemed recoverable, could no longer be clawed back.
At current year-end, a review was performed on the recoverability of inter-company balances across the group and it was concluded that a balance of £556,409 was no longer recoverable, so this has been written off.
Overall, however, the directors say the results for the year were satisfactory given the impact of Covid restrictions across Europe on its core activities, and it says its levels of performance will improve in 2023, and its turnover should grow.
Over the past 20 years Motis has grown into a significant pan-European operation, and it currently directly employs 55 people.
That was up from 52 the year before, and its wages bill subsequently lifted from £3.2m to more than £3.6m.
Its highest paid director earned £347,417.
Motis provides services on freight ferries, rail and road to companies throughout the UK, Ireland, and Europe, covering the Irish Sea, English Channel, North Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Baltic Sea and Adriatic Sea as well as transport through the Alps, Mont Blanc and Frejus Tunnel.
It also has a significant presence within the Port of Dover, where its freight services agency has parking for more than 300 trucks.
In addition to its Newry headquarters, Motis has offices in Stoke-on-Trent in England and others in Prague, Czech Republic; Poznan, Poland, Vilnius, Lithuania; and Bucharest, Romania.
Last August the Irish News revealed that Motis' owner Patrick Hutley had submitted a planning application to demolish the Anchor Bar at Bryansford Road in Newcastle and rebuild it (it was closed following an accidental fire in January 2022) alongside creating a number of new apartments on the site.
