Bridge of Allan firm in profits jump

A business spanning sports centre management to food production has today posted further record annual sales and profits, as it said it hoped to team up with local authorities in Scotland.

Bridge of Allan’s Castle View Ventures said the bulk of turnover and profit came from its Sports & Leisure Management (SLM) arm, managing facilities on behalf of more than 150 local authorities in England and Wales. Total pre-tax profits for the year to end-march rose to £13.3 million from £9.1m 12 months before, while total turnover climbed to £175.7m from £137.1m.

Slmsawayear-on-yearsales jump of nearly a third, attributed in part to winning new contracts with the likes of the London borough councils of Westminster and Southwark.

Castle View Ventures chief executive Martin Bell said: “Unfortunately we do not yet act on behalf of any local authorities in Scotland but we are ever-hopeful that we might be asked one day to share our proven business model with them.”

The group’s Cambuslangbased UIN Foods division’s turnover jumped 13 per cent to £11.7m, while pre-tax profits reached nearly £450,000.

Sales at its catering software business, whose customers include NHS Scotland, grew a fifth to £3.3m, leading to a pre-tax profit of £236,000 after a loss in the previous 12 months.