Top Log takeover pays off for Persona Group

The French company was such a good buy that Persona is now poised forfurther European expansion

Interim results for the six months ended 30 June show the Persona Group in buoyant mood.

The merger with French firm Top Log in January has seen the company's turnover increase by 163 per cent on the same period last year.

Turnover for the first half of 1996 was u65.2 million, compared with u24.8 million for the first half of 1995. Profit increased at a similar rate, up 133 per cent to u3.15 million from u1.35 million for Q1 and Q2 1995. Turnover for continuing operations increased 38 per cent to u34.1 million.

Persona chairman Wayne Channon said he was pleased with the first half results. 'With the acquisition of Top Log we set ourselves a significant challenge in becoming a European distribution and services group. We are pleased with the substantial progress made toward this objective. We have now established a sound platform for our European expansion.'

Following the takeover of Top Log, Persona had to write off u441,000 in redundancy and related costs.

The company has signed to distribute a clutch of vendors in France, including 3Com, Bay Networks, Compaq, Microsoft and Netscape in France.

Distribution business in France accounted for 32 per cent of total Persona Group turnover, with UK distribution adding a further 56 per cent to the total turnover.

Business in Germany, Spain and Belgium accounted for just six per cent of total group turnover for the first half of 1996, but Channon claimed that this represented a significant foothold for Persona in these markets.