SBL still boxing clever in solid FY12

Big profit spike as licensing VAR hails growth of hardware and services

VAR Software Box Limited (SBL) enjoyed another fruitful year in FY12, with operating profit up more than a quarter on the back of a modest sales rise.

Accounts recently filed with Companies House reveal that the York-based VAR's revenue for the year to 31 August 2012 grew 4.3 per cent on the prior year to almost £88m. Gross margins crept up a fifth of a point to 8.2 per cent, while operating profit surged 26.1 per cent to more than £2.2m.

Net assets spiked from £4.1m to £5.2m over the course of the year, and the directors' report claims that the firm's cash balance rose from £5.2m to £9.5m. Staff numbers declined marginally from 96 to 93 and a close control on overheads allowed the amount of turnover per employee to jump from £879,000 to £945,000.

The report claims that the company entered the new year in good shape, following two years of solid growth.

"The revenue momentum that has been built up in the year, especially on the portfolio of services and hardware that the company now delivers, has been particularly positive and the prospects for 2013 are encouraging," says the report.