Pre-tax profits at the OHM Group, which distributes Jaguar and Land Rover brands here, last year soared by 90 per cent to €4.23 million.
New accounts filed by Armalou Holdings Ltd show that profits increased sharply at the moor group after revenues surged by €55 million or 29.4 per cent from €187.4 million to €242.53 million.
The group also operates the Spirit Motor Group and sells Ford, Volvo, Skoda, Cupra, Seat along with Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles.
The accounts disclose that two of the group’s subsidiaries received €732,382 in Covid-19 wage subsidy payments during the year, but subsequently the group voluntarily repaid the entire subsidy received after ‘trading was resilient”.
The directors explain that “in 2021, given the uncertainty of the impact of Covid-19 restrictions imposed on the group’s operations, two group companies satisfied the criteria to obtain government grants, which were available to companies to safeguard employment during the Covid-19 pandemic”.
In a post balance sheet event, the directors state that “as the group’s trading was resilient over the remainder of the year, the group voluntarily repaid all grants received”.
Buoyant demand
On the overall performance of the business, the directors state that “despite the unprecedented challenges and uncertainties associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, Brexit and the global shortages in raw material for new vehicles, demand for new and used vehicles was strong throughout 2021 and the market demand remains buoyant”.
The directors state that “transition to Electric Vehicles (EVs) is now well underway, as sales of Battery EVs and Plug-In hybrid EVs continue to increase year-on-year both for the group and nationally.”
The group recorded operating profits of €4.98 million and interest payments of €757,000 reduced profits to a pre-tax profit of €4.23 million.
The company recorded post tax profits of €3.64 million after paying corporation tax of €587,000.
Numbers employed by the group last year increased to 251 made up of 154 in sales and support and 97 in service as staff costs last year totalled €15.92 million.
Directors’ pay decreased by 34 per cent from €1.5m to €988,000.
The pay to the group’s key management personnel, made up of directors and management, last year decreased from €3.76 million to €3.33 million.
The group last year paid out a dividend of €348,000.
At the end of December last, the group had shareholder funds of €32.42 million that included accumulated profits of €28.6 million. The group’s cash funds increased from €10.3 million to €13.9 million.
