Buoyant times signal 15 new job opportunities at a hi-tech Lincoln firm, with Dynex Semiconductor set to take on more staff after a 27% ise in sales to £14 million
The Doddington Road employer of 240 is being kept on its toes to meet the demands of an order book worth £20m.
And it's little wonder that in the background negotiations are continuing, which could see the company move into Chinese ownership.
But Hong Kong Stock Exchange-listed Times Electric, which is courting the firm, has already said it is keen to hang on to its local managers and the Lincoln manufacturing plant.
Today bosses spoke out in the wake of a highly successful year, where sales have been driven by opportunities created by the climate change agenda and the rising demand for renewable energies.
Dynex supplies components used by the solar panel industries to produce solar cells and others which go into converters for wind turbines.
Products are also made for the rail and marine industries.
President and chief executive Dr Paul Taylor said: "Our growth means that we are creating more job opportunities.
"We are looking for staff including a process engineer/technician, equipment engineer to work nights, an electrician and a power systems engineer.
"Our latest figures add up to an excellent result.
"The strong growth in revenue and net profit of about £1m, the excellent improvement in gross margins and the continued control of expenses, are all cause for celebration.
"We have established a track record of improvement over several years and we expect to extend that in 2008."
Dynex chief financial officer Bob Lockwood said: "The improvement in our gross margins - from a low of 3.6 per cent in 2003 to 22.8 per cent last year - and the fall in expenses over the same period, from 34.3 per cent to 16.4 per cent of sales revenue, reflects the hard work that all employees have contributed to turning the business around.
"The growth in orders taken in and the strength of our order book give us great confidence that we shall continue to see further improvement in performance."
The next big challenge is funding the capital expenditure needed if Dynex is to boost its capacity and become more efficient.
Chairman David Banks said: "Last year was a first class year, thanks to our excellent management who made this turnaround happen, as well as our loyal and committed employees, our valued customers and our reliable suppliers."
Mr Banks said Dynex needs significant capital investment to achieve its potential.
He said the board feels the best way to do this is to have ownership control in the hands of a larger company with bigger financial resources - hence the negotiations with Time Electric.
Source: This Is Lincolnshire
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