21% rise in pre-tax profits for DCC

ENERGY, information technology and healthcare sales group DCC reported strong first-half figures yesterday, as pre-tax profits surged 21% to €37.9 million.

Sales went up 18% to €1.2 billion in the six months to September.

Chief executive Jim Flavin said the results were excellent. But the group's energy business, which includes selling home heating oil, petrol and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in Britain and Ireland, failed to match the success of the other divisions.