ICS Computing reports surge in sales and profits

ICS Computing, one of the top indigenous IT companies, reported a strong rise in sales and profits in the year to March 2007.

In its 40th year in business, the Belfast-based company targeted the south where it has a major contract with a public sector organisation.

It has opened an office here and plans to grow rapidly.

Managing director David Mawhinney said it was possible that half the group’s turnover could be generated in the south. “But it is still early days”, he said.

Last year, the group boosted turnover by 20% from €15 million to €18m, while operating profits rose from €1.3m to €1.8m.

Up to 250 are employed by the group, the bulk of them in the North.

ICS emerged from the ashes of the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast which built the Titanic in 1911. Its design software, as it was at the time, when the yard closed in 1967, was bought by a number of workers.

This provided the basis for one of the first computer software companies to emerge in this country.

He said: “The past 12 months have been an exceptionally positive period for ICS, with several major contract wins secured.”