Sales increase for Grafton group

Dublin: Management at builders’ merchants group, Grafton has said that the business is well-positioned for continuing earnings growth after seeing improvements in 2010, including a 3% increase in sales during the second half of the year.

In a trading update for 2010, the Dublin- headquartered group — which also owns Woodie’s DIY retail chain — said that after a reduction in sales in the first quarter of 2010, the following three quarters each showed modest growth. Sales in the second half of the year came in at about €1.02 billon, up 3% on the same period in 2009; while sales for the year as a whole amounted to approximately €2bn; up from the €1.98bn achieved in 2009.