Disasters hit firm’s profits

Two natural disasters helped push the Cork-based unit of manufacturer Alps Electronics into the red last year.

The Japanese manufacturer employs nearly 500 people at its Millstreet plant and accounts show that the firm recorded a pre-tax loss of €90,895 in the 12 months to the end of Mar 31 this year. This followed the firm recording a pre-tax profit of €988,923 in 2011.

The directors’ report cites the Japanese earthquake in Mar 2011 and flooding in Thailand later that year as resulting in exceptional costs that disrupted the firm’s supply chain.