A COLERAINE dairy firm which makes cheese slices for fast food giants including McDonalnd's moved back into the black last year with profits of £872,444.
Dairy Produce Packers, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Kerry Group, makes and sells processed cheese across Britain, Ireland and Europe.
The improved figures follow a more than £3 million swing in tax payments. It was credited with £871,772 in tax for the year to December 31 2014 - after paying £2.34m the year before.
Turnover increased by 2 per cent to £144.12 million, according to annual accounts filed at Companies House in Belfast.
Directors said: "Both the level of business and the year end financial position remain satisfactory and the directors expect that the present level of activity will be sustained for the foreseeable future".
The firm continued to reduce its staff numbers over the year to an average 280 from 300 (it had more than 400 in 2010).
That made its wage bill £8.56m. The directors are paid by parent company Kerry Group.
They did not recommend the payment of a dividend.
Expenditure on research and development meanwhile amounted to £458,320.
The majority of Dairy Produce Packers' sales are into Britain at £90.34m with £14.17m turnover from activity in Ireland and the remaining £39.61m in the rest of Europe.
The company reported losses on £6.39m on the sale of its investment in Luton-based cheese firm Dairyborn Foods.
Dairy Produce Packers' parent company Kerry Group posted a 1.4 per cent dip in revenue last year to €5.8bn (£4.3bn) last year.
Its trading profits however was up 4 per cent to €636.4m (£471.8m).
