DERRY medical packaging firm Bemis Healthcare, previously known as Perfecseal, has posted a "satisfactory" bottom line profit of more than £5.2 million during the 2015 calendar year.
Perfecseal, which operates from a purpose-built plant at Campsie, was founded in 1995 by Dr Alan McClure OBE to supply sterile packaging to the medical device industry in Europe.
It was then sold in 1996 to Bemis Inc in Wisconsin, the largest flexible packaging firm in the US.
When Dr McClure retired as president and chief executive in 2003, Perfecseal had grown to be the second largest sterile medical device packaging company in the world.
According to figures filed at Companies House in Belfast, Perfecseal's gross profit for last year was £11.36m (down from £12.49m in 2014).
That came on an increased turnover of £45,119,447 (2014: £44,300,284).
The company's retained profit after taxes came in at £5,247,058, a shade down on the 2014 bottom line of £5,949,737.
But at the year end the company had net assets of more than £12m compared to £6.8m a year earlier.
The firm remains one of Derry's largest employers, with a staff of 250 (217 in production, 29 in sales and 14 in administration).
That broadly similar to the previous year (267 staff), but the company's employment costs rose from £7m to £7.2m.
The company's Derry operation is one of 61 Bemis facilities in 12 countries, and the parent group has a total of 18,000 employees.
In note accompanying its financial figures, the directors said they considers the results for the year to be satisfactory, and they said they have plans in place to ensure the company is "strongly placed to retain its market position and continued profitability".
They added: "Since the year end, our performance to date has been encouraging."
But the directors have warned of future risks, affected mainly by healthcare spend policies adopted by national governments across Europe,where it does a significant portion of its business.
Founded in 1858, Bemis Company Inc. is included in the S&P 500 index of stocks.
