EAST Anglia-based infection control company Tristel plc yesterday announced its debut profits and dividend following its flotation on the Alternative Investment Market last June.

EAST Anglia-based infection control company Tristel plc yesterday announced its debut profits and dividend following its flotation on the Alternative Investment Market last June.

Tristel, based at Snailwell, near Newmarket, reported total sales of £1.79million for the six months to December 31, representing underlying growth of 20% on a comparable figure of £1.95million for the eight months to February 28, 2005.

The pre-tax profit of £327,481 compared with £5,455 during the eight month period and there will be a maiden dividend payment of 0.275p per share.

Tristell, which was formed in 1998, specialises in a patented chlorine dioxide chemistry which is used to sterilise plastic and polymer medical instruments - such as endoscopes used for internal examinations - which, unlike metal instruments, cannot be sterilised by heat.

It is the UK's market leader in this sector and is now seeking to expand both into the overseas hospital market and into new non-hospital applications.

Yesterday's interim results included progress on both fronts, with distributors having been appointed in Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Turkey, Pakistan and New Zealand, and an alliance signed with Johnson Diversey to development a new product range for the pharmaceutical clean room market

Paul Swinney, chief executive of Tristel, said: “Having established a solid platform in our home market in recent years, one of the main reasons for the IPO [Initial Public Offering of shares] was to develop the company into an international business and that initiative is now underway.

“We are also pleased to announce the pan-European alliance with Johnson Diversey. It is the first time that our infection control technology has broken into a major marketplace outside of hospitals. To achieve this with such an important market force as Johnson Diversey is great testimony to our chemistry.”

Mr Swinney said it was too early to say what impact clean room products would have on sales, but they were of “strategic significance” for the company.

He added that the drive for export sales in the hospital market would continue, with the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia among the countries being targeted.