Pre-tax profits were up by over £3m at East Yorkshire-based manufacturer Kohler Mira in 2018, despite a tough year for the UK shower market.
The business, which operates at the Meltonwest Business Park, reported £17.6m of profits before tax last year, up from £14.6m, as sales remained stable.
It came in a challenging year for manufacturers in the shower industry, with Kohler Mira holding a 38 per cent share of the UK market.
Earlier this year, Mira Showers – owned by Kohler Mira – received a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for its innovative electric shower products.
The East Yorkshire factory also last year celebrated a landmark when the two millionth shower tray rolled off the production line just seven years after the facility opened.
Directors at Kohler Mira said in recently-filed accounts: “The overall UK shower market value decreased by 4.1 per cent compared with 2017, and Kohler Mira remains the market leader for UK showers…
“Therefore, despite challenging market conditions, the directors remain satisfied with the company’s share of the market and its future growth potential.”
Sales at Kohler Mira dipped very slightly in 2018, from £137.7m to £136.4m – a good result considering the market slide.
The company, part of the global Kohler group, employs over 750 people, and has a major presence in East Yorkshire.
Mira Showers’ innovative products earned it a Queen’s Award this year.
The manufacturer received the prestigious accolade for its Mira Sport Max shower. The electric shower uses state-of-the-art technology to increase water flow by almost a third, without using any more water.
It was the second time Mira Showers had won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise, after its Mira Flight Safe anti-slip shower tray scooped the title in 2017.
Craig Baker, MD at Mira Showers, said at the time: "This award highlights our commitment to innovation and the hard work and level of detail we put into the research and design stages, which allows us to ensure products we bring to market are meeting the ever-changing demands from both consumers and installers.
“As a forward-thinking company, our focus on developing exclusive technology is what has made Mira the biggest contributor to the showering industry in the last 90 years.”
Kohler Mira has also put a strong focus on its environmental footprint in recent times.
The company has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 69 per cent, and landfill waste contributions are down 27 per cent.
Directors said it expected trading in 2019 to remain stable and similar to 2018.
