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Groupe Samat UK says a wide ranging efficiency drive helped turn the company into profit in 2006. UK general manager Steve Reid tells Motor Transport he believes a thorough look at all aspects of the business led to operational savings during the year. "We have reduced overhead costs and there is not one area of the company we didn't look at in terms of efficiencies," Reid says.

"One big change has been a reduction in the number of our sub-contractors," he adds. Pre-tax profit for Groupe  Samat UK - based in Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan - leapt to £355,445 for the year to December 2006 from a pre-tax loss of £384,194 in 2005. Profit for 2006, after taxation, was £244,236, up from a loss of £288,172 the previous year.

But the hazchem specialist states in its directors' report that it has been subject to large increases in the rate of fuel - a "major cost component of the company." It says there may be continued uncertainty if the price of fuel continues to increase and this "may affect the company's results in the future." Reid adds: "We do have a fuel surcharge and obviously it is never easy to pass this on to customers."

Overall company turnover dipped to £5.9m in 2006 from £6.4m in 2005 but turnover from the company's overseas markets rose by more than one-third to £1.1m. Operating loss in 2006 was £232,269 - down from an operating loss of £391,530 in 2005. The directors did not recommend a dividend. Groupe Samat UK is the UK arm of French hazchem logistics  operator Groupe Samat.