Sanmex, the Scottish family-owned manu- facturer of aerosol products, has significantly boosted its profits in the year after selling off one of its divisions.

Sanmex, the Scottish family-owned manu- facturer of aerosol products, has significantly boosted its profits in the year after selling off one of its divisions.

The Glasgow-based firm's latest set of accounts, obtained by The Herald from Companies House, reveal operating profits of £127.374 for the year to the end of January, compared with £70,033 the previous year.

Sanmex, which now employs about 50 people at its base in Rutherglen, makes own-label brands for the supermarkets, discounters and specialist retailers but sold off its loss-making liquids division in March 2006, which had employed around 120 staff.

The accounts also noted that redundancy payments had cost the company almost £600,000.

The company, which was founded more than 75 years ago by Louis Groden, father of the present chairman, Dr Allan Groden, now focuses on the aerosol business and markets its own budget products under brand names such as Charm air freshener and Actif body spray.

The accounts reveal its turnover during the year fell to £8.1m, compared with £10.6m the year before.

Sanmex director Steven Groden said: "The profits are up because the business is now managed better. We expect to continue to grow."

The firm decided not to pay its shareholders a dividend for the year.