A STAIRLIFT company says its global business remains in a strong position despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Steeton-based Acorn Stairlifts was commenting following publication of its annual results for the year ended September 30, 2020 – including the first few months of the pandemic.

As part of the medical and social care supply chain, the company has continued to operate throughout the Covid crisis “to service and protect the ongoing needs of its customers”.

Acorn says the pandemic and the resultant periods of lockdown did initially have a negative impact on the group’s turnover.

But it adds that the business “reacted quickly” and achieved a level of recovery beyond what was expected.

The results show that annual turnover was £230.6 million, down from £241.1 million the previous year.

However, profit after tax – at £34.7 million – was up from £23.1 million the previous year.

Non-UK turnover, demonstrating how much of the group’s income is from overseas markets, remained virtually unchanged at 71.1 per cent.

Group finance director, Joanne Richardson, said: “With most of the world in lockdown it was inevitable that we would install fewer stairlifts globally during the period covered by this report, but we recovered quickly.

“This is a positive set of results and a credit to everyone working for Acorn through what has been one of the most challenging periods in the company’s history.”

In addition to its UK business, Acorn operates throughout western Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

All the stairlifts are manufactured in the UK – at the factory in Steeton and at sites in Shipley and Haddington, near Edinburgh.

The company, founded in 1992, produces more than 70,000 stairlifts a year.

Over two-thirds of the products are for the export market, supplying around 80 countries worldwide. Acorn is the recognised market leader in the USA.

The group says that somewhere in the world, one of its stairlifts is installed every eight minutes.

Acorn is also a supporter of Bradford Manufacturing Weeks, which aims to inspire young people to take-up careers in modern manufacturing.

Last year a virtual launch event featured an exclusive look behind the scenes at the company’s Steeton factory, thanks to a video created in-house.