Albion Stone PLC, which quarries and mines Portland limestone, increased sales in the last financial year by £1million, with more than half the increase coming from exports to Europe, Asia and Australia.

The 27% increase in revenue saw a 73% increase in pre-tax profits at £677,368.

Albion now has an agent representing it in the Low Countries in Europe and took on an agent in China as a result of visiting the Xiamen Stone Fair this year, which it hopes will continue the growth of exports. Albion says its is currently quoting for projects in China and Korea.

In its annual report published this month (October), Albion says that “despite some tough competition” it was able to “secure a significant

proportion of the overall Portland stone market”.

And it is optimistic about the year ahead for its niche, the largest part of which is still in London. “We expect that the market [for Portland stone] will continue to remain buoyant throughout 2012/13 as suggested by a strong order book and a very positive forecast.

“However, concerns remain about the overall financial prospects for the wider economy and the potential effects this could have on the medium- and long-term prospects,” it says in its annual report.

Albion Managing Director Michael Poultney adds that although the days are gone when planners in London would insist on Portland stone being used, it remains a proven option for designers, especially as Jura does not look like such a cheap alternative these days.

To improve efficiency and cut costs, Albion is investing in new machinery and a new water management system with the help of Government schemes.

“We’re putting more into capital expenditure now than we have ever done,” says Michael Poultney.

A favourable interest rate of 1.5%, thanks to the Government / Bank of England Funding for Lending scheme designed to encourage banks to lend more to the wider economy at low rates of interest, persuaded Albion that the time was now right to invest.

The company is buying two new Fantini GU50 saws mounted on JCB backhoes for the quarries and mines, a new dumptruck, GMM Brio and Litox bridge saws for the factory and new handling equipment. Albion says it is also looking at replacing or upgrading its ashlar / tile line next year, although Michael Poultney says the volume of work does not warrant a heavily automated line.

The new rainwater capture system that will help Albion reduce further its £15,000-a-year water bill, which has already been cut by an earlier rainwater capture system, comes about as the result of a European Regional Development Fund Business Waste grant. It does not pay for the whole system but it makes a significant contribution.

“They contacted us. They had some targets to meet and they asked us if we wanted some of their money, but we only had about a week to get the application in,” Michael Poultney told NSS.

Albion is also continuing to build on its health & safety and environmental profile, having achieved or working towards environmental standards ISO 14001 and 9001, BRE standard 6001, Health & Safety standard 18001 and the new BSI carbon footprint standard 15084.

“I had to convince our own team it was a good idea to go for these standards,” says Albion’s Managing Director, “but as we started to go down this route more and more specifications were asking for them.”