Smile(y)s all rounds as conveyor

LISBURN manufacturer Smiley Monroe, which makes heavy-duty conveyor belts, remained firmly in the black in the 2021 calendar year as it returned a profit after tax of £2.3 million - more than double that of the previous year (£1.1m).

And this, the company says, is largely due to the good relationships it has forged over many years with its customers, suppliers and bankers.

Figures just filed at Companies House show the firm increased its sales from £18.2m to just short of £25m after it made inroads into its markets in the UK, Europe and particularly the US, where it operates a plant at Franklin in Kentucky.

Set up in 1979 in a small barn, family-owned firm Smiley Monroe produces conveyor belts and custom cut parts for manufacturers of mobile crushing, screening, recycling, road construction and environmental equipment.

Smiley Monroe has two sites in Lisburn at Knockmore Hill Industrial Park and Hub2 in Lissue Industrial Estate. The latter is home to the firm's water jet cutting technology, which has led to an increase in production capacity and improved efficiencies.

It currently exports to more than 60 countries as well as supporting indigenous customers such as Powerscreen, Terex, McCloskey, Sandvik and CDE.

The company is led by Vaughan Monroe (72) and his wife Mary (70), while the day to day running of the business is overseen by their sons Christopher (40) and Timothy (51).

The accounts show that the company had an average of 157 staff on its books in 2021, similar to the previous year, with its wages bill increasing slightly to £4.9 million.

In a statement with its accounts the directors said: "Our long-term strategy has been successfully growing sales of core products and to ensure continuous and steady growth.

"The group is committed to investing in management and staff development, new product development and the latest technology to enable it to grow and to continue to provide high levels of customer service."