Final Results

DawMed Systems PLC 21 December 2004 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 21 DECEMBER 2004 DAWMED SYSTEMS PLC PRELIMINARY RESULTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2004 The Board of DawMed Systems plc ('DawMed' or 'the Company'), the medical devices company which designs, manufactures, sells and services washer disinfectors used by NHS Trust hospitals, private hospitals and clinics, today announces results for the year ended 30 September 2004. Key Points •Turnover up by 4.2% to £4.71m (2003: £4.53m) •Net loss of £403,000 •Sales for Wassenburg flexible endoscope Washer Disinfector products ('WD') up 44.6% •Turnover up 38.5% in Support Services Division •31.4% increase in gross profit to £1.79m •Shareholders' funds at £844,000 •Clinic in full production, with more than 15 sold since July Commenting on today's announcement, Kevin Gilmore, Chairman of DawMed, said: 'I am pleased to report that every Division of your Company is indicating significantly improved levels of business compared with 2004, which I anticipate will lead to a return to profitability this year. Your Company continues to focus on the current and future growth areas, namely Wassenburg flexible endoscope WD products, the Support Services Division and the Clinic bench top WDD. These three important areas are seen by the Board as the key drivers to the future growth and profitability of the business, on which it intends to concentrate the Company's resources. 'The focus is now on achieving a good return on the past investments, aided by only modest increases in overheads, which will be strictly related to increases in turnover, due to the adequacy of the now well established organisation and infrastructure.' Enquiries: DawMed Systems plc Tel: 01709 730 730 Kevin Gilmore, Chairman Beaumont Cornish Limited Tel: 020 7628 3396 Roland Cornish Bishopsgate Communications Limited Tel: 020 7430 1600 Maxine Barnes, Dominic Barretto For further information please visit DawMed's website at www.dawmed.com Chairman's Statement : On behalf of the Board, I am pleased to announce that, at the year ended 30 September 2004, your Company's performance was in line with the Directors' expectations, showing a modest increase in overall sales performance over the previous year. During the period, overall turnover increased by 4.2% to £4.71m (2003: £4.53m). Particularly pleasing was the strong growth achieved by the Wassenburg flexible endoscope Washer Disinfector products ('WD'), with sales increasing by 44.6%, like-for-like and the turnover in our Support Services Division which showed an impressive 38.5% increase, compared with the previous year. The resultant overall effect was a 31.4% increase in gross profit to £1.79m, and an eight point increase in the gross margin percentage. Sales of the Company's traditional large Washer Disinfector Dryer ('WDD') products were down some 55% - a trend continuing on from the first-half of the year and foreshadowed in my June Interim Report. As highlighted at the time of the Interim Report, there were a large number of third-party design delays that postponed the full launch of the new Clinic bench top WDD until June 2004. These delays meant that sales of the Clinic to the Primary Care market were minimal. However, I can now report that the Clinic is in full production, and more than 15 have been sold since July. Initial feedback has been positive and sales are in-line with revised management expectations following the delays. As sales volumes grow, the Board is confident of the success of this product for the year to 30 September 2005 and beyond. According to reliable information received, I am pleased to report that NHS spending on WDDs in the Primary Care Sector is scheduled for strong growth, as the UK Government and the EU look to extend Secondary Healthcare decontamination standards to the Primary Healthcare Sector. Automated WDDs offer certainty of disinfection against the uncertainty and unlikelihood of the manual alternative and Directors believe that it has the most functionally rich and standards-compliant offering with the Clinic bench top WDD. The resultant net loss of £403,000, pre and post-tax for the year, showed a marginal decrease in the second half of the year and compares with a £293,000 loss in the previous year. Overhead spend of £2.15m showed a 31.2% increase over the prior year, of which more than half was in respect of the infrastructure set up exclusively for the Clinic. At the year-end, shareholders' funds were £844,000, an increase of £110,000 over the previous period, resulting from the new shares issued to raise £540,000 before expenses in December 2003. Products and Services Your Company continues to focus on the current and future growth areas, namely Wassenburg flexible endoscope WD products, the Support Services Division and the Clinic bench top WDD. These three important areas are seen by the Board as the key drivers to the future growth and profitability of the business, on which it intends to concentrate the Company's resources. The Company is working closely with Wassenburg to further develop the UK market for existing products and also for the introduction of exciting additions to the product range to be made during the current financial year. Whilst the overhead spend on the Support Services Division has increased, it was at a much reduced rate and was an investment justified by the 100% increase in the gross margin amount from this business Division over that achieved in the previous year. The Clinic bench top WDD was a joint major factor contributing to the Company's year-end losses. With negligible sales and the resultant lack of gross margin until the last quarter of the year, together with a full year's related infrastructure costs incurred, the delay in availability of the product resulted in a substantial shortfall in sales and consequentially in profitability. In the opinion of the Directors, the product is a world market leader in terms of design, functionality, application and compliance with the world's highest standards and will form a key element in the Company's progress for many years. As a consequence of the serious decline in the sales performance of the traditional large WDD products business, the gross margin amount was half of that achieved in the previous year and was also a joint major factor contributing to the Company's year end losses. The current overhead spend and the level of working capital required in this Division is being carefully monitored. Outlook and Future Prospects The Directors are continually evaluating the constituent parts of the Company's business and are pleased to report that every Division of the Company is indicating significantly improved levels of business compared with 2004, which the Directors anticipate will lead to a return to profitability at year end September 2005. Prospects for the traditional large WDD products Division in the current year to 30 September 2005 are encouraging, with the Company well placed to significantly improve upon its 2004 performance. Nevertheless, your Board will continue to explore alternative initiatives in this Division to improve its medium term growth potential. Demand for the Wassenburg flexible endoscope WD products continues to grow satisfactorily and, with new additions to the range, it is expected that this Division will continue to provide further growth potential in machine sales and continuous consumables revenue this year as well as retain, in the Director's opinion, its market leader position. The Directors believe that the most important Division, with by far the greatest future growth prospects for the current year and the long term future, is the Clinic bench top WDD. The introduction during 2005 of the new compliance requirements in the UK Primary Care market to match those already established in the Secondary Care market is anticipated to generate further growth in UK direct and indirect sales to dentists, general practitioners and other Primary Care practitioners. The Company is also awaiting confirmation of its preferred supplier status for Primary Care bench top WDDs in England, in addition to that recently awarded to the Company by Scottish Healthcare Supplies for the Primary Care market in Scotland. Furthermore, discussions are currently taking place with a number of multi-national companies concerning the exciting potential of substantial sales worldwide. The Support Services Division should continue to benefit from the substantial year-on-year increases in the size of the installed base of the Company's total range of decontamination equipment, including the additional support services associated with high potential sales of the Clinic in the UK, Europe and Worldwide, and also from the ever more stringent compliance with standards requirements being implemented by UK Trust Hospitals in respect of new and existing WDD equipment. In addition, the newly initiated training function within this Division is proving to be successful, particularly with regard to the Wassenburg flexible endoscope WD products. Although the Company's policy is to continuously improve its products and services, it is not considered to be necessary to embark upon any costly new product initiatives in the foreseeable future such as have been necessary over recent years to arrive at our current exciting position. The focus is now on achieving a good return on the past investments, aided by only modest increases in overheads, which will be strictly related to increases in turnover, due to the adequacy of the now well established organisation and infrastructure. Kevin M Gilmore Executive Chairman Dawmed Systems plc CONSOLIDATED PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT for the year ended 30 September 2004 2004 2003 £ £ TURNOVER 4,713,357 4,525,231 Cost of sales (2,917,212) (3,157,862) ----------- ----------- Gross profit 1,796,145 1,367,369 Administrative expenses (2,153,695) (1,641,523) ----------- ----------- OPERATING LOSS (357,550) (274,154) Interest receivable and similar income 8,701 1,799 Interest payable and similar charges (54,315) (20,544) -------- -------- LOSS ON ORDINARY ACTIVITIES BEFORE TAXATION (403,164) (292,899) Taxation (197) ----- LOSS FOR THE YEAR (403,164) (293,096) ----------- --------- LOSS PER SHARE (2.24)p (1.88)p -------- ------- DILUTED LOSS PER SHARE (2.24)p (1.88)p ---------- -------- Dawmed Systems plc 2004 2003 CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET £ £ for the year ended 30 September 2004 FIXED ASSETS Intangible assets 641,966 524,232 Tangible assets 66,424 89,590 ------- ------- 708,390 613,822 -------- -------- CURRENT ASSETS Stocks 514,036 474,494 Debtors 1,355,383 1,177,141 Cash at bank and in hand 326,628 175,527 --------- ------- 2,196,047 1,827,162 CREDITORS: Amounts falling due within one year (1,950,258) (1,627,765) ----------- ----------- NET CURRENT ASSETS 245,789 199,397 ------- -------- TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 954,179 813,219 ------- ------- CREDITORS: Amounts falling due after more than one year (109,846) (79,122) ----------- -------- NET ASSETS 844,333 734,097 -------- ------- Called up share capital 923,165 803,165 Share premium account 1,709,712 1,316,312 Merger reserve (350,520) (350,520) Profit and loss account (1,438,024) (1,034,860) ------------- ----------- SHAREHOLDERS' FUNDS 844,333 734,097 ---------- -------- Dawmed Systems plc CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT for the year ended 30 September 2004 2004 2003 £ £ Cash flow from operating activities (380,064) (365,788) Returns on investments and servicing of finance (45,614) (18,745) Taxation - (197) Capital expenditure and financial investment (183,288) (344,766) ---------- --------- CASHFLOW BEFORE FINANCING ACTIVITIES (608,966) (729,496) Financing 760,067 531,380 MOVEMENT IN CASH IN THE PERIOD 151,101 (198,116) ------- --------- Notes 1. The calculation of loss per share is based upon the loss after taxation of £403,164 (2003 loss: £293,096) and on 17,991,160 shares (2003: 15,630,415 shares) being the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during the year. Since the exercise price of the 2,236,676 share options is above the average fair price for the year, the diluted loss per share is equivalent to the basic loss per share. The prior year diluted loss per share is equivalent to the basic loss per share since conversion of the 1,436,676 share options would decrease the net loss per share from continuing operations. 2. The Consolidated Profit and Loss Account and Balance Sheet information for the years ended 30 September 2004 and 30 September 2003 shown above has been extracted from the Statutory Accounts for those years on which the auditors gave an unqualified opinion. Statutory Accounts for the year ended 30 September 2003 have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies. The Statutory Accounts for the year ended 30 September 2004 are due to be delivered to the Registrar following conclusion of the forthcoming Annual General Meeting. A copy of this statement is available from the offices of Beaumont Cornish Limited, Georgian House, 63 Coleman Street, London, EC2R 5BB This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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