Beer flow monitoring company Brulines believes its products will become more important than ever before as its customers become increasingly focused on profitability and cash generation.
Brulines said that trading, for the first half-year to 30 September, in its core beer monitoring business had remained "strong" in an economically challenging environment. It said good progress had been made on its new beer quality and EPOS monitoring system — i-draught.
"The impact on Group performance has been limited as the pub sector continues to demonstrate its resilience in a trading environment that has remained largely unchanged with ongoing socio economic pressures, the burden of beer duty and legislation as well as the continued uncertainty relating to the beer tie," said chief executive James Dickson.
"Despite ongoing sector cost and capital pressures, the Group has been experiencing further demand for the Group's services, including volume recovery and i-draught and the pipeline of enquiries is encouraging.
"Increased activity and traction with medium sized pub companies, regional brewers, hotels and the wider leisure sector is having a positive impact on the Group's customer base as penetration is extended into the wider leisure market."
Despite a "tough" market in the USA, Brulines said it had been "encouraged" by customer reaction to trials there and it now has equipment in around 100 sites in the Denver area.
Its Coin Metrics monitoring arm has now achieved a monthly break even while Machine Insite is trading as expected.
Brulines added that its petrol monitoring company Edensure had secured a deal with a leading supermarket, taking it close to a monthly break-even point.
"The Group is performing well in challenging economic and trading conditions," said Dickson. "As the Group's customers become increasingly focused on profitability and cash generation from their core operations, the Group's products will become more important to them than ever before.
"Despite the more difficult trading environment, future growth prospects are encouraging and management continue to view the future with confidence."