Packaging manufacturer Robinson predicts revenue decline for 2012

Robinson, the manufacturer of plastic and paperboard packaging, expects its revenue to decline by one per cent over 2012, the company has announced in a pre-close trading statement ahead of its release of final results for the year due out in March.The company stated that it was expecting revenues of £21.2m for the year, in line with expectations but nevertheless representing a 1.0% decline year-on-year.Plastic resin costs were on average around 9.0% lower than in the previous year and underlying volumes were approximately 2.0% higher than in 2011. The company stated that new business gained in the year had been slower to come on-stream than anticipated due to delays within its new customer operations but it said that they were all now in production and should provide a full-year benefit to 2013.The group further stated that the board anticipated that the final results for 2012 would show some improved profitability, in line with expectations.MF