A TURBULENT global market has led to fluctuating trade figures for one of south Cumbria’s biggest firms.

Paper and specialist materials maker James Cropper plc, based at Burneside, has announced a rise in turnover for the last sixth months to £43.5m, compared to £35.9m in the same period last year.

However, increasing pulp prices and the impact of the recession has forced the firm to close several retail outlets and review its costs.

Six of the company’s 24 stores, called The Paper Mill Shop, were shut as a result of underperformance.

Group finance director John Denman said the recession and February’s earthquakes in Chile had presented ‘significant’ challenges for the business.

“The earthquakes wiped out eight per cent of our paper mills and caused a fall in supply,” he added.

Meanwhile, one of James Croppers’ three other subsidiaries, Technical Fibre Products, boosted the firm’s overall trade with a 42 per cent increase in the trade of high performance, non-woven mats and tech-nologies used in fire protection, composite stru-ctures, aerospace, thermal insulation and fuel cells.

Chairman Mark Cropper said: “Overall, we are taking steps on many fronts to strengthen our position as the economy improves. We are reducing exposure to factors outside our control wherever we can.

“Demand for products is strong and we continue to strengthen our commercial teams and strategies to improve market share and product mix.

“As such I am confident that we can begin to transform the profitability of the group in the next few years.”

The group recorded pre-tax profits of £1.2m for the period, down from £1.7m last year.