JBA Ireland, the software products group based at Sandyford, Dublin, has recorded strong growth with a 63 per cent rise in pre-tax profits from £552,000 in 1996 to £902,000 in 1997. Sales rose by 26 per cent from £3.5 million to £4.4 million and profit margins widened from 15.8 per cent to a plump 20.5 per cent.

Demand for EMU and year 2000 compliant software by industry were partly responsible for the growth, said Mr Pat Chamber, managing director. The higher sales are attributed to new contracts with a number of large multinationals such as Cantrell & Cochrane, Xerox Ireland, IBM Campus and existing customers such as Gateway 2000 and Glen Dimplex, he added. JBA employs 51 people. A second company, JBA Software Product, established in 1992 for research and development, employs 74 people and is based on the North Circular Road, Dublin. The companies are part of JBA Holdings, the British-based, global supplier of software products with a turnover of £220 million sterling.