Profits at Irish public relations firm Drury Porter Novelli rose by 80 per cent last year to €395,497.

Latest accounts for Drury Communications Ltd show that its turnover rose by 9 per cent in 2015 to just under €3.1 million while its administrative expenses declined by the same percentage to €687,211.

The company recorded an operating profit of €467,816 last year, up from €301,932 in 2014. The company closed the year with increased shareholders’ funds of €453,839, up from €258,342.

The agency had 23 management and other staff during the period, with total employment costs rising by 7 per cent to just over €2 million.

Wages and salaries increased to €734,872 during the year, from €634,948 in 2014, while directors’ remuneration rose by about 4 per cent to a little over €1 million.

Commenting on the results, Drury’s managing director Anne-Marie Curran said: “It was a very good year for us in what remains a challenging market.”

Uncertainties

Drury added British grocer

Tesco

to its client list last year and advised the Willie Walsh-led IAG airlines group during its takeover of

Aer Lingus

.

On current trading, Ms Curran said the agency was “going well” but acknowledged that Brexit had created some uncertainties in the economy.

She said the firm had added a number of clients to its portfolio, including AIB, ESB, Enterprise Ireland, retailer DID, construction company Sisk and global investment group KKR.

Ms Curran said Drury would host a conference in Dublin next week of affiliates from the Porter Novelli network in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Delegates from about 25 countries are expected to attend the meeting, which is being hosted at the Westbury Hotel, off Grafton Street.

Drury's ultimate parent company is Omnicom Group Inc, which is based on Madison Avenue in New York.