Timber group Yorkcor lifted its headline earnings per share seven-fold from 11.6 cents in 2003 to 82.9 cents for the year to December 2004, the company announced on Wednesday.

The company reported that after-tax profit doubled to R11.1-million for the year under review compared to R5.5-million realised a year earlier.

Revenue rose 33 percent to R179.6-million.

The group in addition to the ordinary dividend of 25 cents per share, declared a special dividend of 125 cents per share.

Yorkcor chair Solly Tucker commented on the results: “Not for a decade have sawmillers had it so good. Overall demand for sawn timber grew 25 percent last year, with most of this demand coming from the local building sector.”

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