SALADA more than doubled its profit for the year ended September, from $72-million net profit last year to $147 million for the year under review.

The Kingston-based coffee processor credited its increase of sale in both its domestic and export markets, Julian Rodney, Salada’s general manager, said.

Salada increased its sales by 28 per cent during the quarter under review, making $715.6 million more than the comparative period.

At the same time the coffee maker kept down cost of sales, which increased by six per cent year-on-year.

What’s more, the company’s modernisation of its equipment and advancement in its working method resulted in the slight increase in cost of sales.

Rodney said that Salada improved its efficiency and purchases.

“We started a process of continuous improvement leading to increased productivity,” he said.

Its expenses grew by 11 per cent, from $106 million to $123 million.

Salada launched the “Wake up to paradise” advertising campaign, said Rodney. “We increased our spends in the electronic media, and began advertising in our export markets.”

The aim was to increase its thrust to connect to new customers as well as reconnect with its loyal customers, according to the Salada GM.

Instead of in-store promotion, the company focused on electronic media.

“We took a more global approach,” he said. The company had a lot of giveaways via that method and plans to return to that method as there was a cut there.

The company’s main activity is making and selling instant coffee and roasted and ground coffee beans. It launched the Salada ginger tea in both sugar added and non-sugar added forms this year.

But in an attempt to broaden its range it bought canned food and juice company Roberts Products earlier this year. That company also produces ketchup.

Roberts has not yet been integrated, according to Rodney.

“We’re in the process of reintroducing the project early next year,” he said. “The objective was to diversify our portfolio, and move beyond coffee and tea. For the new year, Salada will improve its productivity and are still looking for other acquisitions that will fit into its portfolio.”

Roberts’s product lines presently includes jams and jellies as well as sauces and spices.

Salada plans to go “into other value added agro-processing products within the existing capabilities of the manufacturing plant”, according to Rodney.

“The plan is to resuscitate the company’s productive capacity and regain market share,” he said back in July when the deal was announced.

Salada’s capital base stood at $663 million at the end of September, while its market capitalisation stood at $821 million — the lowest in 12 months — at the close of trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE).