SPECIALIST touchscreen company Zytronic today announced a jump in profits as it took advantage of new markets.

The Blaydon business, which makes sensors used in products such as cash point machines and vending equipment, reported flat revenues of £20.4m for the year to the end of September, but its pre-tax profits rose by 18% to £4.2m.

The company, which has three factories on Tyneside, has been concentrating on product development and has been taking its multi-touch, multi-user, mutual projected capacitive technology MPCT touch products to global technology exhibitions.

Chairman, Tudor Davies, said: “The continuing MPCT technical advances and the successful public roll-out of our PCT [projective capacitive technology]  touch products for vending applications has resulted in further opportunities from major global food and drinks companies, and also for ATM and ticketing applications.

“We have some very interesting and substantial projects for major customers under development that we expect will provide the basis for growth later this year, and in the future.

“We are currently experiencing a steady level of business and interest in the application of the multi-touch products but, as expected, current trading is behind the equivalent period last year when the first half benefited from some one-off electronic display orders.”