4th October 2016

Product investment boosts Pelican Healthcare profits

Profits have grown at Pelican Healthcare, the Cardiff-headquartered maker of disposable medical products, boosted by investment in new products and its Welsh facilities.

The company was founded in 1994 and specialises in manufacturing disposable products for stoma care and feminine health. It was acquired by the Eakin Group in 2007.

During 2016, Pelican made its 20 millionth convex pouch, a product used to support people across the UK living with a stoma, at its factory in Cardiff.

According to newly filed accounts, pre-tax profit grew to £11.9m in the year to 31 March 2016, up from £9.4m in 2014.

Paul Eakin, Pelican Healthcare Ltd UK chief executive, said: “The growth has been fuelled by the launch of a significant number of new product lines, especially the Platinum range of stoma pouches including the clinically superior variants of ‘soft convex’ pouches.

“The company seeks to launch a major new product or initiative every 18-24 months and has markedly increased its spend in R&D (reserach and development) in recent years.

“Unlike many of its multinational competitors, Pelican is determined to remain as a UK manufacturer and has invested significantly to transform the Cardiff operation from low-efficiency manual-based working to state of the art fully automatic in-line processes which can manufacture the stoma pouches at a rate of over 1400 per hour.

“Every part of the business has benefited from investment during the ten years of Eakin ownership, with the premises at Llanishen in Cardiff being fully refurbished, and all internal systems, including IT and infrastructure being upgraded to state of the art capability.”

In October 2015, Pelican sold its home delivery service business to Respond Healthcare, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eakin Healthcare. This enabled it to bring all its home delivery services into one company.

Towards the end of the year the business invested £400,000 in a new sterilisation unit at its Cardiff facility, said to be the first of its kind in Wales.

It also secured additional premises on Fairfield Industrial Estate in Taff’s Well. The new premises will be used for the storage and distribution of its disposable medical instruments, used primarily for stoma care products and feminine healthcare. It will support its existing operations at Cardiff Business Park, Llanishen.

Eakin added: “Pelican Healthcare is always looking to the future and its senior management are soon to start their planning for the next five-year cycle during which they again aspire to achieve significant growth and further cement themselves as a major player in high efficiency and quality Welsh manufacturing.”

See Pelican Healthcare’s profile here.