CONSUMER goods manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser has reported a strong start to 2013 – thanks to a severe cold and flu season in the US.
The firm, which has a factory in Sinfin, said sales in the first three months of this year were £2.52 billion – up 7% compared to the same period last year.
The figure was ahead of the expectations of analysts, who had predicted revenues of £2.47 billion.
Reckitt makes a range of products, including Strepsils lozenges and Mucinex decongestant, which have proven popular in America.
The company also makes cleaning products, such as Cillit Bang, some of which are made at its Sinfin Lane factory. But, recently, Reckitt has been shifting its focus to the fast-growing health and hygiene sector. It is also targeting emerging markets and wants them to make up half its sales by 2015.
Chief executive Rakesh Kapoor said: "We are pleased with a strong start to the year. We expect continued challenging market conditions but remain confident that we can achieve our full-year targets of 5% to 6% total net revenue growth."