An Irvine-based haulage company has reported increased profits and turnover, despite a challenging market.

Maxi Haulage Ltd, who are headquartered in Irvine, saw turnover increased from £74.5m to £80.9m and recorded pre-tax profits of £2.6m.

Maxi Haulage turned 50 years old in January. They also have depots in England and Wales as well as Bellshill and have a substantial business between the UK and Ireland.

The group HQ is in Irvine while their second company Maxi Construction are based at Livingston. Both are part of holding company Maxi Caledonian Ltd.

Group chairman Gerry Atkinson said: "I announced my semi-retirement in February on my 80th birthday and my director son Richard was appointed deputy chairman of all our companies.

"He is now primarily taking responsibility for the Haulage Division along with IT, insurance matters and logistic contracts agreements.

"I will continue to have Carrieanne Rogerson, Financial Director, and John Aitchison, MD of Maxi Construction, in my team as I hopefully have less involvement and our succession plan develops but still remain on the driver seat as long as I am able."

Gerry has been with the company since 1976 and bought the other shareholders in 1983.

He added: "We continue to invest heavily in new vehicles. We have already purchased about £2.3m of vehicles, trailers and forklifts this financial year. "

For Maxi Haulage, the company reported: "A market of reducing demand and increasing, unrecoverable costs have impacted margins in the later part of the current year and the following period.

"Vehicle prices have now stabilised or reduced slightly with an improvement in availability compared with the prior year. "

Over both parts of the company as a whole, Maxi Caledonian Ltd reported turnover increasing from £89m to more than £101m and a profit before tax of £4.4m.