LANSING ? Food and animal safety manufacturer Neogen Corp. on Tuesday announced it net income for fiscal 2006 increased 34 percent from a year ago on a revenue increase of 15 percent.
Net income for fiscal 2006 was $7.9 million, or 92 cents a share, compared to $5.9 million, or 70 cents a share, in the year earlier. Revenues leaped to $72.4 million from $62.8 million in 2005.
Neogen’s fourth quarter was the 53rd consecutive profitable quarter from operations for the company, and the 57th quarter of the past 62 quarters to show revenue increases on a year-to- year comparison.
“We are proud to report another exceptional year for Neogen, both in
terms of revenue growth and operational strength,” said James Herbert,
Neogen’s chief executive officer and chairman. “Our almost uninterrupted
quarterly growth for the past 15 1/2 years is a tradition our 400 employees
work hard to uphold. Not only was this a good financial year, but we also
developed new products, established new programs, and made two attractive
acquisitions that will help ensure our future growth.”
Neogen’s Food Safety Division led the company’s FY 2006 revenue
increase with sales up 24 percent to $34.9 million. While the December 2005 addition of UCB’s dairy antibiotic testing products and the February 2006 addition
of Centrus International’s optical microbial detection system contributed
significantly to the division’s revenue gain, sales of established products
increased 8 percent for the fiscal year.
Sales of food allergen tests increasing 39 percent over FY 2005. Food allergen sales were aided by the introduction of new tests for soy and hazelnut, and an easier test format for milk, but sales of all food allergen products increased significantly in the 12-month period.
Annual sales for Neogen’s Animal Safety Division increased 8 percent to
$37.5 million. In addition to a record year for Neogen’s equine botulism
vaccine and veterinary immune stimulant, sales of the company’s line of
over-the- counter veterinary instruments offered in major farm and ranch
retail stores increased 16 percent in FY 2006. Sales of forensic drug detection
kits, TMB substrates and research test kits increased 15 percent compared to the
prior year.
Subsequent to the May 31 close of its 2006 fiscal year, Neogen
generated approximately $12,237,000 in cash through an offering of 650,000
shares of common stock.
On June 16, Neogen’s Board of Directors elected Chief Operating Officer
Lon Bohannon as the company’s president and chief operating officer.
Bohannon immediately replaced James Herbert, who had served as Neogen’s
president since its founding in 1982. Herbert has continued full-time
responsibilities as chief executive officer, where his efforts will be
focused on strategic growth and international expansion. Concurrently,
Herbert was elected as Board chairman, replacing Jack Parnell, who will
continue to serve on the Board.




