BOOTH Industries Group plc has given a confident message to shareholders. Executive Chairman Roy Jordan told the annual general meeting in Leicester that the first quarter had gone well with all divisions ahead of budget.

"Order books are strong," he said. Booth manufactures lifts, blast protection doors and walling systems through operations in Leicester, Bolton and Southampton.

Mr Jordan said: "We are continuing to re-focus the Group and to pursue a strategy of creating and developing a sales-led engineering and maintenance group.

"We are seeking to accelerate this process through selected acquisitions in complementary areas.

"Cash generation continues to be strong."

Mr Jordan added: "The Group is well-positioned to continue its development in 1999 and I look forward to being able to report further satisfactory progress at the Interim stage."

Booth, a former Bolton steel company, has a local history which goes back to 1873.

It slimmed down drastically after it was hit by the last recession and merged with Oakland Elevators Ltd of Leicester in 1996.

The re-vamped company's specialist door division is in Nelson Street, Bolton.

There are no longer any members of the Booth family involved in management.

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