A STEETON company has announced record results.

Acorn Stairlifts has achieved turnover of £149.2 million and post-tax profits of £13.4 million.

And its financial statement for the year ended September 30, 2015, also shows international sales rose by almost £12.8 million on the previous 12 months.

Acorn is the market leader for stairlifts in the USA – where sales now outstrip the UK home market – and it is continuing to expand in Europe, with the recent opening of a new office in France.

"Exports from our UK factories are now a major part of our business – accounting for two-thirds of our total sales," said company secretary Dave Belmont.

"Over the past five years we have invested around £8 million in our factories and recruited continually to keep pace with our growth and demand for our industry-leading stairlifts.

"We now employ around 1,400 people worldwide, more than 500 of those here in West Yorkshire."

Acorn has grown massively since its launch in 1992.

It now manufactures more than 60,000 stairlifts a year at its factories in Steeton and Shipley and at a sister company in Haddington, near Edinburgh.

The products are exported to 84 countries.

Turnover in mainland Europe alone has soared by 37.5 per cent to £20.5 million, with investment continuing despite the Brexit decision.

Acorn has also been behind several industry innovations, including a FastTrack system for curved stairlifts.

Mr Belmont said the company's success was also having a positive, knock-on effect for its UK suppliers.

The firm uses 2,600 tonnes of British aluminium, worth about £6 million, every year to manufacture its stairlift rails and around 300 tonnes of British steel in other components.

"There are still lots of people who need stairlifts and we want to keep on growing," added Mr Belmont.

"We have a long-term vision and are prepared to invest in the business for growth.

"Our mission is to become the world's best stairlift provider and these latest figures show we are well on track to achieving that goal."