Medical face mask firm sees profits fall 50 per cent as Covid eases

In the director’s report accompanying the results, Jahan said the group’s sales continued to benefit from increased demand for its products due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It said the results were “as expected by the directors”.

“The group’s sales depend on market demand for its products,” the directors said in the report.

“The directors are also proactively exploring new markets and materials that they hope will also increase sales for the group.”

Jahan Manufacturing, through its Irema business, manufactures a synthetic polypropylene meltblown material used for antibacterial and filtration purposes.

The company uses the fabric to make medical-grade surgical and respirator masks, as well as air filters and materials used in the manufacture of HVAC air filters.

Jahan’s sales and profitability soared during the pandemic. In the results for the year that ended in March 2021, sales increased from €7.1 million in the previous year to over €34.1 million. In addition, it reported a pre-tax profit of almost €21.3 million, up from €712,000 in 2020.

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit Irish shores in March 2020, the Irish Independent reported that Irema imported equipment from Thailand to double production of respirators for hospital staff.

The company met with HSE supply chiefs earlier this year. Irema increased its workforce by 50 percent and transitioned production to making one million masks a week for the HSE supply chain.

In its most recent annual financial statements for 2022, it employed an average of 91 people per month, up from 155 in 2021. In 2020, it employed an average of 47 people.