Special Devices Reports 52% Decline in Profit

Special Devices Inc., a Newhall maker of devices that help ignite missile engines and trigger automotive air-bag systems, reported a profit of $88,000 for its fiscal first quarter ended Jan. 31, down from $183,000 a year earlier, because of decreased orders from the aerospace industry.

The 52% drop in quarterly profit came on roughly the same revenue. For the three months that ended Jan. 31, Special Devices had sales of $6.6 million, compared with $6.5 million for the same period a year earlier.

The company said 72% of its quarterly revenue came from the automotive products division, while a year earlier, 63% of the sales came from its aerospace division.