Glass manufacturer and supplier Darby is now in the clear following years of restructuring and poor performance. Results for the year to December showed no exceptional costs, a return to profitability and the resumption of dividend payouts, subject to shareholders' (likely) approval. The second half was particularly good, with profits of £590,000 making for a year total of £810,000, pre-tax. This was ahead of house broker Arbuthnot's expectations, with earnings per share at 2p and 1p of dividends per share proposed, including a 0.5p 'special' payout. With £6m of net assets and £1.2m of net cash on the balance sheet, the overall picture is one of recovery being just about completed. Market conditions remain tough, though, because of still-intense competition in the UK glass-making industry, despite some companies having fallen by the wayside. Thankfully, there is no sign of that happening to Darby. What is more likely is some kind of corporate activity following the successful restructuring. Chairman Stephen Knight admits that the board is 'looking at all ways of increasing shareholder value', a phrase that might be interpreted as meaning that the company is up for sale. Swedish entrepreneur Peter Gyllenhammar holds 29.9% of the equity too, so it might be worth getting on board for the ride. Pre-tax profits are expected to hit £1m this year, with 2.5p of EPS.