STRONG demand for fibre optic components led to an 84 per cent rise in sales at electronics group Bookham Technology, writes David Duffy.

Revenues at Oxfordshire's Business of the year jumped from 2.5m in the first three months of the year to 4.6m in the quarter ending July 2.

The rise in the last three months equates to a ten-fold increase in revenues on the same period last year.

Chief executive Andrew Rickman said the increase in revenues was a result of a big rise in shipments of access products transmitters and receivers as the group's manufacturing capacity increased.

Last month, Bookham, based at Milton Park, near Abingdon, opened a new assembly and test manufacturing site in Swindon.

The new factory, which is expected to employ 270 people by the end of the year, is part of the group's rapid expansion plans.

Bookham is also increasing capacity at Milton Park. The effect of the expansion programme will be to quadruple the group's manufacturing capacity. The group's largest customer is currently telecoms giant Nortel whose business accounts for 59 per cent of revenues.

However, Bookham has also recently secured a multi-million pound contract with electronics group Marconi to supply a real time data management package.

The group lost 8.2m in the quarter ending July 2 compared with a 4m loss in the three months to June 27 last year.

Bookham said the increased losses reflected increased expansion costs, research and development spending and employee costs.