SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY

General Automation, a financially ailing computer maker, said Monday that it expects to report its first profitable quarter in nearly 2 years.

The Anaheim company also said it has promoted Douglas J. Tullio to president. The position had been vacant since the resignation in January of W. Norris Agee.

Tullio has previously headed General Automation’s operations in North America.

General Automation said it expects net income for the fiscal third quarter ended March 31 to be $103,000 on revenue of about $11 million.

The company’s last profitable quarter was the one ended in June, 1987.

In January, General Automation gave Sanderson Electronics PLC the option to acquire a majority of General Automation in exchange for a $1.75-million loan.

For the 6 months ended Dec. 31, General Automation lost $1.9 million on revenue of $19.8 million.