Special Devices’ Profit Jumps 33% in Quarter

Special Devices Inc. posted a 33% increase in its third-quarter net income on a 42% rise in sales.

The Newhall-based maker of trigger devices for automotive air bags reported a $2.8-million profit for the quarter ended Aug. 3, compared to $2.1 million a year earlier, while revenue jumped to $37 million from $26 million in 1996.

For the nine months, Special Devices posted net income of $7.2 million, up 44% from $5.0 million in 1996. Revenue for the period increased 34% to $97.3 million from $72.4 million the year before.

The company’s gross profit in its automotive products division jumped by 63% in the third quarter thanks to increased sales, said Thomas F. Treinen, the company’s chairman and CEO, who added that Special Devices is developing new products for new customers and has ordered additional equipment to meet the increased demand.