Saint-Gobain Oberland: 1H 2005 Net Profit Up Eur 9M

German glass maker Saint-Gobain Oberland AG reported a net profit of EUR 21.1M (USD 25.8M) for the 1H 2005, up from EUR 12.2M (USD 14.9M) for the 1H 2004, the company said on 31 August 2005. Sales were down to EUR 155.5M (USD 190.1M) from EUR 172.3M (USD 210.6M) and cash flow was EUR 32.6M (USD 39.8M) for January to June 2005. Saint-Gobain Oberland AG employed 1,618 as of 30 June 2005, down from 1,723 a year before. The company suffered from low demand in the glass packaging market, leading to overcapacity and high order backlogs in the 1H 2005. The company said it plans to expand in Russia in the future. Saint-Gobain Oberland, a unit of French sector group Compagnie de Saint-Gobain, specialises in container and building glass.