American branded work and outdoor footwear company LaCrosse Footwear, Inc., owner of brands such as Danner and Lacrosse, has reported improved results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, boosted by a strong performance in its work category which offset a decline in outdoor sales in the last quarter.

For the fourth quarter, consolidated net sales increased 3% to $32.7 million, up from $31.7 million in the same period in 2006, while for the full-year the company achieved net sales of $118.2 million, up 10% from $107.8 million in 2006.

Net income also improved, rising 8% to $2.4 million in the fourth quarter from $2.2 million in the same prior-year period, while full-year net income rose an impressive 15% to $7.3 million from $6.3 million.

Sales to the work market improved 8% to $17.2 million in the fourth quarter and by 11% to $60.9 million for the full year, driven by “continued penetration into a variety of general and specialized work boot markets”. However, sales to the outdoor market slipped 2% to $15.4 million for the fourth quarter because of unfavourable weather conditions in the first two months of the period, while they  improved 8% overall in 2007 to reach $57.3 million.

Keeping an eye on the nervous retail market, speaking about the company’s prospects in 2008, president and chief executive Joseph Schneider, said: “Moving into 2008, we continue to focus on further penetration into niche work market segments that are less impacted by retail spending, including railroad, oil production, mining and other occupations where our products are seen as critical tools for the job. After a successful 2007, LaCrosse is well positioned to continue to capture market share and capitalize on opportunities for sustainable and profitable growth in 2008 and beyond.”

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