Textile company Ten Cate booked a 11% increase in sales in the final three months of 2008, escaping the worst of the economic downturn.

Over 2008 as a whole, sales rose 17% to over €1bn, mainly due to acquisitions, the company said. Net profit was up 10% at €51m.
Ten Cate recorded its strongest growth in the US market for protective fabrics – such as armour composites for the military. The company’s synthetic grass activities also grew worldwide, Ten Cate said in a statement.