Irish cement maker Readymix PLC said that, against a background of good market demand, the year’s trading has started satisfactorily, in line with the group’s performance for the same period last year.  
 
At today’s AGM, chairman Adrian Auer said although the board expects operating margins to remain under pressure from raw material price increases, as well as rising energy and labour costs, the operating improvements established last year, and the new information systems which are now operational, will re-enforce the momentum of performance improvement for the remainder of this year.