The company turned $6.62 billion of that into profit, a 54 percent increase over last year.

So you've not got to live that long before you're into profit.

"But it's also the most difficult to turn into profits for an individual company."

It had become clear that the whole project could never break even - let alone go into profit.

But even that wouldn't be enough to put the route into profit.

Part of the problem is that employers do not want to cut into their profits, he said.

Those price increases are expected to eat into profits for several years.

Another four million over two years for running costs, then we will be into profit.

In the short term, a high sales charge could eat into profits.

He, too, said that managed care has cut deeply into his profits.