SimEx!Iwerks has announced sales of $25.6m in its first six months of operating as a merged company.

The now privately held company has operating cash profits of $1.8m.

SimEx acquired Iwerks in January 2002, after a period of five years where Iwerks had not been profitable.

The merger of the two simulation giants enables SimEx!Iwerks to offer full out of home entertainment attractions, including 8/70 large format theatres, motion simulation rides, 70mm film and digital projection and 3D/4D F/X technologies.

During its first six months, SimEx!Iwerks has been working on 16 new projects including two for Universal Studios in the USA and Japan, Shanghai film Studios in China and Warner Bros Movieworld in Spain.

In March, SimEx!Iwerks launched a new product called 'Zoowerks', a transportable 18-seat turbo ride theater aimed specifically at zoos, natural history centres and animal parks. Five installations have so far gone in to zoos in North Carolina, Phoenix and Cleveland along with Wild Adventure in Georgia and Parque de Diversiones in Costa Rica.

Chairman and CEO of SimEx!Iwerks Michael Needham is pleased with the half yearly results:

'These results are well ahead of the plans we prepared at the time of the merger in January. There is no doubt that the American and European markets for new theaters were adversely affected in the short term by 9/11, but our Asian markets have remained resilient. Also, several other core business units: Film Distribution; 3rd Party Animation Production; Film Post Production and Service and Mobile Simulator rentals have performed soundly.'