Portland-based LaCrosse Footwear has reported a sales increase of 32 percent to $33.3 million for the first three months of its financial year through March 31, thanks in part to four additional business days compared with last year's period. Net profit was around $0.6 million, compared with a net loss of $0.7 million in the first quarter of 2011. Sales of outdoor footwear increased by 2 percent to $9.3 million. That is less than a third of the total sales, since the company made $24 million worth of turnover with work footwear, notably with the military and other governmental bodies. Sales were up in this sector by 50 percent, including the fulfilment of deliveries to the military. Excluding extraordinary factors such as the discontinuation of sales of work apparel, sales into the work market were up by 9 percent compared with the first three months of 2011. On the other hand, the increase in military and close-out sales pushed gross margins down from 41.4 percent to 37.9 percent.

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