Turnover at Carron, owned by Swiss company Franke, shot up 9.1percent at 35.2m, compared with 32.2m previously.The company formed in 1759, and which once made cannons for Nelsons Navy, stopped making stainless steel sinks last year to concentrate on on high quality granite sinks.Simon Cotton, former managing director at Carron and now an executive at Franke, said We are investing several million pounds this year alone in research and development and new product development.He also explained Trading is still extremely tough, because as a maker of sinks, we are very much connected to the ups and downs of the property market.Asked how Carron had managed to defy global economic woes and turn a profit albeit at an underlying, pre-exceptional level Mr Cotton added We have been doing all the normal things, like cutting costs and reducing headcount when necessary, and were working very hard at marketing.