Second-Quarter Profits Decline 52% at Ceradyne

Despite rising sales, Ceradyne Inc., the Orange-based maker of ceramics for the defense and electronics industry, said second quarter profits dropped 52% to $141,000 from the previous year’s second-quarter earnings of $292,000..

For the period ended June 30, sales were $3.8 million, a 19% increase over the $3.2 million recorded in the year-ago period.

The company blamed its performance slump on continuing delays in completing its new manufacturing plant in Costa Mesa, the same reason it cited earlier this year for depressed first-quarter earnings.

For the first half of 1985, profits were $232,200, a 58% drop from the $552,000 posted last year. Sales for the six-month period were $6.9 million, nearly 10% higher than the $6.3 million recorded last year.