Bradford and Sons Limited
Registered name: BRADFORD AND SONS LIMITED
Bradford and Sons Limited made £226m revenue and £3.5m profit in the year to 31 Dec 2025.
Bradford and Sons Limited’s revenue grew 3% to £226m in the year to 31 Dec 2025, with £3.5m profit and 880 employees. The company is classified under “agents involved in the sale of timber and building materials” and is based in Somerset; we hold 3 years of its filed accounts.
- Status
- Active
- Location
- Somerset, South West
- Age
- 132 yrs · since 1893
- Type
- Private Limited Company
Key figures
Badges are automated estimates derived from the filed figures — not statements of fact about the company.
Financial history
| Year to | 31 Dec 2023 | 31 Dec 2024 | 31 Dec 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disclosure | Full P&L | Full P&L | Full P&L |
| Profit & loss | |||
| Revenue (turnover) | £222m | £219m | £226m |
| Cost of sales | −£152m | −£150m | −£154m |
| Gross profit | £69.9m | £69.6m | £72.2m |
| Operating profit | £7m | £7.5m | £5.9m |
| Profit before tax | £6.1m | £6.6m | £5.1m |
| Profit after tax | £4.5m | £4.9m | £3.5m |
| Profit (best available) | £4.5m | £4.9m | £3.5m |
| Employees (average) | 892 | 857 | 880 |
| Ratios | |||
| Profit margin | 2% | 2.3% | 1.6% |
| Gross margin | 31.4% | 31.7% | 31.9% |
| Revenue per employee | £249k | £256k | £257k |
| Profit per employee | £5k | £5.8k | £4k |
| Growth (year on year) | |||
| Revenue growth | — | ▼1.2% | ▲2.9% |
| Profit growth | — | ▲9.6% | ▼29.2% |
| Headcount growth | — | ▼3.9% | ▲2.7% |
| Balance sheet — indirect signals, not revenue | |||
| Net assets | — | — | — |
| Source | Accounts · bulk data Apr 2025 | Accounts · bulk data Apr 2025 | Accounts · bulk data May 2026 |
How the business works
- Profit margin
- 1.6%
- Profit ÷ revenue.
- Gross margin
- 31.9%
- Gross profit ÷ revenue. High for software and services.
- Revenue per employee
- £257k
- Revenue ÷ average employees.
- Profit per employee
- £4k
- Profit ÷ average employees.
- Cash conversion
- —
- Cash generated from operations ÷ operating profit. Needs a cash-flow statement.
- Fixed assets ÷ revenue
- —
- Capital intensity. Low = capital-light, cheaper to start.
- Deferred income ÷ revenue
- —
- Customers paying upfront (subscriptions, deposits). Approximate when combined with accruals.
- Debtors ÷ revenue
- —
- Money owed by customers. Low = customers pay quickly.
Balance-sheet signals
Year-on-year changes in filed balance-sheet items. They can hint at momentum (or investment) but are not revenue or profit and must not be read as such.
- Net assets
- —
- Now —
- Cash at bank
- —
- Now —
- Headcount
- ▲3%
- Now 880
- Deferred income
- —
- Now —
- Fixed assets
- —
- Now —
Group structure
Subsidiaries (5)
- Bradfords Building Supplies LimitedFigures not disclosed
- Bradfords Coal LimitedFigures not disclosed
- Bradfords Timber Supplies LimitedFigures not disclosed
- The Bradfords Group LimitedFigures not disclosed
- Yeovil Plumbing Supplies LimitedFigures not disclosed
From the Persons with Significant Control register (corporate controllers only).
Similar profitable businesses
- E H Smith (Builders Merchants) LimitedSolihull · Agents involved in the sale of timber and building materials
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- £166m
- Profit
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- Staff
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- M.markovitz LimitedBuxton · Agents involved in the sale of timber and building materials
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- J T Atkinson & Sons LimitedMiddlesbrough · Agents involved in the sale of timber and building materials
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- £138m
- Profit
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- Scott Parnell LimitedLondon · Agents involved in the sale of timber and building materials
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- £137m
- Profit
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- Vida Wood UK LimitedBillericay · Agents involved in the sale of timber and building materials
- Revenue
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- Profit
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- John Davidson (Pipes) LimitedInverurie · Agents involved in the sale of timber and building materials
- Revenue
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- Profit
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Sources
Latest figures from accounts for the year to 31 Dec 2025 (profit £3.5m), from the Companies House accounts bulk data published May 2026. Spotted an error? Request a correction.
Updated from Companies House on 13 Oct 2026
Contains public sector information from Companies House licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Data from Companies House, © Crown copyright. View the licence.