James Fisher and Sons Public Limited Company
Registered name: JAMES FISHER AND SONS PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY
James Fisher and Sons Public Limited Company made £394m revenue and a £4.3m loss in the year to 31 Dec 2025.
James Fisher and Sons Public Limited Company’s revenue fell 10% to £394m in the year to 31 Dec 2025, with a loss of £4.3m and 1,981 employees. The company is classified under “sea and coastal freight water transport” and is based in Barrow-in-Furness; we hold 2 years of its filed accounts.
- Status
- Active
- Location
- Barrow-in-Furness, North West
- Age
- 100 yrs · since 1926
- Type
- Public Limited Company
Pass-through vehicle. This looks like a holding, staffing or umbrella company. Its revenue and profit may largely pass through to or from other entities, so the figures may not reflect a standalone operating business. It is excluded from our opportunity lists.
Key figures
Badges are automated estimates derived from the filed figures — not statements of fact about the company.
Financial history
| Year to | 31 Dec 2024 | 31 Dec 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Disclosure | Full P&L | Full P&L |
| Profit & loss | ||
| Revenue (turnover) | £438m | £394m |
| Cost of sales | −£305m | −£266m |
| Gross profit | £133m | £128m |
| Operating profit | £73.1m | £16.1m |
| Profit before tax | £54m | £4.3m |
| Profit after tax | £46.4m | −£4.3m |
| Profit (best available) | £46.4m | −£4.3m |
| Employees (average) | 1,873 | 1,981 |
| Ratios | ||
| Profit margin | 10.6% | −1.1% |
| Gross margin | 30.4% | 32.6% |
| Revenue per employee | £234k | £199k |
| Profit per employee | £24.8k | −£2.2k |
| Growth (year on year) | ||
| Revenue growth | — | ▼9.9% |
| Profit growth | — | ▼109.3% |
| Headcount growth | — | ▲5.8% |
| Balance sheet — indirect signals, not revenue | ||
| Net assets | — | — |
| Source | Accounts · bulk data Jul 2025 | Accounts · bulk data May 2026 |
How the business works
- Profit margin
- −1.1%
- Profit ÷ revenue.
- Gross margin
- 32.6%
- Gross profit ÷ revenue. High for software and services.
- Revenue per employee
- £199k
- Revenue ÷ average employees.
- Profit per employee
- −£2.2k
- 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
- ▲6%
- Now 1,981
- Deferred income
- —
- Now —
- Fixed assets
- —
- Now —
Group structure
Subsidiaries (1)
- James Fisher Holdings LimitedFigures not disclosed
From the Persons with Significant Control register (corporate controllers only).
Similar profitable businesses
- Port of Felixstowe LimitedFelixstowe · Sea and coastal freight water transport
- Revenue
- £396m
- Profit
- £78.1m
- Staff
- 2,602
- Uniserve LimitedUpminster · Sea and coastal freight water transport
- Revenue
- £244m
- Profit
- £22.8m
- Staff
- 635
- Metro Shipping LimitedBirmingham · Sea and coastal freight water transport
- Revenue
- £170m
- Profit
- £15.6m
- Staff
- 189
Sources
Latest figures from accounts for the year to 31 Dec 2025 (profit −£4.3m), from the Companies House accounts bulk data published May 2026. Spotted an error? Request a correction.
Contains public sector information from Companies House licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Data from Companies House, © Crown copyright. View the licence.