John Robson (Metals) Limited
Registered name: JOHN ROBSON (METALS) LIMITED
John Robson (Metals) Limited made £8.7m revenue and £795k profit in the year to 30 Apr 2025.
John Robson (Metals) Limited’s revenue grew 1% to £8.7m in the year to 30 Apr 2025, with £795k profit and 68 employees. The company is classified under “wholesale of waste and scrap” and is based in Preston; we hold 4 years of its filed accounts.
- Status
- Active
- Location
- Preston, North West
- Age
- 52 yrs · since 1973
- 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 | 30 Apr 2022 | 30 Apr 2023 | 30 Apr 2024 | 30 Apr 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disclosure | Full P&L | Full P&L | Full P&L | Full P&L |
| Profit & loss | ||||
| Revenue (turnover) | £11.6m | £6.8m | £8.6m | £8.7m |
| Cost of sales | £3.7m | £1.5m | £2.1m | £1.3m |
| Gross profit | £7.9m | £5.3m | £6.5m | £7.4m |
| Operating profit | £1.3m | −£1.6m | −£170k | £655k |
| Profit before tax | £1.3m | −£1.6m | −£164k | £652k |
| Profit after tax | £1.1m | −£1.6m | −£206k | £795k |
| Profit (best available) | £1.1m | −£1.6m | −£206k | £795k |
| Staff costs | £4.2m | £4.2m | £4.2m | £4.3m |
| Employees (average) | 69 | 70 | 71 | 68 |
| Ratios | ||||
| Profit margin | 9.1% | −22.9% | −2.4% | 9.1% |
| Gross margin | 68.1% | 78.5% | 75.6% | 85.2% |
| Revenue per employee | £169k | £96.8k | £121k | £128k |
| Profit per employee | £15.4k | −£22.2k | −£2.9k | £11.7k |
| Cash conversion | −178.1% | — | — | 31.2% |
| Growth (year on year) | ||||
| Revenue growth | — | ▼41.8% | ▲27.3% | ▲1.2% |
| Profit growth | — | ▼246.3% | — | — |
| Headcount growth | — | ▲1.5% | ▲1.4% | ▼4.2% |
| Balance sheet — indirect signals, not revenue | ||||
| Cash at bank | £2.5m | £978k | £629k | £216k |
| Net assets | £8.9m | £6.9m | £6.3m | £6.6m |
| Fixed assets | £4.7m | £4.9m | £4.9m | £5m |
| Current assets | £6.9m | £4.5m | £3.5m | £4.1m |
| Debtors | £1.6m | £1.1m | £499k | £941k |
| Cash from operations | −£2.3m | £527k | −£773k | £205k |
| Source | FullAccounts · bulk data Jan 2024 | FullAccounts · bulk data Jan 2024 | FullAccounts · bulk data Dec 2024 | FullAccounts · bulk data Jan 2026 |
How the business works
- Profit margin
- 9.1%
- Profit ÷ revenue.
- Gross margin
- 85.2%
- Gross profit ÷ revenue. High for software and services.
- Revenue per employee
- £128k
- Revenue ÷ average employees.
- Profit per employee
- £11.7k
- Profit ÷ average employees.
- Cash conversion
- 31.2%
- Cash generated from operations ÷ operating profit. Needs a cash-flow statement.
- Fixed assets ÷ revenue
- 57%
- Capital intensity. Low = capital-light, cheaper to start.
- Deferred income ÷ revenue
- —
- Customers paying upfront (subscriptions, deposits). Approximate when combined with accruals.
- Debtors ÷ revenue
- 10.8%
- 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
- ▲6%
- Now £6.6m
- Cash at bank
- ▼66%
- Now £216k
- Headcount
- ▼4%
- Now 68
- Deferred income
- —
- Now —
- Fixed assets
- ▲1%
- Now £5m
Similar profitable businesses
- Armaya LtdLondon · Wholesale of waste and scrap
- Revenue
- £9.1m
- Profit
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- Staff
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- P W Commercial Company LimitedCheltenham · Wholesale of waste and scrap
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- Angus Braidwood & Son LimitedFalkirk · Wholesale of waste and scrap
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- £12.3m
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- Regent Trading LimitedWaltham Abbey · Wholesale of waste and scrap
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- £12.6m
- Profit
- £1.4m
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- Chris Allsop Metal Recycling LtdNottingham · Wholesale of waste and scrap
- Revenue
- £15m
- Profit
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- Whip Street Motors LimitedIpswich · Wholesale of waste and scrap
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Sources
Latest figures from FullAccounts for the year to 30 Apr 2025 (profit £795k), from the Companies House accounts bulk data published Jan 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.