POLYTHENE_(UK)_LIMITED - Accounts

The directors present the strategic report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2019.

Principal activity of the company during the year was that of packaging wholesale.

Review of the business, key performance indicators and future developments

The directors are satisfied with the performance of the company during the year as turnover continues to rise year on year with the increase being 2.8% in 2019. Turnover continues to be one of the key performance measures for the business. The increase in turnover has been generated by continued growth in the customer base and a superior product in comparison to competitors.

             2019             2018

Turnover         11,761,813         11,441,427

Gross profit margin     20%             20%

Operating profit        764,115         706,566

Operating profit, which is another key performance indicator for the business has decreased slightly as the company continues to invest in people and advertising as well as superior products. Gross profit has remained consistent with prior years.

The directors believe the continued commitment to enhance the product base and providing more environmentally friendly alternatives will enhance customer satisfaction and facilitate growth. The company is well positioned with a strong supplier base to be responsive in an innovative market place.

During the year the company also continued to invest in renovation works to one of its investment properties.

The directors consider the KPIs of the business to be turnover, gross profit, operating profit, net assets and number of new customers.

Principal risk and uncertainties

The principal risks the company faces are indicated below:

• Polymer price volatility

• Changes in environmental legislation and public perception of plastic use

As mentioned above the company continues to invest in environmentally friendly alternatives and has formed key links with innovative suppliers.

• COVID-19

COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the global economy with national lockdowns meaning many businesses have been forced to close. However, the Directors believe, due to the Company’s customer base being mainly in the pharmaceutical, food and drink (supermarkets) and the construction industries, which have been able to continue during the lockdowns, the impact has been reduced. In addition, after the year end the company was able to adapt the product to supply the NHS with various PPE items.

• Brexit

With the Brexit deal still looming and the UK set to leave the EU on the 31 December 2020 there are significant uncertainties regarding the deal that will be in place and possible import complications. However, the company is able to source UK manufacturers for all of their products and therefore will not have delays in being able to supply customers.

On behalf of the board

The directors present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2019.

The directors who held office during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were as follows:

The results for the year are set out on page 7.

During the year an interim dividend of £421,500 (2018:£314,450) was paid. The directors do not recommend paymen of a final dividend

The directors are responsible for preparing the annual report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the directors have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). Under company law the directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company and of the profit or loss of the company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the directors are required to:

•     select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

•     make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

•     state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;

•     prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business.

The directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

So far as each person who was a director at the date of approving this report is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the company’s auditor is unaware. Additionally, the directors individually have taken all the necessary steps that they ought to have taken as directors in order to make themselves aware of all relevant audit information and to establish that the company’s auditor is aware of that information.

This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies entitled to the small companies exemption.

We have audited the financial statements of Polythene (UK) Limited (the 'company') for the year ended 31 December 2019 which comprise the profit and loss account, the balance sheet, the statement of changes in equity, the statement of cash flows and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including FRS 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion the financial statements:

•     give a true and fair view of the state of the company's affairs as at 31 December 2019 and of its profit for the year then ended;

•     have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and

•     have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the ISAs (UK) require us to report to you where:

• the directors' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is not appropriate; or

• the directors have not disclosed in the financial statements any identified material uncertainties that may cast significant doubt about the company’s ability to continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting for a period of at least twelve months from the date when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Other information

The directors are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of our audit:

• the information given in the strategic report and the directors' report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and

• the strategic report and the directors' report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the strategic report and the directors' report.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

•     adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or

•     the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or

•     certain disclosures of directors' remuneration specified by law are not made; or

•     we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or

As explained more fully in the directors' responsibilities statement, the directors are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the directors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the directors are responsible for assessing the company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the directors either intend to liquidate the company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: http://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company and the company's members, as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

Polythene (UK) Limited is a private company limited by shares incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 31c Avenue One, Station Lane, Witney, Oxon, OX28 4XZ.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with FRS 102 " The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" ("FRS 102") and the requirements of the Companies Act 2006

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the company. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, modified to include the revaluation of freehold properties and to include investment properties and certain financial instruments at fair value. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.

The turnover shown in the profit an loss account represents amounts invoiced during the year, exclusive of Value Added Tax.

Revenue from the sale of goods is recognised when the significant risks and rewards of ownership of the goods have passed to the buyer (usually on dispatch of the goods), the amount of revenue can be measured reliably, it is probable that the economic benefits associated with the transaction will flow to the entity and the costs incurred or to be incurred in respect of the transaction can be measured reliably.

Amortisation is calculated so as to write of the cost of an asset, less its estimated residual value over the useful economic life of that assets as follows:

Goodwill - 10 years straight line

Intangible assets acquired separately from a business are recognised at cost and are subsequently measured at cost less accumulated amortisation and accumulated impairment losses.

Intangible assets acquired on business combinations are recognised separately from goodwill at the acquisition date where it is probable that the expected future economic benefits that are attributable to the asset will flow to the entity and the fair value of the asset can be measured reliably; the intangible asset arises from contractual or other legal rights; and the intangible asset is separable from the entity.

Amortisation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:

Tangible fixed assets (excluding freehold properties) are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or deemed cost, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.

Freehold properties are initially measured at cost and subsequently revalued at each year end date to market value, which is not considered to be materially difference from fair value, by the directors based on underlying market conditions and evidence of transaction prices for similar properties in the area. the fair value is then depreciated in line with the rates below.

The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is credited or charged to profit or loss.

Investment property, which is property held to earn rentals and/or for capital appreciation, is initially recognised at cost, which includes the purchase cost and any directly attributable expenditure. Subsequently it is measured at fair value at the reporting end date. Changes in fair value are recognised in profit or loss.

Stocks are stated at the lower of cost and estimated selling price less costs to complete and sell. Cost comprises direct materials and, where applicable, direct labour costs and those overheads that have been incurred in bringing the stocks to their present location and condition.

Stocks held for distribution at no or nominal consideration are measured at the lower of replacement cost and cost, adjusted where applicable for any loss of service potential.

At each reporting date, an assessment is made for impairment. Any excess of the carrying amount of stocks over its estimated selling price less costs to complete and sell is recognised as an impairment loss in profit or loss. Reversals of impairment losses are also recognised in profit or loss.

The tax expense represents the sum of the tax currently payable and deferred tax.

The tax currently payable is based on taxable profit for the year. Taxable profit differs from net profit as reported in the profit and loss account because it excludes items of income or expense that are taxable or deductible in other years and it further excludes items that are never taxable or deductible. The company’s liability for current tax is calculated using tax rates that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the reporting end date.

Deferred tax liabilities are generally recognised for all timing differences and deferred tax assets are recognised to the extent that it is probable that they will be recovered against the reversal of deferred tax liabilities or other future taxable profits. Such assets and liabilities are not recognised if the timing difference arises from goodwill or from the initial recognition of other assets and liabilities in a transaction that affects neither the tax profit nor the accounting profit.

The carrying amount of deferred tax assets is reviewed at each reporting end date and reduced to the extent that it is no longer probable that sufficient taxable profits will be available to allow all or part of the asset to be recovered. Deferred tax is calculated at the tax rates that are expected to apply in the period when the liability is settled or the asset is realised. Deferred tax is charged or credited in the profit and loss account, except when it relates to items charged or credited directly to equity, in which case the deferred tax is also dealt with in equity. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset when the company has a legally enforceable right to offset current tax assets and liabilities and the deferred tax assets and liabilities relate to taxes levied by the same tax authority.

The costs of short-term employee benefits are recognised as a liability and an expense, unless those costs are required to be recognised as part of the cost of stock or fixed assets.

The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.

Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the company is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.

The company operates a defined contribution scheme for the benefit of its employees. Contributions payable are charged to the profit and loss account in the year they are payable.

Assets and liabilities in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at the rates of exchange ruling at the balance sheet date. Transactions in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at the rate of exchange ruling at the date of the transaction. Exchange differences are taken into account in arriving at the operating profit.

Financial instruments

Financial instruments are classified and accounted for, according to the substance of the contractual arrangement, as either financial assets, financial liabilities or equity instruments. An equity instrument is any contract that evidences a residual interest in the assets of the company after deducting all of its liabilities

In the application of the company’s accounting policies, the directors are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.

The following judgements (apart from those involving estimates) have had the most significant effect on amounts recognised in the financial statements.

Stock are valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value, after making due allowances for obsolete stock and slow moving items. Provisions are made for any foreseeable losses, where appropriate. No element of profit is included in the valuation.

The calculation of the above provisions requires judgements to be made, which include a number of variables, such as, the forecast customer demand, the economic environment, the ageing of the stock and the discontinuation of certain product lines by the company's key customer. These variables are monitored by the directors and a provision is in place to mitigate the relevant risks.

Freehold and investment properties are measured at market value, which is not considered to be materially different from the fair value, at the year end date. The directors estimate the market value of the properties at each year end taking into consideration the underlying market conditions and evidence of transaction prices for similar properties in the area and the necessary adjustments are made.

The useful economic lives of non-current assets have been derived from the judgement of the directors, using their best estimate of the write-down period,

An analysis of the company's turnover is as follows:

The average monthly number of persons (including directors) employed by the company during the year was:

Their aggregate remuneration comprised:

The actual charge for the year can be reconciled to the expected charge for the year based on the profit or loss and the standard rate of tax as follows:

The fair value of the investment properties have been arrived at on the basis of valuations carried out on 31 December 2019 by the directors. The valuations were made on an open market value basis by reference to market evidence of transaction prices, both capital and rental, for similar properties.

Bank borrowings with National Westminster Bank PLC are secured by fixed charges on the freehold and investment properties and floating charges over the other assets held by the company.

Bank borrowings with National Westminster Bank PLC are secured by fixed charges on the freehold and investment properties and floating charges over the other assets held by the company.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset where the company has a legally enforceable right to do so. The following is the analysis of the deferred tax balances (after offset) for financial reporting purposes:

The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the company in an independently administered fund. As at the year end £14,275 (£5,841) was due to the pension scheme.

During the year a Director and a close relative to the Director paid rent of £8,700 (2018: £14,700) to the company. The transactions were made at arms length and are in accordance with the open market value.

The director Mr J Woollard has personally guaranteed £50,000 as security for the bank overdraft.

Transactions with directors:

As at the year end, the directors had an overdrawn loan account of £629,462 (2018: £452,955). Interest of £14,959 (2018: £9,109) was charged on the loan during the year.

The ultimate controlling party is Mr J Woollard by virtue of his share ownership.