Harlow Bros. Limited - Limited company accounts 20.1
Harlow Bros. Limited - Limited company accounts 20.1
| REGISTERED NUMBER: |
| Strategic Report, Report of the Directors and |
| Financial Statements for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| for |
| Harlow Bros. Limited |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Contents of the Financial Statements |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| Page |
| Company Information | 1 |
| Strategic Report | 2 |
| Report of the Directors | 9 |
| Report of the Independent Auditors | 11 |
| Income Statement | 15 |
| Other Comprehensive Income | 16 |
| Balance Sheet | 17 |
| Statement of Changes in Equity | 18 |
| Notes to the Financial Statements | 19 |
| Harlow Bros. Limited |
| Company Information |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| DIRECTORS: |
| SECRETARY: |
| REGISTERED OFFICE: |
| REGISTERED NUMBER: |
| SENIOR STATUTORY AUDITOR: |
| AUDITORS: |
| Statutory Auditor |
| The Point |
| Granite Way |
| Mountsorrel |
| Loughborough |
| Leicestershire |
| LE12 7TZ |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Strategic Report |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| The directors present their strategic report for the year ended 30 June 2021. |
| REVIEW OF BUSINESS |
| We aim to present a balanced and comprehensive review of the development and performance of our business during the year and its position at the year end. |
| Our review is consistent with the size and non-complex nature of our business and is written in the context of the risks and uncertainties we face. |
| The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Harlow Bros Holdings Ltd and operates in the timber industry. The principal activities of the company for the year under review are that of a timber distributor and manufacturer. We provide products to a wide range of customers within the construction sector and look to create value at the various stages of the selling process. |
| The business activities are undertaken through the network of branches located across the Midlands region. The business is family run and we pride ourselves on having this ethos for excellent customer service run through our network of branches to enhance our customers experience in doing business with us, through having knowledgeable staff and offering a wide product range at competitive prices. |
| Results and performance |
| We are pleased with the years trading results for the company, as set out on pages 15 to 33, which show an increase in turnover as the company shows the effects of the bounce back from last year's Covid 19 shutdowns. The housing building sector continues to show resilience in the wake of the Pandemic and Brexit despite the continued uncertainty as to the future trading impacts and the wider economy. Our customers appear to be trading well and remain positive for the immediate future. |
| The results reflect the company's strong underlying trading activities whilst we drive to improve the efficiency and focus of our operations. The company has made a considerable effort to control its costs in recent years and strong overhead control at both head office and branch level continues to be a key focus of management. We have continued to invest in all areas of the business, such as the vehicle fleet, and improving the customer experience to ensure that we remain competitive whilst offering quality products and customer service. Stock values increased across the company in part due to significant global cost rises, however, we continue to work with our supply chain to source the most competitively priced products without compromising on quality. Trade debtors have continued to show good debtor days figures in line with our targets, which due to the processes and credit control team in place, means we are reporting another low bad debt charge for the year of 0.11% of turnover. |
| The gross margin has increased on previous years due to management utilising their industry expertise, buying power and strong supplier relationships. Timber prices and the tightening in supply due to worldwide demand continued throughout the year. The uncertainty surrounding Brexit and the associated pressure on Sterling also continued to have an effect on the price of imported timber. The directors are aware of this and are continually looking to source the best available product at the most competitive prices. |
| All trading branches have targets and goals set over the short and medium term to ensure that they monitor opportunities for growth and to mitigate threats throughout the year, whilst reviewing their working practices to continually improve service levels to our customers. We will continue to invest in our branch premises and staff to enable us to expand and enhance our product offering across the full range of our products. |
| Details of the number of employees and related costs can be found in Note 4 to the financial statements. Staff numbers have remained stable overall for this year; we recognise that our staff are a major asset for the company. We are always looking to continually improve the knowledge of all our staff through training and personal development. |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Strategic Report |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| REVIEW OF BUSINESS CONTINUED |
| Overall we are satisfied with the current years trading results and we are also pleased to report a growth in the value of shareholders' funds of the company for the year whilst maintaining a strong balance sheet which enables us to implement our growth and investments plans for the future. We are confident that this will continue steadily for the foreseeable future, as we continually aim to develop and grow the business further across our core trading areas. |
| Pension scheme |
| The company participates in a defined benefit pension scheme. As of 30 June 2021 there was a surplus for the scheme of £97,000 compared to a net deficit of £139,760 last year. Discount rates represented by yields on corporate bonds increased to 1.9% for the year, along with increases in inflation and pensionable pay. In note 18 to the accounts we have outlined the impact on the financial statements in more detail based on the actuarial report, from which the company reviews the risks in the pension scheme, which is principally under performance of equity investments, and the potential impact on the company. The calculation of the pension deficit or surplus remains sensitive to changes in the underlying assumptions as reported by the actuaries in their report to us. |
| PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES |
| The process of risk management is applied through a combination of policies, procedures and internal controls. All policies are subject to Board approval and ongoing review by management. Compliance with regulation, legal and ethical standards is a high priority for the company to ensure they are compliant and able to continue trading successfully. |
| The finance team is responsible for ensuring that effective internal controls exist to manage the financial risks and that these controls operate effectively for the benefit of the business. |
| The directors endeavour to identify the risks that the company faces on a day to day basis. This is to ensure we have the financial strength and operational capacity to support the growth of the business. The current risk factors below are those that are considered by the board to be material to the company. However, we also recognise that we operate in a fast paced commercial environment which is constantly evolving, where new risks may appear or immaterial risks may become more important, and the directors will develop appropriate strategies as these risks appear. |
| Competitive market pressure is an ongoing risk for the company. To mitigate this risk the company strives to understand its customers' requirements, markets and competitors, to ensure we continue to provide quality products and seek expansion by organic growth. Given the potential economic volatility seen in our core business markets, we are continuously monitoring trends and looking for ways in which to be more efficient and improve our working capital requirements. The production of regular financial information helps the board to identify and assess current trends. |
| Parts of our business, such as timber raw material purchasing, are affected by fluctuations in price and supply of key materials, although purchasing policies and practices in place seek to mitigate, where practicable, such risks. We secure material from our long standing supply partners which ensures we can meet our production requirements. |
| Other than the general uncertainty that surrounds the decision to leave the European Union, Brexit has not had a significant impact on the business or operations so far. The company's relationship with its supply partners in Europe is of great importance to us and we have the flexibility to procure timber from a wide range of reliable supply sources to help mitigate changes in market conditions. |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Strategic Report |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES CONTINUED |
| The company purchases goods from international markets and is therefore exposed to foreign currency movements on such purchases. The company manages this risk by purchasing and retaining cash funds in these currencies. |
| We have continuously worked to build a robust and flexible business by attracting and retaining the right quality staff to help us achieve this. By doing so we have a good financial position to deal with any situations which have arisen during the year and which we expect to face in the future. |
| FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES |
| The activities of the company expose it to a number of financial risks during the normal course of the company's business. The company aims to limit undue exposure to business and financial risks and ensure sufficient working capital exists to fund operations and to mitigate any potential negative effects on the company's assets and profitability. The directors consider such risks and uncertainties to the business at this point in time are: |
| Currency risk |
| As the company trades in the UK, but purchases from various overseas markets, margins can fluctuate in line with changes in currency spot rates against the value of sterling for our purchases. This is mitigated in part by the company holding foreign currency accounts from which such transactions will flow through. |
| Customer mix |
| There is a risk that the company becomes too dependent on a particular customer and product range and efforts are made to ensure that our exposure in this respect is minimised by continually striving to expand the range of products and services on offer to enhance the customer experience and build relationships with key customers. |
| Credit risk |
| There is a risk that one party to a financial instrument will cause a financial loss for the other party by failing to discharge an obligation. Company policies are aimed at minimising such losses, and require that deferred terms are only granted to customers who demonstrate an appropriate payment history and satisfy credit worthiness procedures. Details of the company's debtors are shown in the notes to the financial statements. |
| Pension funding risk |
| The company operates a defined benefit plan, although this was ceased to future accruals on 31st March 2019, as noted in the notes to the financial statements. The funding of the pension liabilities at the year end was 94% equities and 6% other assets. The company is subject to funding risks, which could derive from poorly managed performance of the equity investments. Such risks could lead to increased contributions due from the company to the pension scheme. |
| The company is required by law to maintain a minimum funding level in relation to its obligations to provide pensions to members of the pension scheme. This level of funding is dependent on a series of external factors, such as investment performance, life expectancy and gilt yields. Significant changes in these areas and actuarial assumptions underlying the calculation of plan liabilities for these could materially impact the company's trading results and can also have a significant effect on the funding levels. |
| This risk is mitigated by the fact that the scheme has been closed to new entrants for many years. The board regularly reviews the investment strategy and performance of the pension scheme investments to ensure that plan assets are performing and growing in line with the plan requirements to cover expected liabilities. |
| Competitor risk |
| The company operates in a highly competitive market balancing both customer requirements and market pressures. The directors review and monitor these factors to ensure the company's competitiveness is upheld to enable the company to maintain its long term relationships with key customers and reputation for quality. We aim to improve, strengthen and maintain the brand to ensure we maintain the right levels of investment and innovation in our customer offerings. |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Strategic Report |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| Liquidity risk and going concern |
| The company is exposed to liquidity risk as sufficient funds are required to support trading and financing activities. The company regularly monitors its liquidity position to ensure that sufficient funds are available to meet both current and future requirements. |
| The company's cash position removes some elements of the financial risks any business faces. With the above business risks and uncertainties in mind, we are aware that any plans for the future development of the business may be subject to unforeseen future events outside of our control. |
| Health and Safety |
| We are conscious of our corporate responsibilities to all our stakeholders and to society as a whole. Health and safety, environmental matters, staff training and equal opportunities are key areas relevant to the company's business activities. |
| We are keen to remain proactive in assessing and minimising the risks in all areas of the business and educating the workforce to provide as safe a working environment as possible for our staff. |
| We employ a full-time Health and Safety Officer who reports to the board regularly on working practices and improvements that can be made to increase safety for the staff. Employees are encouraged to take personal responsibility for making sure their actions and behaviour maintain safety for all staff members during the working day. |
| SECTION 172(1) STATEMENT |
| All directors act in accordance with their duties, in good faith, to promote the success of the company as a whole, having regard to the effect of decisions on the group and other stakeholders, in particular taking into consideration: |
| - the likely consequences of any decision long term, |
| - the interests of the company's employees, |
| - the need to foster the company's business relationships with suppliers, customers and others, |
| - the impact of the company's operations on the community and the environment, |
| - the desirability of the company maintaining a reputation for high standards of business conduct, and |
| - the need to act fairly between members of the company. |
| The board of directors have considered the company's vision, purpose and values along with its strategic priorities implemented by the decision making processes in place when taking into account the views and interests of stakeholders. When considering the range of interests involved in arriving at the outcomes of decisions the directors acknowledge that such decisions may involve balancing different perspectives and as such it is not always possible to deliver everyone's desired outcome. |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Strategic Report |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| ENGAGEMENT WITH EMPLOYEES |
| Details of the number of employees and related costs can be found in Note 4 to the financial statements. |
| The company's ability to achieve its commercial objectives and to serve the needs of its customers in a profitable and friendly manner depends on the contribution of its employees. Employees are encouraged to develop their contribution to the business whatever department in the business they work in. The company aims to keep employees up to date with financial and other information as the directors and management board see fit such as engaging through meetings and notice boards. |
| It is our policy to train and develop employees to ensure that they are best equipped to undertake their daily tasks for which they are employed, and to provide the opportunity for career development without discrimination. Training and development is provided and is available to all levels and categories of staff. A program of introducing trainees and apprentices throughout the company is important to ensure that there is new talent coming through the business. |
| The company's employment policies do not discriminate between employees, or potential employees, on the grounds of age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, ethnic origin or religious belief. Every effort would be made to ensure that employment would continue for any employees that become disabled including arranging appropriate training. It is our policy that career development, training and opportunities for promotion of disabled persons should, as far as possible, be identical with that of other employees in the business. The criteria used for selection or promotion is the suitability of any applicant for the job. |
| The company pays for free membership of a benefits package available to all employees, including purchase discount opportunities and health and wellbeing helplines. |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Strategic Report |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| ENGAGEMENT WITH SUPPLIERS, CUSTOMERS AND OTHERS |
| Suppliers |
| Through our group procurement department, we have regular communications and strong relationships with our suppliers, whilst striving to achieve a balance between them and the needs of our customers We recognise the importance of discussions on material availability, prices and quality, as well as more general supply and demand trends. We continue to develop our range of certified Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) products. To ensure we supply traceable and sustainable quality products we assess all suppliers continually. Being a member of the NMBS buying group further strengthens our supplier relationships in many product ranges. |
| Customers |
| We value our customers and recognise that they are the base for the success of our business. Building relationships and understanding customer needs is important in order to continue to provide a quality product and service. Dedicated sales teams are organised so that they focus on specific customers groups ranging from retail, local tradesmen, regional companies to national companies. ISO management systems and promotion of sustainable forest management practices are maintained to ensure that we meet customer expectations, we continually seek to improve service levels to our customers. |
| Community and Environment |
| The company complies with environmental regulations and the board supports initiatives that reduce adverse impact on local communities and the environment, including investment in energy saving solutions. Various local charities are supported with company donations, as well as often matching employee fund raising activities. |
| The directors recognise that the company has a responsibility to the environment, customers, suppliers and staff to operate its commercial activities using products from well-managed forests and to reduce any negative environmental or social impact of its trading as far as is reasonably practical for the company. |
| We therefore make it a priority to ensure our timber is legally harvested and comes from well managed forests. The company recognises that the independent certification of forests and of the supply chain is the best means of providing assurances of this. Where possible we purchase material certified by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC) or the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). |
| The company has third party audits of their chain of custody for timber supplied as certified by PEFC, FSC. This is to ensure that claims made about certification can be proven. Our certifications for these can be located on our website, www.harlowbros.co.uk, for customers and other stakeholders to view. |
| As part of our commitment to environmental awareness and best practice the company holds an ISO14001 certificate and operates within this environmental management scheme framework in a compliant manner. |
| Shareholders |
| As a privately owned company, shareholders are actively involved within the business and execution of business strategy, receiving regular updates on performance against the strategy, and the financial position of the company. |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Strategic Report |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS |
| We consider that our key financial performance indicators are those that communicate the financial performance and strength of the company, these being turnover, gross margin, operating profit and earnings before interest tax depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA). The company also closely monitors other internal KPI's for example; |
| - Vehicle statistics on usage & efficiency |
| - Individual employee performance in line with our HR objectives |
| - The reason and level of sales credit notes raised |
| - Daily sales performance and margin threshold reviews |
| We continually aim to develop and grow our business in order to increase our market share, whilst striving to maintain the gross margin on our products. As the prime measure of our economic output, revenue growth is key to measuring shareholder return and the success of our expansion strategies. Turnover for the year increased approximately 36%, this in part is due to significant rises in timber costs. We remain focused on our offering of the best possible products and service to our customer base. |
| Gross margin provides an indication of the quality of turnover growth and is also a measure of value added by the company, reflecting the quality of the goods and services offered. The gross margin for the year has increased due to good stock management and considered buying practices. |
| Overall, the company's EBITDA has increased to £5.9m (2020: £0.9m), with operating profit reported at £5.2m (2020: £0.3m), which this trend follows through to profit before tax of £5.2m (2020: £0.3m). Profit after taxation is £4.2m (2020: £0.2m) with the defined benefit pension adjustment as shown in note 18 giving total comprehensive income of £4.4m for the year. The company has not declared a dividend for the year as noted in the directors report leaving £4.4m retained by the company to be added to the company reserves. |
| FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS |
| A summary of the company financial instruments and related disclosures affecting the financial statements are set out in the notes to the accounts. The financial risk management objectives and policies of the entity and its exposure to related risks are covered above. |
| FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS |
| The directors aim to maintain the management policies which have resulted in the company's underlying growth in recent years. The directors anticipate the business environment will remain competitive and challenging, but they believe that the company is in a good financial position to meet these challenges, with new product lines being introduced throughout the year and the continuing review of operating and cost efficiencies. The company is always looking for ways to increase its market share through delivering new products, ways to market and added value services to its customer base and, despite the uncertainty surrounding the Pandemic and Brexit and the economy in general, we are anticipate delivering another good set of results for the upcoming year. |
| In line with the family ethos and values, the owners of Harlow Bros Holdings Ltd have confirmed that in 2022 they will be selling the business to an Employee Ownership Trust. This will allow the business to continue along the same |
| principles that the family have established and perhaps most importantly of all, ensures that the future of the business |
| remains independent, resilient, and sustainably financed. |
| ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD: |
| 28 March 2022 |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Report of the Directors |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| The directors present their report with the financial statements of the company for the year ended 30 June 2021. |
| DIVIDENDS |
| No dividends will be distributed for the year ended 30 June 2021. |
| DIRECTORS |
| The directors shown below have held office during the whole of the period from 1 July 2020 to the date of this report. |
| DISCLOSURE IN THE STRATEGIC REPORT |
| The company has chosen in accordance with Companies Act 2006, s. 414C(11) to set out in the company's strategic report information required by Schedule 7 of the Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 to be contained in the directors' report. It has done so in respect of future developments and financial instruments. |
| STATEMENT OF DIRECTORS' RESPONSIBILITIES |
| The directors are responsible for preparing the Strategic Report, the Report of the Directors 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 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. |
| STATEMENT AS TO DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION TO AUDITORS |
| So far as the directors are aware, there is no relevant audit information (as defined by Section 418 of the Companies Act 2006) of which the company's auditors are unaware, and each director has taken all the steps that he ought to have taken as a director in order to make himself aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the company's auditors are aware of that information. |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Report of the Directors |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| AUDITORS |
| The auditors, Charnwood Accountants & Business Advisors LLP, have expressed their willingness to continue in office as auditors and will be proposed for re-appointment at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting in accordance with Section 485 & 487 of the Companies Act 2006. |
| ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD: |
| Report of the Independent Auditors to the Members of |
| Harlow Bros. Limited |
| Opinion |
| We have audited the financial statements of Harlow Bros. Limited (the 'company') for the year ended 30 June 2021 which comprise the Income Statement, Other Comprehensive Income, Balance Sheet, Statement of Changes in Equity 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 Financial Reporting Standard 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 30 June 2021 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 Auditors' 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 |
| In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the directors' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate. |
| Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue. |
| Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the directors with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report. |
| Other information |
| The directors are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information in the Strategic Report and the Report of the Directors, but does not include the financial statements and our Report of the Auditors 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 this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. 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 the audit: |
| - | the information given in the Strategic Report and the Report of the Directors for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and |
| - | the Strategic Report and the Report of the Directors have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements. |
| Report of the Independent Auditors to the Members of |
| Harlow Bros. Limited |
| Matters on which we are required to report by exception |
| 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 or the Report of the Directors. |
| 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. |
| Responsibilities of directors |
| As explained more fully in the Statement of Directors' Responsibilities set out on page nine, 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 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. |
| Report of the Independent Auditors to the Members of |
| Harlow Bros. Limited |
| Auditors' responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements |
| 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 a Report of the Auditors 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. |
| Explanation as to what extent the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud |
| Irregularities are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. The objectives of our audit are to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding compliance with laws and regulations that have a direct effect on the determination of material amounts and disclosures in the Financial Statements, to perform audit procedures to help identify instances of non-compliance with other laws and regulations that may have a material effect on the Financial Statements, and to respond appropriately to identified or suspected non-compliance with laws and regulations identified during the audit. |
| In relation to fraud, the objectives of our audit are to identify and assess the risk of material misstatement of the Financial Statements due to fraud, to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the assessed risks of material misstatement due to fraud through designing and implementing appropriate responses and to respond appropriately to fraud or suspected fraud identified during the audit. |
| However, it is the primary responsibility of management, with the oversight of those charged with governance, to ensure that the entity's operations are conducted in accordance with the provisions of laws and regulations and for the prevention and detection of fraud. Owing to the inherent limitations of an audit, there is an unavoidable risk that material misstatements in the financial statements may not be detected, even though the audit is properly planned and performed in accordance with the ISAs(UK). The more removed that laws and regulations are from financial transactions, the less likely it is that we would become aware of non-compliance. Auditing standards also limit the audit procedures required to identify non-compliance with laws and regulations to enquiry of the directors and other management and the inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any. As such material misstatements that arise due to fraud can be harder to detect than those that arise from error as they may involve deliberate concealment and or collusion. |
| The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below: |
| We obtained an understanding of the nature of the industry and sector, including the legal and regulatory frameworks that the Company operate in and how the Company are complying with the legal and regulatory frameworks. Focusing on provisions of those laws and regulations that had a direct effect on the determination of material amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The key laws and regulations we considered in this context included the UK Companies Act, pension legislation and UK tax legislation, including that associated with government support schemes available as a result of COVID-19.; |
| We inquired of management, and those charged with governance, about their own identification and assessment of the risks of irregularities, including any known actual, suspected or alleged instances of fraud; |
| We discussed matters about non-compliance with laws and regulations and how fraud might occur including assessment of how and where the Financial Statements may be susceptible to fraud, having obtained an understanding of the effectiveness of the control environment. |
| The engagement partner assessed that the engagement team collectively had the appropriate competence and capabilities to identify or recognise non-compliance with laws and regulations. |
| We assessed the susceptibility of the company's financial statements to material misstatement, including how fraud might occur, by evaluating management's incentives and opportunities for manipulation of the financial statements. This included the evaluation of the risk of management override of controls. In assessing the potential risks of material misstatement, we obtained an understanding of the company's operations, including the nature of its income and expenditure together with its objectives and strategies to understand the classes of transactions, account balances, expected financial statement disclosures and business risks that may result in risks of material misstatement. Also on the company's control environment, including the policies and procedures implemented by the company to ensure compliance with the requirements of the financial reporting framework. |
| Report of the Independent Auditors to the Members of |
| Harlow Bros. Limited |
| We determined that the principal risk in relation to areas of increased management judgement, which could be impacted by management bias, was through the use of journal entries that increase revenues, profits or the carrying value of property plant and equipment in order to inflate results of the company. |
| Our audit procedures involved: |
| The evaluation of the design effectiveness of controls that the company has in place to prevent and detect fraud; |
| To undertake journal entry testing, with a focus on higher risk journal, such as, posted by senior management, journals with unusual attributes, journals without any descriptions and closing journals posted during the preparation of the financial statements, which are material and not reoccurring or common postings which fall outside of the auditor's expectations. Together with assessing whether the judgments made in making accounting estimates are indicative of a potential bias. |
| In response to the risk of irregularities and non-compliance with laws and regulations our procedures included, but which were not limited to; |
| Enquiring of management as to actual and potential litigation and claims against the company; |
| Completing a review of relevant legal and professional costs within the accounting records for any evidence of previously un-detected or un-reported instances of non-compliance. |
| A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council's website at www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our Report of the Auditors. |
| 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 a Report of the Auditors 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. |
| for and on behalf of |
| Statutory Auditor |
| The Point |
| Granite Way |
| Mountsorrel |
| Loughborough |
| Leicestershire |
| LE12 7TZ |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Income Statement |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| 30.6.21 | 30.6.20 |
| Notes | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| TURNOVER | 3 |
| Cost of sales |
| GROSS PROFIT |
| Distribution costs |
| Administrative expenses |
| 6,011,904 | 5,790,860 |
| 5,004,095 | (510,904 | ) |
| Other operating income |
| OPERATING PROFIT | 5 |
| Interest receivable and similar income |
| 5,189,857 | 320,926 |
| Interest payable and similar expenses | 6 |
| Other finance costs | 18 |
| 4,699 | - |
| PROFIT BEFORE TAXATION |
| Tax on profit | 7 |
| PROFIT FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Other Comprehensive Income |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| 30.6.21 | 30.6.20 |
| Notes | £ | £ |
| PROFIT FOR THE YEAR |
| OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME |
| Net actuarial gain / (loss) | ( |
) |
| Income tax relating to other comprehensive income |
| OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR, NET OF INCOME TAX |
( |
) |
| TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Balance Sheet |
| 30 June 2021 |
| 30.6.21 | 30.6.20 |
| Notes | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| FIXED ASSETS |
| Intangible assets | 8 |
| Tangible assets | 9 |
| CURRENT ASSETS |
| Stocks | 10 |
| Debtors | 11 |
| Cash at bank |
| CREDITORS |
| Amounts falling due within one year | 12 |
| NET CURRENT ASSETS |
| TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES |
| PROVISIONS FOR LIABILITIES | 15 | ( |
) | ( |
) |
| PENSION ASSET/(LIABILITY) | 18 | ( |
) |
| NET ASSETS |
| CAPITAL AND RESERVES |
| Called up share capital | 16 |
| Capital redemption reserve | 17 |
| Retained earnings | 17 |
| SHAREHOLDERS' FUNDS |
| The financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors and authorised for issue on |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Statement of Changes in Equity |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| Called up | Capital |
| share | Retained | redemption | Total |
| capital | earnings | reserve | equity |
| £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Balance at 1 July 2019 |
| Changes in equity |
| Total comprehensive income | - |
| Balance at 30 June 2020 |
| Changes in equity |
| Total comprehensive income | - |
| Balance at 30 June 2021 |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Notes to the Financial Statements |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| 1. | STATUTORY INFORMATION |
| Harlow Bros. Limited is a |
| The presentation currency of the financial statements is the Pound Sterling (£). |
| The nature of the company’s operations and its principal activities are set out in the Strategic Report. |
| 2. | ACCOUNTING POLICIES |
| Basis of preparing the financial statements |
| These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" and the Companies Act 2006 and under the provision of The Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. |
| The preparation of financial statements requires the use of certain critical accounting estimates. It also requires management to exercise its judgement in the process of applying the company accounting policies. The areas involving a higher degree of judgement or complexity, or areas where assumptions and estimates are significant to the financial statements, are disclosed the notes below. |
| These policies have been consistently applied to all the years presented, unless otherwise stated. |
| Financial Reporting Standard 102 - reduced disclosure exemptions |
| The company has taken advantage of the following disclosure exemptions in preparing these financial statements, as permitted by FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland": |
| • | the requirements of Section 7 Statement of Cash Flows; |
| • | the requirement of paragraph 33.7. |
| The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Harlow Bros Holdings Limited, and subsequently a qualifying entity under FRS102 and has such applied the qualifying exemptions given above under FRS102 in respect of those disclosures. |
| The company has taken advantage of the exemption, under paragraph 1.12(b) of FRS 102, from preparing a statement of cash flows, on the basis that it is a qualifying entity and its ultimate parent company, Harlow Bros Holdings Limited, includes the company’s cash flows in its consolidated financial statements. |
| The consolidated financial statements of Harlow Bros Holdings Limited, within which the company is included, can be obtained from the Companies House. |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Notes to the Financial Statements - continued |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| 2. | ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued |
| Significant judgements and estimates |
| In the application of the company's accounting policies, which are described in the accounting policies below, management is required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and underlying 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 if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods if the revision affects both current and future periods. |
| Judgements |
| In preparing these financial statements, the directors have made the following key judgements that have a significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements as described below. |
| - Determine whether there are indicators of impairment of the company's tangible and intangible assets along with residual values and asset lives. The residual value is the net realisable value of an asset at the end of its useful economic life. The company has made an assessment of the residual values that are appropriate for the business and reviews this assessment annually. Note 9 provides details of the value of fixed assets capitalised. |
| Estimates and assumptions |
| The key assumptions concerning the future and other key sources of estimation uncertainty at the reporting date, that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next financial year, are described below. The Company based its assumptions and estimates on parameters available when the financial statements were prepared. Existing circumstances and assumptions about future developments, however, may change due to market changes or circumstances arising that are beyond the control of the Company. Such changes are reflected in the assumptions when they occur. |
| a) Establishing useful economic lives for depreciation purposes of property, plant and equipment |
| Long-lived assets, consisting primarily of property, plant and equipment, comprise a significant portion of the |
| total assets. The annual depreciation charge depends primarily on the estimated useful economic lives of each type of asset and estimates of residual values. The directors regularly review these asset useful economic lives and change them as necessary to reflect current thinking on remaining lives in light of prospective economic utilisation and physical condition of the assets concerned. Changes in asset useful lives can have a significant impact on depreciation and amortisation charges for the period. Detail of the useful economic lives is included in the tangible fixed asset accounting policy. |
| b) Providing for bad and doubtful debts |
| The company makes an estimate of the recoverable value of trade and other debtors. The company uses estimates based on historical experience in determining the level of debts, which the company believes, will not be collected. These estimates include such factors as the current credit rating of the debtor, the ageing profile of debtors and historical experience. Any significant reduction in the level of customers that default on payments or other significant improvements that resulted in a reduction in the level of bad debt provision would have a positive impact on the operating results. The level of provision required is reviewed on an on-going basis. |
| c) Defined benefit pension scheme |
| The company has an obligation to pay pension benefits to certain employees. The cost of these benefits and the present value of the obligation depend on a number of factors which are sensitive to the actuarial assumptions included within the report by the actuary, including; life expectancy, salary increases, asset valuations and the discount rate on corporate bonds. The actuary estimates these factors in determining the net pension obligation in the balance sheet as arrived at in their report to management. The assumptions reflect historical experience and current trends. The size of the plan assets is also sensitive to asset return levels and the level of contributions paid by the company. See note 16 for the disclosures relating to the defined benefit pension scheme. |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Notes to the Financial Statements - continued |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| 2. | ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued |
| d) Stock provisioning |
| At each reporting date judgement is used by management to establish the net realisable value of stock. Provisions are established for net realisable value where appropriate and are made are based on facts available at the time. The level of provision required is reviewed on an on-going basis. |
| In arriving at an estimate for the net realisable value of stock, judgement is required in assessing their likely |
| value on realisation taking into account market and technological changes associated with the demand for the product line. |
| Revenue recognition |
| Turnover represents the amounts (excluding value added tax) derived from the provision of goods and services to customers during the year. |
| Revenue is recognised when the significant risks and rewards of the goods or services provided have transferred to the buyer, the amount of revenue can be measured reliably and it is probable that the economic benefits associated with the transaction will flow to the company. |
| Revenue is measured at the fair value of the consideration receivable from the sale of goods and services to third parties after deducting discounts. Revenue includes duties which the company pays as principal, but excludes amounts collected on behalf of other parties, such as value added tax or other sales taxes. |
| Revenue of the company comprises the following key streams: |
| Sale of goods |
| Revenue on the sale of goods delivered is recognised when goods have been dispatched to the customer for collection or have been delivered to the location specified by the customer. |
| Intangible assets |
| Intangible assets are initially measured at cost. After initial recognition, intangible assets are measured at cost less any accumulated amortisation and any accumulated impairment losses. |
| Tangible fixed assets |
| Improvements to property | - |
| Plant, machinery, fixtures and computers | - |
| Motor vehicles | - |
| Tangible assets are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and accumulated impairment losses. Cost includes the original purchase price, costs directly attributable to bringing the asset to its working condition for its intended use. |
| The assets' residual values and useful lives are reviewed, and adjusted, if appropriate, at the end of each reporting period. The effect of any change is accounted for prospectively. |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Notes to the Financial Statements - continued |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| 2. | ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued |
| Stocks |
| Stocks are stated at the lower of cost and net realisable value, being the estimated selling price less costs to |
| complete and sell, and after making due allowance for obsolete and slow moving items. |
| The cost of stock is calculated on the weighted average cost principle on a first in first out basis and includes expenditure incurred in acquiring stock, production or conversion costs, and other costs incurred in bringing them to their existing location and condition. Stocks are recognised as an expense in the period in which the related revenue is recognised. |
| Cost for raw materials and consumables are at the purchase cost to the company. Cost for Work in progress and finished goods includes all direct expenditure. The cost of work in progress and finished goods includes |
| production overheads and the attributable proportion of indirect overheads based on the normal level of activity. |
| At each reporting date, stocks are assessed for impairment. If stock is impaired, the carrying amount is reduced to its selling price, in the ordinary course of business, less costs to complete and sell. The impairment provision is determined primarily by future demand forecasts. The write down is measured as the difference between the calculated cost of the stock and market based upon assumptions about future demand and charged to the provision for stock, which is a component of cost of sales. |
| Financial instruments |
| The company only enters into basic financial instruments transactions that result in the recognition of financial assets and liabilities like trade and other accounts receivable and payable and loans to/from related parties. |
| Debt instruments, like loans and other accounts receivable and payable, are initially measured at present value of the future payments and subsequently at amortised cost using the effective interest method. Debt instruments that are payable or receivable within one year, typically trade payables or receivables, are measured, initially and subsequently, at the undiscounted amount of the cash or other consideration, expected to be paid or received. |
| However, if the arrangements of a short-term instrument constitute a financing transaction, like the payment of a trade debt deferred beyond normal business terms or financed at a rate of interest that is not a market rate or in case of an outright short-term loan not at market rate, the financial asset or liability is measured, initially and subsequently, at the present value of the future payment discounted at a market rate of interest for a similar debt instrument. |
| Trade and other debtors |
| Trade and other debtors are initially recognised at the transaction price and thereafter stated at amortised cost using the effective interest method, less impairment losses for bad and doubtful debts except where the effect of discounting would be immaterial. In such cases, the debtors are stated at cost less impairment losses for bad and doubtful debts. |
| A provision for impairment of trade debtors is established when there is objective evidence that the company will not be able to collect all amounts due according to the original terms of debtors. The amount of the provision is determined as the difference between the asset's carrying amount and the present value of estimated future cash flows, and is recognised in the profit & loss in operating expenses. |
| Trade and other creditors |
| Trade and other creditors are initially recognised at fair value and thereafter stated at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the effect of discounting would be immaterial, in which case they are stated at cost. |
| Taxation |
| Taxation for the year comprises current and deferred tax. Tax is recognised in the Income Statement, except to the extent that it relates to items recognised in other comprehensive income or directly in equity. |
| Current or deferred taxation assets and liabilities are not discounted. |
| Current tax is recognised at the amount of tax payable using the tax rates and laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the balance sheet date. |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Notes to the Financial Statements - continued |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| 2. | ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued |
| Taxation |
| Deferred tax is recognised in respect of all timing differences that have originated but not reversed at the balance sheet date. |
| Timing differences arise from the inclusion of income and expenses in tax assessments in periods different from those in which they are recognised in financial statements. Deferred tax is measured using tax rates and laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the year end and that are expected to apply to the reversal of the timing difference. |
| Unrelieved tax losses and other deferred tax assets are recognised only to the extent that it is probable that they will be recovered against the reversal of deferred tax liabilities or other future taxable profits. |
| Foreign currencies |
| In preparing the financial statements of the company, transactions in currencies other than the functional currency are recognised at the spot rate at the dates of the transactions, or at an average rate where this rate approximates the actual rate at the date of the transaction. At the end of each reporting period, monetary items denominated in foreign currencies are retranslated at the rates prevailing at that date. Non-monetary items that are measured in terms of historical cost in a foreign currency are not retranslated. |
| Exchange differences are recognised in profit or loss in the period in which they arise or loss. |
| Hire purchase and leasing commitments |
| Rentals paid under operating leases are charged to profit or loss on a straight line basis over the period of the lease. |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Notes to the Financial Statements - continued |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| 2. | ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued |
| Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits |
| The company operates a defined benefit plan for certain employees. A defined benefit plan defines the pension benefit that the employee will receive on retirement, usually dependent upon several factors including age, length of service and remuneration. A defined benefit plan is a pension plan that is not a defined contribution plan. |
| The liability recognised in the balance sheet in respect of the defined benefit plan is the present value of the defined benefit obligation at the reporting date less the fair value of the plan assets at the reporting date. |
| The defined benefit obligation is calculated using the projected unit credit method. Annually the company engages independent actuaries to calculate the obligation. The present value is determined by discounting the estimated future payments using market yields on high quality corporate bonds that are denominated in sterling and that have terms approximating the estimated period of the future payments ('discount rate'). |
| The fair value of plan assets is measured in accordance with the FRS 102 fair value hierarchy and in accordance with the company's policy for similarly held assets. This includes the use of appropriate valuation techniques. |
| Actuarial gains and losses arising from experience adjustments and changes in actuarial assumptions are charged or credited to other comprehensive income. These amounts together with the return on plan assets, less amounts included in net interest, are disclosed as 'Remeasurement of net defined benefit liability'. |
| The cost of the defined benefit plan, recognised in profit or loss as employee costs, except where included in the cost of an asset, comprises: |
| (a) the increase in pension benefit liability arising from employee service during the period; and |
| (b) the cost of plan introductions, benefit changes, curtailments and settlements. |
| The net interest cost is calculated by applying the discount rate to the net balance of the defined benefit obligation and the fair value of plan assets. This cost is recognised in profit or loss as 'Finance expense'. |
| Defined contribution pension plans |
| The company operates a defined contribution plan for its employees. A defined contribution plan is a pension plan under which the company pays fixed contributions into a separate entity. Once the contributions have been paid the company has no further payment obligations. The contributions are recognised as an expense when they are due. Amounts not paid are shown in other creditors in the balance sheet. The assets of the plan are held separately from the company in independently administered funds. |
| 3. | TURNOVER |
| The turnover and profit before taxation are attributable to the one principal activity of the company. |
| An analysis of turnover by class of business is given below: |
| 30.6.21 | 30.6.20 |
| £ | £ |
| Turnover represents the amounts derived from the provision of goods and services which fall within the company’s ordinary activities, stated net of value added tax. |
| The company's principal activities are as stated in the strategic report and the company operates within the geographical region of the United Kingdom. |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Notes to the Financial Statements - continued |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| 4. | EMPLOYEES AND DIRECTORS |
| 30.6.21 | 30.6.20 |
| £ | £ |
| Wages and salaries |
| Social security costs |
| Other pension costs |
| The average number of employees during the year was as follows: |
| 30.6.21 | 30.6.20 |
| Directors | 6 | 6 |
| Management and administration | 96 | 70 |
| Production | 185 | 216 |
| 30.6.21 | 30.6.20 |
| £ | £ |
| Directors' remuneration |
| Directors' pension contributions to money purchase schemes |
| The number of directors to whom retirement benefits were accruing was as follows: |
| Money purchase schemes |
| Defined benefit schemes |
| Information regarding the highest paid director is as follows: |
| 30.6.21 | 30.6.20 |
| £ | £ |
| Emoluments etc |
| Pension contributions to money purchase schemes |
| 5. | OPERATING PROFIT |
| The operating profit is stated after charging/(crediting): |
| 30.6.21 | 30.6.20 |
| £ | £ |
| Hire of plant and machinery |
| Depreciation - owned assets |
| Profit on disposal of fixed assets | ( |
) | ( |
) |
| Auditors' remuneration |
| Stock recognised as an expense |
| In accordance with SI 2008/489 the company has not disclosed the fees payable to the company’s auditors for ‘Other services’ as this information is included in the consolidated financial statements of Harlow Bros Holdings Limited. |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Notes to the Financial Statements - continued |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| 6. | INTEREST PAYABLE AND SIMILAR EXPENSES |
| 30.6.21 | 30.6.20 |
| £ | £ |
| Other interest |
| 7. | TAXATION |
| Analysis of the tax charge |
| The tax charge on the profit for the year was as follows: |
| 30.6.21 | 30.6.20 |
| £ | £ |
| Current tax: |
| UK corporation tax |
| Deferred tax: |
| Origination & reversal of |
| timing differences |
| Deferred tax movement on net |
| pension liability | (45,600 | ) | 26,410 |
| Total deferred tax |
| Tax on profit |
| Reconciliation of total tax charge included in profit and loss |
| The tax assessed for the year is lower than the standard rate of corporation tax in the UK. The difference is explained below: |
| 30.6.21 | 30.6.20 |
| £ | £ |
| Profit before tax |
| Profit multiplied by the standard rate of corporation tax in the UK of (2020 - |
| Effects of: |
| Expenses not deductible for tax purposes |
| Capital allowances in excess of depreciation | ( |
) | ( |
) |
| Deferred tax movement on net defined benefit | (45,600 | ) | 27,362 |
| Deferred tax movement due to change in rates | 49,281 | 48,585 |
| Total tax charge | 977,875 | 88,266 |
| Tax effects relating to effects of other comprehensive income |
| 30.6.21 |
| Gross | Tax | Net |
| £ | £ | £ |
| Net actuarial gain / (loss) | - | 239,000 |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Notes to the Financial Statements - continued |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| 7. | TAXATION - continued |
| 30.6.20 |
| Gross | Tax | Net |
| £ | £ | £ |
| Net actuarial gain / (loss) | ( |
) | - | (128,000 | ) |
| In the Spring Budget 2020 on 17 March 2020, the UK Government announced that from 1 April 2020 the |
| corporation tax rate would remain at 19% (rather than reducing to 17%, as previously enacted). This change as announced in the Finance Act 2020 was substantively enacted on 22 July 2020. Deferred taxes at the balance sheet date have been measured using these enacted tax rates and reflected in these financial statements. In the Spring Budget 2021 the UK government announced on 3 March 2021 that they will be increasing the corporation tax rate from 19% to 25% from 1 April 2023. This rate change was substantively enacted on 24th May 2021 which is before the balance sheet date and therefore deferred taxes are recognised at this rate at the balance sheet date. |
| The effective tax rate differs from the UK corporation tax rate principally due to the deductibility of allowances on capital expenditure and other permanent differences arising in the period as detailed in the tax charge reconciliation. |
| 8. | INTANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS |
| Goodwill |
| £ |
| COST |
| At 1 July 2020 |
| and 30 June 2021 |
| AMORTISATION |
| At 1 July 2020 |
| and 30 June 2021 |
| NET BOOK VALUE |
| At 30 June 2021 |
| At 30 June 2020 |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Notes to the Financial Statements - continued |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| 9. | TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS |
| Plant, |
| machinery, |
| Improvements | fixtures |
| to | and | Motor |
| property | computers | vehicles | Totals |
| £ | £ | £ | £ |
| COST |
| At 1 July 2020 |
| Additions |
| Disposals | ( |
) | ( |
) | ( |
) |
| At 30 June 2021 |
| DEPRECIATION |
| At 1 July 2020 |
| Charge for year |
| Eliminated on disposal | ( |
) | ( |
) | ( |
) |
| At 30 June 2021 |
| NET BOOK VALUE |
| At 30 June 2021 |
| At 30 June 2020 |
| 10. | STOCKS |
| 30.6.21 | 30.6.20 |
| £ | £ |
| Raw materials |
| Work-in-progress |
| There is no material difference between the replacement cost of stocks and the amounts stated above. |
| 11. | DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR |
| 30.6.21 | 30.6.20 |
| £ | £ |
| Trade debtors |
| Amounts owed by group undertakings |
| Other debtors |
| Tax |
| Prepayments and accrued income |
| Amounts owed by group undertakings are unsecured, interest free, have no fixed date of repayment and are repayable on demand. |
| Trade debtors are stated after provisions for impairment of £105,279. |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Notes to the Financial Statements - continued |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| 12. | CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR |
| 30.6.21 | 30.6.20 |
| £ | £ |
| Trade creditors |
| Amounts owed to group undertakings |
| Tax |
| Social security and other taxes |
| VAT | 1,184,068 | 726,566 |
| Other creditors |
| Accruals and deferred income |
| Amounts owed to group undertakings are unsecured, interest free, have no fixed date of repayment and are repayable on demand. |
| 13. | LEASING AGREEMENTS |
| Minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases fall due as follows: |
| 30.6.21 | 30.6.20 |
| £ | £ |
| Within one year |
| Between one and five years |
| In more than five years |
| 14. | FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS |
| 2021 | 2020 |
| £ | £ |
| Financial assets measured at amortised cost | 12,205,324 | 8,884,779 |
| Financial liabilities measured at amortised cost | 7,599,484 | 4,489,092 |
| Financial assets measured at amortised cost comprise cash at bank and in hand, trade debtors and other debtors. |
| Financial liabilities measured at amortised cost comprise trade creditors & other creditors. |
| 15. | PROVISIONS FOR LIABILITIES |
| 30.6.21 | 30.6.20 |
| £ | £ |
| Deferred tax |
| Accelerated capital allowances |
| Other timing differences | (5,953 | ) | (4,669 | ) |
| 147,174 | 98,463 |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Notes to the Financial Statements - continued |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| 15. | PROVISIONS FOR LIABILITIES - continued |
| Deferred |
| tax |
| £ |
| Balance at 1 July 2020 |
| Charge to Income Statement during year |
| Balance at 30 June 2021 |
| Deferred tax is provided mainly at the future effective tax rate of 25% (2020 - 19%) based on the rates |
| substantively enacted at the balance sheet date, the expected timing of the reversals and the expected profitability of the company. |
| This primarily relates to the reversal of timing differences on acquired tangible assets and capital allowances |
| through depreciation and amortisation.The company also recognises a deferred tax asset of £18,430 (2020 - £27,170 liability) at the year end in relation to the reversal of timing differences on the defined benefit pension surplus. |
| 16. | CALLED UP SHARE CAPITAL |
| Allotted, issued and fully paid: |
| Number: | Class: | Nominal | 30.6.21 | 30.6.20 |
| value: | £ | £ |
| Ordinary | £1 | 105,005 | 105,005 |
| The holders of ordinary shares are entitled to receive dividends as declared from time to time and are entitled to one vote per share at meetings of the company. All ordinary shares rank equally with regard to the company's residual assets. |
| 17. | RESERVES |
| Capital |
| Retained | redemption |
| earnings | reserve | Totals |
| £ | £ | £ |
| At 1 July 2020 | 13,502,733 |
| Profit for the year |
| Pensions actuarial gain/(loss) | 239,000 | - | 239,000 |
| At 30 June 2021 | 17,949,016 |
| Retained earnings - includes all current and prior retained period profits and losses of the company net of any dividends paid to shareholders. |
| Capital redemption reserve - arises from the purchase of own share capital in prior years and will only be realised when the related assets are disposed of by the company. |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Notes to the Financial Statements - continued |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| 18. | EMPLOYEE BENEFIT OBLIGATIONS |
| The company sponsors The Harlow Bros Ltd Retirement Benefits Scheme which is a defined benefit scheme in the UK. The scheme is closed to new entrants. As a consequence the current service cost calculated under the projected unit method can be expected to increase over time, as the average age of the membership increases. A full actuarial valuation was carried out at 5th April 2018 and updated to 30th June 2021 by a qualified actuary, independent of the scheme's sponsoring employer. The major assumptions used by the actuary are shown below. |
| The most recent actuarial valuation showed a surplus of £97,000. The employer will meet all levies to the Pension Protection Fund, insurance premiums for death in service benefits and management and administration expenses as and when they are due. The scheme ceased to future accruals on the 31st March 2019. |
| The assets of the scheme have been valued using a discounted cash-flow approach using the same assumptions as are used to value the liabilities. This is the same approach as adopted in previous years. The liabilities of the scheme have been calculated using the following principal actuarial assumptions. |
| The mortality assumptions adopted at 30th June 2021 imply the following life expectancies : |
| Male retiring at age 65 in 2021 21.9 years |
| Female retiring at age 65 in 2021 23.8 years |
| Male retiring at age 65 in 2041 23.5 years |
| Female retiring at age 65 in 2041 25.7 years |
| The amounts recognised in the balance sheet are as follows: |
| Defined benefit |
| pension plans |
| 30.6.21 | 30.6.20 |
| £ | £ |
| Present value of funded obligations | ( |
) | ( |
) |
| Fair value of plan assets |
| 97,000 | (139,000 | ) |
| Present value of unfunded obligations |
| Surplus/(Deficit) | ( |
) |
| Deferred tax asset/(liability) | ( |
) |
| Net asset/(liability) | ( |
) |
| The amounts recognised in profit or loss are as follows: |
| Defined benefit |
| pension plans |
| 30.6.21 | 30.6.20 |
| £ | £ |
| Current service cost |
| Net interest from net defined benefit asset/liability |
2,000 |
- |
| Past service cost |
| 3,000 | 11,000 |
| Actual return on plan assets |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Notes to the Financial Statements - continued |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| 18. | EMPLOYEE BENEFIT OBLIGATIONS - continued |
| Changes in the present value of the defined benefit obligation are as follows: |
| Defined benefit |
| pension plans |
| 30.6.21 | 30.6.20 |
| £ | £ |
| Opening defined benefit obligation |
| Current service cost |
| Interest cost |
| Actuarial losses/(gains) | ( |
) |
| Benefits paid | ( |
) | ( |
) |
| Changes in the fair value of scheme assets are as follows: |
| Defined benefit |
| pension plans |
| 30.6.21 | 30.6.20 |
| £ | £ |
| Opening fair value of scheme assets |
| Expected return | 25,000 | 35,000 |
| Actuarial gains/(losses) |
| Benefits paid | (13,000 | ) | (39,000 | ) |
| The amounts recognised in other comprehensive income are as follows: |
| Defined benefit |
| pension plans |
| 30.6.21 | 30.6.20 |
| £ | £ |
| Actual return less expected return on pension scheme assets |
| Experience gains and losses arising on the scheme liabilities |
25,000 |
9,000 |
| 195,000 | 31,000 |
| The major categories of scheme assets as amounts of total scheme assets are as follows: |
| Defined benefit |
| pension plans |
| 30.6.21 | 30.6.20 |
| £ | £ |
| Cash |
| Alternatives |
| 1,761,000 | 1,579,000 |
| None of the fair values of the assets shown above include any direct investments in the company’s own financial instruments or any property occupied by, or other assets used by, the company. |
| Harlow Bros. Limited (Registered number: 00907445) |
| Notes to the Financial Statements - continued |
| for the Year Ended 30 June 2021 |
| 18. | EMPLOYEE BENEFIT OBLIGATIONS - continued |
| Principal actuarial assumptions at the balance sheet date (expressed as weighted averages): |
| 30.6.21 | 30.6.20 |
| Discount rate |
| Future pension increases |
| Revalue of deferred pensions | 3.10% | 2.90% |
| Inflation | 2.10% | 2.00% |
| Defined contribution scheme |
| The company operates defined contribution pension schemes for the directors and employees. The company makes contributions to its pension scheme for employees, including directors when required. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the company in an independently administered fund. At the balance sheet date, unpaid contributions of £31,331 were due to the fund. These are included in other creditors. The pension charge represents contributions due from the company totalling £105,680 which are charged to the profit & loss account in the period that they arise. |
| 19. | RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES |
| The company has taken advantage of exemption, under the terms of Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland', not to disclose related party transactions with wholly owned subsidiaries within the group. |
| 30.6.21 | 30.6.20 |
| £ | £ |
| Sales |
| Purchases |
| Amount due from related party |
| 20. | ULTIMATE CONTROLLING PARTY |
| The company is controlled by Harlow Bros Holdings Limited, which owns all of the issued share capital in the company. No other group statements include the results of the company. The ultimate parent undertaking and the smallest and largest group to consolidate these financial statements is Harlow Bros Holdings Limited. copies of the consolidated financial statements can be obtained from the company secretary at the company registered office as shown on the company information page to these financial statements. |
| Harlow Bros Holdings Limited is owned by the members of the Harlows family with no one individual having ultimate control. |