TRAILBLAZERS Lawsons
LAWSONS THE NUMBERS
21/22 Turnover £m Gross profit £m
Operating profit £k Net profit £k Staff
THE RATIOS 21/22 Stockturn Gross margin %
Operating margin % Net margin % Sales/head £k Profit/head £
Return on capital % BMJ INDEX
4.8
36.4 8.1 8.0
248
20,165 17.8
22/23 4.6
37.9 4.0 3.7
217
8,588 7.3
23/24 4.7
38.5 0.9 0.7
214
1,845 1.4 (26)
The fourth-generation family- owned and run Lawsons Group is based just north of London, and incorporates 19 Lawsons branches in London and the South East, ranging from Acton to Romford, and also including branches in Sussex, Hertfordshire, Surrey, Berkshire and Bedfordshire. The company specialises in
Lords
LORDS THE NUMBERS
2021 Turnover £m Gross profit £m
Operating profit £k Net profit £k Staff
THE RATIOS 2021 Stockturn Gross margin %
Operating margin % Net margin %
Sales/employee £k Profit/employee £ Return on capital % BMJ INDEX
7.8
17.3 2.8 1.4
569
16,191 11.7
2022 6.8
19.7 3.6 2.8
511
18,555 24.5
2023 7.5
20.0 2.0 0.6
500
9,863 5.8 (41)
Lords was established over 35 years ago as a family business with its first retail unit in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire. Since then, the Group has grown to a business operating from 48 sites., floating on the AIM market in July 2021.
Lords’ half-year trading update, for the six months ending December 31 2024, saw first-half
363.3 62.7
10,330 5,170 638
2022
450.0 88.8
16,328 12,798 880
2023
462.6 92.4
9,133 2,973 926
% CHANGE
21/22 24 42 58
148 38
% CHANGE
21/22 (12) 14 28
100 (10) 15
109
22/23 11 1
(46) (77) (2)
(47) (76)
22/23 3 4
(44) (77) 5
revenue down 3.8% due to the challenging economic backdrop and market disruption within the Plumbing and Heating business relating to the Clean Heat Market Mechanism deferral
CEO Shanker Patel said: “In this challenging market, management has remained focused on optimising capital allocation and operating efficiency, with actions
April 2025 A supplement to builders merchants journal
taken on costs expected to deliver annualised overhead savings of £2.6 million in FY2025. The Group’s resilience and strategy of maintaining gross margin is testament to our outstanding colleagues and our focus on excellent customer service. “The Board welcomes the new government’s support for the sector and the recent interest rate reduction which is widely expected to lead to improved conditions for the UK construction market. The Group’s focus on operational efficiency and working capital management will ensure that we are well positioned for any market recovery. In the medium term, the Group is well placed in a highly fragmented and essential repair, maintenance and improvement (‘RMI’) market, to grow the Group’s market share organically and through selective, valued-added acquisitions which will become more attractive as the market returns. We are encouraged by the growth in
LORDS
12-15 Hanger Green London W5 3EL Tel: +44(0)20 7466 5000
www.lordsgrouptradingplc.co.uk
Brands: Lords Builders Merchants, Advance Roofing Supplies, AWLumb, Condell Building Supplies, George Lines, Hevey Building Supplies, MAP, WeldIt APP Wholesale, Mr Central Heating, Direct Heating, HRP Trade, Column Rads, Ultimate Renewable Supplies.
Branches: 49 Showrooms: 49 Employees: 938
Chairman: Gary O’Brien CEO: Shanker Patel Chief Financial Officer Stuart Kilpatrick, Non-Executive Directors: Andrew Harrison Sheena Mackay Chief Operating Officer Merchanting Steve Durdant-Hollamby, Managing Director APP Neil Lake Specialist Merchanting Managing Director: Jamie Herd
Buying Group: H&B, NMBS BMF Member
188.8 68.6
15,366 15,016 762
22/23
174.6 66.2
6,913 6,446 805
23/24
163.3 62.8
1,406 1,205 762
% CHANGE
22/23 (7) (4)
(55) (57) 6
% CHANGE
22/23 (4) 4
(51) (54) (12) (57) (59)
23/24 2 2
(78) (80) (1)
(79) (81)
23/24 (7) (5)
(80) (81) (5)
LAWSONS • LORDS BUILDERS MERCHANTS: A-Z
LAWSONS
Tyttenhanger Fam, Coursers Road, Colney , AL4 0PG Tel: 01727226660
www.lawsons.group
Branches: 35 Employees: 725
Chairman: Simon Lawson Managing Director: Jeremy Norris Other Directors: Chris Harrison, Mike Hillier, John Lawson, Tony Elliott
Approximate turnover for 2025: £175m
Buying Group: FORTIS, NMBS BMF Member Yr end: 31/03/24
supplying building materials, timber, fencing, garden buildings as well as specialist loft conversion materials.
In February 2024, Jeremy Norris was appointed managing director of Lawsons (Whetstone) Ltd. He had served in a number of roles including commercial director and, most recently alongside CFO
Paul Rushent, as joint managing director. The size and structure of Lawsons now requires Rushent to increase his focus upon finance and legal requirements.
Lawsons Holdings also includes AVS Fencing and Landscaping Supplies, which has 12 branches stretching from Peterborough to Havant on the south coast
and Ashford in Kent. Other acquisitions in the past thre years are The Landscape Centre, Oxford Fencing, Witham Timber and Briants of Risborough.
Renewable product sales and believe this could be an additional near-term growth lever.”
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