LATHAMS LIMITED

Active
Company number 00967247Private limited companyIncorporated 1969

Key figures

£203,652,000+4.3%
Net assets 2024/25
+4.3%
Average annual growth 2023/24–2024/25
0100 m200 m300 m2023/242024/25

† LATHAMS LIMITED filed these accounts on paper, so Companies House publishes them only as a scanned image. The figures for the years marked † were read automatically from the scan and kept only where the statements add up (for example net assets equal total equity), but a reading error is still possible — check the original accounts at Companies House.

Ratios

2024/25

Sector comparison

SIC 46730

Where the company stands among the 2,583 active companies whose first SIC code is 46730 (Wholesale of wood, construction materials and sanitary equipment).

Turnover£354,102,000
Higher than 95% · median £17,351,304 among 93 that publish turnover
Net assets£203,652,000
Higher than 99% · median £59,215
Total assets£259,845,000
Higher than 99% · median £273,675
Cash£68,309,000
Higher than 99% · median £80,131
Employees26,172
Higher than 99% · median 2
Company age56.9 years
Older than 97% · median 5.8 years
Largest in this sector by net assets
  1. LATHAMS LIMITED£203.7m
  2. ERNEST V. WADDINGTON LIMITED£110.7m
  3. LAWSONS (WHETSTONE) LIMITED£72.2m
  4. DECCO LIMITED£69.6m
  5. STARK BUILDING MATERIALS UK LIMITED£57.8m
  6. VINK UK LIMITED£45.3m
  7. SYDENHAMS LTD£37.4m
  8. HANSON PLYWOOD LIMITED£32.6m
  9. MDM TIMBER LIMITED£30.9m
  10. BUILDER DEPOT LIMITED£30.7m

Positions are approximate. Figures come from each company's latest accounts; money and employee figures are compared only with companies that filed accounts in pounds for a period ending in the last two and a half years and are not dormant, so those groups are smaller than 2,583. The line on each bar marks the median.

Summary: LATHAMS LIMITED

What kind of company is it?

LATHAMS LIMITED is a private limited company registered with Companies House under company number 00967247. It was incorporated on 1 Dec 1969. Its status is active. The registered office is in Hemel hempstead (HP2). Its nature of business (SIC 2007) is wholesale of wood, construction materials and sanitary equipment (46730).

How is the company doing financially?

The latest accounts in the database are for 2024/25 (period ending 31 Mar 2025); the company files full accounts. Turnover was £354,102,000. Profit for the year was £19,979,000. Net assets were £203,652,000, up 4.3% on the previous year. Cash at bank and in hand was £68,309,000. Total assets were £259,845,000 and total liabilities £56,193,000. The company had an average of 26,172 employees. Figures are available for 2 financial years (2023/24–2024/25).

How does it compare with similar companies?

Compared with 2,583 active companies whose first SIC code is 46730: By turnover it ranks higher than 95% of the 93 that publish turnover (median £17,351,304). By net assets it ranks higher than 99% of them (median £59,215). By total assets it ranks higher than 99% of them (median £273,675). By cash it ranks higher than 99% of them (median £80,131). By number of employees it ranks higher than 99% of them (median 2). It is older than 97% of them (median age 5.8 years).

Does it supply the public sector?

The company is named as a supplier in 4 public contract award notices from 2 public sector buyers since 2020. Contracts awarded to it alone have a combined published value of £90.1k. Its most frequent buyer is West Midlands Fire Service (2 contracts). 1 of the awards is shared with other suppliers, typically framework agreements.

What do public registers and reports show?

HMRC lists it as an importer of goods, mainly wood, printed matter, paper and paperboard. HMRC lists it as an exporter of goods, mainly wood, plastics, glues and enzymes. In its latest payment practices report it took an average of 31 days to pay suppliers, and 12% of invoices were not paid within agreed terms. Its gender pay gap report for 2025/26 shows median hourly pay for women 10.5% higher than for men. It has modern slavery statements on the government registry for 5 years.

Who runs and controls the company?

One person with significant control is registered.

When are its next filings due?

The next accounts are due by 31 Dec 2026. The next confirmation statement is due by 5 Sep 2027.

Filed accounts2023/24–2024/25
2023/24 †2024/25 †
Turnover355,610,000354,102,000
Profit for the year22,417,00019,979,000
Cash at bank and in hand72,453,00068,309,000
Total assets246,723,000259,845,000
Total liabilities51,550,00056,193,000
Net assets / total equity195,173,000203,652,000
Average number of employees24,87626,172

A dash (—) means no accounts were filed for that year or the item is not in the accounts; 0 is a zero stated in the accounts. Small companies usually file only a balance sheet, so the profit and loss account is often missing.

Public contracts

4 contracts

LATHAMS LIMITED is named as a supplier in 4 public contract award notices from 2 public sector buyers since 2020. The 2 contracts awarded to it alone with a published value add up to £90.1k. 1 award is shared with other suppliers and not counted in that total.

Contracts per year
Main buyers2
West Midlands Fire Service
2 contracts · £90.1k
Ministry of Justice
2 contracts
Contracts
  1. Supply of Timber Materials‡Ministry of Justice
  2. Supply of Timber Materials Framework‡Ministry of Justice · shared by 3 suppliers, up to £10,000,000 in total · runs until Oct 2027
  3. Supply and Delivery of Oriented Strand Board (OSB 3) with Off Cuts for West Midlands Fire and Rescue AuthorityWest Midlands Fire Service · £49,525
  4. SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF ORIENTED STRAND BOARD (OSB) INCLUDING OFFCUTS TO WEST MIDLANDS FIREWest Midlands Fire Service · £40,616

From contract award notices on Contracts Finder (since 2016) and Find a Tender (since 2021), published by the Cabinet Office under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Values are as published by the buyer and usually cover the whole contract term; the total leaves out awards shared between several suppliers, where the published figure is a ceiling for all of them, placeholder values and single figures of £1 billion or more. Notices marked ‡ do not state a company number and were linked by an exact match on the registered name. Contracts below the publication thresholds and those of devolved buyers that publish elsewhere are not included.

Statutory reporting

Payment practices1 Apr 2026 – 30 Sep 2026
Average time taken to pay invoices
31 days
Invoices not paid within agreed terms
12%
Standard payment terms
7–90 days
Member of a payment code
No
  • Within 30 days 51%
  • 31 to 60 days 44%
  • After 60 days 5%
Earlier periods (7)
Period ending
Days to pay
Within 30 days
Late
31 Mar 2026
31
52%
16%
30 Sep 2025
31
52%
15%
31 Mar 2025
30
50%
16%
30 Sep 2024
33
49%
14%
31 Mar 2024
33
48%
14%
30 Sep 2023
34
45%
13%
31 Mar 2023
31
50%
13%

View the latest report on GOV.UK

Gender pay gap2025/26
Median hourly pay
women 10.5% higher
Mean hourly pay
no gap
Median bonus pay
women 5.3% lower
Employer size
500 to 999 employees
Lower pay quarter5.8% womenLower middle8.7% womenUpper middle18.2% womenUpper pay quarter13% women
Earlier years (8)
Year
Median hourly pay
Mean hourly pay
2024/25
women 16.3% higher
women 4.1% higher
2023/24
women 12.8% higher
women 2.3% higher
2022/23
women 12.6% higher
women 6.1% lower
2021/22
women 12.4% higher
women 2.3% lower
2020/21
women 17% higher
women 2.6% higher
2019/20
women 17.7% higher
women 4.9% higher
2018/19
women 30.8% higher
women 5.7% higher
2017/18
women 34% higher
women 5% higher

A positive gap means women's average hourly pay is lower than men's across the whole employer; it is not a comparison of pay for the same work. View on the Gender pay gap service

Modern slavery statements5
2025
Statement · summary on GOV.UK
2024
Statement · summary on GOV.UK
2023
Statement · summary on GOV.UK
Earlier years (2)
2022
Statement · summary on GOV.UK
2020
Statement · summary on GOV.UK

Figures the company reported itself to the government's Check payment practices service, Gender pay gap service and Modern slavery statement registry (Open Government Licence v3.0). Only large companies and employers with 250 or more staff have to report, so most companies have nothing here.

Registers and licences

International trade‡

Listed by HMRC as an importer of goods in 12 of the last 12 months on record, most recently August 2026. Main goods: wood, printed matter, paper and paperboard, aluminium and tools and cutlery.

Listed by HMRC as an exporter of goods in 12 of the last 12 months on record, most recently August 2026. Main goods: wood, plastics, glues and enzymes and explosives and matches.

From HMRC's monthly lists of importers and exporters. Traders can ask to be left off the lists, so absence does not mean a company does not trade.

Sources: Charity Commission for England and Wales, Care Quality Commission, Home Office and HM Revenue & Customs, under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Entries marked ‡ come from lists that do not state a company number and were linked by an exact match on the registered name.

History

4 events
  1. Financial year 2024/25 endedAccounts: turnover £354.1m, net assets £203.7m, 26,172 employees
  2. Financial year 2023/24 endedAccounts: turnover £355.6m, net assets £195.2m, 24,876 employees
  3. James Latham Plc registered as a person with significant control
  4. Company incorporatedPrivate limited company

Dates as recorded at Companies House: incorporation, name changes, officer appointments and resignations, current persons with significant control, and the end of each financial year with figures in the database. Former persons with significant control are not listed.