U-POL LIMITED
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Cash
£7.5m
-11.5% lowest in 3 filed years
Net assets
£70m
-21.4% lowest in 3 filed years
Employees
305
-2.6% lowest in 3 filed years
Profit before tax
£7.9m
-43.1% lowest in 3 filed years
Watch the reel
Our short-form breakdown of U-POL LIMITED's latest filing
UK automotive paint maker U-Pol saw profits halve this year, but the dividend tripled ahead of a major global merger. 🚗🎨
Net assets
3-year trend · vs Basic Materials median
Accounts
3-year trend · Δ = latest vs prior filed period · latest reflected 2025-12-31
| Metric | Trend | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 | 2025-12-31 | Δ vs prior |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £105,728,000 | £100,624,000 | £92,865,000 | -7.7% | |
| Operating profit | £17,097,000 | £13,041,000 | £6,882,000 | -47.2% | |
| Profit before tax | £18,067,000 | £13,866,000 | £7,887,000 | -43.1% | |
| Net profit | £18,963,000 | £13,419,000 | £5,745,000 | -57.2% | |
| Cash | £12,749,000 | £8,503,000 | £7,524,000 | -11.5% | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £207,034,000 | £90,610,000 | £72,003,000 | -20.5% | |
| Net assets | £205,913,000 | £89,211,000 | £70,155,000 | -21.4% | |
| Equity | £205,913,000 | £89,211,000 | £70,155,000 | -21.4% | |
| Average employees | 311 | 313 | 305 | -2.6% | |
| Wages | £13,303,000 | £14,194,000 | £12,798,000 | -9.8% | |
| Directors' remuneration | £389,000 | £402,000 | £384,000 | -4.5% | |
| Directors' pension contributions | £37,000 | £22,000 | £23,000 | +4.5% | |
| Highest paid director | £296,000 | £402,000 | £384,000 | -4.5% |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. The Δ column is the change from the prior filed period as a percentage of |prior|; lines a company doesn't report show —. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 | 2025-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | 16.2% | 13.0% | 7.4% | |
| Net margin | 17.9% | 13.3% | 6.2% | |
| Return on capital employed | 8.3% | 14.4% | 9.6% | |
| Gearing (liabilities / total assets) | 21.0% | 22.8% | 23.5% | |
| Current ratio | 4.67x | 4.20x | 4.01x |
Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.
Name history
Renamed 1 time since incorporation
- U-POL LIMITED 2002-09-23 → present
- W.DAVID & SONS,LIMITED 1949-02-23 → 2002-09-23
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 102
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- Johnston Carmichael LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis which the directors consider to be appropriate. Directors are satisfied that the Company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future and that there are no material uncertainties that may cast significant doubt upon the Company's ability to continue as a going concern.”
Group structure
- U-POL LIMITED · parent
- U-POL Canada Limited 100%
- U-POL Netherlands B.V. 100%
- U-POL Russia LLC 100%
Significant events
- “During 2025 there was an undertaking to eliminate several intercompany loans in Axalta UK group that were due to mature, to help eliminate Forex exposure and to rationalise the intercompany debt structure of the group. This process entailed Contribution, Distribution and release of Intercompany Loans with U-POL Bidco Limitd.”
- “Akzo Nobel N.V. ("Akzo Nobel") and Axalta Coating Systems Limited have entered into an agreement to combine in an all-stock merger of equals, expected to complete in late 2026 or 2027, subject to approval.”
- “On 30 June 2026, UPOL Limited disposed of its subsidiary, UPOL Canada, to Axalta Coating Systems UK Limited, for further reorganisation in Canada.”
- “On 1 July 2026, U-POL Limited (the "Company") implemented a revised operating model in conjunction with its continued transformation and integration into the Axalta Group structure.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
2 active · 23 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PENTECOST, Michael Howard | Director | 2023-03-23 | Aug 1971 | New Zealander |
| YOUENS, Laura Michele | Director | 2025-03-28 | Feb 1983 | British |
Show 23 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| AYRES, Andrew John | Secretary | 2006-09-08 | 2012-05-31 |
| DAVID, Colin Michael | Secretary | — | 2002-09-27 |
| JULIEN, Jean Charles | Secretary | 2002-09-27 | 2006-09-08 |
| AYRES, Andrew John | Director | 2003-04-01 | 2012-05-31 |
| BLENKINSOPP, James Ian | Director | 2021-09-15 | 2025-03-28 |
| COOMBES, Michael John | Director | 2012-07-05 | 2021-09-15 |
| DAVID, Bernard Jacques | Director | — | 2002-09-27 |
| DAVID, Colin Michael | Director | — | 2002-09-27 |
| DAVID, Regine | Director | — | 2000-12-31 |
| DOLAN, Farrell | Director | 2021-09-15 | 2022-06-29 |
| FLETCHER, Kenneth Peter | Director | — | 2006-10-31 |
| HEWSON, Mark David Stuart | Director | 2012-01-05 | 2012-11-29 |
| JULIEN, Jean Charles | Director | — | 2010-09-06 |
| LUCY, Brian | Director | — | 1994-05-20 |
| LUCY, Nicholas Hugh | Director | 1996-03-31 | 2011-04-01 |
| MAY, Philip John | Director | 2009-05-20 | 2015-10-12 |
| METZ, Thomas Horst Felix | Director | 2005-06-01 | 2012-12-14 |
| MORTON, Kelvin | Director | 1996-03-31 | 1998-12-22 |
| O'MALLEY, Michael | Director | — | 1994-12-27 |
| POOLE, Mark Andrew, Dr | Director | 2012-01-05 | 2014-03-18 |
| TANN, Michael John | Director | 2000-01-01 | 2009-06-30 |
| WILLIAMS, Guy Hampson | Director | 2022-06-29 | 2023-03-23 |
| WILLIAMS, Guy Hampson | Director | 2015-10-12 | 2021-09-15 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axalta Coating Systems Uk Holding Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100% (as firm), Appoints directors, Significant influence (as firm) | 2024-05-15 | Active |
| U-Pol Products Ltd | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors | 2016-04-06 | Ceased 2024-05-15 |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 202 total filings
Material constitutional events — rename, articles re-file, resolution
- 2024-05-18 RESOLUTIONS Resolution
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-10 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2026-05-20 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2025-09-29 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-06-06 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2025-03-31 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2025-03-31 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2025-03-28 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2025-03-28 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2025-02-28 | MR01 | mortgage | Mortgage create with deed with charge number charge creation date | |
| 2024-08-19 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-05-31 | PSC02 | persons-with-significant-control | Notification of a person with significant control | |
| 2024-05-31 | PSC07 | persons-with-significant-control | Cessation of a person with significant control | |
| 2024-05-31 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2024-05-18 | RESOLUTIONS | resolution | Resolution | |
| 2024-05-13 | SH01 | capital | Capital allotment shares | |
| 2024-02-14 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-08-24 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-04-19 | MR04 | mortgage | Mortgage satisfy charge full | |
| 2023-04-17 | MR01 | mortgage | Mortgage create with deed with charge number charge creation date | |
| 2023-04-04 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 2
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 0
- Officers resigned
- 0
last 12 months
last 24 months
last 12 months
last 12 months
Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.