DS SMITH BUSINESS SERVICES LIMITED
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Next accounts due
2026-09-30 (in 4mo)
Last filed for 2025-04-30
Confirmation statement due
2026-06-26 (in 1mo)
Last made up 2025-06-12
Watchouts
Cash
£791K
+1,739.5% vs 2024
Net assets
£31M
+6.5% highest in 5 filed years
Employees
125
+7.8% highest in 5 filed years
Profit before tax
£2M
+11.6% highest in 5 filed years
Watchouts
Facts from the Companies House register and the latest accounts — not a rating
-
3 officer resignations in last 12 months
Multiple officers have left the board recently — see the People section for who.
Net assets
8-year trend · vs Industrials median
Accounts
8-year trend · latest reflected 2025-04-30
| Metric | Trend | 2020-05-01 | 2021-04-30 | 2021-05-01 | 2022-04-30 | 2022-05-01 | 2023-04-30 | 2024-04-30 | 2025-04-30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | — | £7,365,000 | — | £6,276,000 | — | £5,600,000 | £5,880,000 | £6,649,000 | |
| Operating profit | — | £827,000 | — | £1,034,000 | — | £157,000 | -£60,000 | £190,000 | |
| Profit before tax | — | £755,000 | — | £995,000 | — | £905,000 | £1,610,000 | £1,797,000 | |
| Net profit | — | £594,000 | — | £1,130,000 | — | £903,000 | £1,066,000 | £1,887,000 | |
| Cash | — | -£2,193,000 | — | £892,000 | — | £292,000 | £43,000 | £791,000 | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | — | -£1,817,000 | — | £2,296,000 | — | £28,465,000 | £29,591,000 | £31,466,000 | |
| Net assets | — | -£1,903,000 | — | £2,227,000 | — | £28,130,000 | £29,196,000 | £31,083,000 | |
| Equity | -£2,497,000 | -£1,903,000 | -£1,903,000 | £2,227,000 | £2,227,000 | £28,130,000 | £29,196,000 | £31,083,000 | |
| Average employees | — | 121 | — | 102 | — | 104 | 116 | 125 | |
| Wages | — | £3,493,000 | — | £3,300,000 | — | £3,313,000 | £3,927,000 | £4,342,000 | |
| Directors' remuneration | — | £229,000 | — | £159,000 | — | — | — | — |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. About these numbers
Year-on-year
FY2024 → FY2025 · period ending 2025-04-30 vs 2024-04-30
-
Turnover
+13.1%
£5,880,000 £6,649,000
-
Cash
+1,739.5%
£43,000 £791,000
-
Net assets
+6.5%
£29,196,000 £31,083,000
highest in 5 filed years
-
Employees
+7.8%
116 125
highest in 5 filed years
-
Operating profit
+416.7%
-£60,000 £190,000
first positive since 2024
-
Profit before tax
+11.6%
£1,610,000 £1,797,000
highest in 5 filed years
-
Wages
+10.6%
£3,927,000 £4,342,000
highest in 5 filed years
Each % is (latest − prior) ÷ |prior| for the line item as filed. The comparison is only shown when the latest and prior accounts cover broadly equal-length periods — short or long stubs (typical around incorporation or a year-end change) are suppressed rather than misrepresented. Lines a company doesn't report are omitted. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2020-05-01 | 2021-04-30 | 2021-05-01 | 2022-04-30 | 2022-05-01 | 2023-04-30 | 2024-04-30 | 2025-04-30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | — | 11.2% | — | 16.5% | — | 2.8% | -1.0% | 2.9% | |
| Net margin | — | 8.1% | — | 18.0% | — | 16.1% | 18.1% | 28.4% | |
| Return on capital employed | — | -45.5% | — | 45.0% | — | 0.6% | -0.2% | 0.6% | |
| Current ratio | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1.05x | 1.10x | |
| Interest cover | — | 11.49x | — | 26.51x | — | — | -0.62x | 0.79x |
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.
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 101
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- Ernst & Young LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“The financial statements have been prepared using the going concern basis of accounting. The Company has been issued a support letter from its intermediate parent company, DS Smith Limited, confirming ongoing financial support in meeting liabilities as they fall due for a period of at least 12 months from the day of approval of accounts, subject to unforeseen circumstances.”
Significant events
- “On 31 January 2025, the DS Smith Group combined with the US-listed International Paper Group to create a new global leader in sustainable packaging solutions.”
- “On 29 January 2026, International Paper announced its intent to form two independent, public companies through the separation of its North America and EMEA businesses. The separation is expected to be completed in 12-15 months, subject to satisfaction of certain customary conditions.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
4 active · 17 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WOOD, Katie Rosa | Secretary | 2026-02-13 | — | — |
| FURMSTON, Nicholas James | Director | 2025-12-16 | Jan 1970 | British |
| JONES, Jeffrey Cantine | Director | 2016-09-05 | Sep 1966 | American |
| SIMPKINS, Erich | Director | 2026-02-13 | Nov 1974 | American |
Show 17 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| OLUYINKA, Kafayat Bisola | Secretary | 2025-03-21 | 2026-02-13 |
| STEELE, Anne | Secretary | 2012-06-21 | 2018-10-31 |
| STONE, Zillah Wendy | Secretary | 2018-10-31 | 2025-03-21 |
| BRERETON, Christopher Thomas Arthur | Director | 2012-06-21 | 2014-06-16 |
| CARTER, Stephen David | Director | 2016-01-21 | 2016-09-02 |
| DRYDEN, Stephen William | Director | 2012-06-21 | 2013-06-28 |
| GRANT, Clark Alexander | Director | 2017-02-10 | 2022-04-30 |
| HARWOOD, Keith William | Director | 2012-09-24 | 2013-02-07 |
| HICKS, William Beverley | Director | 2015-07-21 | 2025-09-30 |
| JENKINS, Gareth Paul | Director | 2014-06-16 | 2015-04-01 |
| JENNINGS, Alexander Paul | Director | 2021-12-03 | 2023-05-05 |
| JOWETT, Matthew Paul | Director | 2012-06-21 | 2016-01-21 |
| KNOWLES, Sharon | Director | 2015-04-01 | 2017-02-10 |
| MARSH, Adrian Ross Thomas | Director | 2013-09-24 | 2015-07-21 |
| MATTHEWS, David John | Director | 2013-06-28 | 2014-01-16 |
| PIKE, Richard Neil | Director | 2023-08-10 | 2025-02-04 |
| PIPER, Lauren Kate | Director | 2023-11-27 | 2025-11-20 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ds Smith Holdings Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors | 2016-04-06 | Active |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 76 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-20 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2026-02-18 | TM02 | officers | Termination secretary company with name termination date | |
| 2026-02-18 | AP03 | officers | Appoint person secretary company with name date | |
| 2026-02-16 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2026-02-07 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2026-02-03 | AA01 | accounts | Change account reference date company previous shortened | |
| 2025-12-18 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2025-11-21 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2025-10-28 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2025-06-12 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2025-03-27 | TM02 | officers | Termination secretary company with name termination date | |
| 2025-03-27 | AP03 | officers | Appoint person secretary company with name date | |
| 2025-02-06 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2025-01-17 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-10-23 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2024-06-12 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-01-21 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-11-29 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2023-08-11 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2023-06-15 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 10
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 3
- Officers resigned
- 3
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.