The directors present the strategic report for the year ended 31 March 2024.
Total turnover for the year to 31 March 2024 increased by 11.7% - from £12.2m to £13.7m reflecting growth in both business volumes and market pricing.
Overall gross margin increased to 40.5% as a result of inflationary pressure on direct costs easing together with positive measures to improve efficiency and manage the cost base.
The above referenced improved business performance led to an increase in operating profit to £1.7m and with considerably better returns on cash and other investments, profit before taxation increased to £2.1m.
The directors are pleased with the results for the year and with the group’s financial position as reflected by net assets at 31 March 2024 of £15.7m.
The group is exposed to fluctuations in commodity prices as referred to above, particularly raw materials (zinc, mainly) and energy.
Although inflation has reduced considerably, control of some direct costs remains challenging (notably labour as referred to below) and there is a risk of negative impact on margins due to market pressure on selling prices.
The labour market shows little sign of improving so the difficulties in recruiting and retaining employees, particularly at factory level, are likely to persist.
The directors are satisfied that all available measures to monitor and manage these risks are in place.
The directors manage the main areas of the business using a broad range of key financial performance indicators designed to ensure regular, tight monitoring and control of all operational activity. These financial indicators focus mainly on revenue growth and operating margin and with regard to the latter, specific ratios to measure the effectiveness of labour and raw material consumption are analysed in detail, allowing real time management and control of key aspects of operational performance.
There are also non-financial key performance indicators used to ensure continuous improvement in Health & Safety, Quality and Environmental performance.
Substantial capital investment is planned for both of the group’s operating sites and this together with increased commitment to measures to improve the development and wellbeing of people will enable strategic and operational objectives to be achieved.
On behalf of the board
The directors present their report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024.
The results for the year are set out on page 8.
Dividends amounting to £233,164 (2023 - £173,572) have been paid as disclosed in note 11. The directors do not recommend payment of a further dividend.
The directors who held office during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were as follows:
The auditor, Johnston Carmichael LLP, is deemed to be reappointed under section 487(2) of the Companies Act 2006.
We have audited the financial statements of Highland Metal Developments Limited ('the parent company') and its subsidiaries ('the group') for the year ended 31 March 2024 which comprise of the Group Statement of Comprehensive Income, Group Balance Sheet, Company Balance Sheet, Group Statement of Changes in Equity, Company Statement of Changes in Equity, Group Statement of Cash Flows and notes to the financial statements, including 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).
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 Auditor responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the group 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 group's and parent 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 other information comprises the information included in the Annual Report other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The directors are responsible for the other information contained within the Annual Report. 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. 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 course of 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 our audit:
The information given in the strategic report and the directors' report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
The strategic report and the directors' report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
In the light of our knowledge and understanding of the group and the parent company and their environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the strategic report and the directors' report.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
Adequate accounting records have not been kept by the parent company, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
The parent company 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.
As explained more fully in the Statement of directors' responsibilities set out on page 2, 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 is 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 group and parent 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 group or parent company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
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 an auditor's report 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.
A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council's website at: http://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor's report.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.
We assessed whether the engagement team collectively had the appropriate competence and capabilities to identify or recognise non-compliance with laws and regulations by considering their experience, past performance and support available.
All engagement team members were briefed on relevant identified laws and regulations and potential fraud risks at the planning stage of the audit. Engagement team members were reminded to remain alert to any indications of fraud or non-compliance with laws and regulations throughout the audit.
We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks that are applicable to the group and the parent company and the sector in which they operate, focusing on those provisions that had a direct effect on the determination of material amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The most relevant frameworks we identified include:
UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practices;
Companies Act 2006;
Corporation Tax Act 2010;
Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA); and
Health and Safety Regulations
We gained an understanding of how the group and parent company are complying with these laws and regulations by making enquiries of management and those charged with governance. We corroborated these enquiries through our review of submitted reviews, external inspections, relevant correspondence with regulatory bodies and board meeting minutes.
We assessed the susceptibility of the group's and parent company's financial statements to material misstatement, including how fraud might occur, by meeting with management and those charged with governance to understand where it was considered there was susceptibility to fraud. This evaluation also considered how management and those charged with governance were remunerated and whether this provided an incentive for fraudulent activity. We considered the overall control environment and how management and those charged with governance oversee the implementation and operation of controls. In areas of the financial statements where the risks were considered to be higher, we performed procedures to address each identified risk. We identified a heightened fraud risk in relation to:
Management override of controls
Revenue recognition
Zinc stock valuation
In addition to the above, the following procedures were performed to provide reasonable assurance that the financial statements were free of material fraud or error:
Reviewing minutes of meetings of those charged with governance for reference to: breaches of laws and regulation or for any indication of any potential litigation and claims; and events or conditions that could indicate an incentive or pressure to commit fraud or provide an opportunity to commit fraud;
Reviewing the level of and reasoning behind the group’s and parent company's procurement of legal and professional services;
Performing audit work procedures over the risk of management override of controls, including testing of journal entries and other adjustments for appropriateness, evaluating the business rationale of significant transactions outside the normal course of business and reviewing judgements made by management and those charged with governance in their calculation of accounting estimates for potential management bias;
Performing audit work procedures to confirm the completeness and cut off of revenue;
Performing audit work procedures over the risk of zinc stock valuation, including testing of the relevant usage adjustments;
Completion of appropriate checklists and use of our experience to assess the group’s and parent company's compliance with the Companies Act 2006; and
Agreement of the financial statement disclosures to supporting documentation.
Our audit procedures were designed to respond to the risk of material misstatements in the financial statements, recognising that the risk of not detecting a material misstatement due to fraud is higher than the risk of not detecting one resulting from error, as fraud may involve intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation. There are inherent limitations in the audit procedures performed and the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely we are to become aware of it.
Use of our report
This report is made solely to the parent 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 parent company’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the parent company and the parent company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
The statement of comprehensive income has been prepared on the basis that all operations are continuing operations.
As permitted by s408 Companies Act 2006, the company has not presented its own profit and loss account and related notes. The company’s profit for the year was £223,164 (2023 - £173,572 profit).
Highland Metal Developments Limited ("the company") is a company limited by shares incorporated and domiciled in Scotland. The registered office is Pinefield Industrial Estate, ELGIN, IV30 6FG.
The group consists of Highland Metal Developments Limited and its subsidiary undertakings.
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the company. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared on the historical cost convention, modified to include certain financial instruments at fair value. The principal accounting policies are set out below.
The company is a qualifying entity for the purposes of FRS 102, being a member of a group where the parent of that group prepares publicly available consolidated financial statements, including this company, which are intended to give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the group. The company has therefore taken advantage of exemptions from the following disclosure requirements for parent company information presented within the consolidated financial statements:
Section 7 ‘Statement of Cash Flows’: Presentation of a statement of cash flow and related notes and disclosures;
Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instrument Issues’: Carrying amounts, interest income/expense and net gains/losses for each category of financial instrument; basis of determining fair values; details of collateral, loan defaults or breaches, details of hedges, hedging fair value changes recognised in profit or loss and in other comprehensive income;
Section 33 ‘Related Party Disclosures’: Compensation for key management personnel.
At the time of approving the financial statements, the directors have a reasonable expectation that the group has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the
directors continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
Turnover represents amounts receivable for galvanizing and powder coating services net of VAT and trade discounts.
Revenue from the sale of goods is recognised when the significant risks and rewards of ownership of the goods have passed to the buyer (usually on despatch of the goods), the amount of revenue can be measured reliably, it is probable that the economic benefits associated with the transaction will flow to the group and the costs incurred or to be incurred in respect of the transaction can be measured reliably.
The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in the profit and loss account.
Land is not depreciated.
Interests in subsidiaries are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost less any accumulated impairment losses. The investments are assessed for impairment at each reporting date and any impairment losses or reversals of impairment losses are recognised immediately in the profit and loss account.
A subsidiary is an entity controlled by the group. Control is the power to govern the financial and operating policies of the entity so as to obtain benefits from its activities.
Listed investments are measured at fair value with any impairment losses being recognised through the profit and loss account immediately.
At each reporting end date, the group reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).
The group has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.
Financial instruments are recognised in the group's balance sheet when the group becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.
Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.
Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs.
Other financial assets, including investments in equity instruments which are not subsidiaries, associates or joint ventures, are initially measured at fair value, which is normally the transaction price. Such assets are subsequently carried at fair value and the changes in fair value are recognised in the profit and loss account.
Financial assets, other than those held at fair value through profit and loss, are assessed for indicators of impairment at each reporting end date.
Financial assets are derecognised only when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire or are settled, or when the group transfers the financial asset and substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to another entity, or if some significant risks and rewards of ownership are retained but control of the asset has transferred to another party that is able to sell the asset in its entirety to an unrelated third party.
Basic financial liabilities
Basic financial liabilities, including creditors, are recognised at transaction price.
Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of business from suppliers. Accounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the group's contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
Equity instruments issued by the group are recorded at the proceeds received, net of transaction costs. Dividends payable on equity instruments are recognised as liabilities once they are no longer at the discretion of the group.
The tax expense represents the sum of the tax currently payable and deferred tax.
The tax currently payable is based on taxable profit for the year. Taxable profit differs from net profit as reported in the profit and loss account because it excludes items of income or expense that are taxable or deductible in other years and it further excludes items that are never taxable or deductible. The group’s liability for current tax is calculated using tax rates that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the reporting end date.
Deferred tax is provided in full on timing differences which result in an obligation at the balance sheet date to pay more tax, or right to pay less tax, at a future date, at rates expected to apply when they crystallise based on current tax rates and law. Timing differences arise from the inclusion of items of income and expenditure in taxation computations in periods different from those in which they are included in the financial statements. Deferred tax assets are recognised to the extent that it is regarded as more likely than not they will be recovered. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are not discounted.
The costs of short-term employee benefits are recognised as a liability and an expense.
The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.
Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.
Rental income from operating leases is recognised on a straight line basis over the term of the relevant lease. Initial direct costs incurred in negotiating and arranging an operating lease are added to the carrying amount of the leased asset and recognised on a straight line basis over the lease term.
Government grants are recognised in accordance with the accruals model. Grants relating to an asset are recognised in income systematically over the asset's expected useful life. If part of such a grant is deferred it is recognised as deferred income rather than being deducted from the asset's carrying amount.
Transactions in currencies other than pounds sterling are recorded at the rates of exchange prevailing at the dates of the transactions. At each reporting end date, monetary assets and liabilities that are denominated in foreign currencies are retranslated at the rates prevailing on the reporting end date. Gains and losses arising on translation in the period are included in profit or loss.
In the application of the group’s accounting policies, the directors are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated 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 where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
The estimates and assumptions which have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amount of assets and liabilities are as follows.
The calculation of the value of the zinc held in the kettles of £867,638 (2023 - £935,838) which is included within raw materials and consumables stock, is based on the total quantity held, which remains relatively constant and which in turn is made up of the estimated tonnage of zinc itself (valued at cost) and the estimated tonnage of residues (valued at estimated realisable value).
An analysis of the group's turnover is as follows:
The average monthly number of persons (including directors) employed by the group and company during the year was:
Their aggregate remuneration comprised:
Investment income includes the following:
The actual charge for the year can be reconciled to the expected charge for the year based on the profit or loss and the standard rate of tax as follows:
An increase in the UK corporation tax rate from 19% to 25% (effective from 1 April 2023) was substantively enacted on 24 May 2021.
Deferred tax has been calculated using the rate effective in the period it is expected to reverse.
Freehold land with a value of £185,618 (2023 - £185,618) has not been depreciated.
Listed investments comprise of publicly traded shares which are held at their fair value. The historic cost of these investments are £3,209,022 (2023 - £3,181,658).
The change in fair value of these investments has been established through assessing the market value of the investments at the year-end.
Details of the company's subsidiaries at 31 March 2024 are as follows:
The registered office address of the subsidiaries is Pinefield Industrial Estate, Elgin, IV30 6FG.
The group received an initial government grant in 2003 of £480,000, which is amortised over 25 years, with a balance of £93,992 included in the total above at the year end. The conditions of the grant have been satisfied.
A further grant was received in 2012 of £187,500, which has also been amortised over 25 years, with a balance of £90,523 included in the total above at the year end.
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset where the group or company has a legally enforceable right to do so. The following is the analysis of the deferred tax balances (after offset) for financial reporting purposes:
A defined contribution pension scheme is operated for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the group in an independently administered fund.
The capital redemption reserve records the nominal value of shares repurchased by the company.
Amounts contracted for but not provided in the financial statements:
The company has taken advantage of the exemption with FRS 102 Section 33 paragraph 33.1A, not to disclose transactions entered into between two or more members of the group, as the company is the parent of the group to which it is party to the transactions.
Dividends totalling £223,164 (2023 - £173,572) were paid in the year in respect of shares held by the company's directors.