Hull-based family business J.R. Rix & Sons records healthy profit despite pandemic and oil price slump

The Hull-based family business J.R. Rix & Sons Ltd said it had recorded a healthy profit during 2020 despite "challenging and uncertain" times brought about by the global pandemic.
Commenting on the results, Group Managing Director Rory Clarke said: “Despite obvious turmoil in some of our subsidiaries, we are pleased to announce that overall, the Group’s activities returned a healthy profit.”Commenting on the results, Group Managing Director Rory Clarke said: “Despite obvious turmoil in some of our subsidiaries, we are pleased to announce that overall, the Group’s activities returned a healthy profit.”
Commenting on the results, Group Managing Director Rory Clarke said: “Despite obvious turmoil in some of our subsidiaries, we are pleased to announce that overall, the Group’s activities returned a healthy profit.”

A slump in demand for petroleum products during lockdown, as well as an accompanying fall in oil prices, resulted in a 22 per cent drop in group turnover, down from £509.3m in 2019 to £396.8m last year.

Pre-tax profit remained in line with expectations, however, at £4.7m.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Commenting on the results, group managing director Rory Clarke said: “Despite obvious turmoil in some of our subsidiaries, we are pleased to announce that overall, the group’s activities returned a healthy profit.”

J.R. Rix and Son’s largest subsidiary, Rix Petroleum, sold an average of five per cent less fuel by volume in 2020 compared with the year before, although demand in the retail and commercial and road fuel sectors fell significantly further as the country went into lockdown.

However, the single biggest factor influencing revenue performance in the 12 months to December 31 2020, was the slump in the price of crude oil, the company said.

The price fell sharply in early 2020 and remained well below the 2019 average for most of the year, only recovering in the winter.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

This resulted in Rix Petroleum reporting a drop in sales from £379.4m in 2019 to £304.1m last year.

The statement added: "Other areas of the group were also impacted by the ongoing COVID situation, with the worst affected subsidiaries receiving government support, as well as support from the parent company."

J.R. Rix & Son’s motor division – Jordan Cars – which sells Fiat, Jeep, and Alfa Romeo as well as used vehicles, was forced to close its showroom for four months during lockdown in line with other motor retailers, resulting in a turnover drop of 35 per cent.

Victory Leisure Homes, the company’s holiday home and lodge manufacturing business, shut its factory doors for 11 weeks as UK holiday parks remained closed for large parts of the year, and this, along with overstocking in the wider holiday home sector, resulted in a 20 per cent fall in annual revenue.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Clarke said that 2020 had been a satisfactory year given the clear and difficult challenges the company and wider UK economy had faced.

He added that Rix Shipping saw a £3.5m growth in turnover – up from £14.5m in 2019 to £18m last year – due to tight control of operational costs and significant investment in warehousing in Montrose, Scotland, which lead to securing long-term contracts in the agricultural sector.

Mr Clarke said: “Like a great many businesses in the UK and globally, the ongoing COVID situation has impacted on the group.

“The decrease in revenue is largely attributable to significantly lower oil prices for the majority of 2020, although those businesses most impacted by consumer demand were cars and holiday homes, which benefitted from both government support and from the parent company.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“However, it is by no means all bad news. Some subsidiaries in the group were relatively unaffected by the pandemic and others benefitted from volatile markets and increased demand.

“Therefore, whereas 2020 was a mixed bag for J.R. Rix & Sons, we feel the business achieved a good result in challenging and uncertain times.”

J.R. Rix & Son’s strategy continues to be one of reinvesting profit into opportunities it identifies through new business development, along with targeted acquisitions, the statement said.

Support The Yorkshire Post and become a subscriber today. Your subscription will help us to continue to bring quality news to the people of Yorkshire. In return, you'll see fewer ads on site, get free access to our app and receive exclusive members-only offers. Click here to subscribe.

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.