The Owner Census, October 2026

The Owner Census

Name: The Owner Census, October 2026
License: Free to quote with credit to JTM Census

4,810 UK companies with 10 to 100 staff, and 30,896 with 1 to 9, have a controlling owner aged 60 or over and no current director or individual owner under 50. Measured from the public Companies House register, figures as at October 2026. Free to quote with credit to JTM Census.

How many UK companies have no successor in place?

Of 414,601 active companies in 27 industrial and service sectors, 7,895 with 10 to 100 staff have a controlling owner aged 60 or over. 4,810 of those also have no current director or individual owner under 50, and 1,706 of those 4,810 are growing their headcount. Among companies with 1 to 9 staff the figures are 37,990, 30,896 and 2,605.

Companies with 10 to 100 staff, October 2026

Owner aged 60 or over7,895
No one under 50 in place4,810
Of those, headcount growing1,706

Companies meeting each stage of the test, by size bandActive UK companies in 27 industrial and service sectors. Figures as at October 2026.
Size band	Owner 60 or over	No one under 50 in place	Of those, headcount growing
10 to 100 staff	7,895	4,810	1,706
1 to 9 staff	37,990	30,896	2,605

How many companies are there, by sector, region and staff band?

Those figures are coming. They'll be published here, dated, with any count below 10 given as 'under 10'. Until then, email [email protected] with the sectors, regions and size band you're interested in and we'll send the count for your brief.

Figures comingThe count search works once the census counts are published here.

Which suppliers have the capability?

In a first read of 320 company websites, all independent metal, electrical and machinery makers with 10 to 100 staff, 95 were capable and independent. 67 already serve a growth market and 28 have the machines and certificates but don't yet. Capable means a score of 2 or more on a 0 to 3 scale, judged from the company's own website.

Supplier capability, first readIndependent metal, electrical and machinery makers with 10 to 100 staff.
Measure	Companies
Company websites read	320
Capable and independent	95
Already in a growth market	67
Capable but not yet in one	28

By market: data centres 42, defence 33, grid 27, batteries and EV 23, rail 18, water 12, nuclear 11, wind 11 and heat 8. One company can count in several markets.

Capable companies by marketCapable means a score of 2 or more on a 0 to 3 scale. One company can count in several markets.
Market	Capable companies
Data centres	42
Defence	33
Grid	27
Batteries and EV	23
Rail	18
Water	12
Nuclear	11
Wind	11
Heat	8

How is the census measured?

The exact test behind each figure, one sentence each.

Companies: Active companies on the public register with a headcount in their latest filed accounts, after dormant companies, holding companies with no staff and trustees are removed.
Staff band: Average headcount from the latest filed accounts, placed in a band.
Sector: The company's main activity as recorded on the register, in plain sector names.
Region: The region of the registered office.
Owner 60 or over: A controlling owner, on the register of persons with significant control, whose month and year of birth put them at 60 or over.
Nobody under 50 in place: No current director or individual owner whose month and year of birth put them under 50.
Headcount growing: Average headcount in the latest filed accounts is above the accounts before.
Source: Companies House.
Figures: The headline figures are as at October 2026. The full method is shared with customers on request.
What's kept: Against each company, a yes or no flag only. No birth date, age or name is stored. The privacy notice says how.
Licence: Free to quote with credit to JTM Census.

What the census isn't

JTM Census isn't a business-sale marketplace or a listing site. No company or owner is named on this site, and nothing is for sale on it. JTM Census doesn't give legal, tax or financial advice.