JTM Census

The Owner Census, October 2026

The Owner 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
  1. Owner aged 60 or over7,895
  2. No one under 50 in place4,810
  3. 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 bandOwner 60 or overNo one under 50 in placeOf those, headcount growing
10 to 100 staff7,8954,8101,706
1 to 9 staff37,99030,8962,605

Want the count for your sectors and regions?

The breakdown by sector and by region isn't published on this site. Email [email protected] with the sectors, regions and size band you're interested in, and we'll send the count for your brief. Any count below 10 is given as 'under 10'.

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.
MeasureCompanies
Company websites read320
Capable and independent95
Already in a growth market67
Capable but not yet in one28

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.
MarketCapable companies
Data centres42
Defence33
Grid27
Batteries and EV23
Rail18
Water12
Nuclear11
Wind11
Heat8

How is the census measured?

Source
The public Companies House register.
The test
A controlling owner aged 60 or over, and no current director or individual owner under 50.
Figures
As at October 2026. The full method is shared with acquirers 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.