Liverpool industrial lubricants manufacturer RS Clare, the oldest trading business in the city dating back to 1748, pays shareholders £6m in dividends despite revenues falling slightly to £30.2m. Tony McDonough reports
Liverpool’s oldest trading business RS Clare is reporting a “resilient” trading performance with revenues falling slightly and pre-tax profits rising slightly.
And these latest results for the 12 months to December 31, 2025, posted on Companies House, reveal a £6m dividends windfall for shareholders taking the dividends total to £12m over a two-year period.
Dating back to 1748, RS Clare is a manufacturer of industrial lubricants. More than 70% of its sales are to overseas markets and it exports its products to around 50 countries. They are used in oil and gas, rail, maritime, industrial and thermoplastics sectors.
According to the latest accounts, revenues for the year fell 5% to £30.2m while pre-tax profits rose by 2.5% to £8.1m. Net assets at RS Clare were also up to £12.1m from £11.6m.
Writing in the annual report, managing director David Meadows said: “The financial year 2025 has been characterised by a resilient performance despite a reduction in turnover. The improvement in gross and net profit margins reflects continued focus on operational efficiency, cost control and sales mix.
“The company maintained a disciplined approach to pricing and procurement, which has supported profitability in a more challenging trading environment. Trading conditions during the year remained mixed, with varying levels of demand across the companies end markets and geographies.
“Certain areas of the business experienced softer volumes, particularly in more economically sensitive segments, while core specialist products continue to perform consistently.”
Based in Stanhope Street in the Baltic Triangle, where it employed 86 people during the year, RS Clare was founded by Richard Clare in 1748 at the start of the Industrial Revolution as a chemist, druggist and dry-salter.
Lubricants were developed as a result of the first mineral oil being imported into the Mersey River in 1889. This was the year the Meadows family acquired the business and managing director David Meadows is the sixth generation of his family to run the firm.
In January 2023 it acquired Swiss based railway lubrication business, Igralub Holding. The deal included subsidiaries in Switzerland, Germany and Austria, and its share of a joint venture in North America.
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In 2023 RS Clare said it was making its “biggest ever” investment in its history with the expansion of its grease plant in Liverpool, although it did not reveal the value of this investment.
David added: “The company continues to benefit from the significant capital investment program undertaken in recent years… we see strong demand for our products in our key markets and strategic priorities for the coming year include further market expansion.”