A.BUTLER & SONS LIMITED
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 72/100. Strong seller-intent signal (72/100, director aged 60). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 3 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
Refinance opportunity
4 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 35.6y
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 35.6 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (79/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsHover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2024-12-31 | 2023-12-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 1000 | 1000 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
2 signals detected in this company's narrative notes — going-concern language, audit opinion, contingent liabilities, related-party transactions.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Recent activity
Corporate timeline (30 events)Click to expand
- 2025-08-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-12-18📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2024-09-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-09-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-11-18📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC02
- 2022-09-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-06-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-09-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-08-03📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2019-08-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-12-11📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2018-09-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-09-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2016-08-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2015-11-30📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2014-03-18➖HORSLEY, Robin Andrew resigneddirector
- 2007-12-10🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2006-01-26🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 2006-01-26🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2005-09-23➕CALDWELL, Lynda appointedsecretary
- 2005-09-23➖HORSLEY, Pamela Mary resignedsecretary
- 2000-11-20🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1998-07-04➕CALDWELL, James Rankin appointeddirector
- 1998-07-04➖HORSLEY, Philip Geoffrey resigneddirector
- 1998-01-16🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Nationwide Building Society
- 1998-01-16🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 1995-02-10➖HORSLEY, Lilian Georgina resigneddirector
- 1994-01-25🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1990-11-25🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Midland Bank PLC
- 1917-05-17🏢Company incorporatedAs A.BUTLER & SONS LIMITED
Owner dependency
The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 28 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 60 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
- secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 60. Early succession window.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 28 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 109 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
- supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.
Red flags
1 med ·Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Group structure
A. Butler & Sons (Holdings) Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
A. Butler & Sons (Holdings) Limited Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 06/04/2016 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mr James Rankin Caldwellceased 01/05/2016· board control
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
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7 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Company details
Registered office
Filing status
Officers (2 active · 4 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 20/11/2000 | 26/01/2006 | |
| satisfied | Nationwide Nationwide Building Society | Legal charge | 1 property | 16/01/1998 | 10/12/2007 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 25/01/1994 | 26/01/2006 | |
| satisfied | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Fixed and floating charge | 1 property | 25/11/1990 | 16/01/1998 |