B.COOKE & SON,LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
00224604 · ltd · incorporated 1927-09-23
Investment thesis
Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.
Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.
Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.
Opportunity decay
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 30.6y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Mar 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 52220
Sector: Transportation & storage
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 75-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 80/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 75). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 1 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
1 live charge · oldest 30.6y
65/100
clean up first
Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.
- · Oldest live charge is 30.6 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (70/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
1 year of iXBRL accounts extracted (no YoY comparison) + narrative notes parsed
50
Lenders & charges
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
9 officers (3 active, 9 linked, 7 with DOB)
86
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 4 total, 4 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
111 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
80/100Exceptional
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
75
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Key financials
1 year extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2025-03-31 |
|---|---|
| Average employees | 6 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
🔒Filing-note intelligence
1 signal 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
Last 30 days
2
filings
- • 2 persons-with-significant-control
Last 90 days
2
filings
- • 2 persons-with-significant-control
Last 180 days
2
filings
- • 2 persons-with-significant-control
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (29 events)Click to expand
- 2026-06-30📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2026-06-30📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2025-09-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-10-24📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2024-10-21📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2024-08-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-06-01➖MAC PHERSON, Patricia Dean resigneddirector
- 2023-08-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-11-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-10-21📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2021-10-21📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2021-10-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-07-29➕PADDISON, Sheena Dean Fiona appointeddirector
- 2021-07-29📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2021-03-16📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2021-03-16📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2020-10-06📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-02-06📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2020-02-04📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2019-12-30➖YONGE, Nesta Dean resigneddirector
- 2019-08-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2011-08-01➕PERERA, Mihindukulasuriya Weerasingha Indrika Priyankari Marguerite appointeddirector
- 2005-05-27➕BIRCH, Sean appointedsecretary
- 2005-05-27➖PLAXTON, Michael Paul resignedsecretary
- 2005-05-27➖PLAXTON, Michael Paul resigneddirector
- 2003-03-31➖HOPPER, Alfred George resigneddirector
- 1996-08-24➖BROWN, Raymond Stuart resigneddirector
- 1995-12-27🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1927-09-23🏢Company incorporatedAs B.COOKE & SON,LIMITED
Owner dependency
73/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
FACTORS
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 75 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
89/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 75 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 15 years.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 99 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
cleanNo red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mrs Sheena Dean Fiona Paddison Individual · British · DOB 12/1951 · age 75 | 75–100% | 75–100% | 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting | 16/03/2021 |
Mihindukulasuriya Weerasingha Indrika Priyankari Marguerite Perera Individual · British · DOB 05/1963 · age 63 | — | — | sig. influencesignificant influence | 26/09/2021 |
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
- The Executors Of Patricia Dean Macphersonceased 09/04/2025· 25-50% shares
- The Executors Of Nesta Dean Yonge Deaceasedceased 16/03/2021· 25-50% shares
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A&G DELIVERY LTD→ 16120732 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
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| AMMOK LTD→ 11292395 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| ASHFORD LOGISTICS LTD→ 15677919 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ASHPIAN LTD→ 08698977 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| B&L HAULAGE LTD→ 14946501 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| BAILEYS TRANSPORTATION UK LIMITED→ 16299859 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| BALTIC & ORIENTAL COMPANY LIMITED→ 04994315 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
| BAMZAN LTD→ 12412554 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| BARBER LIVESTOCK TRANSPORT LTD→ 16969663 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| BB FREIGHT LTD→ 08817544 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| BEECH LOGISTICS LTD→ 16845811 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
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 →🔒Advanced scoring suite
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
Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated1927-09-23
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC52220 — SIC 52220
Registered office
58/59 Market Place
Hull
HU1 1RH
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-11
Last: 2025-09-27
Officers (3 active · 6 resigned)
Active
PADDISON, Sheena Dean Fiona→
Activedirector · ~75y · appointed 2021-07-29
View their other companies + combined net worth →
PERERA, Mihindukulasuriya Weerasingha Indrika Priyankari Marguerite→
Activedirector · ~63y · appointed 2011-08-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
PLAXTON, Michael Paul→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 2005-05-27
BROWN, Raymond Stuart→
Resigneddirector · ~100y · resigned 1996-08-24
HOPPER, Alfred George→
Resigneddirector · ~80y · resigned 2003-03-31
MAC PHERSON, Patricia Dean→
Resigneddirector · ~98y · resigned 2024-06-01
PLAXTON, Michael Paul→
Resigneddirector · ~83y · resigned 2005-05-27
YONGE, Nesta Dean→
Resigneddirector · ~98y · resigned 2019-12-30
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
1
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 27/12/1995 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (111 total)
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2026-06-30
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2026-06-30
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-09-30
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-24
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2024-10-24
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2024-10-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-08-14
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-08-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-11-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-10-03
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-10-21
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2021-10-21
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2021-10-21