R.S.CROOKE & CO.(PAPER SALES)LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
00473449 · ltd · incorporated 1949-09-30
Investment thesis
Zombie company — trading but stalled; unlikely mover.
Why interesting: Quiet, steady; could be a succession or carve-out candidate with the right conversation.
Why risky: No growth signal; thin margin for error on price.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Dec 2024
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Non-trading company
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
Pursue
Dormant / non-trading with a 60-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 85/100. Strong seller-intent signal (80/100, director aged 60). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Broaden director team. Sole director creates succession risk and reduces buyer comfort. Appoint a second director or strong #2. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

3 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 34.3y

30/100
under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

  • · Oldest live charge is 34.3 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: high (81/100)

Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.

Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
3 charges (3/3 with lender, 3/3 with type)
90
Directors & officers
12 officers (2 active, 12 linked, 9 with DOB)
85
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
7 connected companies via shared directors
66
Filing history
151 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
79/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Dec 2023Dec 2024

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2024-12-312023-12-31
Average employees100100

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

🔒Filing-note intelligence

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

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
1
filing
  • • 1 persons-with-significant-control
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 persons-with-significant-control
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (39 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-04-16
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  2. 2025-09-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  3. 2025-09-03
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
  4. 2024-09-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  5. 2023-10-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  6. 2022-09-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  7. 2021-09-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  8. 2021-02-02
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  9. 2020-12-23
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  10. 2019-10-11
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  11. 2018-10-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  12. 2017-12-18
    📄
    change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH03
  13. 2017-12-18
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  14. 2017-06-28
    📄
    change-account-reference-date-company-current-extended
    accounts · AA01
  15. 2017-04-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-small
    accounts · AA
  16. 2017-01-06
    📍
    move-registers-to-sail-company-with-new-address
    address · AD03
  17. 2016-10-21
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  18. 2011-04-15
    ➖
    STRICKLAND, Darrell John resigned
    director
  19. 2005-09-27
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  20. 2005-09-27
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  21. 2005-09-09
    ➖
    CROOKE, Jonathan Michael resigned
    secretary
  22. 2005-09-09
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Ge Commercial Finance Limited(Security Holder)
  23. 2005-09-08
    ➕
    KATZAUER, Jonathan appointed
    secretary
  24. 2005-09-08
    ➕
    KATZAUER, Jonathan appointed
    director
  25. 2005-09-08
    ➖
    CROOKE, Jonathan Michael resigned
    director
  26. 2005-09-08
    ➖
    CROOKE, Paul Rowland resigned
    director
  27. 2005-09-08
    ➖
    HADDOCK, Richard James Hartley resigned
    director
  28. 2005-09-08
    ➖
    HADDOCK, Robert Michael resigned
    director
  29. 2004-10-08
    ➖
    CROOKE, Betty resigned
    director
  30. 1996-04-14
    ➖
    SMITH, Frederick Malcolm resigned
    director
  31. 1996-02-02
    ➖
    HADDOCK, Neville Graham resigned
    director
  32. 1994-03-31
    ➕
    HADDOCK, Neville Graham appointed
    director
  33. 1994-03-31
    ➕
    HADDOCK, Robert Michael appointed
    director
  34. 1994-03-31
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
  35. 1994-03-21
    ➕
    HADDOCK, Richard James Hartley appointed
    director
  36. 1992-09-27
    ➕
    CROOKE, Jonathan Michael appointed
    secretary
  37. 1992-09-27
    ➖
    SAUNDERS, Michael Alan resigned
    secretary
  38. 1992-03-12
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
  39. 1949-09-30
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As R.S.CROOKE & CO.(PAPER SALES)LIMITED

Owner dependency

93/100
Critical — business is the founder

The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.

FACTORS
  • +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 21 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 60 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

85/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • 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 21 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 77 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 ·
Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
medium

Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.

Group structure

Ccs Mclays Limited holds majority control (50-75%). Likely parent but not wholly-owned.

🏛️
Ccs Mclays Limited
Corporate parent · holds 50-75% shares · board control
majority
⬇
R.S.CROOKE & CO.(PAPER SALES)LIMITED
This company · 00473449

Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Ccs Mclays Limited
Corporate entity
50–75%
50–75%board controlsig. influence50-75% shares · 50-75% voting · board control · significant influence · firm interest06/05/2025
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • H Young (Plastics) Limitedceased 06/05/2025· 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

🔒Co-director network graph

Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

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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
Incorporated1949-09-30
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC74990 — Non-trading company

Registered office

Hermitage Mills
Hermitage Lane Barming
Maidstone
Kent
ME16 9NP

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-12-24
Last: 2025-12-10

Officers (2 active · 10 resigned)

KATZAUER, Jonathan→
secretary · appointed 2005-09-08
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
KATZAUER, Jonathan→
director · ~60y · appointed 2005-09-08
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
CROOKE, Jonathan Michael→
secretary · appointed 1992-09-27 · resigned 2005-09-09
Resigned
SAUNDERS, Michael Alan→
secretary · resigned 1992-09-27
Resigned
CROOKE, Betty→
director · ~99y · resigned 2004-10-08
Resigned
CROOKE, Jonathan Michael→
director · ~69y · resigned 2005-09-08
Resigned
CROOKE, Paul Rowland→
director · ~72y · resigned 2005-09-08
Resigned
HADDOCK, Neville Graham→
director · ~90y · appointed 1994-03-31 · resigned 1996-02-02
Resigned
HADDOCK, Richard James Hartley→
director · ~65y · appointed 1994-03-21 · resigned 2005-09-08
Resigned
HADDOCK, Robert Michael→
director · ~63y · appointed 1994-03-31 · resigned 2005-09-08
Resigned
SMITH, Frederick Malcolm→
director · ~90y · resigned 1996-04-14
Resigned
STRICKLAND, Darrell John→
director · ~76y · resigned 2011-04-15
Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Mortgages & charges

3
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:3 of 3 shown
TypeProperties
satisfied
Ge Commercial Finance (Security Holder)
Ge Commercial Finance Limited(Security Holder)
Composite all assets guarantee and indemnity and debenture1 property09/09/200521/10/2016
satisfied
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank PLC
Charge over book debts and stock1 property31/03/199427/09/2005
satisfied
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank PLC
Legal mortgage1 property12/03/199227/09/2005

Recent filings (151 total)

cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2026-04-16
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-12-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2025-09-30
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
2025-09-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-12-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2024-09-23
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-12-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2023-10-13
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-12-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2022-09-28
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-01-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2021-09-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2021-02-02
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-12-23
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2020-12-23