A.J.BRETT & CO.LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
00507404 · ltd · incorporated 1952-04-29
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
£-169.2k
book net assets
Opportunity
71/100
Strong
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 13921
Sector: Manufacturing
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
  • 31090Manufacture of other furniture
  • 95240SIC 95240
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)
Distressed active trading company — structural issues outweigh the discount.

Opportunity 71/100 (strong), bankability 70/100. Strong seller-intent signal (63/100, director aged 81). Biggest value-creation lever: Resolve: Confirmation statement overdue. Annual confirmation statement not filed on time. Required statutory filing — overdue is a strong discipline signal. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

1 live charge · oldest 30.2y

45/100
under pressure

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 30.2 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (77/100)

Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.

Company profile
address, 3 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
12 officers (2 active, 12 linked, 7 with DOB)
82
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
103 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
71/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

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

Business quality
60
Adequate — check latest filings for context.
Acquirability
70
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
67
Some moderate concerns — review flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 105 (micro)
Negative net assets
Liabilities exceed assets by £169,167

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
-£169k
↓ 71% YoY
Current Assets
£71k
↓ 46% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
-£169k-£109k-£49k£12k£72k£132kDec 2023Dec 2024

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 105 (micro)
Metric2024-12-312023-12-31
Total assets£-144.0k£-68.8k
Current assets£71.2k£132.0k
Cash—£17.1k
Debtors—£68.2k
Net assets£-169.2k£-98.7k

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
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (37 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-07-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-09-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2023-09-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2022-09-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2021-09-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  6. 2020-12-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2019-09-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2018-09-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2018-07-06
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  10. 2017-03-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  11. 2016-07-11
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  12. 2016-05-06
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  13. 2015-07-31
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  14. 2015-03-12
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  15. 2014-10-10
    📄
    second-filing-of-form-with-form-type-made-up-date
    document-replacement · RP04
  16. 2014-09-18
    📄
    second-filing-of-form-with-form-type
    document-replacement · RP04
  17. 2013-05-14
    ➖
    GROTH, Bert Hakan resigned
    director
  18. 2013-05-13
    ➕
    NUGENT, Alan appointed
    director
  19. 2013-05-13
    ➖
    CAVENDISH, Rupert Edward Greville resigned
    director
  20. 2009-10-01
    ➕
    NUGENT, Alan appointed
    secretary
  21. 2009-10-01
    ➖
    ISAACS, Simon resigned
    secretary
  22. 2006-10-31
    ➕
    ISAACS, Simon appointed
    secretary
  23. 2006-10-31
    ➖
    WEBB, Shane resigned
    secretary
  24. 2004-06-04
    ➖
    BASRI, Shen resigned
    director
  25. 1998-11-23
    ➕
    GROTH, Bert Hakan appointed
    director
  26. 1997-12-03
    ➖
    DE MONTFORT, John Henry William resigned
    secretary
  27. 1997-12-03
    ➕
    WEBB, Shane appointed
    secretary
  28. 1997-12-03
    ➖
    DE MONTFORT, John Henry William resigned
    director
  29. 1996-04-23
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Midland Bank PLC
  30. 1996-04-04
    ➖
    CAVENDER, David Alan resigned
    secretary
  31. 1996-04-04
    ➕
    DE MONTFORT, John Henry William appointed
    secretary
  32. 1996-04-04
    ➕
    BASRI, Shen appointed
    director
  33. 1996-04-04
    ➖
    CAVENDER, Catherine Elizabeth Heathcoat resigned
    director
  34. 1996-04-04
    ➖
    CAVENDER, David Alan resigned
    director
  35. 1996-04-04
    ➕
    CAVENDISH, Rupert Edward Greville appointed
    director
  36. 1996-04-04
    ➕
    DE MONTFORT, John Henry William appointed
    director
  37. 1952-04-29
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As A.J.BRETT & CO.LIMITED

Owner dependency

90/100
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.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 81 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

93/100
Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 81 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 13 years.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 74 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.

Red flags

1 high ·
Confirmation statement overdue
high

Annual confirmation statement not filed on time. Required statutory filing — overdue is a strong discipline signal.

Evidence: Next due: 2026-07-06

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Alan Nugent
Individual · English · DOB 10/1945 · age 81
75–100%
—75-100% shares13/05/2016

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

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Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

9 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
Incorporated1952-04-29
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC13921 — SIC 13921

Registered office

Bleinheim Works
168c Marlborough Road
London
N19 4NP

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-07-06OVERDUE
Last: 2025-06-22

Officers (2 active · 10 resigned)

NUGENT, Alan→
secretary · appointed 2009-10-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
NUGENT, Alan→
director · ~81y · appointed 2013-05-13
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
CAVENDER, David Alan→
secretary · resigned 1996-04-04
Resigned
DE MONTFORT, John Henry William→
secretary · appointed 1996-04-04 · resigned 1997-12-03
Resigned
ISAACS, Simon→
secretary · appointed 2006-10-31 · resigned 2009-10-01
Resigned
WEBB, Shane→
secretary · appointed 1997-12-03 · resigned 2006-10-31
Resigned
BASRI, Shen→
director · ~73y · appointed 1996-04-04 · resigned 2004-06-04
Resigned
CAVENDER, Catherine Elizabeth Heathcoat→
director · ~81y · resigned 1996-04-04
Resigned
CAVENDER, David Alan→
director · ~93y · resigned 1996-04-04
Resigned
CAVENDISH, Rupert Edward Greville→
director · ~71y · appointed 1996-04-04 · resigned 2013-05-13
Resigned
DE MONTFORT, John Henry William→
director · ~64y · appointed 1996-04-04 · resigned 1997-12-03
Resigned
GROTH, Bert Hakan→
director · ~71y · appointed 1998-11-23 · resigned 2013-05-14
Resigned

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
TypeProperties
outstanding
Midland Bank
Midland Bank PLC
Fixed and floating charge2 properties23/04/1996—
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (103 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-07-25
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-06-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-09-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-06-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-09-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-07-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-09-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-06-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-09-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-06-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-12-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-07-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2019-09-25
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-06-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2018-09-27