A.E. ABBISS LIMITED
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Same-surname younger director in place — likely family handover, not open to sale. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 8 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
Refinance opportunity
22 live charges · 8 lenders · oldest 49.5y
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 49.5 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 8 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 40/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: high (80/100)Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.
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 | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 200 | — |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
Recent activity
- • 1 mortgage
- • 3 mortgage
Corporate timeline (72 events)Click to expand
- 2026-04-20📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2026-04-20🔓Charge satisfied #21
- 2026-02-18📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2026-02-18📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2026-02-18🔓Charge satisfied #20
- 2026-02-18🔓Charge satisfied #19
- 2025-11-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-12-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-11-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-12-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-09-23📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2022-09-10➕ABBISS, Charles Frederick appointeddirector
- 2022-06-24📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2022-06-24🔓Charge satisfied #18
- 2021-11-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-07-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-12-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-05-03📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2019-05-03🔓Charge satisfied #17
- 2019-04-08📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2019-04-05🔒Charge registered #22Lender: Onesavings Bank PLC
- 2019-03-30📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2019-03-22🔒Charge registered #21Lender: Together Commercial Finance LTD
- 2019-02-22➖MITCHELL, Ian Couper resigneddirector
- 2019-02-22📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2018-12-16📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-10-17📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2018-10-15🔒Charge registered #20Lender: Svenska Handelsbanken Ab (Publ)
- 2017-09-04🔒Charge registered #19Lender: Svenska Handelsbanken Ab (Publ)
- 2012-03-01🔒Charge registered #18Lender: Hastingwood Securities Limited
- 2012-02-01🔓Charge satisfied #16
- 2012-02-01🔓Charge satisfied #15
- 2012-02-01🔓Charge satisfied #14
- 2012-02-01🔓Charge satisfied #13
- 2009-03-31➖ABBISS, John Charles resigneddirector
- 2007-09-25🔓Charge satisfied #12
- 2007-09-25🔓Charge satisfied #11
- 2007-09-25🔓Charge satisfied #10
- 2007-09-25🔓Charge satisfied #6
- 2004-04-06🔒Charge registered #17Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2003-10-24🔒Charge registered #16Lender: Harpenden Building Society
- 2003-09-17➕ABBISS, Christopher Albert appointeddirector
- 2003-02-11➖ABBISS, Christopher Albert resigneddirector
- 2003-02-11➕MITCHELL, Ian Couper appointeddirector
- 2003-01-24🔒Charge registered #15Lender: Harpenden Building Society
- 2002-03-26🔒Charge registered #14Lender: Harpenden Building Society
- 2002-03-26🔒Charge registered #13Lender: Harpenden Building Society
- 2001-09-18➕ABBISS, Christopher Albert appointedsecretary
- 2001-09-18➖ABBISS, Nella Louise resignedsecretary
- 2001-09-18➖ABBISS, Nella Louise resigneddirector
Owner dependency
The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "ABBISS" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 23 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 73 — succession pressure is live.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
- primaryFamily succession underway: Not a takeover target — ABBISS, Charles Frederick (same surname) appointed 2022-09-10. Pattern consistent with intra-family handover.
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 73 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 23 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 69 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.
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Christopher Albert Abbiss Individual · British · DOB 07/1953 · age 73 | 75–100% | — | 75-100% shares | 06/04/2016 |
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.
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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 (3 active · 6 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Onesavings Bank Onesavings Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 05/04/2019 | — | |
| satisfied | Together Money Together Commercial Finance LTD | A registered charge | 1 property | 22/03/2019 | 20/04/2026 | |
| satisfied | Svenska Handelsbanken Ab (Publ) | A registered charge | 1 property | 15/10/2018 | 18/02/2026 | |
| satisfied | Svenska Handelsbanken Ab (Publ) | A registered charge | 1 property | 04/09/2017 | 18/02/2026 | |
| satisfied | Hastingwood Securities Hastingwood Securities Limited | Legal charge | 1 property | 01/03/2012 | 24/06/2022 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 06/04/2004 | 03/05/2019 | |
| satisfied | Harpenden Building Society | Further charge | 1 property | 24/10/2003 | 01/02/2012 | |
| satisfied | Harpenden Building Society | Legal charge | 1 property | 24/01/2003 | 01/02/2012 | |
| satisfied | Harpenden Building Society | Mortgage | 1 property | 26/03/2002 | 01/02/2012 | |
| satisfied | Harpenden Building Society | Debenture | 1 property | 26/03/2002 | 01/02/2012 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Charge over credit balances | 1 property | 21/12/1994 | 25/09/2007 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 02/12/1994 | 25/09/2007 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 02/12/1994 | 25/09/2007 | |
| satisfied | Tgb Finance Tgb Finance Limited | Legal charge | 1 property | 20/08/1993 | 19/07/1995 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 22/04/1993 | 19/07/1995 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 20/07/1992 | 19/07/1995 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 21/02/1992 | 25/09/2007 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 18/07/1991 | 19/07/1995 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 06/03/1991 | 19/07/1995 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 16/08/1989 | 19/07/1995 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 28/12/1983 | 07/07/1992 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 13/01/1977 | 19/07/1995 |