ESSELTE UK LIMITED
Opportunity 57/100 (worth a look), bankability 72/100. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 3 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: strategic trade sale (63/100).
Refinance opportunity
3 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 39.0y
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 39.0 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 30/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: low (52/100)Sparse data coverage. Treat AI-generated outputs as preliminary. Manual diligence essential.
Mixed signal. Worth opening the full target workup before deciding to pursue.
Recent activity
Corporate timeline (71 events)Click to expand
- 2021-03-16📄gazette-dissolved-voluntarygazette · GAZ2(A)
- 2021-03-16🏁Company dissolved
- 2020-12-12📄dissolution-voluntary-strike-off-suspendeddissolution · SOAS(A)
- 2020-10-20📄gazette-notice-voluntarygazette · GAZ1(A)
- 2020-10-07📄dissolution-application-strike-off-companydissolution · DS01
- 2020-10-07📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2020-06-08📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2020-06-08📄appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP03
- 2020-06-08📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2020-06-08📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2020-06-05➕SPENCE, Katherine Alexandra appointedsecretary
- 2020-06-05➕HOPKINSON, Christopher Neil, Mr. appointeddirector
- 2020-06-01➖GRIMES, Robert Michael resignedsecretary
- 2020-06-01➖GRIMES, Robert Michael resigneddirector
- 2019-10-08📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2019-10-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2018-11-23📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2018-11-23📄auditors-resignation-limited-companyauditors · AA03
- 2018-09-25📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2018-09-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-08-29📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2018-07-24➖THOMAS, Walter Joe, Dr resignedsecretary
- 2018-07-24➖GUNN, Nigel Robert resigneddirector
- 2018-07-24➖THOMAS, Walter Joe, Dr resigneddirector
- 2018-07-24📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2018-07-24📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2018-07-24📄appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP03
- 2018-07-24📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2018-07-12➕SPENCE, Katherine Alexandra appointeddirector
- 2018-07-12➕GRIMES, Robert Michael appointedsecretary
- 2018-07-12➕GRIMES, Robert Michael appointeddirector
- 2018-07-12📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2018-07-12📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2017-01-25🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2014-07-30➖STARTIN, Richard John resignedsecretary
- 2014-07-30➖STARTIN, Richard John resigneddirector
- 2014-07-10➖LUNDREGAN, William Joseph resigneddirector
- 2014-07-09➕THOMAS, Walter Joe, Dr appointedsecretary
- 2014-04-09➕THOMAS, Walter Joe, Dr appointeddirector
- 2012-05-31➕GUNN, Nigel Robert appointeddirector
- 2011-05-31➖EXNER, Christopher resigneddirector
- 2007-06-04➖THOMAS, David Martin resigneddirector
- 2007-05-31➕STARTIN, Richard John appointedsecretary
- 2007-05-31➖THOMAS, David Martin resignedsecretary
- 2007-05-23➕LUNDREGAN, William Joseph appointeddirector
- 2006-01-19➕EXNER, Christopher appointeddirector
- 2006-01-19➖GUNN, Nigel Robert resigneddirector
- 2005-12-14🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 2005-11-30🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2005-10-04➖HAWES JR, Robert Edward resigneddirector
Owner dependency
Some founder dependency, but not acute. A structured handover period should cover most risk.
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
Succession & seller-readiness
Some succession indicators present. Worth watching; approach if sector/strategy fits.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 67 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
Red flags
1 high ·Company has been dissolved — it no longer legally exists. Any diligence here is historical only.
Evidence: Dissolved on 2021-03-16
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 (0 active · 21 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Deed of charge over credit balances | 1 property | 14/12/2005 | 25/01/2017 | |
| satisfied | Ubs Ag, London Branch as Agent and Trustee for Itself and Each of the Finance Parties. | Debenture | 1 property | 09/10/2002 | 30/11/2005 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC | Deed of set off | 1 property | 01/07/1987 | 20/06/1997 |