A.C. LESTER & SON LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
00755749 · ltd · incorporated 1963-03-29
Investment thesis
Established operating company — standard diligence applies, no dominant angle.
Why interesting: Live, filing, normal profile.
Why risky: No standout signals in either direction.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Dec 2024
Net worth
£5.39M
book net assets
Opportunity
78/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 52103
Sector: Transportation & storage
Investor take
PursueAsset-holding vehicle. Family succession underway — not a classic acquisition target.
Opportunity 78/100 (strong), bankability 85/100. Same-surname younger director in place — likely family handover, not open to sale. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Cash flow review and working-capital discipline. Cash down -40% YoY — forensic review of receivables, stock turns, and creditor days. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
7 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 60.7y
30/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 60.7 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Cashflow trend is negative — lender view likely cautious.
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
7 charges (7/7 with lender, 7/7 with type)
90
Directors & officers
7 officers (4 active, 7 linked, 6 with DOB)
87
Ownership & PSC
0 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
4 connected companies via shared directors
57
Filing history
116 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
78/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
75
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredPositive net assets
Net assets £5,387,023
Net assets shrinking
Down £1,493,344 YoY
Cash YoY
-40%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£817k
↓ 40% YoY
Net Worth
£5.4m
↓ 22% YoY
Current Assets
£915k
↓ 36% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2024-12-31 | 2023-12-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £5.70M | £7.22M |
| Current assets | £914.8k | £1.43M |
| Cash | £817.3k | £1.36M |
| Debtors | £97.5k | £64.5k |
| Net assets | £5.39M | £6.88M |
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
5
filings
- • 4 officers
- • 1 address
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (41 events)Click to expand
- 2025-12-16📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-12-15📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-12-15📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-12-15📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-12-15📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2025-08-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-12-12📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2024-12-12📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2024-12-12📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2024-12-01➖LESTER, Robert George resignedsecretary
- 2024-11-30➖LESTER, Kenneth Alfred John resigneddirector
- 2024-11-30➖LESTER, Robert George resigneddirector
- 2024-11-07📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2024-11-07📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2024-11-07📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2024-11-01📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2024-11-01📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control-statementpersons-with-significant-control · PSC08
- 2024-10-25➕LESTER, Charles George appointeddirector
- 2024-10-25➕LESTER, Henry Robert Kerr appointeddirector
- 2024-10-25➕SATCHWELL, Victoria Claire appointeddirector
- 2024-10-18📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2024-10-18📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2024-05-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-08-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-09-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-06-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2015-08-14🔓Charge satisfied #7
- 2015-07-23🔓Charge satisfied #6
- 2005-09-23🔓Charge satisfied #5
- 2005-09-23🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 2005-09-23🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2005-09-23🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2005-09-23🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2002-07-14🔒Charge registered #7Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2002-07-14🔒Charge registered #6Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 1969-08-04🔒Charge registered #5Lender: Westminster Bank Limited.
- 1969-08-04🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Westminster Bank Limited.
- 1968-04-03🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Westminster Bank Limited.
- 1968-04-03🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Westminster Bank Limited.
- 1965-09-08🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Westminster Bank Limited.
- 1963-03-29🏢Company incorporatedAs A.C. LESTER & SON LIMITED
Owner dependency
78/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
FACTORS
- -4 active directors: Broader management team in place — suggests transferable governance.
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "LESTER" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 77 — succession pressure is live.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
20/100
No succession signalNo meaningful acquirability indicators from public data.
SIGNALS
- primaryFamily succession underway: Not a takeover target — LESTER, Charles George (same surname) appointed 2024-10-25. Pattern consistent with intra-family handover.
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 77 years old. Natural succession window is now.
Red flags
1 med ·Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
🔒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 →Similar companies
Active · Transport & logistics · OX postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3SPICE TRANS LIMITED→ 11313128 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| 7STOPPERS LTD→ 15485538 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| A CARS BANBURY LTD→ 15638956 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| A K KHERA LOGISTICS LTD→ 15983777 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| A&J TUSTIAN T/A GLOBETRUCKERS U.K. TRANSPORT LTD→ 13844421 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| A2B CASTLE CARS LIMITED→ 08329329 · est 2012 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 13y | — | — |
| A44 TAXIS LIMITED→ 16216908 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AA GLOBAL TECH LTD→ 16172192 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AB EQUINE TRANSPORT LTD→ 13065436 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| ABINGDON CARS LIMITED→ 16561084 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ABINGDON MARINA (OXFORD) LIMITED→ 03991025 · est 2000 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 25y | — | — |
| ABINGDON TAXIS LIMITED→ 10406019 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1963-03-29
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC52103 — SIC 52103
Registered office
Hilliard House
Lester Way
Wallingford
Oxon
OX10 9TA
United Kingdom
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-07-04
Last: 2025-06-20
Officers (4 active · 3 resigned)
LESTER, Charles George→
Activedirector · ~37y · appointed 2024-10-25
View their other companies + combined net worth →
LESTER, Henry Robert Kerr→
Activedirector · ~40y · appointed 2024-10-25
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
SATCHWELL, Victoria Claire→
Activedirector · ~53y · appointed 2024-10-25
View their other companies + combined net worth →
LESTER, Robert George→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 2024-12-01
LESTER, Kenneth Alfred John→
Resigneddirector · ~79y · resigned 2024-11-30
LESTER, Robert George→
Resigneddirector · ~72y · resigned 2024-11-30
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
7
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:7 of 7 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal charge over licensed premises | 1 property | 14/07/2002 | 14/08/2015 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 14/07/2002 | 23/07/2015 | |
| satisfied | Westminster Bank . Westminster Bank Limited. | Mortgage | 1 property | 04/08/1969 | 23/09/2005 | |
| satisfied | Westminster Bank . Westminster Bank Limited. | Mortgage | 1 property | 04/08/1969 | 23/09/2005 | |
| satisfied | Westminster Bank . Westminster Bank Limited. | Charge of whole | 1 property | 03/04/1968 | 23/09/2005 | |
| satisfied | Westminster Bank . Westminster Bank Limited. | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 03/04/1968 | 23/09/2005 | |
| satisfied | Westminster Bank . Westminster Bank Limited. | Legal charge | 1 property | 08/09/1965 | 23/09/2005 |
Recent filings (116 total)
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-12-16
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-12-15
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-12-15
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-12-15
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2025-12-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-08-26
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-07-10
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2024-12-12
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2024-12-12
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2024-12-12
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2024-11-07
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2024-11-07
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2024-11-07
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2024-11-01
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control-statement
persons-with-significant-control · PSC08
2024-11-01