CREDITON MILLING COMPANY LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
00813541 · ltd · incorporated 1964-07-22
Investment thesis
Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.
Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.
Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.
Opportunity decay
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
  • · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
Upgrade to see
Turnover
not disclosed
Net worth
book net assets
Opportunity
76/100
Strong
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 10910
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 77-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 76/100 (strong), bankability 57/100. Strong seller-intent signal (63/100, director aged 77). Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 5 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (45/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

11 live charges · 5 lenders · oldest 51.3y

25/100
too messy

Structure is too messy for a clean refinance right now — clean up first or expect bespoke terms.

  • · Oldest live charge is 51.3 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 5 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Legal-friction score 50/100 (high).

Data confidence

Overall: medium (60/100)

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

Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
11 charges (11/11 with lender, 11/11 with type)
90
Directors & officers
13 officers (8 active, 13 linked, 12 with DOB)
88
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
9 connected companies via shared directors
72
Filing history
144 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
76/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

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

Business quality
60
Adequate — check latest filings for context.
Acquirability
85
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
74
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Recent activity

Last 30 days
5
filings
  • 5 officers
Last 90 days
5
filings
  • 5 officers
Last 180 days
6
filings
  • 5 officers
  • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (50 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-05-22
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  2. 2026-05-22
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  3. 2026-05-22
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  4. 2026-05-22
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  5. 2026-05-22
    📄
    change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH03
  6. 2026-01-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2025-12-02
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
  8. 2025-05-27
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  9. 2025-05-23
    🔒
    Charge registered #11
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  10. 2024-12-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2024-07-18
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  12. 2024-04-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2024-03-25
    📄
    change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortened
    accounts · AA01
  14. 2024-03-22
    📄
    change-account-reference-date-company-previous-extended
    accounts · AA01
  15. 2023-06-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  16. 2022-12-09
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
  17. 2022-12-08
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
  18. 2022-12-02
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
  19. 2022-05-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  20. 2022-05-12
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
  21. 2022-03-01
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  22. 2022-02-28
    RANCE, Matthew William appointed
    director
  23. 2022-01-07
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  24. 2021-12-31
    VANSTONE, Michael John resigned
    director
  25. 2021-09-17
    🔒
    Charge registered #10
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC of Lending Operations, Po Box 299, Birmingham, B1 3PF
  26. 2018-02-23
    BRIMILCOMBE, Scott John appointed
    director
  27. 2015-10-19
    GULLEY, Stephen John appointed
    director
  28. 2012-12-12
    🔒
    Charge registered #9
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  29. 2011-07-28
    🔒
    Charge registered #8
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  30. 2009-06-30
    GULLEY, Ian William resigned
    director
  31. 2008-09-29
    🔒
    Charge registered #7
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  32. 2008-04-01
    🔒
    Charge registered #6
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  33. 2007-01-31
    POWER, Andrew Theo appointed
    director
  34. 2003-04-02
    GULLEY, Geoffrey William resigned
    director
  35. 2002-07-15
    CRANG, Russell William John appointed
    director
  36. 2002-07-15
    GULLEY, Mark James appointed
    director
  37. 2000-03-31
    STEPHENS, David Alwyn resigned
    director
  38. 1999-08-06
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #5
  39. 1997-07-01
    STEPHENS, David Alwyn appointed
    director
  40. 1997-07-01
    VANSTONE, Michael John appointed
    director
  41. 1995-10-27
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #4
  42. 1995-10-11
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  43. 1995-10-11
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  44. 1995-02-20
    GULLEY, Hettie Louisa resigned
    director
  45. 1993-10-01
    🔒
    Charge registered #5
    Lender: Hettie Louisa Gulley
  46. 1993-08-18
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: Close Brothers Limited
  47. 1991-07-19
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Close Brothers Limited
  48. 1990-08-28
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Close Brothers Limited
  49. 1975-02-03
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Barclays Bank LTD
  50. 1964-07-22
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As CREDITON MILLING COMPANY LIMITED

Owner dependency

73/100
High — earn-out structure required

Material founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.

FACTORS
  • -7 active directors: Broader management team in place — suggests transferable governance.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 24 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +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

90/100
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 77 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 24 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 62 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 · 1 low
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.

7 live charges
low

Heavily leveraged with multiple live security positions — understand the capital structure before proceeding.

Group structure

Cmc Holdings (Sw) Ltd is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.

🏛️
Cmc Holdings (Sw) Ltd
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
ultimate parent
CREDITON MILLING COMPANY LIMITED
This company · 00813541

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

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Cmc Holdings (Sw) Ltd
Corporate entity
75100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control25/05/2021
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Mr Mark James Gulleyceased 26/05/2021· 25-50% shares · firm interest

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

8 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
Incorporated1964-07-22
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC10910 — SIC 10910

Registered office

Fordton Mill
Fordton
Crediton
Devon
EX17 3DH

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-03-28
Last made up to: 2025-06-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-12-20
Last: 2025-12-06

Officers (8 active · 5 resigned)

GULLEY, Patricia Ann
secretary
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BRIMILCOMBE, Scott John
director · ~49y · appointed 2018-02-23
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
CRANG, Russell William John
director · ~56y · appointed 2002-07-15
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
GULLEY, Mark James
director · ~50y · appointed 2002-07-15
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
GULLEY, Patricia Ann
director · ~77y
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
GULLEY, Stephen John
director · ~46y · appointed 2015-10-19
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
POWER, Andrew Theo
director · ~52y · appointed 2007-01-31
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
RANCE, Matthew William
director · ~49y · appointed 2022-02-28
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
GULLEY, Geoffrey William
director · ~74y · resigned 2003-04-02
Resigned
GULLEY, Hettie Louisa
director · ~105y · resigned 1995-02-20
Resigned
GULLEY, Ian William
director · ~77y · resigned 2009-06-30
Resigned
STEPHENS, David Alwyn
director · ~75y · appointed 1997-07-01 · resigned 2000-03-31
Resigned
VANSTONE, Michael John
director · ~71y · appointed 1997-07-01 · resigned 2021-12-31
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

11
Total charges
7
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:11 of 11 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
A registered charge23/05/2025
outstanding
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC of Lending Operations, Po Box 299, Birmingham, B1 3PF
A registered charge1 property17/09/2021
outstanding
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Guarantee and debenture1 property12/12/2012
outstanding
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property28/07/2011
outstanding
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property29/09/2008
outstanding
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property01/04/2008
satisfied
Hettie Louisa Gulley
Debenture1 property01/10/199306/08/1999
satisfied
Close Brothers
Close Brothers Limited
Credit agreement1 property18/08/199327/10/1995
satisfied
Close Brothers
Close Brothers Limited
Credit agreement1 property19/07/199111/10/1995
satisfied
Close Brothers
Close Brothers Limited
Credit agreement1 property28/08/199011/10/1995
outstanding
Barclays
Barclays Bank LTD
Debenture1 property03/02/1975
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (144 total)

change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2026-05-22
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2026-05-22
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2026-05-22
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2026-05-22
change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
officers · CH03
2026-05-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2026-01-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-12-11
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
2025-12-02
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2025-05-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2024-12-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-12-19
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2024-07-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2024-04-26
change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortened
accounts · AA01
2024-03-25
change-account-reference-date-company-previous-extended
accounts · AA01
2024-03-22