ALFORD BROTHERS (FOLKESTONE) LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
00877137 · ltd · incorporated 1966-04-18
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.
Opportunity decay
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 53.2y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Sale of new cars and light motor vehicles
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 70-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 80/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 70). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 1 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
1 live charge · oldest 53.2y
65/100
clean up first
Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.
- · Oldest live charge is 53.2 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
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
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
9 officers (3 active, 9 linked, 7 with DOB)
86
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
10 connected companies via shared directors
75
Filing history
102 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
79/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
3
filings
- • 2 officers
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 90 days
3
filings
- • 2 officers
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
3
filings
- • 2 officers
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (28 events)Click to expand
- 2026-04-23📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2026-04-23📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2026-01-31➖ALFORD, Jefrey Spencer resigneddirector
- 2026-01-31➖CORNWALL, Gladys Kathleen resigneddirector
- 2025-10-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-11-04📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-10-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-09-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-09-14📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2022-09-14📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2022-09-14📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2021-10-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-10-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-04-17📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2020-04-04➖ALFORD, Frederick Arthur resigneddirector
- 2019-10-06📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-09-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-07-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2009-11-16➕HAINING, Peter, Mr. appointeddirector
- 2009-11-16➕ALFORD, Jefrey Spencer appointeddirector
- 2004-02-12➕CORNWALL, Gladys Kathleen appointeddirector
- 2003-01-13➕ANSELL, Mark appointeddirector
- 2002-12-05➕CORNWALL, Gladys Kathleen appointedsecretary
- 2002-12-05➖ALFORD, Frederick Arthur resignedsecretary
- 2002-12-05➖ALFORD, Eric Peter resigneddirector
- 2002-12-05➖ALFORD, Kenneth Roy resigneddirector
- 1973-03-16🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Barclays Bank LTD
- 1966-04-18🏢Company incorporatedAs ALFORD BROTHERS (FOLKESTONE) LIMITED
Owner dependency
83/100
Critical — business is the founderThe business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
FACTORS
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 23 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 70 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
96/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 70 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 60 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 ·2 director resignations in last 12 months
mediumMultiple recent departures can indicate governance disagreement, succession event, or preparation for sale/stress.
Evidence: ALFORD, Jefrey Spencer resigned 2026-01-31; CORNWALL, Gladys Kathleen resigned 2026-01-31
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr. Peter Haining Individual · British · DOB 09/1956 · age 70 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 14/02/2021 |
Mark Ansell Individual · British · DOB 04/1957 · age 69 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 14/02/2021 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Frederick Arthur Alfordceased 04/04/2020· 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control
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 →Similar companies
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 365 RECOVERY LIMITED→ 14506415 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| 60K PERFORMANCE LIMITED→ 15346866 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| A & G SPRAYQUEST LTD→ 13538666 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| A.B. CRUSH (PANELCRAFT) LIMITED→ 02611733 · est 1991 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 34y | — | — |
| A.S.R GARAGE LTD→ 16363004 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| A&D SERVICE CENTRE LTD→ 13002862 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| A1 SERVICE & MOT CENTRE LIMITED→ 16857277 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| A2 TRUCK SERVICE LTD→ 16106240 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ALEXANDER ENGINEERING CO LTD→ 11852105 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| ALEXANDRA GARAGE KENT LIMITED→ 13607619 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| ALL BIKES LIMITED→ 08430287 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 13y | — | — |
| ALL JUNK & WASTE LIMITED→ 15352000 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1966-04-18
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC45111 — Sale of new cars and light motor vehicles
Registered office
20 Cheriton Road
Folkestone
Kent
CT20 1BU
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-04-05
Last: 2026-03-22
Officers (3 active · 6 resigned)
CORNWALL, Gladys Kathleen→
Activesecretary · appointed 2002-12-05
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ANSELL, Mark→
Activedirector · ~69y · appointed 2003-01-13
View their other companies + combined net worth →
HAINING, Peter, Mr.→
Activedirector · ~70y · appointed 2009-11-16
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ALFORD, Frederick Arthur→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 2002-12-05
ALFORD, Eric Peter→
Resigneddirector · ~97y · resigned 2002-12-05
ALFORD, Frederick Arthur→
Resigneddirector · ~97y · resigned 2020-04-04
ALFORD, Jefrey Spencer→
Resigneddirector · ~69y · appointed 2009-11-16 · resigned 2026-01-31
ALFORD, Kenneth Roy→
Resigneddirector · ~87y · resigned 2002-12-05
CORNWALL, Gladys Kathleen→
Resigneddirector · ~93y · appointed 2004-02-12 · resigned 2026-01-31
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
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank LTD | Legal charge | 1 property | 16/03/1973 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (102 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-04-25
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2026-04-23
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2026-04-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-10-02
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-04-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-11-04
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-04-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-10-12
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-05-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-09-26
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2022-09-14
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2022-09-14
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2022-09-14
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-03-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-10-13