B.B. GROUT LIMITED
Opportunity 73/100 (strong), bankability 57/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. 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
15 live charges · 5 lenders · oldest 39.8y
Structure is too messy for a clean refinance right now — clean up first or expect bespoke terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 39.8 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 5 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 50/100 (high).
Data confidence
Overall: medium (57/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Recent activity
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 officers
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 officers
Corporate timeline (47 events)Click to expand
- 2026-03-12➖GROUT, Sheila Betty resigneddirector
- 2026-03-12📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2025-08-05📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-05-30➕SOUTHWICK, Claire appointedsecretary
- 2025-05-30➖GROUT, Sheila Betty resignedsecretary
- 2025-05-30📄appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP03
- 2025-05-30📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2024-07-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-05-21📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2024-05-20🔒Charge registered #15Lender: Barclays Security Trustee Limited
- 2023-07-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-10-18📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2022-08-10📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-04-07📄accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AAMD
- 2021-09-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-02-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-10-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-09-03📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2019-09-03📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2019-09-03📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2019-09-03📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2019-09-03📄change-person-secretary-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH03
- 2012-03-21🔒Charge registered #14Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 2012-03-21🔒Charge registered #13Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 2012-02-24🔒Charge registered #12Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 2010-06-03🔓Charge satisfied #9
- 2010-06-03🔓Charge satisfied #8
- 2010-06-03🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2010-04-23🔒Charge registered #11Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 2007-04-25➖GROUT, Noel Maitland resigneddirector
- 2006-09-15🔒Charge registered #10Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 2004-08-24➕SOUTHWICK, Claire Emma appointeddirector
- 2002-12-18🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2000-05-03🔒Charge registered #9Lender: Allied Mills Limited
- 2000-01-31🔒Charge registered #8Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1997-07-27➕GROUT, Giles Leon appointeddirector
- 1997-07-24➕GROUT, Neal Michael appointeddirector
- 1996-07-09🔒Charge registered #7Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1996-04-18🔒Charge registered #6Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1996-01-03➖GROUT, Bertram Bowtell resigneddirector
- 1995-12-31➖GROUT, Lillian May resigneddirector
- 1995-06-23🔒Charge registered #5Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1994-06-28🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1991-10-11🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Eagle Star Life Assurance Company Limited
- 1990-06-26🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Eagle Star Insurance Company Limited
- 1986-07-18🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1966-06-08🏢Company incorporatedAs B.B. GROUT LIMITED
Owner dependency
The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "GROUT" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 29 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 59 — approaching natural succession window.
- +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.
- secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 59. Early succession window.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 29 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.
Red flags
2 med · 1 lowMultiple recent departures can indicate governance disagreement, succession event, or preparation for sale/stress.
Evidence: GROUT, Sheila Betty resigned 2025-05-30; GROUT, Sheila Betty resigned 2026-03-12
Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Heavily leveraged with multiple live security positions — understand the capital structure before proceeding.
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mrs Sheila Grout Individual · British · DOB 12/1942 · age 84 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board controlsig. influence75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control · significant influence · firm interest | 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 (4 active · 5 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Security Trustee Limited | A registered charge | — | 20/05/2024 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 21/03/2012 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 21/03/2012 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 24/02/2012 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 23/04/2010 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 15/09/2006 | — | |
| satisfied | Allied Mills Allied Mills Limited | Chattel mortgage | 1 property | 03/05/2000 | 03/06/2010 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 31/01/2000 | 03/06/2010 | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 09/07/1996 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 18/04/1996 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 23/06/1995 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 28/06/1994 | — | |
| satisfied | Eagle Star Life Assurance Company Eagle Star Life Assurance Company Limited | Mortgage deed | 1 property | 11/10/1991 | 18/12/2002 | |
| satisfied | Eagle Star Insurance Company Eagle Star Insurance Company Limited | Mortgage debenture | 1 property | 26/06/1990 | 03/06/2010 | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 18/07/1986 | — |