A.J. SELLMAN LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
00910197 · ltd · incorporated 1967-07-07
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
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 42.6y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Sept 2025
Net worth
£1.12M
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Funeral and related activities
Sector: Other service activities
Investor take
PursueAsset-holding vehicle with a 82-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 85/100. Strong seller-intent signal (73/100, director aged 82). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
4 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 42.6y
70/100
ready
Refinance conversation should be productive — structure clean and timing right.
- · Oldest live charge is 42.6 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Legal-friction score 15/100 — clean.
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
4 charges (4/4 with lender, 4/4 with type)
90
Directors & officers
7 officers (3 active, 7 linked, 6 with DOB)
87
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
6 connected companies via shared directors
63
Filing history
143 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.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredPositive net assets
Net assets £1,118,302
Cash YoY
+6%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£1.2m
↑ 6.4% YoY
Net Worth
£1.1m
↑ 10% YoY
Current Assets
£1.3m
↑ 12% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-09-29 | 2024-09-29 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £1.15M | £1.05M |
| Current assets | £1.33M | £1.19M |
| Cash | £1.15M | £1.08M |
| Debtors | £149.6k | £76.0k |
| Net assets | £1.12M | £1.01M |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
🔒Filing-note intelligence
3 signals 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
2
filings
- • 1 accounts
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
2
filings
- • 1 accounts
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (34 events)Click to expand
- 2026-05-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-06-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-03-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-06-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-03-01📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2022-06-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-03-15📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC05
- 2021-09-04📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2021-09-04📄memorandum-articlesincorporation · MA
- 2021-09-03📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC02
- 2021-09-03📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2021-09-03📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC02
- 2021-09-03📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2021-09-01📄capital-alter-shares-subdivisioncapital · SH02
- 2021-09-01📄capital-name-of-class-of-sharescapital · SH08
- 2021-06-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-04-23📄capital-return-purchase-own-sharescapital · SH03
- 2021-03-26📄capital-cancellation-sharescapital · SH06
- 2021-03-16📄capital-cancellation-sharescapital · SH06
- 2021-02-26➖POOLE, Elizabeth Anne resigneddirector
- 2019-07-09➖BARKER, Roger Frederick resignedsecretary
- 2017-07-04🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2017-07-04🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2011-07-28➕POOLE, Edward George appointeddirector
- 2011-04-20➖POOLE, Robert Street resigneddirector
- 2007-02-19➕POOLE, Ralph Jonathan Stacey appointeddirector
- 1995-07-28➖POOLE, Vera Margaret resigneddirector
- 1995-02-08🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 1990-05-12🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 1985-11-20🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Midland Bank PLC
- 1985-11-20🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Midland Bank PLC
- 1983-12-12🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1983-12-02🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1967-07-07🏢Company incorporatedAs A.J. SELLMAN 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
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 19 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 82 — succession pressure is live.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
83/100
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 82 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 19 years.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 59 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 ·Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Group structure
Poole Holdings Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
🏛️ultimate parent
Poole Holdings Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
⬇
A.J. SELLMAN LIMITED
This company · 00910197
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%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Poole Holdings Limited Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 02/09/2021 |
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
- Poole Estates Limitedceased 02/09/2021· 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control
- Mr George Stacey Pooleceased 02/09/2021· 50-75% shares · 50-75% voting
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
Active · Trade services · WS postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A & J DESIGNS (STAFFS) LIMITED→ 05263529 · est 2004 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 21y | — | — |
| A. GREEN PROPERTIES LIMITED→ 11054943 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| A.A. FIRE & SECURITY LIMITED→ 05610675 · est 2005 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
| ABEL DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANTS LTD→ 16122109 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ACRE BUSINESS CONSULTANCY LIMITED→ 11752524 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| ADBK HOLDINGS LIMITED→ 11667726 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| ADDICTIONS 2 LIMITED→ 14186514 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| ADDY AND FAMILY LTD→ 11970128 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| ADEPT CENTRAL LIMITED→ 10661928 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| ADM LEGAL SERVICES LTD→ 15793661 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ADMIRAL SELF STORAGE LTD→ 04034987 · est 2000 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 25y | — | — |
| ADP CHIROPRACTIC LIMITED→ 13739987 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1967-07-07
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC96030 — Funeral and related activities
Registered office
70 Church Street
Cannock
Staffordshire
WS11 1DH
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-06-29
Last made up to: 2025-09-29
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-03-15
Last: 2026-03-01
Officers (3 active · 4 resigned)
POOLE, Edward George→
Activedirector · ~45y · appointed 2011-07-28
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
POOLE, Ralph Jonathan Stacey→
Activedirector · ~49y · appointed 2007-02-19
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BARKER, Roger Frederick→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 2019-07-09
POOLE, Elizabeth Anne→
Resigneddirector · ~75y · resigned 2021-02-26
POOLE, Robert Street→
Resigneddirector · ~76y · resigned 2011-04-20
POOLE, Vera Margaret→
Resigneddirector · ~112y · resigned 1995-07-28
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
4
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Fixed and floating charge | 1 property | 20/11/1985 | 12/05/1990 | |
| satisfied | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Legal charge | 2 properties | 20/11/1985 | 04/07/2017 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 12/12/1983 | 04/07/2017 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 02/12/1983 | 08/02/1995 |
Recent filings (143 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-05-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-04-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-06-09
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-03-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-03-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-03-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-06-12
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-03-01
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2023-03-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-06-28
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-03-15
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
2022-03-15
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2021-09-04
memorandum-articles
incorporation · MA
2021-09-04
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
2021-09-03