ASHTON STEEL STOCKHOLDERS LIMITED
Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (93/100, director aged 65). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. 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 (73/100).
Refinance opportunity
8 live charges · 5 lenders · oldest 53.7y
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 53.7 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 5 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (79/100)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.
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsHover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-12-31 | 2024-12-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 600 | 800 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
2 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
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 accounts
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 accounts
- • 1 mortgage
Corporate timeline (45 events)Click to expand
- 2026-04-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2026-03-04📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2026-03-04🔓Charge satisfied #6
- 2025-09-02📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2025-09-02📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2025-08-11➖HEYES, Andrew Arthur resignedsecretary
- 2025-08-11➖HEYES, Andrew Arthur resigneddirector
- 2025-04-30📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2025-04-30🔓Charge satisfied #7
- 2025-04-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-04-16📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2025-04-16🔓Charge satisfied #5
- 2025-03-28📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2025-03-27🔒Charge registered #8Lender: Barclays Security Trustee Limited
- 2024-10-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-09-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-09-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-10-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-04-06📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2021-04-01🔒Charge registered #7Lender: Abn Amro Asset Based Finance N.V.
- 2020-10-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-09-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-09-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2002-07-24🔒Charge registered #6Lender: Venture Finance PLC
- 2002-06-28➕GUEST, Andrew Edward appointeddirector
- 2002-06-28➕WHITE, Paul Anthony appointeddirector
- 2002-06-28➖CAMPBELL, Michael resignedsecretary
- 2002-06-28➕HEYES, Andrew Arthur appointedsecretary
- 2002-06-28➖CAMPBELL, Michael resigneddirector
- 2002-06-28➖HARRISON, Derek resigneddirector
- 2002-06-28➕HEYES, Andrew Arthur appointeddirector
- 2002-06-28➖OLDFIELD, Philip Carlton resigneddirector
- 2002-06-28🔒Charge registered #5Lender: Venture Finance PLC
- 2002-06-14🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 2002-06-14🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2001-08-28➖CARTER, John Arthur resigneddirector
- 1999-03-01➕CARTER, John Arthur appointeddirector
- 1999-03-01➕HARRISON, Derek appointeddirector
- 1994-10-07🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 1994-10-07🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 1989-05-09🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1989-05-09🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1984-03-26🔒Charge registered #2Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 1972-10-18🔒Charge registered #1Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 1970-01-26🏢Company incorporatedAs ASHTON STEEL STOCKHOLDERS LIMITED
Owner dependency
The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 24 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 65 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 65. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 24 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 56 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
2 med ·Multiple recent departures can indicate governance disagreement, succession event, or preparation for sale/stress.
Evidence: HEYES, Andrew Arthur resigned 2025-08-11; HEYES, Andrew Arthur resigned 2025-08-11
Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Group structure
Ashton Steel Holdings Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Ashton Steel Holdings Limited Corporate entity | 75–100% | — | 75-100% shares | 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 (2 active · 7 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 | — | 27/03/2025 | — | |
| satisfied | Abn Amro Asset Based Finance N.V. | A registered charge | 1 property | 01/04/2021 | 30/04/2025 | |
| satisfied | Venture Finance Venture Finance PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 24/07/2002 | 04/03/2026 | |
| satisfied | Venture Finance Venture Finance PLC | All assets debenture | 1 property | 28/06/2002 | 16/04/2025 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 09/05/1989 | 14/06/2002 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 09/05/1989 | 14/06/2002 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 26/03/1984 | 07/10/1994 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 18/10/1972 | 07/10/1994 |