ACOUSTICAL CONTROL ENGINEERS LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
01061402 · ltd · incorporated 1972-07-13
Investment thesis
Zombie company — trading but stalled; unlikely mover.
Why interesting: Quiet, steady; could be a succession or carve-out candidate with the right conversation.
Why risky: No growth signal; thin margin for error on price.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Feb 2025
Net worth
£170.6k
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Other engineering activities
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 63-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 63). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 9 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

9 live charges · 7 lenders · oldest 49.9y

15/100
under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

  • · Oldest live charge is 49.9 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 7 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

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
9 charges (9/9 with lender, 9/9 with type)
90
Directors & officers
8 officers (1 active, 8 linked, 7 with DOB)
88
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
4 connected companies via shared directors
57
Filing history
124 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 declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £170,605

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
£171k
↑ 14% YoY
Current Assets
£236k
↑ 19% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£47k£94k£141k£189k£236kFeb 2024Feb 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-02-282024-02-29
Total assets£212.6k£195.7k
Current assets£235.7k£198.2k
Cash—£22.9k
Debtors£202.7k£142.3k
Net assets£170.6k£149.0k

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

🔒Filing-note intelligence

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

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (44 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-11-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-11-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2023-11-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-03-31
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  5. 2023-02-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  6. 2022-08-05
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  7. 2022-05-05
    ➖
    COLLMAN, Richard resigned
    director
  8. 2022-02-10
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  9. 2022-02-10
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  10. 2022-02-10
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  11. 2022-01-27
    ➖
    COLLMAN, Shirley Ann resigned
    secretary
  12. 2022-01-27
    ➖
    COLLMAN, Shirley Ann resigned
    director
  13. 2021-02-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  14. 2020-04-05
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  15. 2020-04-02
    🔒
    Charge registered #9
    Lender: Richard a Collman
  16. 2020-02-10
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  17. 2019-12-31
    ➖
    COLLMAN, Rachael Louise resigned
    director
  18. 2019-11-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  19. 2019-03-07
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  20. 2019-03-04
    🔒
    Charge registered #8
    Lender: Hsbc UK Bank PLC
  21. 2018-08-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  22. 2017-11-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  23. 2017-01-04
    ➕
    COLLMAN, Rachael Louise appointed
    director
  24. 2016-08-22
    🔒
    Charge registered #7
    Lender: Shirley Ann Collman
  25. 2016-08-17
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #6
  26. 2014-11-17
    ➖
    BULLOCK, Philip Craig resigned
    director
  27. 2011-08-15
    ➕
    BULLOCK, Philip Craig appointed
    director
  28. 2005-11-24
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #5
  29. 2005-09-15
    🔒
    Charge registered #6
    Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
  30. 2001-02-09
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #4
  31. 2000-08-30
    🔒
    Charge registered #5
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  32. 1999-03-19
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  33. 1998-12-18
    ➖
    BANNISTER, Kevin John resigned
    director
  34. 1997-10-31
    ➖
    BERBANK GREEN, David resigned
    director
  35. 1996-10-21
    ➕
    BANNISTER, Kevin John appointed
    director
  36. 1995-04-11
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  37. 1995-04-11
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  38. 1995-01-30
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  39. 1995-01-30
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  40. 1994-09-20
    ➕
    BERBANK GREEN, David appointed
    director
  41. 1992-11-03
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  42. 1992-01-01
    ➕
    COLLMAN, Richard Andrew appointed
    director
  43. 1976-07-14
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
  44. 1972-07-13
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As ACOUSTICAL CONTROL ENGINEERS LIMITED

Owner dependency

93/100
Critical — business is the founder

The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.

FACTORS
  • +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 34 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 63 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

95/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 63. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 34 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 54 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
medium

Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Richard Andrew Collman
Individual · British · DOB 05/1963 · age 63
75–100%
—75-100% shares06/04/2016

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
Incorporated1972-07-13
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC71129 — Other engineering activities

Registered office

Broadway, Bourn
Cambridge
Cambridgeshire
CB23 2TA

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-11-30
Last made up to: 2025-02-28
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-12-10
Last: 2025-11-26

Officers (1 active · 7 resigned)

COLLMAN, Richard Andrew→
director · ~63y · appointed 1992-01-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
COLLMAN, Shirley Ann→
secretary · resigned 2022-01-27
Resigned
BANNISTER, Kevin John→
director · ~69y · appointed 1996-10-21 · resigned 1998-12-18
Resigned
BERBANK GREEN, David→
director · ~79y · appointed 1994-09-20 · resigned 1997-10-31
Resigned
BULLOCK, Philip Craig→
director · ~56y · appointed 2011-08-15 · resigned 2014-11-17
Resigned
COLLMAN, Rachael Louise→
director · ~34y · appointed 2017-01-04 · resigned 2019-12-31
Resigned
COLLMAN, Richard→
director · ~89y · resigned 2022-05-05
Resigned
COLLMAN, Shirley Ann→
director · ~90y · resigned 2022-01-27
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

9
Total charges
3
Outstanding
3
Active lenders
Status:Lender:9 of 9 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Richard a Collman / Ann M Collman
A registered charge—02/04/2020—
outstanding
HSBC
Hsbc UK Bank PLC
A registered charge1 property04/03/2019—
outstanding
Shirley Ann Collman / Richard Collman
A registered charge—22/08/2016—
satisfied
HSBC
Hsbc Bank PLC
Debenture1 property15/09/200517/08/2016
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Debenture containing fixed and floating charges1 property30/08/200024/11/2005
satisfied
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Debenture1 property30/01/199509/02/2001
satisfied
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property30/01/199519/03/1999
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Fixed and floating charge1 property03/11/199211/04/1995
satisfied
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank PLC
Mortgage1 property14/07/197611/04/1995
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (124 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-12-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2025-11-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-11-29
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-11-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-08-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2023-11-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-08-07
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2023-03-31
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2023-02-28
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-08-05
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2022-08-05
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2022-02-10
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2022-02-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2022-02-10
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-08-04