ALAN DICK ENGINEERING LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
01091003 · ltd · incorporated 1973-01-16
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
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
  • · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Mar 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
🔔
Follow this company (free)
Email alerts on filings, charges, director changes, gazette notices. No account needed.

Unsubscribe any time from any email. GDPR-respectful.

🔒Generate AI memo →🔒Outreach pack →🔒Corporate story →📑 Reports →Sign in to watch
What this business does
Primary activity: Manufacture of metal structures and parts of structures
Sector: Manufacturing
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
  • 25620Machining
  • 25990SIC 25990
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 78-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 77/100. Strong seller-intent signal (93/100, director aged 78). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 3 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

7 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 44.9y

35/100
too messy

Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.

  • · Oldest live charge is 44.9 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (78/100)

Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.

Company profile
address, 3 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
7 charges (7/7 with lender, 7/7 with type)
90
Directors & officers
12 officers (3 active, 12 linked, 11 with DOB)
88
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
157 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.

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Mar 2024Mar 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-03-312024-03-31
Average employees262500

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

🔒Filing-note intelligence

1 signal 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
1
filing
  • • 1 mortgage
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (50 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-01-21
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  2. 2026-01-21
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #7
  3. 2025-12-05
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  4. 2025-12-05
    📄
    change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH03
  5. 2025-10-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2024-07-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2023-11-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2022-12-14
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2022-10-07
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  10. 2022-10-07
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
  11. 2021-12-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  12. 2021-01-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  13. 2020-08-17
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  14. 2020-08-14
    🔒
    Charge registered #7
    Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
  15. 2019-07-12
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  16. 2019-07-12
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  17. 2019-07-12
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  18. 2019-07-12
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  19. 2019-07-11
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  20. 2019-07-11
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  21. 2019-07-10
    ➕
    EVANS, Stephen appointed
    director
  22. 2019-07-10
    ➖
    MCINNES, Randolph Graham resigned
    director
  23. 2019-07-10
    ➖
    MCNULTY, Ian resigned
    director
  24. 2019-03-29
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #6
  25. 2019-03-29
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #5
  26. 2019-03-29
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #4
  27. 2019-03-29
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  28. 2019-03-29
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  29. 2006-08-07
    ➖
    STURGESS, Geoffrey Leonard, Doctor resigned
    director
  30. 2004-07-30
    ➖
    ROTHERY, Michael resigned
    director
  31. 2004-06-25
    ➖
    HENRY, Michael resigned
    director
  32. 2001-05-22
    ➖
    DICK, Alan resigned
    director
  33. 2001-05-22
    ➖
    DICK, Elizabeth resigned
    director
  34. 2001-05-22
    ➕
    MCINNES, Randolph Graham appointed
    director
  35. 2001-05-22
    ➕
    MCNULTY, Ian appointed
    director
  36. 2001-05-22
    ➕
    STURGESS, Geoffrey Leonard, Doctor appointed
    director
  37. 2001-04-25
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  38. 1996-06-07
    ➖
    HARRISON, Wilfred resigned
    director
  39. 1996-04-01
    ➕
    DICK, Elizabeth appointed
    director
  40. 1996-03-17
    ➖
    DICK, Francis resigned
    director
  41. 1994-04-01
    ➕
    NIMMO, Susannah Crowley appointed
    director
  42. 1994-04-01
    ➕
    HARRISON, Wilfred appointed
    director
  43. 1994-04-01
    ➕
    HENRY, Michael appointed
    director
  44. 1989-10-16
    🔒
    Charge registered #6
    Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
  45. 1989-03-24
    🔒
    Charge registered #5
    Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
  46. 1988-12-02
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: English Industrial Estates Corporation
  47. 1984-11-08
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
  48. 1984-05-10
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: English International Estates Corporation
  49. 1981-07-06
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
  50. 1973-01-16
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As ALAN DICK ENGINEERING LIMITED

Owner dependency

83/100
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
  • +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 32 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 78 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

96/100
Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 78 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 32 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 53 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.

Group structure

Ade Parent Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.

🏛️
Ade Parent Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares
ultimate parent
⬇
ALAN DICK ENGINEERING LIMITED
This company · 01091003

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%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Ade Parent Limited
Corporate entity
75–100%
75–100%75-100% shares · 75-100% voting10/07/2019
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
  • Mr Stephen Evansceased 10/07/2019· significant influence
  • Mr Ian Mcnultyceased 10/07/2019· board control

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

Similar companies

Active · Manufacturing · LA postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
8 BALL GRAPHICS LIMITED→
08114942 · est 2012 · no financials extracted
————13y——
A STITCH DIFFERENT COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY→
08915083 · est 2014 · no financials extracted
————12y——
ABICOOL LIMITED→
07256446 · est 2010 · no financials extracted
————15y——
ADAM JACKSON LIMITED→
09437121 · est 2015 · no financials extracted
————11y——
ADD 3D SOLUTIONS LTD→
14834245 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
————2y——
ADVANCED-METERING LTD→
14149024 · est 2022 · no financials extracted
————3y——
AGAIN AGAIN BY HANNAH LTD→
16366224 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
————1y——
AGATAR LIMITED→
02857586 · est 1993 · no financials extracted
————32y——
AIR FILTRATION SOLUTIONS LIMITED→
16412717 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
———————
AJ ENGINEERING (NW) LTD→
05228186 · est 2004 · no financials extracted
————21y——
ALB ELECTRITEC LTD→
09320615 · est 2014 · no financials extracted
————11y——
ALCATEK CONTROL SYSTEMS LIMITED→
05374501 · est 2005 · no financials extracted
————21y——
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
Incorporated1973-01-16
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC25110 — Manufacture of metal structures and parts of structures

Registered office

Middleton Road
Heysham
Morecambe
Lancs
LA3 2SE
England

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-07-26
Last: 2025-07-12

Officers (3 active · 9 resigned)

NIMMO, Susannah Crowley→
secretary
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
EVANS, Stephen→
director · ~78y · appointed 2019-07-10
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
NIMMO, Susannah Crowley→
director · ~64y · appointed 1994-04-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
DICK, Alan→
director · ~91y · resigned 2001-05-22
Resigned
DICK, Elizabeth→
director · ~70y · appointed 1996-04-01 · resigned 2001-05-22
Resigned
DICK, Francis→
director · ~117y · resigned 1996-03-17
Resigned
HARRISON, Wilfred→
director · ~76y · appointed 1994-04-01 · resigned 1996-06-07
Resigned
HENRY, Michael→
director · ~65y · appointed 1994-04-01 · resigned 2004-06-25
Resigned
MCINNES, Randolph Graham→
director · ~74y · appointed 2001-05-22 · resigned 2019-07-10
Resigned
MCNULTY, Ian→
director · ~72y · appointed 2001-05-22 · resigned 2019-07-10
Resigned
ROTHERY, Michael→
director · ~71y · resigned 2004-07-30
Resigned
STURGESS, Geoffrey Leonard, Doctor→
director · ~81y · appointed 2001-05-22 · resigned 2006-08-07
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

7
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:7 of 7 shown
TypeProperties
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
Lloyds Bank PLC
A registered charge—14/08/202021/01/2026
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
Lloyds Bank PLC
Legal mortgage1 property16/10/198929/03/2019
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
Lloyds Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property24/03/198929/03/2019
satisfied
English Industrial Estates Corporation
Legal charge1 property02/12/198829/03/2019
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
Lloyds Bank PLC
Legal mortgage1 property08/11/198429/03/2019
satisfied
English International Estates Corporation
Legal charge1 property10/05/198425/04/2001
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
Lloyds Bank PLC
Single debenture1 property06/07/198129/03/2019

Recent filings (157 total)

mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2026-01-21
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-12-05
change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
officers · CH03
2025-12-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-10-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-07-14
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-07-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-07-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-11-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-07-13
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-12-14
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2022-10-07
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
2022-10-07
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-07-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-12-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-07-13