BRETT TRADING LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
01528676 · ltd · incorporated 1980-11-18
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
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
🔔
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: Activities of head offices
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 80-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 80/100. Strong seller-intent signal (63/100, director aged 80). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

3 live charges · oldest 2.5y

50/100
clean up first

Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.

  • · Newest facility, 2.5 years old — likely still in initial term.
  • · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
  • · Legal-friction score 15/100 — clean.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (61/100)

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

Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
3 charges (3/3 with lender, 3/3 with type)
90
Directors & officers
11 officers (4 active, 11 linked, 8 with DOB)
85
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
25 connected companies via shared directors
90
Filing history
126 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
82/100Exceptional
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
1
filing
  • • 1 mortgage
Last 180 days
2
filings
  • • 1 mortgage
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (34 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-03-11
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  2. 2026-03-06
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Hsbc UK Bank PLC
  3. 2025-09-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2025-03-27
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  5. 2024-12-23
    📄
    change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH03
  6. 2024-12-23
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  7. 2024-12-20
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Hsbc UK Bank PLC
  8. 2024-07-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  9. 2024-01-09
    📄
    capital-allotment-shares
    capital · SH01
  10. 2023-12-29
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  11. 2023-12-22
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Hsbc UK Bank PLC
  12. 2023-12-20
    📄
    second-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-date
    confirmation-statement · RP04CS01
  13. 2023-12-14
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
  14. 2023-12-14
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  15. 2023-10-09
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  16. 2023-10-05
    ➕
    TARN, Nicholas James appointed
    director
  17. 2023-10-05
    ✏️
    certificate-change-of-name-company
    change-of-name · CERTNM
  18. 2023-09-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  19. 2022-09-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  20. 2021-10-02
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  21. 2020-11-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  22. 2020-01-01
    ➕
    KITCHIN, Susan Frances appointed
    secretary
  23. 2020-01-01
    ➖
    GILBERT, John resigned
    secretary
  24. 2006-12-31
    ➖
    RUSSELL, Simon John resigned
    director
  25. 2006-12-29
    ➕
    GILBERT, John appointed
    director
  26. 2005-12-31
    ➖
    BRETT, Timothy William resigned
    director
  27. 2005-12-30
    ➕
    BRETT, William John appointed
    director
  28. 2002-07-26
    ➖
    WOOLNOUGH, Peter Barry resigned
    secretary
  29. 2002-07-26
    ➖
    WOOLNOUGH, Peter Barry resigned
    director
  30. 2002-07-25
    ➕
    GILBERT, John appointed
    secretary
  31. 2002-07-25
    ➕
    RUSSELL, Simon John appointed
    director
  32. 2002-04-30
    ➖
    BRETT, Stephen Robert resigned
    director
  33. 1997-08-18
    ➖
    PEER, John Scott resigned
    director
  34. 1980-11-18
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As BRETT TRADING LIMITED

Owner dependency

90/100
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
  • +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "BRETT" — strong identity link between founder and business.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 20 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 80 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

80/100
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 80 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 20 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

clean
No red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)

Group structure

Robert Brett & Sons Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.

🏛️
Robert Brett & Sons Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares
ultimate parent
⬇
BRETT TRADING LIMITED
This company · 01528676

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
Robert Brett & Sons Limited
Corporate entity
75–100%
—75-100% shares05/12/2023
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Provian Construction Ltdceased 05/12/2023· 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control

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 · Professional services · CT postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
2M ENGINEERING LIMITED→
05321290 · est 2004 · no financials extracted
————21y——
365 HIRE LIMITED→
08732462 · est 2013 · no financials extracted
————12y——
3BLUE ADVISORY LIMITED→
14741980 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
————3y——
42STATS LIMITED→
12729443 · est 2020 · no financials extracted
————5y——
58 WESTBROOK AVENUE RTM COMPANY LIMITED→
09335509 · est 2014 · no financials extracted
————11y——
7C SHIPPING LIMITED→
08192878 · est 2012 · no financials extracted
————13y——
AAA* ACCOUNTANCY & TAXATION LIMITED→
13019563 · est 2020 · no financials extracted
————5y——
AB & AR HOLDINGS LIMITED→
07930672 · est 2012 · no financials extracted
————14y——
ABBOTSTONES ACCOUNTANTS LIMITED→
11284475 · est 2018 · no financials extracted
————8y——
ABDO RESEARCH FUND→
08825144 · est 2013 · no financials extracted
————12y——
ABL INTERNATIONAL ENTERPRISES LTD→
13619655 · est 2021 · no financials extracted
————4y——
ABV SURVEY LIMITED→
11329751 · est 2018 · no financials extracted
————7y——
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

9 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
Incorporated1980-11-18
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC70100 — Activities of head offices

Registered office

Robert Brett House Ashford Road
Chartham
Canterbury
Kent
CT4 7PP
England

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-01-02
Last: 2025-12-19

Officers (4 active · 7 resigned)

KITCHIN, Susan Frances→
secretary · appointed 2020-01-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BRETT, William John→
director · ~61y · appointed 2005-12-30
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
GILBERT, John→
director · ~80y · appointed 2006-12-29
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
TARN, Nicholas James→
director · ~61y · appointed 2023-10-05
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
GILBERT, John→
secretary · appointed 2002-07-25 · resigned 2020-01-01
Resigned
WOOLNOUGH, Peter Barry→
secretary · resigned 2002-07-26
Resigned
BRETT, Stephen Robert→
director · ~73y · resigned 2002-04-30
Resigned
BRETT, Timothy William→
director · ~88y · resigned 2005-12-31
Resigned
PEER, John Scott→
director · ~91y · resigned 1997-08-18
Resigned
RUSSELL, Simon John→
director · ~75y · appointed 2002-07-25 · resigned 2006-12-31
Resigned
WOOLNOUGH, Peter Barry→
director · ~80y · resigned 2002-07-26
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

3
Total charges
3
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:3 of 3 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
HSBC
Hsbc UK Bank PLC
A registered charge2 properties06/03/2026—
outstanding
HSBC
Hsbc UK Bank PLC
A registered charge—20/12/2024—
outstanding
HSBC
Hsbc UK Bank PLC
A registered charge—22/12/2023—
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (126 total)

mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2026-03-11
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-12-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2025-09-23
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2025-03-27
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-12-23
change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
officers · CH03
2024-12-23
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2024-12-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2024-07-31
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2024-01-09
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2023-12-29
second-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-date
confirmation-statement · RP04CS01
2023-12-20
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-12-19
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
2023-12-14
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2023-12-14
confirmation-statement
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-12-05