ALSTON PRE-APPLIED LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
01535202 · ltd · incorporated 1980-12-16
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 Dec 2024
Net worth
£351.2k
book net assets
Opportunity
77/100
Strong
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Other manufacturing n.e.c.
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 82-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (78/100, director aged 82). 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 43.7y

15/100
under pressure

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 43.7 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 5 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: high (80/100)

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
8 charges (8/8 with lender, 8/8 with type)
90
Directors & officers
10 officers (2 active, 10 linked, 8 with DOB)
86
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
128 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
77/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
70
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 £351,165
Cash YoY
+35%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£165k
↑ 35% YoY
Net Worth
£351k
↑ 3.6% YoY
Current Assets
£339k
↑ 8.6% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£70k£140k£211k£281k£351kDec 2023Dec 2024

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2024-12-312023-12-31
Total assets£380.9k£381.0k
Current assets£339.2k£312.2k
Cash£165.3k£122.5k
Debtors£161.6k£177.1k
Net assets£351.2k£339.1k

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. 2025-05-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-07-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2023-05-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2022-08-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2022-07-25
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  6. 2022-07-25
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #8
  7. 2021-10-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2020-11-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2019-08-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2018-09-14
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2018-04-17
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  12. 2018-04-17
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  13. 2018-04-17
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  14. 2018-04-17
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  15. 2018-04-17
    🔒
    Charge registered #8
    Lender: Skipton Business Finance Limited
  16. 2018-04-17
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #6
  17. 2018-04-17
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #4
  18. 2018-04-17
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  19. 2017-09-06
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  20. 2016-04-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  21. 2012-06-21
    ➖
    GILLIBRAND, Michael John resigned
    director
  22. 2009-09-28
    ➖
    WHITE, Barbara resigned
    director
  23. 2008-07-28
    ➖
    CULLINGFORD, Paul resigned
    director
  24. 2007-03-16
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #7
  25. 2007-01-01
    ➕
    CULLINGFORD, Paul appointed
    director
  26. 2006-12-31
    ➖
    GILLIBRAND, Christopher Paul resigned
    director
  27. 2003-03-19
    🔒
    Charge registered #7
    Lender: Lancashire County Developments (Investments) Limited
  28. 2003-01-13
    🔒
    Charge registered #6
    Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
  29. 2002-12-20
    ➖
    BAINES, Andrew Peter resigned
    director
  30. 2001-06-04
    ➕
    WHITE, Barbara appointed
    director
  31. 1999-12-31
    ➖
    NEALE, Roger Michael resigned
    director
  32. 1999-03-16
    ➕
    GILLIBRAND, Margaret Langthorne appointed
    secretary
  33. 1999-03-16
    ➖
    GILLIBRAND, Michael John resigned
    secretary
  34. 1998-11-25
    ➕
    NEALE, Roger Michael appointed
    director
  35. 1998-07-01
    🔒
    Charge registered #5
    Lender: Midland Bank PLC
  36. 1998-06-12
    ➖
    TAYLOR, Kevin James resigned
    director
  37. 1998-02-12
    ➕
    GILLIBRAND, Christopher Paul appointed
    director
  38. 1993-02-04
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: Midland Bank PLC
  39. 1990-08-03
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  40. 1990-08-03
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  41. 1989-12-20
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Midland Bank PLC
  42. 1985-04-25
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  43. 1982-09-27
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  44. 1980-12-16
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As ALSTON PRE-APPLIED 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
  • +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 82 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

85/100
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 82 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 46 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.

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

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

🏛️
Alston Holdings Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
ultimate parent
⬇
ALSTON PRE-APPLIED LIMITED
This company · 01535202

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
Alston Holdings Limited
Corporate entity
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control06/04/2016

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
Incorporated1980-12-16
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC32990 — Other manufacturing n.e.c.

Registered office

Unit 27 Roman Way Indusrtial
Estate Longridge Road
Preston
Lancashire
PR2 5BD

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-13
Last: 2025-10-30

Officers (2 active · 8 resigned)

GILLIBRAND, Margaret Langthorne→
secretary · appointed 1999-03-16
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
GILLIBRAND, Margaret Langthorne→
director · ~82y
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
GILLIBRAND, Michael John→
secretary · resigned 1999-03-16
Resigned
BAINES, Andrew Peter→
director · ~67y · resigned 2002-12-20
Resigned
CULLINGFORD, Paul→
director · ~62y · appointed 2007-01-01 · resigned 2008-07-28
Resigned
GILLIBRAND, Christopher Paul→
director · ~56y · appointed 1998-02-12 · resigned 2006-12-31
Resigned
GILLIBRAND, Michael John→
director · ~85y · resigned 2012-06-21
Resigned
NEALE, Roger Michael→
director · ~61y · appointed 1998-11-25 · resigned 1999-12-31
Resigned
TAYLOR, Kevin James→
director · ~65y · resigned 1998-06-12
Resigned
WHITE, Barbara→
director · ~71y · appointed 2001-06-04 · resigned 2009-09-28
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

8
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:8 of 8 shown
TypeProperties
satisfied
Skipton Business Finance
Skipton Business Finance Limited
A registered charge1 property17/04/201825/07/2022
satisfied
Lancashire County Developments (Investments)
Lancashire County Developments (Investments) Limited
Composite guarantee and debenture1 property19/03/200316/03/2007
satisfied
HSBC
Hsbc Bank PLC
Debenture1 property13/01/200317/04/2018
outstanding
Midland Bank
Midland Bank PLC
Legal mortgage1 property01/07/1998—
satisfied
Midland Bank
Midland Bank PLC
Charge1 property04/02/199317/04/2018
satisfied
Midland Bank
Midland Bank PLC
Fixed and floating charge1 property20/12/198917/04/2018
satisfied
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Guarantee & debenture1 property25/04/198503/08/1990
satisfied
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Debenture1 property27/09/198203/08/1990
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (128 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-05-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-11-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-07-04
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-11-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-05-03
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-11-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-08-30
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2022-07-25
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-11-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-10-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-11-19
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-11-16
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-11-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2019-08-28