BALL COLEGRAVE LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
01577898 · ltd · incorporated 1981-08-04
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
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 26.8y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 46220
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 77-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 85/100. Strong seller-intent signal (63/100, director aged 77). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
1 live charge · oldest 26.8y
65/100
clean up first
Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.
- · Oldest live charge is 26.8 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Legal-friction score 28/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (58/100)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
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
25 officers (5 active, 25 linked, 16 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
6 connected companies via shared directors
63
Filing history
162 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
1
filing
- • 1 officers
Last 90 days
1
filing
- • 1 officers
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 officers
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (64 events)Click to expand
- 2026-06-17📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2026-06-01➕MOORE, Melissa appointeddirector
- 2025-09-05📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2025-09-04📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2025-07-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduaryaccounts · AA
- 2025-06-18📄legacyaccounts · PARENT_ACC
- 2025-06-18📄legacyother · GUARANTEE2
- 2025-06-18📄legacyother · AGREEMENT2
- 2025-01-01➕ROUSE, Alan John appointeddirector
- 2024-12-31➖BILLINGS, William Todd resigneddirector
- 2024-06-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduaryaccounts · AA
- 2024-06-30📄legacyaccounts · PARENT_ACC
- 2024-06-30📄legacyother · AGREEMENT2
- 2024-06-30📄legacyother · GUARANTEE2
- 2024-04-19📄appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP03
- 2024-04-18➕SHEPHERD, Alexander James appointedsecretary
- 2024-04-18➖DAY, Melanie resignedsecretary
- 2024-04-18📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2023-09-20➖BROUGHTON, Suzanne resignedsecretary
- 2023-09-20➕DAY, Melanie appointedsecretary
- 2023-09-20📄appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP03
- 2023-09-20📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2023-03-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduaryaccounts · AA
- 2023-03-03📄legacyaccounts · PARENT_ACC
- 2023-03-03📄legacyother · AGREEMENT2
- 2023-03-03📄legacyother · GUARANTEE2
- 2022-06-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduaryaccounts · AA
- 2022-06-14📄legacyaccounts · PARENT_ACC
- 2021-02-12➖TURVEY, Colin Andrew resigneddirector
- 2009-07-31➖QUESTE, Yves Leon resigneddirector
- 2009-03-19➕BROUGHTON, Suzanne appointedsecretary
- 2009-03-19➖KUIPERS, Jacco Martinus Adrianus resignedsecretary
- 2007-08-01➕QUESTE, Yves Leon appointeddirector
- 2007-07-31➖BERNARDOTTO, Giovanni resigneddirector
- 2006-10-06➕KUIPERS, Jacco Martinus Adrianus appointedsecretary
- 2006-10-06➖SHEPHERD, Alexander James resignedsecretary
- 2006-10-06➕BERNARDOTTO, Giovanni appointeddirector
- 2006-10-06➕BILLINGS, William Todd appointeddirector
- 2006-10-06➖LEVENTRY, Anne Hoffman resigneddirector
- 2006-10-06➖RICKETTS, Barrie Lyn resigneddirector
- 2005-11-16➖CAFFREY, Christine Mary resignedsecretary
- 2005-11-16➕SHEPHERD, Alexander James appointedsecretary
- 2004-11-18➕CAFFREY, Christine Mary appointedsecretary
- 2004-11-18➖SHEPHERD, Alexander James resignedsecretary
- 2004-04-23➕TURVEY, Colin Andrew appointeddirector
- 2004-04-01➖ROULSTONE, John Arthur resignedsecretary
- 2004-04-01➕SHEPHERD, Alexander James appointedsecretary
- 2004-04-01➖ROULSTONE, John Arthur resigneddirector
- 2003-12-05➖WILLIAMS, Sandra Joan resigneddirector
- 2002-01-02➕SHEPHERD, Alexander James appointeddirector
Showing most recent 50 of 64 events
Owner dependency
80/100
Critical — business is the founderThe business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
FACTORS
- -4 active directors: Broader management team in place — suggests transferable governance.
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "BALL" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 25 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 77 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
80/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 77 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 25 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
cleanNo red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)
Group structure
Ball Horticultural Company holds 25-50% — a significant corporate investor but not a controlling parent.
🏛️
Ball Horticultural Company
Corporate parent · board control
⬇
BALL COLEGRAVE LIMITED
This company · 01577898
Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Ball Horticultural Company Corporate entity | — | — | board controlsig. influenceboard control · significant influence | 01/06/2016 |
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 →Similar companies
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABINGDON WOOD YARD LTD→ 13530218 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
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| BICESTER ORIGINALS LTD→ 12398489 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
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| BLOCKHOUSE INTERNATIONAL LIMITED→ 06882158 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| BLOOMIN' AMAZING LIMITED→ 02522199 · est 1990 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 35y | — | — |
| BLUE BLOOD SPORTS LIMITED→ 11716729 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
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| BLUE TRIANGLE LIMITED→ 15338428 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| BLUEPOINT CARGO SERVICES LTD→ 16822508 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| BLYTHORNE ESTATES EUROPE LIMITED→ 14828158 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
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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
Incorporated1981-08-04
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC46220 — SIC 46220
Registered office
Milton Road
West Adderbury
Oxfordshire
OX17 3EY
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-06-30
Last made up to: 2024-09-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-09-14
Last: 2025-08-31
Officers (5 active · 20 resigned)
SHEPHERD, Alexander James→
Activesecretary · appointed 2024-04-18
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BALL, Anna Caroline→
Activedirector · ~77y · appointed 2001-06-05
View their other companies + combined net worth →
MOORE, Melissa→
Activedirector · ~51y · appointed 2026-06-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ROUSE, Alan John→
Activedirector · ~54y · appointed 2025-01-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
SHEPHERD, Alexander James→
Activedirector · ~63y · appointed 2002-01-02
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BROUGHTON, Suzanne→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2009-03-19 · resigned 2023-09-20
CAFFREY, Christine Mary→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2004-11-18 · resigned 2005-11-16
DAY, Melanie→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2023-09-20 · resigned 2024-04-18
KUIPERS, Jacco Martinus Adrianus→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2006-10-06 · resigned 2009-03-19
ROULSTONE, John Arthur→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1995-07-01 · resigned 2004-04-01
SHEPHERD, Alexander James→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2005-11-16 · resigned 2006-10-06
SHEPHERD, Alexander James→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2004-04-01 · resigned 2004-11-18
TUSTIAN, Leslie John→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 1995-06-30
BERNARDOTTO, Giovanni→
Resigneddirector · ~73y · appointed 2006-10-06 · resigned 2007-07-31
BILLINGS, William Todd→
Resigneddirector · ~64y · appointed 2006-10-06 · resigned 2024-12-31
COLEGRAVE, Jeffrey Ashbourne→
Resigneddirector · ~64y · appointed 1996-04-10 · resigned 2001-10-19
COLEGRAVE, Nancy Sutherland→
Resigneddirector · ~99y · resigned 2001-05-30
GIBSON, John→
Resigneddirector · ~90y · resigned 2001-10-16
LEVENTRY, Anne Hoffman→
Resigneddirector · ~69y · appointed 2001-06-05 · resigned 2006-10-06
QUESTE, Yves Leon→
Resigneddirector · ~70y · appointed 2007-08-01 · resigned 2009-07-31
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
1
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Guarantee & debenture | 1 property | 26/08/1999 | 08/11/2001 |
Recent filings (162 total)
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2026-06-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-09-22
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2025-09-05
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-09-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduary
accounts · AA
2025-07-09
legacy
accounts · PARENT_ACC
2025-06-18
legacy
other · GUARANTEE2
2025-06-18
legacy
other · AGREEMENT2
2025-06-18
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-09-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduary
accounts · AA
2024-06-30
legacy
accounts · PARENT_ACC
2024-06-30
legacy
other · AGREEMENT2
2024-06-30
legacy
other · GUARANTEE2
2024-06-30
appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
officers · AP03
2024-04-19
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2024-04-18