ANDREW JOHNSTONE LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
01608946 · ltd · incorporated 1982-01-21
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 37.9y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Dec 2024
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds
Sector: Agriculture, forestry & fishing
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 80-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 80/100. Strong seller-intent signal (63/100, director aged 80). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 1 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
1 live charge · oldest 37.9y
65/100
clean up first
Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.
- · Oldest live charge is 37.9 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (77/100)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
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
7 officers (4 active, 7 linked, 4 with DOB)
81
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
108 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
70
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2024-12-31 | 2023-12-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 300 | 300 |
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
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (24 events)Click to expand
- 2025-09-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-09-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-09-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-07-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-09-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-09-07📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2021-09-07📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2020-06-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2019-07-04📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2018-09-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2017-11-14📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2017-11-14📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2017-11-14📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2017-09-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2016-09-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-05-18➕JOHNSTONE, Dawn appointeddirector
- 2013-01-04➕PHILLIPS, Darren appointeddirector
- 1997-10-21➕FORMAN, Dawn appointedsecretary
- 1997-10-21➖MACKIE, Diane resignedsecretary
- 1992-06-26➖JOHNSTONE, Elizabeth Marion resignedsecretary
- 1992-06-26➕MACKIE, Diane appointedsecretary
- 1992-06-26➖JOHNSTONE, Elizabeth Marion resigneddirector
- 1988-06-29🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Midland Bank PLC
- 1982-01-21🏢Company incorporatedAs ANDREW JOHNSTONE LIMITED
Owner dependency
88/100
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
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "JOHNSTONE" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 80 — succession pressure is live.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
83/100
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 80 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 13 years.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 44 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
cleanNo red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Darren Phillips Individual · British · DOB 12/1984 · age 42 | 50–75% | 50–75% | board control50-75% shares · 50-75% voting · board control | 06/04/2016 |
Andrew Eccles Johnstone Individual · British · DOB 12/1946 · age 80 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 06/04/2016 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Dawn Johnstoneceased 01/09/2021· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
Active · Agriculture · LN postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A.I.WALGATE & SON→ 00532342 · est 1954 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 71y | — | — |
| AH FARMS LTD→ 11454371 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| AJR TAYLOR FARMS LIMITED→ 04689796 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 23y | — | — |
| ALCHEMY AGRONOMY LTD→ 15210201 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ALFORD FARMING LIMITED→ 15591621 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| AMICUS (FM) SERVICES LTD→ 12223111 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| ARABLE ALLIANCE LIMITED→ 07108278 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| ARBORGLYPH TREE SERVICES LTD→ 12427627 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| ARDEN FARMS LIMITED→ 02331504 · est 1988 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 37y | — | — |
| ARDEN FARMS OWMBY LTD→ 00435439 · est 1947 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 78y | — | — |
| AYLSHAM GROWERS LIMITED→ 00949226 · est 1969 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 57y | — | — |
| AYLSHAM GROWERS SERVICES LIMITED→ 02721798 · est 1992 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 33y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1982-01-21
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC01110 — Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds
Registered office
Inglenook
Pump Lane Saltfleet
Louth
Lincolnshire
LN11 7RL
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-27
Last: 2025-11-13
Officers (4 active · 3 resigned)
Active
Active
JOHNSTONE, Dawn→
Activedirector · ~68y · appointed 2016-05-18
View their other companies + combined net worth →
PHILLIPS, Darren→
Activedirector · ~42y · appointed 2013-01-04
View their other companies + combined net worth →
JOHNSTONE, Elizabeth Marion→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 1992-06-26
MACKIE, Diane→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1992-06-26 · resigned 1997-10-21
JOHNSTONE, Elizabeth Marion→
Resigneddirector · ~79y · resigned 1992-06-26
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
1
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Fixed and floating charge | 1 property | 29/06/1988 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (108 total)
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-11-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-09-30
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-11-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-09-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-11-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-09-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-11-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-07-19
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-11-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-09-08
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2021-09-07
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2021-09-07
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-12-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2020-06-15
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-11-25