AJ MACHINERY LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
01653287 · ltd · incorporated 1982-07-22
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 Sept 2024
Net worth
£-7.6k
book net assets
Opportunity
77/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 46140
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)Distressed active trading company — structural issues outweigh the discount.
Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (78/100, director aged 73). 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 (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
3 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 41.9y
15/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 41.9 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
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
3 charges (3/3 with lender, 3/3 with type)
90
Directors & officers
5 officers (2 active, 5 linked, 3 with DOB)
82
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
104 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 · FRS 105 (micro)Negative net assets
Liabilities exceed assets by £7,609
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
-£8k
↓ 420% YoY
Current Assets
£97k
↓ 16% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 105 (micro)| Metric | 2024-09-30 | 2023-09-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | — | £29.0k |
| Current assets | £97.0k | £115.8k |
| Net assets | £-7.6k | £-1.5k |
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 (28 events)Click to expand
- 2025-09-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2025-09-13📄gazette-filings-brought-up-to-dategazette · DISS40
- 2025-09-11📄withdrawal-of-a-person-with-significant-control-statementpersons-with-significant-control · PSC09
- 2025-09-11📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control-statementpersons-with-significant-control · PSC08
- 2025-09-11📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2025-09-11📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2025-09-11📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2025-09-11📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-09-11📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-09-09📄gazette-notice-compulsorygazette · GAZ1
- 2025-05-28📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2024-08-12➖WEST, Andrew James resigneddirector
- 2024-06-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-08-08➕WEST, Philippa Lesley appointeddirector
- 2023-08-08📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2023-06-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-06-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-06-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2020-09-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2019-06-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2010-09-20🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2010-09-20🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 1997-11-20🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Midland Bank PLC
- 1992-11-17➖WEST, June resignedsecretary
- 1992-11-17➖WEST, June resigneddirector
- 1991-05-08🔒Charge registered #2Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 1984-06-22🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1982-07-22🏢Company incorporatedAs AJ MACHINERY LIMITED
Owner dependency
90/100
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
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 73 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
75/100
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 73 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
Red flags
1 med ·Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mrs Philippa Lesley West Individual · British · DOB 07/1953 · age 73 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 12/08/2024 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mr Andrew James Westceased 12/08/2024· 75-100% shares
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
Active · Wholesale & distribution · OX postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABINGDON WOOD YARD LTD→ 13530218 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| ADIPRO UK & EUROPE LTD→ 15635827 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ADVANCED MEDICAL SYSTEMS LTD.→ 03476650 · est 1997 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 28y | — | — |
| AERO TRADING LTD→ 12189132 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| AFTERSALES EQUIPMENT LIMITED→ 13759395 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| AGL TRADING LTD→ 14857327 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| AGLEA UK LIMITED→ 12582378 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| AI APPLICATIONS LIMITED→ 16478155 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALAN ASTON ROOFING SUPPLIES LIMITED→ 02361854 · est 1989 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 37y | — | — |
| ALBARAKAH TRADE-LINK (UK) LIMITED→ 02559849 · est 1990 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 35y | — | — |
| ALBATRON SCIENCE LIMITED→ 07338644 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 15y | — | — |
| ALBETTA CREATION LIMITED→ 03738609 · est 1999 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 27y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1982-07-22
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC46140 — SIC 46140
Registered office
Downside Westbrook Street
Blewbury
Didcot
OX11 9QA
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-06-30
Last made up to: 2024-09-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-07-02
Last: 2025-06-18
Officers (2 active · 3 resigned)
Active
WEST, Philippa Lesley→
Activedirector · ~73y · appointed 2023-08-08
View their other companies + combined net worth →
WEST, June→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 1992-11-17
WEST, Andrew James→
Resigneddirector · ~81y · resigned 2024-08-12
WEST, June→
Resigneddirector · ~82y · resigned 1992-11-17
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
3
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:3 of 3 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 20/11/1997 | — | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Mortgage debenture | 1 property | 08/05/1991 | 20/09/2010 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 22/06/1984 | 20/09/2010 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (104 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-09-29
gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
gazette · DISS40
2025-09-13
withdrawal-of-a-person-with-significant-control-statement
persons-with-significant-control · PSC09
2025-09-11
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-09-11
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control-statement
persons-with-significant-control · PSC08
2025-09-11
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2025-09-11
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-09-11
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2025-09-11
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-09-11
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-09-11
gazette-notice-compulsory
gazette · GAZ1
2025-09-09
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2025-05-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-07-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-06-27
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2023-08-08