BRYAN MORRIS (GREETING CARDS) LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
01784628 · ltd · incorporated 1984-01-20
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 May 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
72/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Other retail sale in non-specialised stores
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 72/100 (strong), bankability 85/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Broaden director team. Sole director creates succession risk and reduces buyer comfort. Appoint a second director or strong #2. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (58/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
4 live charges · oldest 38.9y
45/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 38.9 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (78/100)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
4 charges (4/4 with lender, 4/4 with type)
90
Directors & officers
5 officers (1 active, 5 linked, 4 with DOB)
86
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
72/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
50
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
77
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 | 2025-05-31 | 2024-05-31 |
|---|
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 (32 events)Click to expand
- 2025-07-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-07-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-04-01➖MORRIS, Leanne resigneddirector
- 2024-04-01📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2023-10-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-07-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-07-11➖MORRIS, Bryan resignedsecretary
- 2022-07-11➖MORRIS, Bryan resigneddirector
- 2022-07-11➖MORRIS, Caroline Ann resigneddirector
- 2022-07-11📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2022-07-11📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2022-07-11📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2022-07-11📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2022-07-11📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2022-07-11📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2022-07-11📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2022-07-11📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2022-07-09➕MORRIS, Robert Bryan appointeddirector
- 2022-07-09➕MORRIS, Leanne appointeddirector
- 2021-12-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2020-07-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2019-06-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2018-06-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2017-11-29🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 2017-11-29🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2017-11-29🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2017-11-29🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 1990-03-09🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1989-06-23🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1988-04-29🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1987-08-27🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1984-01-20🏢Company incorporatedAs BRYAN MORRIS (GREETING CARDS) 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 name in company name: Company name contains director surname "MORRIS" — strong identity link between founder and business.
Succession & seller-readiness
55/100
Strong succession signalMultiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
SIGNALS
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 42 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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Robert Bryan Morris Individual · British · DOB 03/1970 · age 56 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 09/07/2022 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mr Bryan Morrisceased 09/07/2022· 75-100% shares
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
Active · Retail · NP postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLACKWOOD GARDEN CENTRE LIMITED→ 04708657 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 23y | — | — |
| BOOK-ISH LTD→ 14279324 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| BOX & REACH LTD→ 16484102 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| BP FOOD NPT LIMITED→ 16252858 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| BRECON PET AND GARDEN CENTRE LIMITED→ 09678462 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| BRIAN LEE GOLF LTD→ 15289347 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| BRILLIANT CUTS LIMITED→ 05277552 · est 2004 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 21y | — | — |
| BROCKLEY STORES LTD→ 09568516 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| BROMFIELDS BUTCHERS LTD→ 09602644 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| BROMLEIGHS LIMITED→ 07033848 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| BRYNITHEL STORES LTD→ 15102179 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| BRYNMAWR BARGAIN LTD→ 09902596 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1984-01-20
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC47190 — Other retail sale in non-specialised stores
Registered office
62 Blacksmith Close
Oakdale
Blackwood
NP12 0BG
Wales
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-02-28
Last made up to: 2025-05-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-20
Last: 2025-11-06
Officers (1 active · 4 resigned)
MORRIS, Robert Bryan→
Activedirector · ~56y · appointed 2022-07-09
View their other companies + combined net worth →
MORRIS, Bryan→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 2022-07-11
MORRIS, Bryan→
Resigneddirector · ~75y · resigned 2022-07-11
MORRIS, Caroline Ann→
Resigneddirector · ~71y · resigned 2022-07-11
MORRIS, Leanne→
Resigneddirector · ~52y · appointed 2022-07-09 · resigned 2024-04-01
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
4
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 09/03/1990 | 29/11/2017 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 23/06/1989 | 29/11/2017 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 29/04/1988 | 29/11/2017 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 27/08/1987 | 29/11/2017 |
Recent filings (104 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-11-06
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-07-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-12-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-07-25
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2024-04-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-11-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-10-20
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-12-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-07-17
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2022-07-11
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2022-07-11
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2022-07-11
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2022-07-11
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2022-07-11
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2022-07-11