APPLIED DESIGN AND ENGINEERING LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
01812041 · ltd · incorporated 1984-04-27
Investment thesis
Looks cheap but ownership + security both unclear — probable value trap.
Why interesting: Headline metrics may be attractive.
Why risky: No PSC visibility combined with multiple live charges; transacting likely slow and expensive.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Nov 2023
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
76/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 28250
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 78-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 76/100 (strong), bankability 57/100. Strong seller-intent signal (63/100, director aged 78). Asset purchase likely safer than share purchase given structural signals. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 14 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (45/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
13 live charges · 12 lenders · oldest 26.1y
25/100
too messy
Structure is too messy for a clean refinance right now — clean up first or expect bespoke terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 26.1 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 12 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 55/100 (high).
Data confidence
Overall: medium (65/100)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
1 year of iXBRL accounts extracted (no YoY comparison) + narrative notes parsed
50
Lenders & charges
13 charges (13/13 with lender, 13/13 with type)
90
Directors & officers
20 officers (4 active, 20 linked, 14 with DOB)
84
Ownership & PSC
No PSCs filed (unusual — worth investigating)
35
Director network
7 connected companies via shared directors
66
Filing history
256 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
76/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
60
Adequate — check latest filings for context.
Acquirability
85
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
74
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Key financials
1 year extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2023-11-30 |
|---|---|
| Average employees | 600 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
🔒Filing-note intelligence
3 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 (73 events)Click to expand
- 2025-08-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-05-01📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2025-04-30➖BELL, Nigel resigneddirector
- 2025-04-17📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2025-04-16➖PALMAN, Mark resigneddirector
- 2025-04-10📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2024-08-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-07-17📄second-filing-capital-allotment-sharescapital · RP04SH01
- 2024-07-01📄second-filing-capital-allotment-sharescapital · RP04SH01
- 2024-06-22📄second-filing-capital-allotment-sharescapital · RP04SH01
- 2024-06-20📄second-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-dateconfirmation-statement · RP04CS01
- 2024-05-16📄second-filing-capital-allotment-sharescapital · RP04SH01
- 2024-05-07📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2024-03-09📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2023-12-27📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2023-10-11📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2023-09-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-08-29📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2023-08-22📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2023-07-17📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2023-07-05📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2023-06-28➕PALMAN, Mark appointeddirector
- 2022-10-03📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2022-09-09📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2020-12-11🔓Charge satisfied #9
- 2020-12-11🔓Charge satisfied #8
- 2019-01-01➖ARCHER, Jeffrey Onslow resigneddirector
- 2017-01-15🔒Charge registered #13Lender: Edward Barlow
- 2016-10-25➖CHRIS THOMSON LIMITED resignedcorporate-secretary
- 2016-10-25➖CHRIS THOMSON LIMITED resignedcorporate-director
- 2016-10-14➖WALLACE-KING, Julian Paul resigneddirector
- 2016-07-26🔒Charge registered #12Lender: Tim Barker
- 2016-03-22🔒Charge registered #11Lender: Birmingham City Council
- 2015-10-06➕HODGSON, Karl appointeddirector
- 2014-10-21🔒Charge registered #10Lender: Jeffrey Archer
- 2014-03-06➕WALLACE-KING, Julian Paul appointeddirector
- 2011-09-29🔓Charge satisfied #5
- 2011-06-24➖THOMSON, Christopher John resignedsecretary
- 2011-06-24➖THOMSON, Christopher John resigneddirector
- 2011-06-23➕CHRIS THOMSON LIMITED appointedcorporate-secretary
- 2011-06-23➕CHRIS THOMSON LIMITED appointedcorporate-director
- 2011-06-10🔒Charge registered #9Lender: Hsbc Invoice Finance (UK) LTD ("the Security Holder")
- 2011-06-10🔒Charge registered #8Lender: Hsbc Invoice Finance (UK) LTD ("the Security Holder")
- 2011-03-10🔒Charge registered #7Lender: Ashtead Plant Hire Company Limited
- 2010-09-24🔒Charge registered #6Lender: Tim Barker and George Young
- 2009-07-22🔒Charge registered #5Lender: Transnear Limited
- 2009-07-09🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Ocarina Investments Limited
- 2009-02-13➕ARCHER, Jeffrey Onslow appointeddirector
- 2008-12-31➖HOLLIDAY, Michael Francis resigneddirector
- 2008-07-09➖WALLACE-KING, Julian Paul resigneddirector
Showing most recent 50 of 73 events
Owner dependency
65/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
FACTORS
- -4 active directors: Broader management team in place — suggests transferable governance.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 30 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 78 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
90/100
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 78 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 30 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 42 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
1 med · 1 lowCharge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
8 live charges
lowHeavily leveraged with multiple live security positions — understand the capital structure before proceeding.
🔒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
Active · Manufacturing · NR postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A P H SCREENS LIMITED→ 05556452 · est 2005 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
| A PLUS RECOVERY AND REPAIRS LTD→ 10791201 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| AJ BUILDING CONTRACTORS LTD→ 17124367 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALLMECH SERVICES LTD→ 10529989 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| ALPHA SHEETMETAL & DUCTWORK SERVICES LIMITED→ 03796507 · est 1999 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 26y | — | — |
| ALTERE STUDIOS LIMITED→ 15395521 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ALUMINIUM WINDOWS & DOORS LIMITED→ 05853652 · est 2006 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 19y | — | — |
| AMBERWHITE LIMITED→ 04392459 · est 2002 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 24y | — | — |
| AMC METALCRAFT LIMITED→ 14154305 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| ANDMOREAGAIN LIMITED→ 10285087 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| ANDYS MECH SERVICES LIMITED→ 12029116 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| ANGLIA BESPOKE COVERS LTD→ 12246906 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1984-04-27
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC28250 — SIC 28250
Registered office
45 Pinbush Road
South Lowestoft Industrial Estate
Lowestoft
Suffolk
NR33 7NL
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-08-29
Last made up to: 2024-11-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-13
Last: 2025-09-29
Officers (4 active · 16 resigned)
BARKER, Timothy James Scruby→
Activedirector · ~61y · appointed 2008-02-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
HODGSON, Karl→
Activedirector · ~56y · appointed 2015-10-06
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
YOUNG, George Robert→
Activedirector · ~78y · appointed 1996-02-12
View their other companies + combined net worth →
THOMSON, Christopher John→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2002-01-29 · resigned 2011-06-24
WOOD, Kerry Maureen→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 1996-02-12
YOUNG, George Robert→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1996-02-14 · resigned 2002-01-29
CHRIS THOMSON LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-secretary · appointed 2011-06-23 · resigned 2016-10-25
ARCHER, Jeffrey Onslow→
Resigneddirector · ~76y · appointed 2009-02-13 · resigned 2019-01-01
BELL, Nigel→
Resigneddirector · ~72y · appointed 2008-02-01 · resigned 2025-04-30
HOLLIDAY, David Bryan→
Resigneddirector · ~61y · appointed 2002-01-29 · resigned 2007-12-31
HOLLIDAY, Michael Francis→
Resigneddirector · ~88y · appointed 2002-01-29 · resigned 2008-12-31
PALMAN, Mark→
Resigneddirector · ~66y · appointed 2023-06-28 · resigned 2025-04-16
PARKER, Christopher John→
Resigneddirector · ~78y · appointed 2003-07-18 · resigned 2007-02-01
THOMSON, Christopher John→
Resigneddirector · ~62y · appointed 2002-01-29 · resigned 2011-06-24
WALLACE-KING, Julian Paul→
Resigneddirector · ~71y · appointed 2014-03-06 · resigned 2016-10-14
WALLACE-KING, Julian Paul→
Resigneddirector · ~71y · appointed 2002-01-29 · resigned 2008-07-09
WOOD, Kerry Maureen→
Resigneddirector · ~60y · resigned 1996-02-12
CHRIS THOMSON LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-director · appointed 2011-06-23 · resigned 2016-10-25
CRANE→
Resignedcorporate-director · appointed 2003-07-18 · resigned 2003-10-02
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
13
Total charges
8
Outstanding
8
Active lenders
Status:Lender:13 of 13 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Edward Barlow | A registered charge | — | 15/01/2017 | — | |
| outstanding | Tim Barker / George Young | A registered charge | — | 26/07/2016 | — | |
| outstanding | Birmingham City Council | A registered charge | 1 property | 22/03/2016 | — | |
| outstanding | Jeffrey Archer / Timothy Barker | A registered charge | — | 21/10/2014 | — | |
| satisfied | HSBC Hsbc Invoice Finance (UK) LTD ("the Security Holder") | Fixed charge on purchased debts which fail to vest | 1 property | 10/06/2011 | 11/12/2020 | |
| satisfied | HSBC Hsbc Invoice Finance (UK) LTD ("the Security Holder") | Floating charge (all assets) | 1 property | 10/06/2011 | 11/12/2020 | |
| outstanding | Ashtead Plant Hire Company Ashtead Plant Hire Company Limited | Rent deposit deed | 1 property | 10/03/2011 | — | |
| outstanding | Tim Barker and George Young | Debenture | 1 property | 24/09/2010 | — | |
| satisfied | Transnear Transnear Limited | Debenture | 1 property | 22/07/2009 | 29/09/2011 | |
| outstanding | Ocarina Investments Ocarina Investments Limited | Debenture | 1 property | 09/07/2009 | — | |
| outstanding | 3I Group 3I Group PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 18/07/2003 | — | |
| satisfied | HSBC Hsbc Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 13/11/2000 | 14/02/2002 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Debenture | 1 property | 09/05/2000 | 26/07/2003 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (256 total)
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-09-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-08-21
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-05-01
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-04-17
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2025-04-10
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-08-29
second-filing-capital-allotment-shares
capital · RP04SH01
2024-07-17
second-filing-capital-allotment-shares
capital · RP04SH01
2024-07-01
second-filing-capital-allotment-shares
capital · RP04SH01
2024-06-22
second-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-date
confirmation-statement · RP04CS01
2024-06-20
second-filing-capital-allotment-shares
capital · RP04SH01
2024-05-16
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2024-05-07
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2024-03-09
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2023-12-27