ACO TECHNOLOGIES PLC
🌳Matureactive
01854115 · plc · incorporated 1984-10-10
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
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
- · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
74/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 23690
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 74-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 74/100 (strong), bankability 57/100. Strong seller-intent signal (63/100, director aged 74). 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 (45/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
10 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 40.7y
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 40.7 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 50/100 (high).
Data confidence
Overall: medium (61/100)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
10 charges (10/10 with lender, 10/10 with type)
90
Directors & officers
12 officers (5 active, 12 linked, 10 with DOB)
87
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
13 connected companies via shared directors
84
Filing history
139 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
74/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
60
Adequate — check latest filings for context.
Acquirability
75
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
74
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Last 90 days
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (45 events)Click to expand
- 2026-06-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-groupaccounts · AA
- 2025-05-16📄accounts-with-accounts-type-groupaccounts · AA
- 2025-03-06📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-01-17📄second-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-dateconfirmation-statement · RP04CS01
- 2024-06-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-groupaccounts · AA
- 2023-12-06📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2023-12-06📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2023-12-06📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2023-12-06📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2023-12-06🔓Charge satisfied #10
- 2023-12-06🔓Charge satisfied #8
- 2023-12-06🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 2023-12-06🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2023-07-11📄accounts-with-accounts-type-groupaccounts · AA
- 2022-07-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-groupaccounts · AA
- 2022-01-19📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2022-01-18🔒Charge registered #10Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 2021-07-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-groupaccounts · AA
- 2020-12-22📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2020-12-15➕AHLMANN, Thomas Iver appointeddirector
- 2020-09-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-groupaccounts · AA
- 2019-11-14📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2019-11-01➕SIMPSON LANE, Michael John appointeddirector
- 2019-07-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-groupaccounts · AA
- 2009-01-23🔓Charge satisfied #7
- 2009-01-22🔒Charge registered #9Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 2001-03-30➖HUMPHRIES, Derek resigneddirector
- 2000-04-03➖STRINGER, Gordon Clive resigneddirector
- 1999-01-06➕SKIPPER, Kevin John appointedsecretary
- 1999-01-06➖HILL, Richard William resignedsecretary
- 1998-11-27➖HARDCASTLE, Michael resigneddirector
- 1997-04-30➖LIPSCOMBE, Robin James resigneddirector
- 1996-10-20➖WEBB, Paul Jeffrey resigneddirector
- 1996-10-18🔒Charge registered #8Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1994-05-09➕HARDCASTLE, Michael appointeddirector
- 1993-12-24🔒Charge registered #7Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 1993-09-01➕WEBB, Paul Jeffrey appointeddirector
- 1993-05-25➖WEBSTER, George David resigneddirector
- 1990-09-11🔒Charge registered #6Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1989-05-17🔒Charge registered #5Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1987-08-10🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1987-02-23🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1987-02-05🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1985-10-18🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Midland Bank PLC
- 1984-10-10🏢Company incorporatedAs ACO TECHNOLOGIES PLC
Owner dependency
63/100
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.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 74 — succession pressure is live.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
70/100
Strong succession signalMultiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 74 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- 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 · 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.
5 live charges
lowHeavily leveraged with multiple live security positions — understand the capital structure before proceeding.
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Thomas Iver Ahlmann Individual · German · DOB 06/1982 · age 44 | 75–100% | 50–75% | 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting | 06/04/2016 |
Hans-Julius Ahlmann Individual · German · DOB 04/1952 · age 74 | — | 25–50% | 25-50% voting | 06/04/2016 |
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
Active · Manufacturing · SG postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 SC PRECISION ENGINEERING LTD→ 12332821 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| 5EC ALU LTD→ 11403319 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| AALBERTS SURFACE TECHNOLOGIES HEAT LIMITED→ 00884462 · est 1966 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 59y | — | — |
| AARON COMPOSITE SERVICES LTD→ 14547705 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| ACCRA TAPS AND VALVES LTD→ 14171230 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| ACO ELECTRONICS LIMITED→ 02086981 · est 1987 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 39y | — | — |
| ACOUSTIC CALIBRATION SERVICES LIMITED→ 04143457 · est 2001 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 25y | — | — |
| ACTION ELECTRICS LIMITED→ 09105467 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| ADAPT EMS LTD→ 01973147 · est 1985 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 40y | — | — |
| ADEPT FABRICATIONS LIMITED→ 05135964 · est 2004 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 21y | — | — |
| ADS JOINERY LIMITED→ 08029057 · est 2012 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| ADWS GLOBAL LIMITED→ 06633569 · est 2008 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 17y | — | — |
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
Typeplc
Incorporated1984-10-10
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC23690 — SIC 23690
Registered office
Hitchin Road
Meppershall
Shefford
Bedfordshire
SG17 5TE
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-06-30
Last made up to: 2025-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-07
Last: 2025-10-24
Officers (5 active · 7 resigned)
SKIPPER, Kevin John→
Activesecretary · appointed 1999-01-06
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
AHLMANN, Thomas Iver→
Activedirector · ~44y · appointed 2020-12-15
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
SIMPSON LANE, Michael John→
Activedirector · ~58y · appointed 2019-11-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
HILL, Richard William→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 1999-01-06
HARDCASTLE, Michael→
Resigneddirector · ~79y · appointed 1994-05-09 · resigned 1998-11-27
HUMPHRIES, Derek→
Resigneddirector · ~69y · resigned 2001-03-30
LIPSCOMBE, Robin James→
Resigneddirector · ~82y · resigned 1997-04-30
STRINGER, Gordon Clive→
Resigneddirector · ~80y · resigned 2000-04-03
WEBB, Paul Jeffrey→
Resigneddirector · ~74y · appointed 1993-09-01 · resigned 1996-10-20
WEBSTER, George David→
Resigneddirector · ~81y · resigned 1993-05-25
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
10
Total charges
5
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:10 of 10 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | A registered charge | — | 18/01/2022 | 06/12/2023 | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 22/01/2009 | — | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Guarantee & debenture | 1 property | 18/10/1996 | 06/12/2023 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 24/12/1993 | 23/01/2009 | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 11/09/1990 | — | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 17/05/1989 | — | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Corporate mortgage | 1 property | 10/08/1987 | 06/12/2023 | |
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 23/02/1987 | — | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 05/02/1987 | 06/12/2023 | |
| outstanding | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Charge | 1 property | 18/10/1985 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (139 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-group
accounts · AA
2026-06-02
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-group
accounts · AA
2025-05-16
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-03-06
second-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-date
confirmation-statement · RP04CS01
2025-01-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-11-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-group
accounts · AA
2024-06-18
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2023-12-06
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2023-12-06
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2023-12-06
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2023-12-06
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-11-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-group
accounts · AA
2023-07-11
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-11-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-group
accounts · AA
2022-07-08