AUTOFOUR PRECISION ENGINEERING LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
01961199 · ltd · incorporated 1985-11-19
Investment thesis
Established operating company — standard diligence applies, no dominant angle.
Why interesting: Live, filing, normal profile.
Why risky: No standout signals in either direction.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Jun 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
78/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 25940
Sector: Manufacturing
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
- 28150SIC 28150
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 80-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 78/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 80). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 6 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
10 live charges · 6 lenders · oldest 37.2y
35/100
too messy
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 37.2 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 6 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 40/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
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, 2 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
10 charges (10/10 with lender, 10/10 with type)
90
Directors & officers
4 officers (3 active, 4 linked, 3 with DOB)
85
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
125 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
78/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
75
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
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 | 2025-06-30 | 2024-06-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 2600 | 2200 |
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
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (34 events)Click to expand
- 2026-03-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-04-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-03-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-03-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-11-07📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2022-11-07📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2022-03-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-04-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-06-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-03-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-02-12📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2019-02-12🔓Charge satisfied #7
- 2019-02-08📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2019-02-08🔒Charge registered #10Lender: Skipton Business Finance Limited
- 2018-10-12📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2018-10-12📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2018-10-12🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 2018-10-12🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2018-09-25📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2018-09-25🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2018-09-07🔒Charge registered #9Lender: Assetz Capital Trust Company Limited
- 2018-09-07🔒Charge registered #8Lender: Assetz Capital Trust Company Limited
- 2013-06-27➖VOYSEY, Roger John resigneddirector
- 2012-04-19🔓Charge satisfied #5
- 2012-04-10🔓Charge satisfied #6
- 2012-04-10🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2007-11-05🔒Charge registered #7Lender: Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance Limited
- 2004-04-08🔒Charge registered #6Lender: Alex Lawrie Receivables Financing Limited
- 2001-08-08🔒Charge registered #5Lender: Trustees Autofour Precision Engineering Retirement Benefit Plan
- 1996-11-11🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
- 1994-04-26🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Alex Lawrie Receivables Financing Limited
- 1990-11-30🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
- 1989-05-11🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
- 1985-11-19🏢Company incorporatedAs AUTOFOUR PRECISION ENGINEERING LIMITED
Owner dependency
73/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
FACTORS
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 80 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
76/100
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.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 41 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
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Malcolm David Burdock Individual · British · DOB 12/1946 · age 80 | 25–50% | — | 25-50% shares | 06/04/2016 |
Mr John Howard Davies Individual · British · DOB 09/1951 · age 75 | 25–50% | — | 25-50% shares | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANSELLS CARPENTRY & RENOVATIONS LTD→ 15335341 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
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| B CREATIONS LTD→ 12813776 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| BA BOLTS LIMITED→ 08730953 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| BABA ROGA LTD→ 13562345 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| BAD RECORDS LIMITED→ 15781962 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| BADMINTON HORSEBOXES LTD→ 02913585 · est 1994 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 32y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1985-11-19
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC25940 — SIC 25940
Registered office
Unit 5 Alstone Lane Ind Est
Alstone Lane
Cheltenham
Glos
GL51 8HF
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-03-31
Last made up to: 2025-06-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-20
Last: 2025-10-06
Officers (3 active · 1 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
10
Total charges
3
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:10 of 10 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Skipton Business Finance Skipton Business Finance Limited | A registered charge | 1 property | 08/02/2019 | — | |
| outstanding | Assetz Capital Trust Company Assetz Capital Trust Company Limited | A registered charge | 1 property | 07/09/2018 | — | |
| outstanding | Assetz Capital Trust Company Assetz Capital Trust Company Limited | A registered charge | 1 property | 07/09/2018 | — | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance Limited | All assets debenture | 1 property | 05/11/2007 | 12/02/2019 | |
| satisfied | Alex Lawrie Receivables Financing Alex Lawrie Receivables Financing Limited | All assets debenture | 1 property | 08/04/2004 | 10/04/2012 | |
| satisfied | Trustees Autofour Precision Engineering Retirement Benefit Plan | Long term loan agreement floating charge | 1 property | 08/08/2001 | 19/04/2012 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC | Mortgage | 1 property | 11/11/1996 | 12/10/2018 | |
| satisfied | Alex Lawrie Receivables Financing Alex Lawrie Receivables Financing Limited | Fixed charge | 1 property | 26/04/1994 | 10/04/2012 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC | Mortgage | 1 property | 30/11/1990 | 12/10/2018 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC | Single debenture | 1 property | 11/05/1989 | 25/09/2018 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (125 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-03-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-04-17
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-03-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-03-30
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2022-11-07
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2022-11-07
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-10-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-03-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-10-06
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-10-06
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-04-20
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-10-20