CLEANING MACHINERY (K.E.W.) LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
01987325 · ltd · incorporated 1986-02-07
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 Mar 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 33190
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 61-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (80/100, director aged 61). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 4 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
4 live charges · 4 lenders · oldest 40.3y
15/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 40.3 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 4 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
4 charges (4/4 with lender, 4/4 with type)
90
Directors & officers
5 officers (2 active, 5 linked, 3 with DOB)
82
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
97 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
79/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
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 · FRS 102| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 300 | 300 |
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
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (28 events)Click to expand
- 2025-12-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-12-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-12-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-12-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-10-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2020-11-05📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2019-12-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2018-11-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2017-11-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2016-08-11📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-04-05📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2015-06-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2015-04-01📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2014-07-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2014-04-07📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2008-10-15🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2008-10-15🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2001-10-26➖HOWE, Colin John Ridgway resigneddirector
- 1995-08-02➖HOWE, Christine Mary Taverner resigneddirector
- 1994-07-19🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
- 1993-09-27🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Tsb Bank PLC
- 1993-08-24➕JUSTICE, Caroline Anne appointedsecretary
- 1993-08-24➕HOWE, Kevin John appointeddirector
- 1993-08-24➖HOWE, Christine Mary Taverner resignedsecretary
- 1992-07-07🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Hill Samuel Bank Limited
- 1988-08-05🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 1986-04-09🔒Charge registered #1Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 1986-02-07🏢Company incorporatedAs CLEANING MACHINERY (K.E.W.) LIMITED
Owner dependency
93/100
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.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 33 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 61 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
85/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 61. Early succession window.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 33 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 40 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 ·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 Kevin John Howe Individual · British · DOB 05/1965 · age 61 | 75–100% | — | 75-100% shares | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
Active · Manufacturing · TA postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOUGH HOUSE LIMITED→ 10286021 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| BRADLEY THE BLACKSMITH LIMITED→ 14371140 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| BRITON AIR LIMITED→ 12107195 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| CA JOHNSTON LTD→ 13594898 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| CARAVAN & MOTORHOME SOLUTIONS LIMITED→ 07174999 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| CERATEX ENGINEERING LIMITED→ 03102060 · est 1995 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 30y | — | — |
| CHRISTOPHER INTERIORS LTD→ 15359973 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| CJS CARPENTRY & DESIGN LIMITED→ 11733577 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| CLARITY COPIERS (WESTERN) LIMITED→ 01497367 · est 1980 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 45y | — | — |
| CLEAR HEAR SOLUTIONS AUDIOLOGY LTD→ 15169613 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| CLEMENT CARPENTRY LIMITED→ 10827901 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| CLIVE GOULD LIMITED→ 04580722 · est 2002 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 23y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1986-02-07
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC33190 — SIC 33190
Registered office
Whiteball Garage,
Wellington,
Somerset.
TA21 0LT
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-04-14
Last: 2026-03-31
Officers (2 active · 3 resigned)
JUSTICE, Caroline Anne→
Activesecretary · appointed 1993-08-24
View their other companies + combined net worth →
HOWE, Kevin John→
Activedirector · ~61y · appointed 1993-08-24
View their other companies + combined net worth →
HOWE, Christine Mary Taverner→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 1993-08-24
HOWE, Christine Mary Taverner→
Resigneddirector · ~91y · resigned 1995-08-02
HOWE, Colin John Ridgway→
Resigneddirector · ~93y · resigned 2001-10-26
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
4
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC | Single debenture | 1 property | 19/07/1994 | — | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Tsb Bank PLC | Transfer deed | 1 property | 27/09/1993 | 15/10/2008 | |
| satisfied | Hill Samuel Bank Hill Samuel Bank Limited | Debenture | 1 property | 07/07/1992 | 15/10/2008 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 09/04/1986 | 05/08/1988 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (97 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-04-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-12-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-04-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-12-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-04-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-12-20
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-04-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-12-07
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-04-06
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-10-12
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-04-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2020-11-05
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-04-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2019-12-02
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-04-05