CARN (AUTOS) LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
02125455 · ltd · incorporated 1987-04-23
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
74/100
Strong
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Freight transport by road
Sector: Transportation & storage
Investor take
Pursue
Strong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and acceptable with review structure.

Opportunity 74/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 54). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. 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 (58/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

4 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 30.4y

15/100
under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

  • · Oldest live charge is 30.4 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (79/100)

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
12 officers (2 active, 12 linked, 6 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
2 connected companies via shared directors
51
Filing history
114 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
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
60
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 accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Mar 2024Mar 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-03-312024-03-31
Average employees7700

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 (41 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-12-05
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
  2. 2025-10-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-12-12
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-12-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2023-05-02
    📄
    change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortened
    accounts · AA01
  6. 2023-05-02
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2022-03-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2021-02-02
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2020-02-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2019-01-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2018-01-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  12. 2018-01-03
    📄
    change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH03
  13. 2018-01-03
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  14. 2017-01-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  15. 2016-01-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  16. 2009-05-21
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  17. 2009-05-21
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  18. 2009-01-31
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  19. 2008-09-10
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
  20. 2007-01-16
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  21. 2005-08-12
    ➕
    SWAIN, Richard Glyn appointed
    secretary
  22. 2005-08-12
    ➖
    SWAIN, Tina Marie resigned
    secretary
  23. 2005-07-01
    ➖
    SWAIN, Mark Timothy resigned
    secretary
  24. 2005-07-01
    ➕
    SWAIN, Tina Marie appointed
    secretary
  25. 2005-02-01
    ➖
    SWAIN, Gillian Rosemary resigned
    director
  26. 1999-09-03
    ➕
    SWAIN, Mark Timothy appointed
    secretary
  27. 1999-09-03
    ➖
    ST NICHOLAS SECURITIES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-secretary
  28. 1998-01-01
    ➕
    SWAIN, Mark Timothy appointed
    director
  29. 1998-01-01
    ➕
    SWAIN, Gillian Rosemary appointed
    director
  30. 1998-01-01
    ➖
    SWAIN, Richard Glyn resigned
    director
  31. 1997-07-24
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Kellock Limited
  32. 1996-02-23
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  33. 1995-05-10
    ➖
    BOWER, John Forwood resigned
    secretary
  34. 1995-05-10
    ➕
    ST NICHOLAS SECURITIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-secretary
  35. 1995-05-10
    ➖
    BARUGH, Robert Clifford resigned
    director
  36. 1995-05-10
    ➖
    BOWER, John Forwood resigned
    director
  37. 1995-05-10
    ➕
    SWAIN, Richard Glyn appointed
    director
  38. 1994-09-26
    ➕
    BOWER, John Forwood appointed
    secretary
  39. 1994-09-26
    ➖
    TOWNSEND, Gerald Arthur resigned
    secretary
  40. 1994-09-26
    ➖
    TOWNSEND, Gerald Arthur resigned
    director
  41. 1987-04-23
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As CARN (AUTOS) LIMITED

Owner dependency

85/100
Critical — business is the founder

The 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 29 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.

Succession & seller-readiness

75/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 29 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 39 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
medium

Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.

Group structure

Swains Of Stretton Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.

🏛️
Swains Of Stretton Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
ultimate parent
⬇
CARN (AUTOS) LIMITED
This company · 02125455

Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Swains Of Stretton Limited
Corporate entity
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control30/06/2016

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 →

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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
Incorporated1987-04-23
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC49410 — Freight transport by road

Registered office

Malehurst Industrial Estate
Malehurst, Minsterley
Shrewsbury
Salop
SY5 0BX

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-01-14
Last: 2025-12-31

Officers (2 active · 10 resigned)

SWAIN, Richard Glyn→
secretary · appointed 2005-08-12
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
SWAIN, Mark Timothy→
director · ~54y · appointed 1998-01-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BOWER, John Forwood→
secretary · appointed 1994-09-26 · resigned 1995-05-10
Resigned
SWAIN, Mark Timothy→
secretary · appointed 1999-09-03 · resigned 2005-07-01
Resigned
SWAIN, Tina Marie→
secretary · appointed 2005-07-01 · resigned 2005-08-12
Resigned
TOWNSEND, Gerald Arthur→
secretary · resigned 1994-09-26
Resigned
ST NICHOLAS SECURITIES LIMITED→
corporate-secretary · appointed 1995-05-10 · resigned 1999-09-03
Resigned
BARUGH, Robert Clifford→
director · ~80y · resigned 1995-05-10
Resigned
BOWER, John Forwood→
director · ~81y · resigned 1995-05-10
Resigned
SWAIN, Gillian Rosemary→
director · ~79y · appointed 1998-01-01 · resigned 2005-02-01
Resigned
SWAIN, Richard Glyn→
director · ~86y · appointed 1995-05-10 · resigned 1998-01-01
Resigned
TOWNSEND, Gerald Arthur→
director · ~75y · resigned 1994-09-26
Resigned

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
TypeProperties
outstanding
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank PLC
Debenture1 property10/09/2008—
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Legal charge1 property16/01/200721/05/2009
satisfied
Kellock
Kellock Limited
Debenture1 property24/07/199721/05/2009
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Debenture1 property23/02/199631/01/2009
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (114 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-01-02
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
2025-12-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-10-13
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-01-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-12-12
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-01-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-12-07
change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortened
accounts · AA01
2023-05-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-05-02
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-01-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-03-07
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-01-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-02-02
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-01-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-02-05