AUTO BODYTECH LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
02137006 · ltd · incorporated 1987-06-03
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
—
year to Mar 2026
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
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What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 45200
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 64-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 64). 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 (65/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

8 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 38.4y

35/100
too messy

Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.

  • · Oldest live charge is 38.4 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Legal-friction score 35/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.

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
8 charges (8/8 with lender, 8/8 with type)
90
Directors & officers
7 officers (3 active, 7 linked, 5 with DOB)
84
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
128 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 accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£38k£76k£115k£153k£191kMar 2025Mar 2026

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2026-03-312025-03-31
Total assets—£104.8k
Current assets—£191.0k
Cash—£8.3k
Debtors—£141.1k
Net assets—£26.6k
Average employees12—

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
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 90 days
2
filings
  • • 1 accounts
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
2
filings
  • • 1 accounts
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (36 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-06-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-11-17
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2025-02-05
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  4. 2025-02-05
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  5. 2025-02-05
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  6. 2024-09-02
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2024-04-24
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  8. 2024-04-24
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  9. 2023-09-14
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2022-05-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2021-06-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  12. 2020-11-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2019-12-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2018-08-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  15. 2017-05-09
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  16. 2011-07-09
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #6
  17. 2011-07-02
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #5
  18. 2011-06-17
    🔒
    Charge registered #8
    Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
  19. 2011-05-11
    🔒
    Charge registered #7
    Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
  20. 2005-08-27
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #4
  21. 2005-08-27
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  22. 2005-08-27
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  23. 2005-08-27
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  24. 2005-07-22
    🔒
    Charge registered #6
    Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
  25. 2005-07-22
    🔒
    Charge registered #5
    Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
  26. 2005-03-30
    ➕
    HARWOOD, Lisa Jane appointed
    secretary
  27. 2005-03-30
    ➕
    HARWOOD, Lisa Jane appointed
    director
  28. 2005-03-30
    ➖
    HARWOOD, Ann Mary resigned
    secretary
  29. 2005-03-30
    ➖
    HARWOOD, Ann Mary resigned
    director
  30. 2005-03-30
    ➖
    HARWOOD, Arthur Geoffrey resigned
    director
  31. 1998-10-20
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
  32. 1998-09-28
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
  33. 1996-03-01
    ➖
    HARWOOD, Timothy Philip resigned
    director
  34. 1990-06-19
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
  35. 1988-01-15
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
  36. 1987-06-03
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As AUTO BODYTECH LIMITED

Owner dependency

84/100
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
  • +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 21 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 64 — approaching natural succession window.
  • +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.

Succession & seller-readiness

86/100
Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 64. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 21 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.

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Simon Gordon Harwood
Individual · British · DOB 04/1962 · age 64
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control06/04/2016
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Mrs Lisa Jane Harwoodceased 26/04/2023· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting

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

6 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
Incorporated1987-06-03
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC45200 — SIC 45200

Registered office

701 Stonehouse Park
Sperry Way
Stonehouse
Gloucestershire
GL10 3UT

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-12-31
Last made up to: 2026-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-05-03
Last: 2026-04-19

Officers (3 active · 4 resigned)

HARWOOD, Lisa Jane→
secretary · appointed 2005-03-30
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HARWOOD, Lisa Jane→
director · ~57y · appointed 2005-03-30
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HARWOOD, Simon Gordon→
director · ~64y
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HARWOOD, Ann Mary→
secretary · resigned 2005-03-30
Resigned
HARWOOD, Ann Mary→
director · ~93y · resigned 2005-03-30
Resigned
HARWOOD, Arthur Geoffrey→
director · ~97y · resigned 2005-03-30
Resigned
HARWOOD, Timothy Philip→
director · ~58y · resigned 1996-03-01
Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Mortgages & charges

8
Total charges
2
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:8 of 8 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
Mortgage1 property17/06/2011—
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
Debenture1 property11/05/2011—
satisfied
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property22/07/200509/07/2011
satisfied
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank PLC
Debenture1 property22/07/200502/07/2011
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
Lloyds Bank PLC
Mortgage2 properties20/10/199827/08/2005
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
Lloyds Bank PLC
Debenture deed1 property28/09/199827/08/2005
satisfied
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank PLC
Mortgage debenture1 property19/06/199027/08/2005
satisfied
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property15/01/198827/08/2005
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (128 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-06-05
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-05-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-11-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-04-24
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-02-05
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-02-05
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-02-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-09-02
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-04-24
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2024-04-24
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2024-04-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-09-14
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-04-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-05-24
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-04-19