A. AND R. BRUCE LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
02152946 · ltd · incorporated 1987-08-06
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
£1.38M
book net assets
Opportunity
77/100
Strong
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Construction of domestic buildings
Sector: Construction
Investor take
Pursue
Strong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and acceptable with review structure.

Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. 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 (53/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

15 live charges · 4 lenders · oldest 38.3y

15/100
under pressure

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 38.3 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 4 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (76/100)

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
15 charges (15/15 with lender, 15/15 with type)
90
Directors & officers
4 officers (1 active, 4 linked, 1 with DOB)
75
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
118 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
77/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
70
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £1,382,807
Cash YoY
+2367%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£122k
↑ 2367% YoY
Net Worth
£1.4m
↑ 3.0% YoY
Current Assets
£1.5m
↓ 28% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£422k£845k£1.3m£1.7m£2.1mMar 2024Mar 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-03-312024-03-31
Total assets£1.38M£1.47M
Current assets£1.52M£2.11M
Cash£121.6k£4.9k
Debtors£715.1k£249.7k
Net assets£1.38M£1.34M

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 (47 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-11-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-01-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-12-11
    📄
    change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortened
    accounts · AA01
  4. 2024-05-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2023-07-18
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  6. 2023-07-18
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  7. 2023-06-04
    ➖
    BRUCE, Kathleen Olga resigned
    secretary
  8. 2023-05-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2022-05-10
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2021-05-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2020-05-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  12. 2019-04-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2018-05-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2017-05-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  15. 2017-04-12
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  16. 2017-04-11
    🔒
    Charge registered #15
    Lender: Shawbrook Bank Limited
  17. 2016-05-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  18. 2011-08-12
    🔒
    Charge registered #14
    Lender: Ian Sidney Wren and Christine Wren
  19. 2007-09-29
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #12
  20. 2007-09-29
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #11
  21. 2007-09-29
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #10
  22. 2007-09-29
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #9
  23. 2007-09-29
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #8
  24. 2007-09-29
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #7
  25. 2007-09-29
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #6
  26. 2007-09-29
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #5
  27. 2007-09-29
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #4
  28. 2007-09-29
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  29. 2007-09-29
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  30. 2007-09-29
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  31. 2007-01-19
    🔒
    Charge registered #13
    Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
  32. 1995-01-19
    🔒
    Charge registered #12
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  33. 1994-11-30
    🔒
    Charge registered #11
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  34. 1994-10-28
    ➕
    BRUCE, Kathleen Olga appointed
    secretary
  35. 1994-10-28
    ➖
    BRUCE, Rodney Wyant resigned
    secretary
  36. 1994-10-28
    ➖
    BRUCE, Rodney Wyant resigned
    director
  37. 1993-11-23
    🔒
    Charge registered #10
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  38. 1993-11-23
    🔒
    Charge registered #9
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  39. 1993-02-24
    🔒
    Charge registered #8
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  40. 1993-02-24
    🔒
    Charge registered #7
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  41. 1992-04-08
    🔒
    Charge registered #6
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  42. 1991-07-17
    🔒
    Charge registered #5
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  43. 1989-02-10
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  44. 1988-11-07
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  45. 1988-11-07
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  46. 1988-02-05
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  47. 1987-08-06
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As A. AND R. BRUCE LIMITED

Owner dependency

98/100
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.
  • +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "BRUCE" — strong identity link between founder and business.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 62 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

65/100
Strong succession signal

Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.

SIGNALS
  • secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 62. Early succession window.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 39 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
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 Andrew Keith Bruce
Individual · British · DOB 03/1964 · age 62
75–100%
—75-100% shares31/12/2016

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

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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
Incorporated1987-08-06
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC41202 — Construction of domestic buildings

Registered office

7 Church Street
Tempsford
Sandy
SG19 2AN
England

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 (1 active · 3 resigned)

BRUCE, Andrew Keith→
director · ~62y
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BRUCE, Kathleen Olga→
secretary · appointed 1994-10-28 · resigned 2023-06-04
Resigned
BRUCE, Rodney Wyant→
secretary · resigned 1994-10-28
Resigned
BRUCE, Rodney Wyant→
director · resigned 1994-10-28
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

15
Total charges
3
Outstanding
3
Active lenders
Status:Lender:15 of 15 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Shawbrook
Shawbrook Bank Limited
A registered charge1 property11/04/2017—
outstanding
Ian Sidney Wren and Christine Wren
Legal charge1 property12/08/2011—
outstanding
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank PLC
Debenture1 property19/01/2007—
satisfied
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property19/01/199529/09/2007
satisfied
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Floating charge1 property30/11/199429/09/2007
satisfied
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property23/11/199329/09/2007
satisfied
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property23/11/199329/09/2007
satisfied
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property24/02/199329/09/2007
satisfied
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property24/02/199329/09/2007
satisfied
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property08/04/199229/09/2007
satisfied
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property17/07/199129/09/2007
satisfied
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property10/02/198929/09/2007
satisfied
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property07/11/198829/09/2007
satisfied
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property07/11/198829/09/2007
satisfied
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property05/02/198829/09/2007
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (118 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-01-13
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-11-18
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-01-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-01-07
change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortened
accounts · AA01
2024-12-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-05-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-01-03
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2023-07-18
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2023-07-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-05-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-01-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-05-10
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-01-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-05-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-01-15