ALTON PRECISION ENGINEERING LIMITED
Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 85/100. Strong seller-intent signal (78/100, director aged 68). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Broaden director team. Sole director creates succession risk and reduces buyer comfort. Appoint a second director or strong #2. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
Refinance opportunity
5 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 38.5y
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 38.5 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: high (81/100)Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsHover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2025-12-31 | 2024-12-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 18 | 1800 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
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
- • 1 accounts
- • 1 accounts
- • 1 accounts
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Corporate timeline (36 events)Click to expand
- 2026-06-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2025-06-06📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2024-07-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2023-06-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2022-09-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2021-04-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2020-05-04📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2019-04-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2018-12-21➖WALKER, Ian resigneddirector
- 2018-12-21📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2018-06-15📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC05
- 2018-06-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2018-01-08📄change-account-reference-date-company-previous-extendedaccounts · AA01
- 2017-09-20📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2017-09-20📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC02
- 2017-09-20📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2017-09-20📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2017-09-01➕BROWNLEE, Kevin George appointeddirector
- 2017-09-01➖WALKER, Jacqueline resignedsecretary
- 2017-09-01➖WALKER, Jacqueline resigneddirector
- 2017-06-24🔓Charge satisfied #5
- 2013-05-11🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 2013-05-11🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2013-05-11🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2013-05-11🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2007-09-05🔒Charge registered #5Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2007-05-31➖SALT, John Roy resignedsecretary
- 2007-05-31➕WALKER, Jacqueline appointedsecretary
- 2007-05-31➖SALT, John Roy resigneddirector
- 2007-05-31➕WALKER, Jacqueline appointeddirector
- 1999-10-20➖ELLIS, Malcolm James resigneddirector
- 1990-07-09🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1989-06-01🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1988-01-06🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1988-01-06🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1987-09-30🏢Company incorporatedAs ALTON PRECISION ENGINEERING LIMITED
Owner dependency
The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 68 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 68. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- 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 ·Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Group structure
Quality Hydraulic Power Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
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%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Quality Hydraulic Power Limited Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 01/09/2017 |
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
- Mr Ian Walkerceased 01/09/2017· 50-75% shares · 50-75% voting
- Mrs Jacqueline Walkerceased 01/09/2017· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
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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 →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
Registered office
Filing status
Officers (1 active · 6 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 05/09/2007 | 24/06/2017 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Chattel mortgage | 1 property | 09/07/1990 | 11/05/2013 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Corporate mortgage | 1 property | 01/06/1989 | 11/05/2013 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 06/01/1988 | 11/05/2013 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Chattel mortgage | 1 property | 06/01/1988 | 11/05/2013 |