AQUABLAST LIMITED

🚨Distressedactive

02210129 · ltd · incorporated 1988-01-11

Investment thesis

Distressed but structurally messy — likely a value trap without major surgery.

Why interesting: Headline may look cheap; sector may be recovering.

Why risky: Critical deal-killers in ownership or security; closing cost and post-deal clean-up likely to dominate.

🔒Estimated value

—

Upgrade to see

Turnover

—

year to Dec 2025

Net worth

£-1.34M

book net assets

Opportunity

71/100

Strong

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What this business does

Primary activity: Machining

Sector: Manufacturing

ALSO REGISTERED FOR

77390Renting and leasing of other machinery, equipment and tangible goods n.e.c.

Investor take

Pass (distressed without resilience)

Distressed active trading company — structural issues outweigh the discount.

Opportunity 71/100 (strong), bankability 42/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 78). Asset purchase likely safer than share purchase given structural signals. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 6 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: distressed disposal / insolvency (85/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

10 live charges · 6 lenders · oldest 36.8y

15/100

under pressure

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

· Oldest live charge is 36.8 years old — likely at or near maturity.
· 6 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
· Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (73/100)

Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.

Company profile

address, 2 SIC codes, incorporation date

100

Financials

1 year of iXBRL accounts extracted (no YoY comparison) + narrative notes parsed

Lenders & charges

10 charges (10/10 with lender, 10/10 with type)

Directors & officers

9 officers (3 active, 9 linked, 7 with DOB)

Ownership & PSC

1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared

Director network

4 connected companies via shared directors

Filing history

141 filings on record

Gazette notices

No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)

Opportunity Score

71/100Strong

PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional

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

Business quality

Adequate — check latest filings for context.

Acquirability

Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.

Risk profile

Some moderate concerns — review flags.

Signal strength

100

Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declared

Negative net assets

Liabilities exceed assets by £1,336,668

Key financials

1 year extracted from filed iXBRL accounts

Cash

£184

Net Worth

-£1.3m

Current Assets

£172k

Current Liabilities

—

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown

Metric	2025-12-31
Current assets	£172.4k
Cash	£184
Debtors	£134.3k
Net assets	£-1.34M

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

🔒Filing-note intelligence

3 signals 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

filings

Last 90 days

filing

• 1 officers

Last 180 days

filings

• 1 officers
• 1 accounts

Counts from Companies House filing history.

Corporate timeline (45 events)Click to expand

2026-05-06
➖
WATT, Gordon George resigned
director
2026-05-06
📄
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2026-02-20
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-03-21
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-03-13
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-03-02
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-05-13
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-12-30
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-03-10
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2019-09-30
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2018-04-12
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2017-03-22
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2016-03-09
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
accounts · AA
2015-10-13
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
accounts · AA
2015-07-27
📄
annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
annual-return · AR01
2014-07-31
📄
annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
annual-return · AR01
2013-03-25
🔓
Charge satisfied #9
2013-03-25
🔓
Charge satisfied #5
2009-10-01
➖
LAMBROU, Evangelos resigned
director
2008-10-22
🔒
Charge registered #10
Lender: Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
2006-08-04
➕
LAMBROU, Evangelos appointed
director
2004-07-12
🔓
Charge satisfied #7
2004-07-12
🔓
Charge satisfied #6
2004-07-12
🔓
Charge satisfied #4
2004-07-12
🔓
Charge satisfied #3
2004-07-12
🔓
Charge satisfied #2
2004-04-20
🔒
Charge registered #9
Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
1998-12-10
🔒
Charge registered #8
Lender: Aquablast Holdings Limited
1998-12-08
🔒
Charge registered #7
Lender: Singer & Friedlander Factors Limited
1998-03-20
➖
BURIAN, Alastair Stephen resigned
director
1997-11-06
➖
BOTHA, Jozef Stefanus Christiaan resigned
director
1997-01-31
🔒
Charge registered #6
Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
1996-07-05
➕
WATT, Andrew James appointed
secretary
1996-05-01
➕
BURIAN, Alastair Stephen appointed
director
1995-06-30
🔒
Charge registered #5
Lender: Barclays Mercantile Business Finance Limited
1995-05-24
🔒
Charge registered #4
Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
1995-01-20
🔓
Charge satisfied #1
1994-07-14
➖
WATT, Gordon George resigned
secretary
1994-07-14
➖
MANSFIELD, David Leslie resigned
director
1994-05-26
🔒
Charge registered #3
Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
1994-05-16
🔒
Charge registered #2
Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
1993-03-24
➕
WATT, Andrew James appointed
director
1993-03-24
➕
BOTHA, Jozef Stefanus Christiaan appointed
director
1989-09-12
🔒
Charge registered #1
Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
1988-01-11
🏢
Company incorporated
As AQUABLAST LIMITED

Owner dependency

83/100

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 33 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
+Founder age: Director aged approximately 78 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

96/100

Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS

primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 78 years old. Natural succession window is now.
secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 33 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 38 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

2 med ·

Has insolvency history

medium

Companies House flags prior insolvency events. Review the insolvency filings for context.

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

Name	Shares	Voting rights	Nature of control	Notified
Mr Andrew James Watt Individual · British · DOB 02/1960 · age 66	—	—	sig. influencesignificant influence	14/07/2016

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 →

Similar companies

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ANGLIA SHOPFITTING (NORWICH) LIMITED→ 02685128 · est 1992 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	34y	—	—
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ANGLIAN WARDROBES LTD→ 17049888 · est 2026 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
ANVIL SFX LTD→ 15914399 · est 2024 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	1y	—	—
APEX REVOLUTION HEALTH & BEAUTY LTD→ 15093759 · est 2023 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	2y	—	—
APEX SIGNS & ENGRAVING LIMITED→ 03290441 · est 1996 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	29y	—	—
API CAPACITORS LTD→ 05973439 · est 2006 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	19y	—	—
APITHERAPY SKINCARE LIMITED→ 07222793 · est 2010 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	16y	—	—
AQUATERRA ENERGY (EBT TRUSTEES) LIMITED→ 05708209 · est 2006 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	20y	—	—
AQUATERRA ENERGY LIMITED→ 05522539 · est 2005 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	20y	—	—

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

Incorporated1988-01-11

Jurisdictionengland-wales

Primary SIC25620 — Machining

Registered office

Aquablast Building

Benacre Road

Beccles

Suffolk

NR34 7TQ

Filing status

Accounts

Next due: 2027-09-30

Last made up to: 2025-12-31

Confirmation statement

Next due: 2026-07-17

Last: 2025-07-03

Officers (3 active · 6 resigned)

WATT, Andrew James→

secretary · appointed 1996-07-05

View their other companies + combined net worth →

Active

BLAIR, Donald Charles→

director · ~78y

View their other companies + combined net worth →

Active

WATT, Andrew James→

director · ~66y · appointed 1993-03-24

View their other companies + combined net worth →

Active

WATT, Gordon George→

secretary · resigned 1994-07-14

Resigned

BOTHA, Jozef Stefanus Christiaan→

director · ~77y · appointed 1993-03-24 · resigned 1997-11-06

Resigned

BURIAN, Alastair Stephen→

director · ~75y · appointed 1996-05-01 · resigned 1998-03-20

Resigned

LAMBROU, Evangelos→

director · ~62y · appointed 2006-08-04 · resigned 2009-10-01

Resigned

MANSFIELD, David Leslie→

director · ~72y · resigned 1994-07-14

Resigned

WATT, Gordon George→

director · ~73y · resigned 2026-05-06

Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

Total charges

Outstanding

Active lenders

Status:Lender:10 of 10 shown

		Type	Properties
outstanding	Lloyds Banking Group Royal Bank of Scotland PLC	Debenture	1 property	22/10/2008	—
satisfied	Barclays Barclays Bank PLC	Debenture	1 property	20/04/2004	25/03/2013
outstanding	Aquablast Holdings Aquablast Holdings Limited	Debenture	1 property	10/12/1998	—
satisfied	Singer & Friedlander Factors Singer & Friedlander Factors Limited	Debenture	1 property	08/12/1998	12/07/2004
satisfied	Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC	Deed of variation (supplemental to a mortgage dated 26TH may 1994)	1 property	31/01/1997	12/07/2004
satisfied	Barclays Barclays Mercantile Business Finance Limited	Mortgage	1 property	30/06/1995	25/03/2013
satisfied	Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC	Deed of variation	1 property	24/05/1995	12/07/2004
satisfied	Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC	Chattel mortgage	1 property	26/05/1994	12/07/2004
satisfied	Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC	Single debenture	1 property	16/05/1994	12/07/2004
satisfied	Barclays Barclays Bank PLC	Guarantee and debenture	1 property	12/09/1989	20/01/1995

Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (141 total)

termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date

officers · TM01

2026-05-06

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full

accounts · AA

2026-02-20

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates

confirmation-statement · CS01

2025-07-10

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full

accounts · AA

2025-03-21

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates

confirmation-statement · CS01

2024-07-12

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full

accounts · AA

2024-03-13

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates

confirmation-statement · CS01

2023-07-03

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full

accounts · AA

2023-03-02

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates

confirmation-statement · CS01

2022-07-05

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full

accounts · AA

2022-05-13

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full

accounts · AA

2021-12-30

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates

confirmation-statement · CS01

2021-07-09

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates

confirmation-statement · CS01

2020-07-03

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full

accounts · AA

2020-03-10

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full

accounts · AA

2019-09-30