A1 STEEL LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
02211952 · ltd · incorporated 1988-01-20
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 Aug 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
77/100
Strong
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Manufacture of metal structures and parts of structures
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 74-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 74). 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

5 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 38.2y

35/100
too messy

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 38.2 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
5 charges (5/5 with lender, 5/5 with type)
90
Directors & officers
8 officers (3 active, 8 linked, 5 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
2 connected companies via shared directors
51
Filing history
143 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.

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Aug 2024Aug 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-08-312024-08-31
Average employees15001600

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
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (37 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-05-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-05-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-05-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-11-01
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  5. 2023-11-01
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #4
  6. 2023-05-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2022-06-29
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  8. 2022-06-28
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  9. 2022-06-27
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  10. 2022-06-27
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  11. 2022-03-01
    📄
    change-account-reference-date-company-current-extended
    accounts · AA01
  12. 2021-11-17
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2021-06-30
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  14. 2021-06-30
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  15. 2020-11-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  16. 2020-07-01
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  17. 2020-07-01
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  18. 2019-10-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  19. 2019-10-11
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  20. 2019-10-09
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  21. 2014-03-01
    ➕
    JOHNSON, Adam appointed
    director
  22. 2013-12-30
    🔒
    Charge registered #5
    Lender: Aldermore Invoice Finance, a Division of Aldermore Bank PLC
  23. 2009-08-26
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  24. 2006-03-09
    ➕
    STREETS FINANCIAL CONSULTING PLC appointed
    corporate-secretary
  25. 2006-03-09
    ➖
    P & A ACCOUNTANCY SERVICES LLP resigned
    corporate-secretary
  26. 2004-08-16
    ➕
    P & A ACCOUNTANCY SERVICES LLP appointed
    corporate-secretary
  27. 2004-07-30
    ➖
    JOHNSON, Julie resigned
    secretary
  28. 2004-07-30
    ➖
    JOHNSON, Julie resigned
    director
  29. 2002-02-22
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  30. 1999-01-25
    ➖
    EDGE, Anthony resigned
    director
  31. 1999-01-25
    ➖
    THOMAS, Adrian resigned
    director
  32. 1998-03-20
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  33. 1998-02-27
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  34. 1997-11-11
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  35. 1996-07-01
    ➕
    EDGE, Anthony appointed
    director
  36. 1988-03-15
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Yorkshire Bank PLC.
  37. 1988-01-20
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As A1 STEEL LIMITED

Owner dependency

81/100
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.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 74 — succession pressure is live.
  • +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.

Succession & seller-readiness

89/100
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 74 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
  • secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 12 years.
  • 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

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
Dean Johnson
Individual · British · DOB 07/1952 · age 74
75–100%
—75-100% shares05/07/2016
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Mr Dean Johnsonceased 27/06/2022· 75-100% shares

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
Incorporated1988-01-20
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC25110 — Manufacture of metal structures and parts of structures

Registered office

Saville Road Industrial Estate
Westwood
Peterborough
Cambridgeshire
PE3 7PR

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-05-31
Last made up to: 2025-08-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-07-18
Last: 2025-07-04

Officers (3 active · 5 resigned)

STREETS FINANCIAL CONSULTING PLC→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2006-03-09
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
JOHNSON, Adam→
director · ~48y · appointed 2014-03-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
JOHNSON, Dean→
director · ~74y
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
JOHNSON, Julie→
secretary · resigned 2004-07-30
Resigned
P & A ACCOUNTANCY SERVICES LLP→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2004-08-16 · resigned 2006-03-09
Resigned
EDGE, Anthony→
director · ~78y · appointed 1996-07-01 · resigned 1999-01-25
Resigned
JOHNSON, Julie→
director · ~63y · resigned 2004-07-30
Resigned
THOMAS, Adrian→
director · ~74y · resigned 1999-01-25
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

5
Total charges
2
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:5 of 5 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Aldermore
Aldermore Invoice Finance, a Division of Aldermore Bank PLC
A registered charge1 property30/12/2013—
satisfied
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Fixed & floating charge1 property26/08/200901/11/2023
satisfied
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property27/02/199822/02/2002
outstanding
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Debenture1 property11/11/1997—
satisfied
Virgin Money
Yorkshire Bank PLC.
Debenture1 property15/03/198820/03/1998
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (143 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-05-28
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-07-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-05-19
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-07-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-05-24
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2023-11-01
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-07-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-05-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-07-04
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2022-06-29
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2022-06-28
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2022-06-27
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2022-06-27
change-account-reference-date-company-current-extended
accounts · AA01
2022-03-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-11-17