CHARACTER GRAPHICS LIMITED
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 80/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 68). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 1 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
Refinance opportunity
1 live charge · oldest 35.5y
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 35.5 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (79/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
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 | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 5 | 500 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
2 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
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Corporate timeline (20 events)Click to expand
- 2026-01-05📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2025-12-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-12-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-12-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-12-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-05-17📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2022-05-17📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2022-01-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-12-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-11-26📄termination-director-companyofficers · TM01
- 2019-12-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-12-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-11-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2016-12-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2015-11-09➖CURNOCK, Mark George resignedsecretary
- 2015-11-09➖CURNOCK, Mark George resigneddirector
- 2015-05-15➖COWLEY, John Martin resigneddirector
- 1993-12-24➕COWLEY, John Martin appointeddirector
- 1991-01-22🔒Charge registered #1Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 1988-04-19🏢Company incorporatedAs CHARACTER GRAPHICS 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 38 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
Red flags
cleanShareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mrs Sharon Pitman Individual · British · DOB 09/1960 · age 66 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 15/05/2017 |
Mr Graham Paul Pitman Individual · British · DOB 02/1958 · age 68 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 06/04/2016 |
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
- Mr John Martin Cowleyceased 03/08/2016· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting
- Mr Mark George Curnockceased 03/08/2016· 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
Active · Manufacturing · TA postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOUGH HOUSE LIMITED→ 10286021 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| BRADLEY THE BLACKSMITH LIMITED→ 14371140 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| BRAMBLE & CO. (SW) LIMITED→ 04658548 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 23y | — | — |
| BRITON AIR LIMITED→ 12107195 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| CA JOHNSTON LTD→ 13594898 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| CARAVAN & MOTORHOME SOLUTIONS LIMITED→ 07174999 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| CERATEX ENGINEERING LIMITED→ 03102060 · est 1995 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 30y | — | — |
| CGL BUILDING SERVICES LTD→ 11387970 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| CHE COACH HOUSE ENGINEERING LTD→ 01257796 · est 1976 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 49y | — | — |
| CHIMES MARKETING LTD→ 11214996 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| CHRISTOPHER CLAIRE LIMITED→ 06393724 · est 2007 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 18y | — | — |
| CHRISTOPHER INTERIORS LTD→ 15359973 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
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 · 3 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Mortgage debenture | 1 property | 22/01/1991 | — |