BARKER & HIRD LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
02362609 · ltd · incorporated 1989-03-17
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.
Why now
Window steady · low confidence
Steady and stalled — no momentum either way. Needs an approach trigger.
What changed my view
Last 30 days
No material changes in the last 30 days.
Last 90 days
No snapshot from 90 days ago — start tracking from today.
Last 180 days
No snapshot from 180 days ago — start tracking from today.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 99999
Sector: Extraterritorial bodies
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 67-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (93/100, director aged 67). Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 5 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (53/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
10 live charges · 5 lenders · oldest 28.8y
15/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 28.8 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 5 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (60/100)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
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
10 charges (10/10 with lender, 10/10 with type)
90
Directors & officers
15 officers (1 active, 15 linked, 13 with DOB)
87
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
10 connected companies via shared directors
75
Filing history
187 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
79/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
1
filing
- • 1 address
Last 180 days
2
filings
- • 1 address
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (62 events)Click to expand
- 2026-05-15📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2025-04-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2024-07-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2023-10-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2023-09-06📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2023-05-31📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2022-10-04📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2022-09-05📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2021-08-05📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2020-07-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2019-07-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2019-01-16➖BARNES, Andrew John resigneddirector
- 2019-01-16📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2018-06-27📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2018-06-26📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2018-06-20➖OLDCORN, John resigneddirector
- 2018-06-07➕OLDCORN, John appointeddirector
- 2018-02-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2017-11-15📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2017-11-15🔓Charge satisfied #10
- 2017-11-15🔓Charge satisfied #7
- 2017-11-15🔓Charge satisfied #6
- 2017-11-15🔓Charge satisfied #5
- 2017-11-15🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 2017-11-15🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2017-11-10🔓Charge satisfied #9
- 2014-09-24🔒Charge registered #10Lender: Lloyds Bank Commercial Finance Limited as Security Trustee for the Secured Parties (Security Agent)
- 2014-09-24🔒Charge registered #9Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC as Security Trustee for the Secured Parties (Security Agent)
- 2010-03-05🔒Charge registered #8Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
- 2010-02-26➖HUNTER, Andrew Pennington Havard resigneddirector
- 2008-05-20➖BARNES, Andrew John resignedsecretary
- 2008-02-20🔒Charge registered #7Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
- 2007-11-09🔒Charge registered #6Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
- 2007-09-17🔒Charge registered #5Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
- 2007-03-28🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
- 2006-07-28🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2006-04-18🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
- 2005-09-30➖WARD, Douglas John resigneddirector
- 2005-03-01➖JANNETTA, Lucio Enrico Peter resigneddirector
- 2004-10-22🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2002-10-31🔒Charge registered #2Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 2002-06-14➕BARNES, Andrew John appointedsecretary
- 2002-06-14➖MORGAN, Peter Frederick resignedsecretary
- 2002-06-14➕BARNES, Andrew John appointeddirector
- 2002-06-14➖MORGAN, Peter Frederick resigneddirector
- 2000-10-09➕JANNETTA, Lucio Enrico Peter appointeddirector
- 1999-07-31➖BRADLEY, Michael John resigneddirector
- 1997-09-30🔒Charge registered #1Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 1997-09-18➕GRAY, David John appointeddirector
- 1997-09-18➕HUNTER, Andrew Pennington Havard appointeddirector
Showing most recent 50 of 62 events
Owner dependency
100/100
Critical — business is the founderThe 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.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 29 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 67 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
95/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 67. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 29 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 37 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
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Group structure
Argent Holdings Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
🏛️ultimate parent
Argent Holdings Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares
⬇
BARKER & HIRD LIMITED
This company · 02362609
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Argent Holdings Limited Corporate entity | 75–100% | — | 75-100% shares | 01/06/2016 |
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
Active · Other · CO postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CARAVAN WORLD LIMITED→ 14508853 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| CLOUDFM AIR & RAIL LIMITED→ 08597017 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| COMBAT FIRE SOLUTIONS LTD→ 15400861 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| CONTEMPORARY SPACES ONLINE LIMITED→ 09998789 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| CW FENCING LTD→ 03866881 · est 1999 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 26y | — | — |
| DAVID WALTERS FABRICS LIMITED→ 02062060 · est 1986 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 39y | — | — |
| DELTA MARINE TECHNOLOGIES LTD→ 13119315 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| DIGITAL INDENTITY LIMITED→ 12862532 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| DMW WINDOW CLEANING SERVICES LIMITED→ 07126503 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| DON & CO. PROPERTY LIMITED→ 12275848 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| DOOR REPAIR SERVICES LTD→ 07820371 · est 2011 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| DOWN TO THE WIRE LTD→ 16696374 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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
Incorporated1989-03-17
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC99999 — SIC 99999
Registered office
C/O Orchardworld
790 The Crescent
Colchester
CO4 9YQ
United Kingdom
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-02-18
Last: 2026-02-04
Officers (1 active · 14 resigned)
GRAY, David John→
Activedirector · ~67y · appointed 1997-09-18
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BARNES, Andrew John→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2002-06-14 · resigned 2008-05-20
MORGAN, Peter Frederick→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 2002-06-14
BARNES, Andrew John→
Resigneddirector · ~62y · appointed 2002-06-14 · resigned 2019-01-16
BRADLEY, Michael John→
Resigneddirector · ~86y · appointed 1993-01-21 · resigned 1999-07-31
DELL, Julian David→
Resigneddirector · ~69y · appointed 1991-02-12 · resigned 1997-03-31
DEWHURST, David Mark→
Resigneddirector · ~63y · appointed 1994-05-03 · resigned 1997-03-31
ETHERIDGE, Hugh Charles→
Resigneddirector · ~76y · resigned 1991-02-12
GILBERT, William Victor→
Resigneddirector · ~81y · appointed 1991-02-12 · resigned 1993-11-30
HARRISON, John William→
Resigneddirector · ~88y · resigned 1991-02-12
HUNTER, Andrew Pennington Havard→
Resigneddirector · ~63y · appointed 1997-09-18 · resigned 2010-02-26
JANNETTA, Lucio Enrico Peter→
Resigneddirector · ~77y · appointed 2000-10-09 · resigned 2005-03-01
MORGAN, Peter Frederick→
Resigneddirector · ~92y · appointed 1994-05-03 · resigned 2002-06-14
OLDCORN, John→
Resigneddirector · ~56y · appointed 2018-06-07 · resigned 2018-06-20
WARD, Douglas John→
Resigneddirector · ~86y · appointed 1997-03-31 · resigned 2005-09-30
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
10
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:10 of 10 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank Commercial Finance Limited as Security Trustee for the Secured Parties (Security Agent) | A registered charge | — | 24/09/2014 | 15/11/2017 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC as Security Trustee for the Secured Parties (Security Agent) | A registered charge | — | 24/09/2014 | 10/11/2017 | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC | Deed of admission | 1 property | 05/03/2010 | — | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC | Deed of admission to an omnibus guarantee and set-off agreement dated 28 march 2007 and | 1 property | 20/02/2008 | 15/11/2017 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC | A deed of admission | 1 property | 09/11/2007 | 15/11/2017 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC | A deed of admission to an omnibus guarantee and set-off agreement dated 28TH march 2007 and | 1 property | 17/09/2007 | 15/11/2017 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC | An omnibus guarantee and set-off agreement | 1 property | 28/03/2007 | 15/11/2017 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 18/04/2006 | 15/11/2017 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Debenture | 1 property | 31/10/2002 | 28/07/2006 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Composite guarantee and debenture | 1 property | 30/09/1997 | 22/10/2004 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (187 total)
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2026-05-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-02-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2025-04-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-02-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2024-07-18
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-02-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2023-10-25
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2023-09-06
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2023-05-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-02-16
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2022-10-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2022-09-05
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-03-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2021-08-05
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-02-16