ALF (AQUATIC DISTRIBUTORS) LTD
🌳Matureactive
02392043 · ltd · incorporated 1989-06-05
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
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
74/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Wholesale of household goods (other than musical instruments) n.e.c.
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
PursueActive trading company. Family succession underway — not a classic acquisition target.
Opportunity 74/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Same-surname younger director in place — likely family handover, not open to sale. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 11 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: family or management succession (50/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
21 live charges · 11 lenders · oldest 36.7y
25/100
too messy
Structure is too messy for a clean refinance right now — clean up first or expect bespoke terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 36.7 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 11 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 48/100 (high).
Data confidence
Overall: medium (57/100)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
21 charges (21/21 with lender, 21/21 with type)
90
Directors & officers
14 officers (4 active, 14 linked, 11 with DOB)
86
Ownership & PSC
3 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
2 connected companies via shared directors
51
Filing history
175 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
74/100Strong
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
69
Some moderate concerns — review flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
1
filing
- • 1 mortgage
Last 90 days
1
filing
- • 1 mortgage
Last 180 days
3
filings
- • 2 officers
- • 1 mortgage
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (79 events)Click to expand
- 2026-04-27📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2026-04-23🔒Charge registered #22Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2025-12-11📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2025-12-11📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2025-11-26➖BARTON, Tania Louise resignedsecretary
- 2025-11-26➖BARTON, Tania Louise resigneddirector
- 2025-11-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-mediumaccounts · AA
- 2024-10-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-mediumaccounts · AA
- 2023-11-02📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2023-09-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-08-30➖SMITH, Michael resigneddirector
- 2023-06-27➕BLINCO, Ian appointeddirector
- 2023-06-27📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2023-06-27📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2023-06-20➖BARTON, Christopher James resigneddirector
- 2022-09-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-02-17➕BARTON, Daniel Jack appointeddirector
- 2022-02-17➕BARTON, Dominic Sean appointeddirector
- 2022-02-17📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2022-02-17📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2021-09-16📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-04-27📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2021-04-27🔓Charge satisfied #21
- 2020-10-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-04-06📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2020-04-06🔒Charge registered #21Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
- 2020-04-02📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2020-04-02🔓Charge satisfied #18
- 2020-02-21📄auditors-resignation-companyauditors · AUD
- 2020-01-23📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2020-01-16🔒Charge registered #20Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2017-08-12🔓Charge satisfied #17
- 2017-08-12🔓Charge satisfied #16
- 2017-08-12🔓Charge satisfied #14
- 2017-08-12🔓Charge satisfied #13
- 2016-02-01➕BARTON, Christopher James appointeddirector
- 2016-02-01➕SMITH, Michael appointeddirector
- 2014-11-01🔓Charge satisfied #15
- 2014-09-30🔒Charge registered #19Lender: Rbs Invoice Finance Limited
- 2014-05-26➖NOTLEY, Roy Bert resigneddirector
- 2014-05-17🔓Charge satisfied #12
- 2014-05-17🔓Charge satisfied #11
- 2014-05-17🔓Charge satisfied #8
- 2013-12-19🔓Charge satisfied #10
- 2013-12-16🔒Charge registered #18Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
- 2013-11-15🔒Charge registered #17Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
- 2013-11-15🔒Charge registered #16Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
- 2013-07-22🔒Charge registered #15Lender: Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance LTD
- 2010-01-28🔒Charge registered #14Lender: Lombard North Central PLC
- 2009-03-31🔒Charge registered #13Lender: Lombard North Central PLC
Showing most recent 50 of 79 events
Owner dependency
56/100
Moderate — manageable with handoverSome founder dependency, but not acute. A structured handover period should cover most risk.
FACTORS
- -4 active directors: Broader management team in place — suggests transferable governance.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 63 — approaching natural succession window.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Red flags
2 med ·2 director resignations in last 12 months
mediumMultiple recent departures can indicate governance disagreement, succession event, or preparation for sale/stress.
Evidence: BARTON, Tania Louise resigned 2025-11-26; BARTON, Tania Louise resigned 2025-11-26
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
Barco Investments Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
🏛️ultimate parent
Barco Investments Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares
⬇
ALF (AQUATIC DISTRIBUTORS) LTD
This company · 02392043
Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).
Shareholders & ownership
3 active beneficial owners · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Barco Investments Limited Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting | 11/10/2016 |
Mr Kevin Nigel Barton Individual · British · DOB 11/1963 · age 63 | 50–75% | 50–75% | 50-75% shares · 50-75% voting | 11/10/2016 |
Mrs Tania Louise Barton Individual · British · DOB 09/1969 · age 57 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 22/10/2016 |
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 · Wholesale & distribution · MK postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A B FRUITS LIMITED→ 05651085 · est 2005 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
| A NEW DAWN CELEBRATIONS LIMITED→ 17011731 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| A1 FOODS BEDFORD LTD→ 13868414 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| A2S' STUDIO LTD→ 15921282 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ACRUK LTD→ 15313980 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ADWOA CORP LTD→ 14301680 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| ALBERT ROGER & PARTNER FRANCE LIMITED→ 09231555 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| ALBERT ROGER DIGITAL LIMITED→ 10197463 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| ALBERT ROGER LIMITED→ 08799013 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| ALFAST FIXINGS & FASTENERS LIMITED→ 01527382 · est 1980 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 45y | — | — |
| ALL GROCERIES LIMITED→ 16504324 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALLSTARGOODS LIMITED→ 14796142 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1989-06-05
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC46499 — Wholesale of household goods (other than musical instruments) n.e.c.
Registered office
Telford Way
Cambridge Road
Bedford
Bedfordshire
MK42 0PQ
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-10-31
Last made up to: 2025-01-26
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-05
Last: 2025-10-22
Officers (4 active · 10 resigned)
BARTON, Daniel Jack→
Activedirector · ~28y · appointed 2022-02-17
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BARTON, Dominic Sean→
Activedirector · ~24y · appointed 2022-02-17
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
Active
BARTON, Christopher James→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1996-07-26 · resigned 1997-10-10
BARTON, Tania Louise→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1997-10-10 · resigned 2025-11-26
SMITH, Michelle Ann→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 1996-07-26
BARTON, Christopher James→
Resigneddirector · ~91y · appointed 2016-02-01 · resigned 2023-06-20
BARTON, Christopher James→
Resigneddirector · ~91y · resigned 2002-04-16
BARTON, Tania Louise→
Resigneddirector · ~57y · appointed 2004-11-08 · resigned 2025-11-26
BARTON, Valerie Elanor→
Resigneddirector · ~86y · resigned 2002-04-14
NOTLEY, Roy Bert→
Resigneddirector · ~83y · appointed 2004-07-16 · resigned 2014-05-26
PULLEN, John→
Resigneddirector · ~59y · appointed 2001-02-01 · resigned 2007-11-26
SMITH, Michael→
Resigneddirector · ~66y · appointed 2016-02-01 · resigned 2023-08-30
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
21
Total charges
3
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:21 of 21 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | A registered charge | — | 23/04/2026 | — | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 06/04/2020 | 27/04/2021 | |
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | A registered charge | — | 16/01/2020 | — | |
| outstanding | NatWest Group Rbs Invoice Finance Limited | A registered charge | — | 30/09/2014 | — | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 16/12/2013 | 02/04/2020 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 15/11/2013 | 12/08/2017 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 15/11/2013 | 12/08/2017 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance LTD | A registered charge | 1 property | 22/07/2013 | 01/11/2014 | |
| satisfied | Lombard North Central Lombard North Central PLC | Marine mortgage | 1 property | 28/01/2010 | 12/08/2017 | |
| satisfied | Lombard North Central Lombard North Central PLC | Marine mortgage | 1 property | 31/03/2009 | 12/08/2017 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 02/06/2005 | 17/05/2014 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 03/09/2003 | 17/05/2014 | |
| satisfied | Nmb-Heller Nmb-Heller Limited | Fixed and floating charge over all assets | 1 property | 11/04/2003 | 19/12/2013 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 2 properties | 16/12/2002 | 17/05/2014 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance Limited | All assets debenture | 1 property | 02/06/2000 | 27/06/2003 | |
| satisfied | Alex.Lawrie Receivables Financing Alex.Lawrie Receivables Financing Limited | Fixed and floating charge | 1 property | 19/06/1998 | 27/06/2003 | |
| satisfied | Aib Group (UK) Aib Group (UK) PLC | Mortgage debenture | 1 property | 25/07/1997 | 27/06/2003 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 09/01/1997 | 27/06/2003 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 14/08/1991 | 27/06/2003 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 14/08/1991 | 27/06/2003 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 29/08/1989 | 27/06/2003 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (175 total)
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2026-04-27
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-12-11
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2025-12-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-medium
accounts · AA
2025-11-07
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-medium
accounts · AA
2024-10-23
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-11-02
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2023-11-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2023-09-19
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2023-06-27
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2023-06-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-10-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2022-09-22
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2022-02-17